Health Care Administration and Policy, MS
Step into leadership across hospitals, health systems, consulting firms, government agencies, nonprofits and health technology organizations. This program readies you to lead teams and shape care where decisions matter most.
Quick facts
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation and professional licensure
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Health Care Administration and Policy master's description
The Master of Science program in health care administration and policy focuses on the study and design of systems, processes, leadership and management approaches used to optimize health care delivery and health outcomes for all.
The curriculum is centered on achieving high-value care through leadership, population health, informatics, systems engineering, health care management, health economics, equity, bioethics and policy.
You customize your elective coursework to your interests and goals. Courses are offered in three focus areas:
- health policy and advocacy
- health systems management
- performance improvement in health care
The program challenges you to work on innovative solutions to improve the U.S. health care system by simultaneously improving the health of populations, enhancing the patient experience and reducing per capita cost of care.
You work in a cohort through the program and are able to complete the program in as few as nine months. You are also paired with leading health care delivery organizations and leaders to complete an applied capstone project during the program.
Why study health care administration and policy at ASU?
ASU's College of Health Solutions was created specifically to tackle today's health challenges through innovation, collaboration and interdisciplinary learning. You study under nationally recognized faculty in health care administration, health policy, health economics, health equity, population health and health services research.
You can choose whether to earn your degree online or in person.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours including the required capstone course (HCD 550)
Required Core (18 credit hours) Focus Area Courses (9 credit hours) Research (2 credit hours) Culminating Experience (1 credit hour) Additional Curriculum Information The research requirement is taken in preparation for the capstone course. Students complete HCD 592 for one credit hour twice in consecutive terms before taking HCD 550.
HCD 501 Population Health Data Management and Analysis (3)
HCD 502 Foundation of U.S. Health Systems and Design (3)
HCD 510 Patient-centered Care and Analysis (3)
HCD 511 Health Economics and Policy (3)
HCD 521 Health Policy and Equity (3)
HCD 575 Health Care Transformation and Leadership (3)
HCD 592 Research: Part One (1)
HCD 592 Research: Part Two (1)
HCD 550 Capstone (1)
Students select coursework from any of three focus areas: health systems management, performance improvement in health care, or health policy and advocacy. Students should contact the academic unit regarding course selection for the focus area.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Integrate leadership and management skills and principles to facilitate the interdisciplinary delivery of patient-centered health care.
- Create a comprehensive plan to redesign care delivery to address a current health care delivery systems challenge.
- Develop quantitative and qualitative methodologies for applied research as a means to analyze health care problems, interpret data, and develop evidence-based solutions.
Integrate leadership and management skills and principles to facilitate the interdisciplinary delivery of patient-centered health care.Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the College of Health Solutions. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a related field such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, nursing, public health, pharmacy, biomedical informatics, social work, premedical, prehealth, nutrition, health promotion or business. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 credit hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information Contact information for one reference is required. The reference is contacted via email to submit a letter of recommendation. The reference must be academic or professional; friends or relatives are not accepted. A personal statement must be submitted that explains how the applicant plans to contribute to the health care system after they earn the degree, how the program will help the applicant achieve their goals, what the applicant's career aspirations are, and what interested the applicant in this program.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 02/15 | Priority* |
| Session A/C | Online | 07/15 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 11/15 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 04/15 | Priority* |
*A priority deadline means that applications submitted and completed before the priority deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications submitted after the priority deadlines will be reviewed in the order in which they were completed and on a space-available basis. An application is complete after all materials are received by Admission Services.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
ASU offers formally approved and coordinated degree programs at the graduate degree level. These programs include a designated number of approved credit hours that are shared by two degrees. For most concurrent degree programs, you apply once through the ASU graduate application. However, if you want to pursue a concurrent program that includes a law degree, you must submit both the ASU graduate application and the law school application.
This degree is also offered as a concurrent program with the following:
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this health care administration and policy master's degree prepares you for
Graduates are trained for a career in the health care industry --- particularly leadership, management and administration. Professionals with knowledge about innovations and improvements for health care delivery are in demand across the health care industry. This flexible degree program is also ideal for gap-year students who are pursuing entrance to medical and professional school before beginning careers in health and health care.
Career examples for program graduates include:
- health care providers
- hospital administrators
- policy experts
- program managers
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Health Systems Transformation
|
HLTHN 401AA
CHSGrad@asu.edu
602-496-3300
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
