The Cutting Edge Differential
Cal State East Bay’s Online MS in Health Care Administration program equips you with the analytical skills and knowledge needed to explore new models of health care delivery and organizational design. You’ll learn how to successfully meet the challenges of health care delivery and develop the leadership skills to discover and implement creative solutions to problems in the health care system.
"Best in the West" college selection by the Princeton Review
Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Ranked as one of the top Master's in Health Services Degree Programs for 2020 by Intelligent.com
Ranked among the top 25 Best Online Master of Healthcare Administration Degree programs by The Best Schools
A Faster Way to Professional Growth
The Online MS in Health Care Administration program at Cal State East Bay is surprisingly achievable and especially convenient for busy working adults like you. You will receive the same dynamic education and walk away with the same diploma as if you were taking classes on campus.
The program enables you to earn your degree after four semesters, completing two courses per semester for four consecutive semesters. You'll enjoy a personal, student-centered learning experience, with professors who are experts in the field of health services and available to support you every step of the way.
Cal State East Bay’s Online MS-HCA program allowed me to have the perfect work/school/life balance. The program gave me the opportunity to expand beyond my current career. For example, with my experience in healthcare management along with my MS-HCA degree, I was offered quite a few positions after the successful completion of the program. I believe this program helped me become a more well-rounded candidate who is well-received in various sectors of health care. To me, that’s priceless.
Excel in a Rapidly Changing Industry
Health care delivery is undergoing rapid growth and change. As a result, the responsibilities of health care administrators and managers are continuously being redefined. In this dynamic environment, organizations must manage for continuous improvement and maintain flexibility to respond to the latest challenges.
With a MS in Health Care Administration, you’ll be able to plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services in a variety of professional settings including: local, state, and private hospitals, ambulatory heath care services, group medical practices, nursing and residential care facilities, government agencies, and more.
Occupational Trends
The median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $101,340 in 2021, with the top 10 percent earning more than $205,620.
-- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Medical and health services managers held about 450,575 jobs in 2022.
-- QCEW Employees - Emsi
Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
-- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Become an Effective Administrator
As a Cal State East Bay graduate, you will have gained the skills and knowledge to manage non-profit, for-profit, and voluntary health care organizations in effective and innovative ways.
Cal State East Bay’s Online MS in Health Care Administration program aligns with the desired competencies developed by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance (HLA), a consortium of major professional health care associations. By successfully completing the program, you’ll be able to demonstrate competency in those six domains:
Knowledge and Critical Thinking
Analyze and think critically about current and emerging issues in the health care system and the policy environment in which the system operates.
Communication
Communicate effectively with internal and external organizational stakeholders, both in written and oral form.
Relationship Management
Form collaborative relationships and interact appropriately with diverse client groups, workplace supervisors and colleagues, and other organizational stakeholders.
Leadership
Create effective and creative approaches for fostering teamwork and encouraging others to align their priorities with organizational excellence.
Professionalism
Align personal and organizational conduct with ethical, legal, and professional standards.
Business Acumen
Apply business principles to the health care environment, including financial management, human resource management, organizational dynamics and governance, strategic planning, information management, risk management, and quality improvement.
The MS-HCA degree is very different from an undergraduate degree. There are no superfluous classes or busy work. Every class and every project imparts knowledge that is immediately useful for the current health care industry. It is taught by people who have years of valuable experience. After starting my final internship I realized that I was totally prepared to enter the health care industry.
It's not about the fear of failing; it's about the courage of trying for the possibility. This program enables you to realize your passion and the fact that anyone can achieve their goals as long as they have the courage to take action.
Once I entered the health care workforce, the academic diversity of the program proved extremely beneficial, allowing me to sit on departmental committees and confidently contribute to hospital operations. Having my Masters of Science from Cal State East Bay in Health Care Administration helped me to get into nursing school and will continue to help me in my future nursing career.
The Prestige of a Cal State Degree with the Convenience of an Online Program
The Online MS in Health Care Administration Program is offered completely online. As a student in the program, you’ll take courses on a semester-based schedule. Each of the courses “meet” for 15 weeks, for a total of 15 sessions and 15 instructional modules per course.
Each instructional module may contain:
Overview of the module
Student learning objectives
Assignments and due dates
Instructional materials (mini-lecture, podcast, graphics, images, PowerPoint presentation, video, case study, audio, etc.)
Hyperlinks to value-added websites
Quiz, problem set, exercises, student-product, or other method of student participation and learning evaluation
Discussion board
Program Curriculum
The Online MS in Health Care Administration program requires the successful completion of 7 4-unit courses and 1 6-unit course, for a total of 34 units. No transfers or substitution of any of these 8 courses will be accepted. You must earn a grade of C or better in all courses and maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (B average) or better.
