Meeting the competency needs of non-traditional students in an undergraduate health administration program

With the projected growth in clinical services, a necessary component of health administration professionals will be required for both public and private health systems. As faculty members in an undergraduate health administration program, we understand the importance of foundational learning at the undergraduate level in this discipline. For a sample curriculum, the authors present an analysis of competencies outlined by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) and the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Competency-based models identify best practices for management and leadership education at the undergraduate level. The competencies may include financial management tools, communication skills, and societal and cultural context foundations, and others.

We will present the results of a curriculum map to demonstrate the knowledge areas required for certain competencies. For example, a map of the knowledge areas and skills used to address financial competency will be classified as “introduced”, “reinforced” or “emphasized” in core courses such as Economics of Health Care and Financial Management in Healthcare. A description of the trends in student profiles will be used to best meet current learning needs. Variables may include gender, age, full-time or part-time status, entering academic credits, online or co-op status and number of years in the program. This informs decision-making about future curriculum development.