by Kristine Brown
For students interested in pursuing a degree that combines business and health care, the College of Business Administration now offers just the right solution. The new Bachelor of Science degree in health care management promises to provide a core education in business combined with critical topics in health care management.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook, the health care field is expected to grow rapidly as baby boomers age and people remain active later in life. Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow by 23 percent through 2022 — faster than the average for all occupations.
“There has never been a greater need for decisive health care leaders who can understand and adapt to today’s complex and evolving health care system,” says interim dean Anne Carroll. “It’s a dynamic industry that’s driving the demand for health care professionals who have the skills and knowledge needed to plan, organize and supervise the delivery of innovative and quality care.”
Rider’s BSBA in health care management was developed with input from health care executives in hospitals, biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, and health insurance firms. The curriculum is designed to provide students with an understanding of both the business and healthcare fields, including a deeper grasp of the legal, ethical, economic, social and managerial issues related to health care. The faculty includes professors with expertise in economics, finance, information systems, law and marketing.
Coursework in the new major includes 21 credit hours, 18 of which are required while three are elective credits. Sample courses include Health Care Finance, Health Care Information Systems, Population and Health Care Management, Health Care Marketing, and Health Care Law and Policy.
Carroll says the program is also designed to provide real-world experiences and offers students the opportunity to participate in a semester-long internship, large data-group project for a client and a health care marketing course in which students design a marketing plan.
For more information on the BSBA in health care management and the College of Business Administration, visit www.rider.edu/cba.