Required Courses
| Course | |
|---|---|
| HCA 611 Evolution of the U.S. Health Care System, Health Disparities and Policy | |
| HCA 612 Health Care Management, Leadership and Strategic Planning | |
| HCA 621 Health Care Quality Improvement Tools and Methodologies | |
| HCA 622 Health Care Technology and Informatics | |
| HCA 631 Health Care Financial Management and Third-Party Reimbursement | |
| HCA 641 Health Care Legal, Diversity and Ethical Issues | |
| HCA 642 Health Care Program Development and Grant Writing | |
| HCA 693 Capstone Project |
Schedule
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | ||
| HCA 611 | HCA 621 | ||
| HCA 612 | HCA 622 | ||
| Year 2 | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Spring |
| HCA 631 | HCA 641 |
| HCA 693* | HCA 642 |
*Note: HCA 693 is the capstone experience in the program and students have two semesters to complete it.
Featured Faculty
Ryan deGive
In addition to teaching the foundational concepts, my goal with each course is to support my students’ ideas and inspire them to become imaginative leaders ready to solve any issue.
As a graduate of Cal State East Bay’s MS-HCA program, Ryan deGive can fully attest to the value of the HCA curriculum. With over ten years of health care industry experience, he has held various positions centered around patient flow within the hospital setting. He has spent the last five years working for Stanford Health Care as both a manager and most recently as an Epic Systems Analyst within Stanford’s IT department. deGive began teaching in the MS-HCA program in 2015. He currently teaches courses in the areas of planning, budgeting, and quality.
Grace Hernandez
Teaching is a lifelong journey, the learning never ends and your students end up teaching you a lot, that is what is best about teaching.
Grace Hernandez has worked in health care for over 13 years, and says health care has been a huge part of her professional life. She states: “It is always changing and you learn something new each day by doing your part to improve and give the best quality in patient care, that is why I have chosen this path in teaching and in the healthcare industry I am in.”
Evelyn Launius
If someone said, ‘Describe yourself in 3 words’ those 3 words would be: life-long learner.
Evelyn Launius was born in Munich, Germany and grew up around the world as her father was in the U.S. Army. After completing high school in Georgia, she did a stint in the U.S. Navy. Upon discharge, Launius relocated to the Bay Area. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology and graduate degree in business while working full-time and running a household.
As an adjunct instructor for two major Bay Area universities, she immensely enjoys teaching. Her style is to engage the students in their learning through Blackboard, social media, and internet research. She believes the classroom is a safe place for students to practice, communicate, and network while furthering their knowledge.
Farida Stark
I prepare my students to be leaders and encourage them to think, initiate, and participate. I learn from my students as much as they learn from me. I enjoy teaching as it gives me the opportunity to mentor and stay connected with some of the sharpest and most talented individuals.
Farida Stark is an experienced professional in the healthcare field with a focus on programs directed towards the elderly. She has led various community health projects and served as a member of the board of directors. Stark received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics and her graduate degree in Health Care Administration. Stark also received training and certification from Quality Matters (QM), a nationally recognized program focused on designing quality online courses. During her free time, Stark enjoys traveling and visiting historical sites with her husband.
Additional Faculty:
Brandon Englebert
Belal Kaifi
Sonia Sidhu
Tamina Vahidy
Next, learn all about admission requirements and how to apply. »
Admission Requirements
Admission will be granted based upon the Admission Committee's overall assessment of your academic qualifications and career potential, using the following criteria:
Undergraduate GPA
An undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 is required. Students with GPA below 2.5 will not be considered for admission.
Statement of Purpose
In a one to two-page essay double-spaced, please explain who you are, your career goals and how the degree will help you achieve those goals, and why you think you could be successful in the program.
Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of academic and/or professional recommendation on professional letterhead (company or educational institution stationery). The letter writers should include how they know you, if they think you would be successful in the program, and why. Letters must be current, dated, and signed.
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Professional resume/curriculum vitae
Health Care Experience
Applicants must have a minimum of two years of full-time and paid professional experience in the field of health care in the United States. The professional experience must be able to be verified from the employment information in the applicant’s resume.
Applying to the Program
The application process requires 3 steps:
1. Fill out the Graduate Application on Cal State Apply
Please apply for Health Care Administration – MS under East Bay Extension on Cal State Apply. As part of the Cal State Apply application, submit your resume and statement of purpose.
2. Submit official transcripts to University Admissions
All undergraduate/graduate transcripts must be sent directly to University Admissions, not the department. For instructions on how to submit documents, click here.
3. Submit all other documents directly to the department
The resume, statement of purpose, and two letters of recommendation should be sent as attachments in an email sent to: PublicAdmin@csueastbay.edu.
Please remember that both your online application to the University and the materials to be submitted directly to the department must be postmarked or received by the application deadlines.
Admission Deadlines
| Term | Application Period | Transcripts & Other Documents Due |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | TBD | TBD |
Note: The department evaluates completed admission applications as they are received. Due to the demand for the program and the limited number of applicants who can be admitted, applicants should submit their application materials as early as possible in the application period. Applicants who meet all of the admission criteria and submit all application materials early in the application period will have a higher likelihood of admission.
At Cal State East Bay, we pride ourselves on putting students first, from the moment you inquire until you graduate. We hope you've found answers to your questions in this support center, but if not, please get in touch.