Health Care Management Major

The health care management major, leading to the B.S. in Business Administration, is an exciting field for both study and employment. Since 1976, we have provided educational preparation to students interested in pursuing careers that combine business and health care.

Our Program

  • Is a small, personalized undergraduate program in New England’s leading public university
  • Offers a wide range of scholarships to health care management majors after the junior year

Program Information

Our program includes both traditional business and interdisciplinary health care management courses. Business courses include the functional areas of accounting, finance, information technology, marketing, and organizational behavior. Program-specific courses include content in risk management, law, insurance, economics, finance, and human resource management. The required courses for the major in Healthcare Management include:

  • Risk Management and Insurance
  • Introduction to Healthcare Management
  • Health Care Industry Analysis
  • Health and Social Insurance
  • Health Care Financial and Human Resource Management
  • Health Law and Policy

Our students develop an understanding of general business concepts, an appreciation of the overall business environment, the study of health care organizations, and the skills required to succeed in dynamic work settings. This prepares our students for a wide range of challenging roles in health care organizations. A number of electives are available that offer additional interdisciplinary emphasis including public health, ethics, family studies, allied health, gerontology, medical sociology, etc. Students are also encouraged to explore innovative study opportunities such as the University’s study abroad programs.

The New England Regional Program

If you live in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Maine, you are eligible for regional program status as a Health Care management major. Students admitted to the program from these states have most non-resident fees waived and can save a significant amount on tuition costs! Additional information can be obtained through the New England Board of Higher Education.

Student Internships

An optional internship is an integral part of each student’s overall academic program. Internships provide an opportunity for students to experience a “real world” working environment where performance is judged by standards different than that in the classroom. Students in the program gain practical exposure and insight into the operation of various types of healthcare and insurance organizations. Over the years, most students have received compensation for their internships.

Internships are usually undertaken full time for ten to twelve weeks during the summer months, following the junior year of study. The University, School of Business, and Program faculty members provide assistance in procuring internship sites for students. While most of the internships are conducted within health care-related organizations in Connecticut and other New England states, other locations are quite common. In recent years, students specializing in healthcare management have interned at organizations like Medical Risk Management, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Aetna, Cigna, Wellpoint, Aon-Hewitt, Towers-Watson, Mercer, Hartford Hospital, Yale-New Haven Hospital, UMass Memorial Hospital, CT Department of Public Health, and Hartford Medical Group to name a few.

Employment & Placement

The size of the health care industry has created excellent employment opportunities for students completing the major. Our program has an outstanding placement record, with nearly 100% of our graduates securing positions within the health care field. Starting salaries are often above average and opportunities for advancement are high. The University provides extensive placement assistance to graduating students.

The Health Care Management Society

The Health Care Management Society is a student run organization that provides peer and professional networking opportunities, as well as an informational exchange on health care issues. Our Healthcare Management & Insurance Studies Advisory Board, comprised of many highly successful industry leaders, stays actively engaged with our Health Care Management Society students through events such as mock interviews, building resumes, career guidance, and a yearly etiquette dinner.