HMA 430. Health Systems & Population Health. 3 Credits.

This course examines U.S. healthcare delivery and population health using a systems-thinking approach within a dynamic policy, payment, regulatory, and operational environment. Students explore how care is organized, financed, and regulated across settings and how these factors influence access, cost, quality, patient experience, equity, and population health outcomes. The course considers how social determinants of health, prevention strategies, and emerging payment and delivery models interact with delivery system design to shape organizational performance and community health results. Emphasis is placed on interpreting current system and policy developments and translating insights into strategic decisions and population health action, with a focus on regional and rural contexts. Cross-listed with PH 430. Dual-listing: PH 630, HMA 630.

HMA 630. Health Systems & Population Health. 3 Credits.

This course examines U.S. healthcare delivery and population health using a systems-thinking approach within a dynamic policy, payment, regulatory, and operational environment. Students explore how care is organized, financed, and regulated across settings and how these factors influence access, cost, quality, patient experience, equity, and population health outcomes. The course considers how social determinants of health, prevention strategies, and emerging payment and delivery models interact with delivery system design to shape organizational performance and community health results. Emphasis is placed on interpreting current system and policy developments and translating insights into strategic decisions and population health action, with a focus on regional and rural contexts. Cross-listed with PH 630. Dual-listing: PH 430, HMA 430.

HMA 701. Professional Development Seminar I. 1 Credit.

This course introduces core professional and leadership competencies needed for success in graduate study and healthcare leadership settings. Students develop practical approaches to professional communication, collaboration, self-management, and project execution. Students also learn to use emerging technologies effectively and responsibly digital tools to support learning and professional work in the program and in practice. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 721. Healthcare Operations and Management Principles. 3 Credits.

This course introduces foundational principles of healthcare operations and management with an emphasis on managing resources and processes within healthcare organizations. Students examine core management functions and operational decision-making in the context of the complex regulatory, workforce, and financial environment of the U.S. healthcare system. The course explores workforce and labor considerations, performance measurement, compliance responsibilities, and cost management concepts relevant to healthcare operations. Students develop an understanding of how effective management supports organizational performance, quality, and sustainability in healthcare settings. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 726. Leadership in Health Systems. 3 Credits.

This course prepares students to lead adaptive change across healthcare organizations and public health systems, with particular emphasis on regional and rural contexts. Students examine the relationships among leadership, community, organizational culture, and change management in complex, equity-centered, and resource-constrained environments. The course integrates leadership approaches, strengths, values, and asset-based approaches, systems thinking, and strategic change frameworks to strengthen both relational leadership capacity and settings-based effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on addressing structural inequities, navigating workforce challenges, leveraging human resources strategically, and fostering cross-sector collaboration across healthcare and community health settings. Students apply course concepts through a systems-focused project to improve healthcare delivery and population health outcomes. Cross-listed with PH 726.

HMA 732. Healthcare Law, Policy & Ethics. 3 Credits.

This course examines the legal, regulatory, and ethical frameworks that shape healthcare organizations and influence administrative decision-making. The course introduces students to the legal and policy environment governing healthcare delivery, emphasizing the practical implications for healthcare leaders. Topics include legal and regulatory compliance, health policy development and implementation, organizational risk and liability, privacy and security obligations, ethical reasoning in complex operational contexts, and governance responsibilities of boards and executive leadership. Through applied analysis, students develop the legal literacy and ethical judgment necessary to identify regulatory risk, support compliant operations, and make informed decisions that advance organizational accountability and effective healthcare management. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 742. Quality Improvement & Patient Safety. 3 Credits.

This course prepares healthcare leaders to lead quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) initiatives in a healthcare setting using a data driven approach. By blending patient safety science with practical application, students develop the expertise to cultivate high-reliability cultures that prioritize zero-harm and consistent performance in complex environments. The course concludes with a professional QI/PS project that addresses realistic challenges for leadership review. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 750. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Systems. 3 Credits.

This course provides a foundational, decision-oriented introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Designed for students across disciplines, the course emphasizes AI literacy rather than technical model development. Students will explore how AI technologies - including machine learning and generative AI - are applied in clinical care, health systems operations, population health, and research settings.

HMA 753. Health Systems Informatics. 3 Credits.

This course explores the strategic role of health informatics in advancing organizational performance and guiding technology initiatives in healthcare. Students will develop system-level competencies to plan, implement, and optimize health IT systems while aligning technology decisions with organizational strategy. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 754. Technical Foundations of Health Informatics. 3 Credits.

This course provides a technical overview of health informatics for students who will work with healthcare data and information systems in practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding how systems and data environments are structured, connected, and managed to support reliable workflows and decision-making. Students learn to interpret technical capabilities and constraints and to apply privacy, security, and ethical principles in technology-enabled settings. Prereq or Coreq: Department consent required - health system experience or prior learning recommended.

HMA 755. Data-Informed Decision Making in Health Systems. 3 Credits.

This course provides applied training in biostatistics and data-driven decision making for health systems professionals. Students analyze quantitative and qualitative health data using statistical software and apply descriptive and inferential methods, including an introduction to regression modeling, to inform research, policy, and organizational strategy. The course integrates population health analytics, key performance indicator (KPI) development, evaluation methods, implementation measurement, and innovation analytics within regional and rural health contexts. Emphasis is placed on interpreting results to improve cost, quality, equity, prevention outcomes, and population health. Students learn to distinguish research, quality improvement, and operational analytics and to translate findings into leadership-level recommendations. This course fulfills biostatistics competencies for public health students and analytic, evidence-based management competencies for healthcare administration students. Cross-listed with PH 755.

HMA 762. Healthcare Reimbursement & Economics. 3 Credits.

Health Reimbursement and Economics familiarizes students with the framework in which public and private health programs, facilities, and professional providers operate. Topics include economic concepts of supply and demand and market dynamics, healthcare payment methodologies, and third-payment payer reimbursement structures. The course explores the incentives various reimbursement systems promote for patients, providers, and payers. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 765. Healthcare Financial Operations. 3 Credits.

This course prepares graduate students to apply financial management principles and operational finance practices to support leadership decision-making in healthcare organizations. Students examine core concepts in healthcare finance, including financial reporting and performance analysis, budgeting and planning, and resource allocation. Emphasis is placed on practical application and leadership-level interpretation of financial data to evaluate operational and strategic options in complex healthcare environments. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 775. Healthcare Strategic Planning. 3 Credits.

This graduate-level course will explore the rationale, frameworks, and practical application of strategic planning across diverse healthcare settings, including hospitals, integrated delivery systems, ambulatory, rural care, public health, and entrepreneurial ventures. The course focuses on the development, implementation, and optimization of strategic plans that address stakeholder influence, regulatory and reimbursement pressures, population health needs, patient experience expectations, and organizational performance challenges, while integrating innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing, business development, and execution in matrix organizational environments. Through applied analysis, case studies, simulations, and strategic decision-making exercises, students will develop the competencies needed to lead, construct, and support strategic initiatives that advance value-based care, competitive positioning, patient-centered outcomes, and long-term organizational sustainability. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.

HMA 781. Professional Development Seminar II. 1 Credit.

This course builds advanced professional and leadership competencies that support career progression and effectiveness in healthcare organizations. Students strengthen executive communication, professional presence, relationship-building, and career advancement strategies. Students also engage with current issues, trends, and emerging technologies in healthcare and translate them into leadership implications that strengthen career and leadership readiness. Course topics and learning activities may vary by cohort to reflect evolving professional expectations. Prereq or Coreq: Admission in the Master of Health Administration or Health Administration Certificate programs or approval by the MHA program.