Degrees in the Healthcare Management Fields Offered at Florida International University
Florida International University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Master’s in Healthcare Management Online / Online MBA Healthcare Administration.
Within the ever-increasing field of healthcare comes the need for more and more options for individuals interested in the management side of healthcare, and Florida International University offers several degree options geared toward filling that need. Starting at the top, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine offers a combined MD and MBA in Healthcare Management as a means of expanding students’ understanding of the various workings of healthcare systems, operations, and management. A five-year program, students interested in this path will complete the first three years of their MD program before applying for the MBA program. If accepted by both the College of Medicine and the College of Business, students would then spend the fall and spring semesters of their fourth year taking 33 credit hours within the MBA program. Nine of the credits already completely in the MD program will also be applied to the MBA to meet the total of 42 credit required. Students then return to the MD program for their fifth year, after which, if all requirements have been met, students will graduate with the combined degree. The MBA portion of this degree may be taken online.
Within the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the Health Services Administration Department offers a Bachelor, Master, and Minor of Health Services Administration (BHSA, MHSA, and mHSA). The BHSA prepares students for entry-level management positions in a variety of health-related careers and organizations. An upper-level curriculum involving 60 credits to complete, the program emphasizes engineering and financial management, research, politics and legal aspects of healthcare systems. It can be completed either full-time or part-time.
The MHSA program involves 48 credits completed over a 24-month period and prepares students for executive-level leadership positions in healthcare management. Emphasis is on a deeper understanding of many of the facets of the BHSA curriculum, including finance, marketing, quality control, and information systems. The end of the program involves either a master’s research project or an administrative residency. The five-course minor is meant to complement another, preferably related major, such as one in the health sciences, finance, or business fields. Students wishing to add this minor degree must have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours and maintained at least a 2.5 GPA to be considered.
The BHSA and MHSA programs are offered both on-campus and fully online.
About Florida International University
Florida International University is the first and only public research university in Miami, founded on what was once an abandoned airfield and in the former air traffic controller’s tower at Tamiami Airport. Today, FIU is one of the largest universities in the country, educating nearly 54,000 students each year and with more than 200,000 graduated alumni since opening its doors in 1972. The traffic control tower still stands in the center of the campus, labeled FIU’s Ivory Tower and representing the hardworking and creative entrepreneurial spirit that continues to thrive throughout the educational experience here.
Home to a very diverse student population representative of the multicultural city of Miami that is home to the FIU campus, students represent more than 150 ethnicities and 60 languages. FIU is designated a top-tier research university, offering several programs listed within the top 100 in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best College Rankings publication, including the Healthcare Management graduate program described above.
Florida International University Accreditation Details
Florida International University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degree levels from Associate and Certificate level to doctoral, and all in between. In addition, the Doctor of Medicine degree program is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and the MBA program is accredited through the Business College by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Florida International University Application Requirements
FIU takes a holistic approach when considering students for admission. As such, the admissions committee considers a student’s previous class choices, community service record, and achievements both in and out of the classroom, as well as GPA and standardized test scores, before determining acceptance. Students wishing to enter FIU as freshmen should start with a completed application submitted along with the $30 application fee, transcripts of all high school or GED courses completed, and scores for either the SAT or ACT. In addition, all prospective students are asked to submit residency documentation, regardless of where they come from to attend FIU.
Students seeking entrance at the graduate level should also submit the application and $30 application fee along with transcripts showing proof of a Bachelor’s degree earned from a regionally accredited university and a minimum GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 credits of the undergraduate degree. Individual graduate programs, such as the MHSA housed within the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, may require additional written samples or personal interview processes before considering an applicant for admission.
Tuition and Financial Aid
As a public state university, tuition rates at FIU vary according to whether the student is a Florida resident or not, an undergraduate or graduate level student, and studying on campus or online. Florida residents seeking an undergraduate degree pay $205.60 per credit, while non-residents pay $618.87 per credit. At the graduate level, Florida residents pay $455.67 per credit, while non-residents pay $1001.67 per credit. Residency is considered for students studying online as well, with Florida residents taking undergraduate courses online paying $354.56 per credit hour and non-Florida residents taking undergraduate courses online paying $549.67 per credit. At the graduate level, Florida residents studying online pay $462.78 per credit, while non-residents pay $1008.78 per credit.
Financial aid is available and encouraged for students who need help paying for a college education, with FIU offering both need-based and merit-based options that include scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs. Students are encouraged to start by filling out and filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, usually at the same time as applying for the college itself. This is the main tool for determining need-based aid. Students with strong academic records, test scores, or other achievements are also encouraged to explore the options for merit-based aid and scholarships offered both by Florida International University and organizations within the community.