Healthcare Management and Administration Programs at Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Best Online RN to BSN Programs.
Sacred Heart University in Connecticut offers several programs for students who want to study healthcare management or administration. Most of those students will start in the university’s Bachelor of Science in Health Science program. The program’s healthcare administration concentration includes 21 credits of administration classes and nine credits of electives. Those courses include Organization Management and Healthcare Administration Practice. Healthcare Leadership, Health Research Capstone and Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare are some other required classes. Undergrads can also choose a concentration in leadership, public health or global health.
The College of Nursing at the university offers an RN to BSN program that helps nurses prepare for working as managers in healthcare facilities. This is an online program that allows nurses to finish their degrees as they work in the field. It includes classes such as Anatomy and Physiology I and II, The Human Journey to Nursing and Leadership in Contemporary Nursing Practice. Sacred Heart also offers an RN to MSN program that helps students complete the bachelor program and then get direct entry into the university’s graduate nursing program.
A Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics is also available as both a residential/traditional program and an online program. Students may need to take up to four prerequisites, but they’ll also take 27 credits of core informatics courses, including Healthcare Operations, Electronic Health Records, Workflow Design and Reengineering and Information Analysis and System Design. Though students will take nine credits of electives, they can do two field experiences that count towards those credits. There is also a post-bachelor certificate program in healthcare administration, which includes three required classes and one elective.
Graduate students can also earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) through Sacred Heart University. They can earn a general degree in public health or select a specialization in community health. The community health specialization includes courses such as Community Health Development and Health Communication. All public health majors will take 11 classes, including Policy in Public Health, Biostatistics, Research Methods, Public Health and Health Care Systems, and Grant Writing and Reporting.
About Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University is a private university in Fairfield, Connecticut that has an affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Established in 1963, it took over the former campus used by the Notre Dame Catholic High School after it merged with another school. Known as a commuter school for many years, it wasn’t until 1971 that it added a residence hall, which gave students the chance to live on the campus. There are 10 different dormitories now available, and the university reports that more than half of its undergrads live in one of those halls.
Also called SHU and Sacred Heart, the university remains devoted to Catholic teachings and principles. The Chapel of the Holy Spirit opened in 2009 and is one of the most beautiful buildings on its campus. That chapel is open to both students and faculty members. The five colleges that are part of SHU now offer more than 50 degree programs, including options for graduate and doctoral students. Seven other campuses offer opportunities for students too. Though most campuses are in Connecticut, the university has two overseas locations in Luxembourg and Ireland.
Sacred Heart University Accreditation Details
SHU has accreditation for its nursing programs through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university has regional accreditation too, which comes from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). This form of accreditation means that Sacred Heart students can apply for financial aid and they can get credits for their past college and university work.
Sacred Heart University Application Requirements
Undergrads applying to the nursing or health science program need to use the SHU application for incoming freshmen. A second application is available for transfer students who earned college credits in another program. There is a December first early decision deadline and an early action deadline of December 15. The regular decision deadline is February 15. Students will use the Common App and pay a $50 fee, but they also need to submit a high school transcript and a letter of recommendation. The university will accept an ACT/SAT score but does not require one. Students applying to the RN to BSN or MSN programs will also need to provide proof of the nursing degrees they have and the scores they received on the national license exam.
All the healthcare management programs offered by SHU at the graduate level will only accept students who have an undergrad grade point average of 3.0 or higher and a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. They will also need to write and submit a personal essay as part of the online application process to explain why they selected the Sacred Heart program. A resume and two letters of recommendation are also required. Those applying to the healthcare administration certificate program only need to submit an application and a transcript to show that they have a degree in a related field and a high GPA.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time undergrads at SHU take 12 to 18 credits of classes. They pay $20,575 each semester. Students enrolled part-time in a program pay $1,372 per credit hour. Though SHU charges an enrollment deposit of at least $500 for those who receive an acceptance letter, it will apply that deposit to their accounts to reduce the amount they owe. Students also pay $135 in fees each semester and can purchase health insurance for $2,161 each year. Graduate students majoring in healthcare informatics will pay $7,500 for each group of classes they take. Public health majors pay $12,360 and fees of $250 each semester.
Financial aid is available for all the healthcare management and administration students at SHU too. Those students will use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which lets them show the total amount of need they have in the next year. The university can help students qualify for unsubsidized and subsidized student loans as well as other types of loans. They may qualify for scholarships or grants and work for the university in the work-study program. Sacred Heart University sends award letters to students before the start of the semester to show healthcare management students how much financial aid they received.