2025-2026 Catalog

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Health Care Administration M.S.

Faculty: Associate Professors Connolly, Rampa

The M.S. in Health Care Administration (HCA) focuses on the organization, financing and management of health care organizations and the delivery of health care services in the United States. The program will prepare students for management careers in health care in the private and public sectors, including careers in public health, hospitals, long-term care, home/community-based care and health insurance. The program is also appropriate for those seeking positions in health policy. The curriculum focuses on leadership, performance improvement, organizational theory/behavior, health care finance and law.

Admission Requirements

  1. Completed application form accompanied by a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
  2. A Bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration (HCA) or related field from an accredited college or university.  Students with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field with relevant work experience may be considered for admission.  For more information, contact program director.
  3. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records.
  4. Completion of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A B.S. degree in HCA, health or human sciences, nursing or business from Rhode Island College or the University of Rhode Island, with a 3.00 G.P.A. in the major, will exempt the applicant from the GMAT/GRE.
  5. A letter of intent including a statement of goals.
  6. Three professional or academic references.
  7. Completion of courses in Elementary Statistics, Principles of Economics and Introductory Accounting.

Retention Requirements


All students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the end of the first year and an evaluation of Satisfactory or better in the Internship class. Students who do not have a minimum 3.0 GPA may not continue in the program. No course in which the student earns a grade below a C will get credit in the M.S. HCA program.

Course Requirements

Courses

CourseTitleCreditsOffered
HCA 501/HCA 401WHealth Law and Ethics

3

Fall, Spring, Summer.
HCA 502/NURS 502Health Care Systems

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 503/NURS 705Health Care Policy

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 514Economics of Health Care

3

Fall.
HCA 520Health Care Human Resource Management

3

Fall.
HCA 530Health Care Finance

3

Fall.
HCA 537Performance Improvement in Health Care

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 539Biostatistics

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 540Research Methods and Statistical Analysis

3

Fall.
HCA 545Managing Health Care Organizations

3

Spring.
HCA 547Transformational Leadership in Health Care Organizations

3

Spring.
HCA 560Contemporary Topics in Health Care

2

Fall, Spring.
HCA 567Health Care Internship

3

Fall, Summer.
 
HCA 591Master’s Thesis in Health Care Administration

3

Fall, Spring, Summer.
-Or-
HCA 592Master’s Capstone in Health Care Administration

3

Fall, Spring, Summer.
 
HPE 507Epidemiology and Biostatistics

3

 Spring.

TWO ADDITIONAL COURSES

CourseTitleCreditsOffered
Two additional 400-500 level courses approved by the program director

6-8
Total Credit Hours:50-52

Health Care Administration: Data Analytics M.S.

The M.S. in Health Care Administration (HCA) Data Analytics track focuses on developing analytical skills in healthcare professionals, enabling them to work with large and complex data sets, understand data governance, apply analytical methods, and communicate insights effectively. Through the health care data analytics track, students will be encouraged to develop highly sought-after career skills enabling them to apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical, claims, and utilization data and report on health relate trends.

  Admission Requirements

  1. Completed application form accompanied by a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
  2. A Bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration (HCA) from Rhode Island College.
  3. Applicants with international degrees must have their transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited institution in the United States. 
  4. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records. 
  5. Completion of a course in statistics (MATH 240 or its equivalent), with a minimum grade of C. 
  6. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in undergraduate course work. Provisional acceptance occasionally granted. 
  7. An official report of scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from international applicants who are from countries where English is not the first language. 
  8. A professional résumé.   
  9. Proof of residency is required for in-state tuition. 
  10. An interview may be required.

Retention Requirements

All students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at the end of the first year and an evaluation of Satisfactory or better in the Internship class. Students who do not have a minimum 3.00 GPA may not continue in the program. No course in which the student earns a grade below a C will get credit in the M.S. HCA Data Analytics Track program.

 

Course Requirements

Courses

CourseTitleCreditsOffered
HCA 502/NURS 502Health Care Systems

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 514Economics of Health Care

3

Fall.
HCA 530Health Care Finance

3

Fall.
HCA 537Performance Improvement in Health Care

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 539Biostatistics

3

Fall, Spring.
HPE 507Epidemiology and Biostatistics

3

 Spring.
HCA 567Health Care Internship

3

Fall, Summer.
HCA 592Master’s Capstone in Health Care Administration

3

Fall, Spring, Summer.

Data Analytics Track

CourseTitleCreditsOffered
HCA 552Introduction to Heath Care Information Systems

3

Fall.
HCA 572Health Care Data Visualization

3

Spring.
HCA 580Health Care Data Analytics

3

Fall.
HCA 585Data Mining & Predictive Analytics

3

Spring.

TWO ADDITIONAL COURSES

CourseTitleCreditsOffered
Two Additional 400-500 level courses approved by the program director.

6-8

Total Credit Hours: 42-44

Accelerated Health Care Management M.S.


Admission Requirements

  1. Completed application form accompanied by a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
  2. A Bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration (HCA) from Rhode Island College.
  3. A 3.0 GPA in the B.S. HCA program and a grade of B or better in each of the foundation courses.
  4. A letter of intent including a statement of goals.
  5. Three academic references from faculty members at RIC.

Retention Requirements


All students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at the end of the first year and an evaluation of Satisfactory or better in the Internship class. Students who do not have a minimum 3.00 GPA may not continue in the program. No course in which the student earns a grade below a C will get credit in the M.S. HCA program.

Course Requirements

Courses

CourseTitleCreditsOffered
HCA 514Economics of Health Care

3

Fall.
HCA 530Health Care Finance

3

Fall.
HCA 537Performance Improvement in Health Care

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 539Biostatistics

3

Fall, Spring.
HCA 540Research Methods and Statistical Analysis

3

Fall.
HCA 545Managing Health Care Organizations

3

Spring.
HCA 547Transformational Leadership in Health Care Organizations

3

Spring.
HCA 560Contemporary Topics in Health Care

2

Fall, Spring.
HCA 567Health Care Internship

3

Fall, Summer.
 
HCA 591Master’s Thesis in Health Care Administration

3

Fall, Spring, Summer.
-Or-
HCA 592Master’s Capstone in Health Care Administration

3

Fall, Spring, Summer.
 
HPE 507Epidemiology and Biostatistics

3

 Spring.
TWO ADDITIONAL COURSES
CourseTitleCreditsOffered
Two additional 400-500 level courses approved by the program director

6-8
Total Credit Hours:38-40