- Build competencies in the five core areas key to success in health care management and leadership: (1) Knowledge of health care systems in the U.S., (2) Communications and interpersonal effectiveness, (3) Critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills, (4) Management and leadership skills, and (5) Professionalism and ethics theory and practice.
- The only CAHME-accredited program in Western New York and one of only 140 CAHME-accedited programs in the U.S. and Canada.
- Accommodate your professional schedule by pursuing the online MS degree full- or part-time.
- Engage in a faculty-led travel experience (domestic or international) to study another health care system.
A health systems management degree driven by today's health care imperatives. Successfully managing strategy, finance, patient experience, and operations in the highly regulated and unique health care sector requires specialized competencies and expertise beyond a traditional MBA. The master of science in health systems management is the currency needed to advance and perform in health care systems today.
Critical success factors driving health care systems today are often referred to as the Quadruple Aim:
- Improve the health of populations
- Enhance the quality of care for individuals
- Reduce the per capita cost of health care
- Improve the work life of care providers
RIT's Master's of Health Care Management: An Industry-Focused Online Degree
Our health systems management degree is a graduate-level, applied, competency-based, and industry-focused online degree program. Students are provided the flexibility to pursue the degree part-time in 24-months or full-time in 12-months.
Unique to this degree, you will have the opportunity to attend two on-campus leadership immersions and a faculty-led travel experience to study another health care system. The faculty strive to blend the flexibility of online learning with the value of face-to-face networking, interaction, and travel. All courses use a case-based, dynamic, and interactive focus on key health care topics including economics and policy, health IT and decision support, ethics, systems quality, and organizational learning.
Business and leadership courses prepare you to tackle issues involving financial management, quality improvement, operations, and strategy formulation–all within the context of real-world health care trends and challenges. You'll be well prepared to develop, direct, and implement strategy and tactics that will shape the health care organizations of the future.
Develop Your Health Care Leadership Skills
The MS in health systems administration program was built to support a set of professional competencies identified by the program's advisory board, faculty, and alumni. These 12 competencies fall under five domains and support students for success in the field of management and leadership in health care:
- Knowledge of health sector
- Communications and interpersonal effectiveness
- Critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving
- Management and leadership
- Professionalism and ethics
To develop your leadership skills, you will have the opportunity to attend two on-campus, hands-on, application-based learning and networking experiences. You will work closely with your classmates and faculty on case analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills during these four-day sessions. This face-to-face training delivers skills and competencies which will continue to be developed in a virtual environment within the online courses to maximize your return on investment in skill development and practice. View the program's Competency Model and Map.
A Flexible Degree Built Around Your Schedule
This online degree offers five start dates per year and courses run year-round. This accelerated course format allows you to complete your degree in half the time of a traditional, semester-based program. Each online course is seven weeks long. A full-time student can complete this degree in one year; a part-time student can complete the degree in 24 months.
Stackable Credentials
You may earn a graduate-level credential and advance your career while you work toward your MS. The advanced certificate in health care finance stands alone, and may also be applied to your MS degree.
Immersion Courses
The program includes a three-course series, referred to as the immersion classes. Two of these courses are offered on the RIT campus over an extended weekend (approximately 45 hours in 4.5 days). These courses are highly interactive and designed in a workshop format that utilizes a variety of hands-on exercises, teamwork, and role-play. The focus of these courses is to build highly effective managers and leaders.
An Immersive Health Systems Management Travel Experience
One of the most distinguishing and attractive benefits of the health administration degree is the culminating travel course. During the final summer term, you will have the opportunity for a faculty-led travel experience in which you will conduct an intensive study of the locale's health system in comparison to your native system. Travel destinations will include a mix of international and domestic locations. As your final project, you will use that experience to innovate a product, service, or process for a health care organization.There is an added program fee to participate in the travel course and students arrange their own flights, some meals, etc. The course faculty will share the destination and costs during the fall term prior to the summer course. For those unable to travel, an alternative study option will be provided.
Top Health Care Faculty
The program is led by a team of faculty who are practice-based scholars with extensive experience in the field. Faculty members are accessible, offer constructive feedback on course projects and assignments, and are at the forefront of providing an educational experience in which students can learn and directly apply classroom theories and concepts to the real-world practice of health care management.
Careers in Health Systems Management
Health care is the largest industry in the U.S. and the second largest employer, representing almost 20 percent of the Gross National Product, and employing more than 11 million people. Employment opportunities for health systems managers and administrators will increase by 20 percent over the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. View current career and salary information for health systems management program as they relate to career outcomes.
Health Systems Administration Advisory Board
The health systems administration MS degree relies on an advisory board of health administrators from around the country to advise and guide the program to ensure the curriculum addresses today's most pressing challenges for health care leaders. Learn more about the role of the advisory board and view the current advisory board membership.
Learn more about the program's mission, goals, and objectives.
Program Completion Rates
Graduation rates have risen year-over-year for the MS in health systems management degree program, and time-to-completion has decreased over a three-year period. RIT continues to track this data. Learn more about graduation rates and time to completion.
Students are also interested in: Health and Well-Being Management MS, Health Care Finance Adv. Cert., Business Administration MBA
RIT undergraduates qualify for a tuition scholarship when they choose an RIT Master's program.
Learn more about The RIT Master Plan
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