The School of Health Administration offers graduate certificates in four disciplines: healthcare administration, healthcare human resource management, health informatics, and long term care administration. The certificate coursework is scheduled at times convenient to students with full-time jobs. In most cases, coursework taken for a graduate certificate with an earned grade of “B” or better can be transferred to a graduate degree in the School of Health Administration.

Interested applicants seeking admission to a graduate certificate program must have a bachelor’s degree and a 2.50 GPA on the last 60 hours leading to the bachelor’s degree. Applicants should apply for admission through the Graduate College as a “Texas State Certificate Program” applicant and must submit an application, an application fee, and an official transcript(s).

For further information on graduate certificate programs in the School of Health Administration, contact Dr. Michael Nowicki, FACHE, FHFMA, the graduate advisor for the School, at 512-245-3494, or sohagradadvisor@txstate.edu.

Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Administration

The graduate certificate in healthcare administration (HA) is designed to offer the core MHA degree content to healthcare managers and other healthcare professionals. The graduate certificate in HA is taught in a learning environment where students with management and professional experience can supplement their existing practical knowledge with new theoretical knowledge of healthcare organizations, healthcare organizational behavior, healthcare law, and related healthcare administration topics. The graduate certificate in HA includes five courses (15 semester hours) available on both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses and may be available at other off-campus locations depending on student enrollments.

In addition to the admission requirements listed above, applicants applying for the graduate certificate in HA must have at least two (2) years of experience as a healthcare manager and/or healthcare professional and must provide a current resume during the application process.

Once accepted, students must complete a five-course (15 semester hour) program of study with a 3.0 or better GPA and no grade lower than “C”. Required courses include:

• HA 5300--Healthcare Organization and Delivery (should be taken first)
• HA 5321--Healthcare Law
• HA 5362--Healthcare Organization Behavior/Theory
• 6 hours of graduate HA electives selected by the student in consultation with the graduate advisor

Healthcare Human Resource Management

The graduate certificate in healthcare human resource management (HHRM) is designed to offer the core MS-HHR degree content to professionals in healthcare human resources and other professionals interested in a career move. The graduate certificate in HHRM introduces the theoretical foundations and related skills necessary to be a successful human resources manager in a variety of healthcare settings.

Once accepted, students must complete a five-course (15 semester hour) program of study with a 3.0 or better GPA and no grade lower than “C”. Required courses include:

• HHR 5322--Human Resource Development in the Health Sciences
• HHR 5350--Human Resource Management in the Health Sciences
• HHR 5354--Strategic Leadership in Healthcare Human Resources
• HHR 5358--Human Resource Systems and Metrics
• HHR 5374--Employment Law in Healthcare

Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics

The graduate certificate in health informatics (HI) is designed to educate healthcare managers and other professionals interested in a career move to be effective developers, users, and managers of health information. Students will learn how to identify and provide the health information needed by hospital and system executives, governmental planners, public health officials, and other healthcare professionals. Applications of outcome measures provide students with the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of decision making regarding both health and healthcare status.

Once accepted, students must complete a five-course (15 semester hour) program of study with a 3.0 or better GPA and no grade lower than “C”. Required courses include:

• HA 5303--Information Systems Management in Healthcare
• HR 5331--Experimental Design & Biomedical Research
• HR 5357--Clinical Epidemiology & Outcomes Research
• HR 5363--Medical Informatics
• HIM 5301--Electronic Health Records

Graduate Certificate in Long Term Care Administration

The graduate certificate in long term care administration (LTCA) is designed to offer the coursework and field placement necessary to become a licensed nursing facility administrator. Long term care is a rapidly growing field with increasing demand for licensed administrators. The graduate certificate in LTCA is designed to meet the Texas license requirements for nursing facility administrators (note: all questions regarding licensure and State exam requirements should be directed to the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) at 512-438-2015) or www.dads.state.tx.us.

Once accepted, students must complete a 33-semester-hour program of study which includes five courses (15 semester hours) and three semesters of field placement (18 semester hours) with a 3.0 or better GPA and no grade lower than “C”. Required courses include:

• LTCA 5322--Organization of Long Term Health Care
• LTCA 5323--Regulatory Aspects of Long Term Health Care
• LTCA 5324--Management of Long Term Healthcare Facilities
• LTCA 5325--Principles of Long Term Care Practice
• LTCA 5335--Financial Management of Long Term Care Facilities
• LTCA 5681--Internship (x3)