Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Administration for DNPs
The Healthcare Administration Certificate provides Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students with foundational knowledge and applied skills in healthcare leadership, management, and policy. This certificate emphasizes the administrative and organizational aspects of healthcare delivery, preparing graduates to assume leadership roles in a wide range of healthcare settings. The Healthcare Administration Certificate will be offered exclusively to students enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.
Coursework emphasizes key areas of health administration, including healthcare economics and policy, financial management, and insurance and reimbursement systems. Students also develop expertise in healthcare services management, business strategy, and managerial decision-making with an emphasis on negotiation and problem-solving. The program culminates in a residency that provides applied learning opportunities, allowing students to integrate classroom knowledge with practical experience in healthcare administration.
By completing the Healthcare Administration Certificate, DNP students will be well-positioned to enhance their clinical expertise with the administrative tools necessary to lead organizations, influence policy, and improve health outcomes at the system level.
Program Overview:
The Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program is housed within Idaho State University's College of Business (COB). Idaho State University is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research university serving more than 12,000 students. With a strong health mission, the university is home to 75 percent of Idaho's health degree programs, making it a hub for healthcare education and workforce development in the state and region.
The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International and is committed to developing outstanding, effective, and ethical business professionals. The MHA program aligns with this mission by preparing students to meet the complex challenges of today's healthcare industry. The program's vision is to become one of the finest CAHME-accredited MHA programs in the western United States, and the premier venue for healthcare leadership and management education in Idaho and beyond.
MHA faculty include full-time professors, executives-in-residence, and adjunct instructors who bring decades of practical leadership and management experience from U.S. and international healthcare systems. With expertise spanning healthcare management, economics, policy, and executive practice, faculty provide students with a rich and applied learning environment.
The MHA program strives to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge education that prepares students to become competent administrators, managers, and leaders who will shape the future of healthcare organizations locally, regionally, and nationally.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HCA 6665 | Health Insurance and Reimbursement | 3 |
| HCA 6627 | Healthcare Financial Management | 3 |
| HCA 6640 | Healthcare Economics and Policy | 3 |
| HCA 6615 | Health Services Management | 3 |
| MBA 6621 | Managerial Decision Making and Negotiation | 3 |
| MBA 6626 | Business Strategy | 3 |
| HCA 6695 | Healthcare Residency | 3 |
| Total Credits: | 21 | |
Year/Semester of Courses:
- MBA 6626 (Business Strategy): Summer Year 1
- HCA 6665 (Health Insurance and Reimbursement): Spring Year 2
- HCA 6627 (Healthcare Financial Management): Fall Year 3
- MBA 6621 (Managerial Decision Making & Negotiation): Fall Year 3
- HCA 6640 (Healthcare Economics & Policy): Spring Year 3
- HCA 6615 (Health Services Management): Spring Year 3
- HCA 6695 (Residency): Spring or Summer Year 3
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the Healthcare Administration Certificate for DNPs, students will be able to:
- Analyze healthcare financing and insurance models, including public and private reimbursement systems, to evaluate their impact on patients, organizations, care delivery, clinical and managerial quality, and overall health system performance.
- Apply principles of healthcare economics and policy to assess the effects of regulatory environments, policy changes, and market dynamics on healthcare delivery.
- Demonstrate financial management skills by interpreting healthcare financial data, managing budgets, and applying reimbursement and pricing strategies to guide organizational decisions.
- Apply health services management practices in mission, planning, structure, and workforce motivation to strengthen teams and achieve organizational goals that improve patient care.
- Employ negotiation and decision-making strategies to resolve conflicts, build consensus, and guide organizational initiatives.
- Integrate concepts of strategic management by conducting internal and external analyses, formulating and implementing strategies, and evaluating issues of governance, ethics, and
Admissions Requirements:
The student must apply to, and meet all criteria for, admission to the Graduate School, and all additional College of Business requirements.
Admission to the MHA program is granted only to students showing high promise of success. The College of Business uses various measures to determine this likelihood. However, the minimum requirement for admission is based on the following formula:
- The sum of 200 times the grade point average in the last 60 credit hours of coursework (4.0 system) plus the total score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test must equal at least 1150 points.
OR
- The sum of 200 times the grade point average in the last 60 credit hours of coursework (4.0 system) plus the total score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test Focus Edition must equal at least 1120 points.
OR
- The sum of 11.66 times the grade point average of the most recent 60 credit hours of coursework (4.0 system) plus the sum of the GRE Verbal Score and GRE Quantitative score must equal at least 337 points.
For applicants from schools with different grading systems, a GPA will be inferred as accurately as possible. Also, graduate courses will be included in the most recent 60-credit-hour GPA calculation. For applicants with a significant amount of recent upper-division academic coursework versus coursework that is considerably older, we may choose to consider only the recent.