Health Management Programs at University of Southern Indiana
The University of Southern Indiana appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Graduate Programs in Health Care Management in the West.
The University of Southern Indiana created a Master of Health Administration (MHA) program that meets all the needs of students who want to work in health care management. This is actually available in two different formats for students today. The university offers one program for those who already have some experience in health care and a second option for those just starting college.
Students enrolling in the university as undergrads can apply to the MHA 4 + 1 program. The university expects students to take six credits of MHA courses during their senior years and nine credits of those classes over the summer session. They will then take just 18 more credits in their fifth years to earn an MHA degree. Students will spend three years taking general education and health sciences classes before taking MHA courses. Those who already have experience in this field and a bachelor’s degree can enroll in its online MHA program.
The online program requires that students come to the University of Southern Indiana campus for three intensive sessions. Those sessions occur in January, May, and August and last for two full days. Students will attend workshops and conferences as they listen to guest speakers and present their own work. The university will only accept students who have a few years of experience into this program.
Though the two programs feature a different format, they both include the same 39 credits of classes. The first class they usually take is Health Care Systems to learn about the system as a whole. They can also take Epidemiology at the same time. Other courses include Seminar in Health Administration, Health Care Leadership, Operations Research in Health Care and Human Resources and Labor Relations in Health Care. The University of Southern Indiana assigns online students into cohorts, which are small groups that follow the same path and take the same classes together.
About University of Southern Indiana
The University of Southern Indiana ranks as one of the more modern public schools of higher learning in the state. Established in 1965, it was originally part of the Indiana State University system. ISU purchased 1,400 acres and built a new campus that opened as the Mid-America University Center. As it received more funding, the center became ISU-Evansville, named for the location of the campus. The two schools separated in 1985, with ISU-Evansville becoming University of Southern Indiana. It typically uses the abbreviation USI to separate itself from the other public schools in Indiana.
U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) ranks the university for having one of the top online graduate nursing programs. GetEducated.com ranked its MHA program as one of the top five options for students today and cited the program’s low costs and reviews as helping it achieve this ranking. The USI campus is now home to the Center for Applied Research, which helps local business owners and provides students with practical experience and Historic Southern Indiana, which is a nonprofit group that helps save historic structures in the south. More than 9,000 students now enroll and take USI classes every year.
University of Southern Indiana Accreditation Details
All the bachelor’s and master’s programs available from USI have accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). HLC accreditation means that USI can assign financial aid packages to any student who needs help and that it can accept the credits that students already have. USI has its own review committee that meets each year to ensure that the university will retain its accreditation.
University of Southern Indiana Application Requirements
Students applying to USI must meet the requirements for the 4 + 1 program or the online MHA program. The 4 + 1 program will only accept students who already attend USI. Those students must take at least 75 credits of classes and have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher at the time that they apply. They will submit all required documents to the MHA assistant, including a letter of intent that is at least two pages in length that describes any health experiences the student has and a resume. Students must also provide a character reference letter and a letter of recommendation from someone who works for USI. Incoming undergrads can apply to the university without picking a major and then apply to this program later.
Those applying to the online MHA program will complete two separate applications. The first goes to the USI Graduate School, and the other goes to the MHA office. USI will only accept those who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in college and a bachelor’s degree. It also recommends that students have a minimum of two years experience in the health field. They will submit an official GRE score and an essay. The application includes multiple essays and allows students to pick which one they want to use. After filling out the Graduate School application and paying the $40 fee, these students will provide the university with a resume, letter of intent and the names and contact information for three different references.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergrads attending USI pay $259 per credit hour if they are also Indiana residents. Students who are not residents of the state will pay $629 per credit hour for all their undergrad classes. Once they begin taking MHA courses, they pay the same rate that graduate students do for those classes. USI allows undergrads to take both bachelor’s and master’s classes at the same time. Indiana graduate students pay $385 per credit hour, but if they are nonresidents, they’ll pay $755 per credit hour.
USI students needing financial aid can use the FAFSA and get both loans and some grants. Students can also apply for the institutional aid that is available too. The David L. Rice Merit Scholarship awards money based on test scores and grades. Students with a GPA of 3.0 and an ACT score of 20 will receive $500. If the student scored 30 on the ACT and has a perfect GPA, the university will award that individual a $5,000 scholarship. Graduate students can qualify for both assistantships and scholarships too. The University of Southern Indiana encourages students to apply for financial aid at the same time that they submit their applications to its health management program.