SHP Catalog

Program Director: Paustian
Faculty: Elder, Garrie, Hamer, Powell, Spath, Slovensky, Smith, Trimm

The Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management Program prepares graduates for mid-level management positions in all types of health care organizations, including hospitals, ambulatory care centers, long term care facilities, and home health care agencies. Graduates also may find employment in consultant or vendor companies serving the health care industry. Admission to the Clinical Manager Option is restricted to graduates of certificate and/or associate degree health professions programs or the equivalent, including associate degree or diploma registered nursing program, and be licensed, registered, or certified in the health speciality (not required for the other tracks). Students applying to the Clinical Manager option must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0). Graduates of this option are qualified for positions in which their clinical knowledge base is applied in a management context. Undergraduate students who plan to seek admission to health administration, health informatics, occupational therapy, physical therapy, surgical physician assistant or other graduate level health professions programs may apply for admission to the Pre-Professional Degree Option. Students applying to the Pre-Professional Degree Option must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (A=4.0). In addition to the UAB core curriculum requirements in Areas 1-IV, applicants must complete Accounting I, Accounting II, statistics, and other prerequisites for admission to identified graduate programs. Students in the General Manager Option do not have a clinical background and do not plan to apply for graduate study immediately following the completion of the BSHS degree. Students applying to the General Manager option must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0). Elective courses for these students are negotiated individually. Students applying to the Long Term Care Administrator Option must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (A=4.0) with a minimum grade of C in all previous professional coursework to be applied to the degree.

Minor in Health Care Management
Undergraduate students matriculating in programs in the School of Health Professions may earn a minor in Health Care Management that acknowledges completion of 21 semester hours of course work. Required courses for the minor include:

AHS 330 Health Care Systems (3)
AHS 401 Organizational Studies in Health Care (4)
AHS 403 Operations Management in Health Care Organizations (4)
AHS 405 Human Resources Management in Healh Care Organizations (4)
AHS 407 Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations (3)
AHS 415 Ethics for the Health Professional (3)

Credentials Conferred: Diploma—The Bachelor of Science degree and/or a baccalaureate certificate of completion are awarded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Length of Study: The length of study varies based on the student’s previous educational experience. The professional program curriculum provides the junior and senior years of the bachelor’s degree. Certain students may require additional coursework at the freshman or sophomore level.

Term of Enrollment for Professional Phase of Program: Applications are accepted at any time, and students may be enrolled during any term.

Application Procedure: The following materials must be submitted.

To the UAB Undergraduate Admissions Office:

• completed UAB undergraduate application form (UAB Undergraduate Application web site), indicating SHP as the school, and application fee, if applicable (if enrolled at UAB in another major, complete a Change of School/Major Request indicating SHP as the school; form available from the Office of Registration and Academic Records), and
• official transcripts from each college or university attended.

To the B.S. Health Care Management Program Office, School of Health Professions:

• completed application to the professional phase of the B.S. in Health Care Management Program (Health Care Management Application Form), and
• if applying to the Clinical Manager, a photocopy of current license, registry, or certification in a health specialty.

The student should request an appointment with a program advisor prior to the term of initial enrollment. It is essential to have transcripts of previous coursework during the enrollment interview.

Requirements for Admission: The candidate is expected to satisfy the following requirements:

• for the Clinical Manager Track, be a graduate of a certificate and/or associate degree health professions program or the equivalent, including associate degree or diploma registered nursing program, and be licensed, registered, or certified in the health specialty (not required for other tracks);
• for the pre-professional or Long-Term Care Administrator tracks, have a minimum cumulative grade point average 2.75; for the General Manager or Clinical Manager, have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0); for the Pre-Professional Degree Track, have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0);
• have a minimum grade of C in all previous professional coursework to be transferred;
• complete the UAB/Program Core Curriculum with a minimum grade of C in each course; and
• if accepted, complete the UAB medical history questionnaire and physical, provide proof of required immunizations, and receive satisfactory screening by the UAB Medical Center Student Health Service.

UAB/Program Core Curriculum - UAB Equivalents
(Course requirements are listed in semester credit hours)
Contact the program advisor for details regarding the core curriculum.

Area I. Written Composition (6 hours)
English Composition - EH 101, 102 (6)
Area II. Humanities and Fine Arts (12 hours)
Literature¹ (3)
Fine Arts (3)
Public Speaking - CM 101 (3)
Elective¹ (3)
Area III. Natural Sciences and Mathematics (11 hours)
Precalculus Algebra - MA 105 or Finite Mathematics - MA 110² (3)
Electives in Natural Sciences (with laboratory) from approved Area III Science Courses (8)
Area IV. History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences (12 hours)
History¹ (3)
Electives^{1, 2} (9)
Area V. Preprofessional, Major, and Elective Courses
Accounting I, (AC 200) (3)

Accounting II, (AC 201) (3)
Students in the Clinical Manager Track may apply for up to 23 semester hours of credit for technical courses leading to a license or certification in a health care profession. Students in the Pre-Professional Degree Track will complete prerequisites for the graduate program they plan to pursue. Students in the Long-Term Care Administrator Track will complete 34 hours of specialized  couresowrk and focused internship in a long-term care facility.

¹A 6-semester hour sequence either in literature or in history is required. If a second literature is chosen, it will apply as 3 of the elective hours in Area II Humanities and Fine Arts; if a second history is chosen, it will apply as 3 of the elective hours in Area IV History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences.
²Students in the Pre-Professional Degree Track may be advised into specific elective courses.

BSHS Professional Curriculum
(Course requirements are listed in semester credit hours)

A minimum grade of C is required in each course in the BSHS professional curriculum. A minimum of 120 semester hours is required for graduation, including at least 40 semester hours in 300- or above level courses. Courses in the BSHS program curriculum may be taken at UAB or over the Internet. No more than 14 semester hours of clinical education (clinical rotations or clinical practice) may be applied toward a baccalaureate degree.

Health Care Organization, Financing, and Reimbursement
AHS 300 Survey of Health Professions (2)
AHS 330 Health Care Systems (3)
AHS 416 Financial Management in Health Care Organizations (3)
AHS 482 Current Issues Seminar (3)
Management and Leadership
AHS 401 Organizational Studies in Health Care (4)
AHS 403 Operations Management in Health Care Organizations (4)
AHS 405 Human Resources Management in Health Care Organizations (4)
AHS 407 Strategic Management in HCO's (3)
AHS 481 Management Internship (elective required if 3 hour internship)(3-6)
Ethics, Law, and Regulation
AHS 318 Law for Health Care Professionals (3)
AHS 411 Bio-Psycho-Social Issues of Aging (3)
AHS 415 Ethics for the Health Professional (3)
Evaluation and Outcomes
AHS 350 Medical Terminology for Health Professionals (3)
AHS 360 Statistics for Managers (3)
AHS 425 Epidemiology/Applied Statistics in HCO's (3)
AHS 460 Research Methods (3)
AHS 450 Quality Management in Healthcare (3)
Information Resources
AHS 320 Microcomputer Applications for Health Care Professionals (3)
AHS 435 Survey of Clinical and Administrative Information Systems (3)
Elective Study
AHS 421 Independent Study (3)
AHS 590 Leadership for Health Professionals (3)
Electives (3-6)