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Associate of Science in Health Care Administration
Core Course Descriptions
HCA 200 THE UNITED STATES HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
3 Semester Units
This course is designed to introduce you to the organization, structure, and operation of the nation’s health care system in such a way to help you identify more effectively your present and future roles as consumer, provider, manager, decision maker, and analyst. The class examines an overview of the health care system, causes and characteristics of health service utilization, nature of wellness and disease, individual provider settings, financial and nonfinancial resources used and needed, measurement of quality of care, and current issues in delivery.
HCA 305 INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY HEALTH
3 Semester Units
This course will allow the student to reflect the latest trends and statistics in community health in an effort to effectively address the health issues facing today's communities. With emphasis on developing the knowledge and skills necessary for a career in health care, the course covers such topics as epidemiology, community organization, program planning, minority health, health care, mental health, environmental health, drugs, safety, and occupational health.
HCA 310 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
3 Semester Units
This course provides a general introduction to computer literacy and information technology at a level appropriate for health care students. It includes discussions of hardware and software, communications and networking, ethical issues, and privacy concerns. In addition, it discusses how IT is transforming every aspect of health care–from administrative applications (such as the electronic medical record), to clinical systems involved in direct patient care, to special purpose applications (such as simulation software used in the education of health care professionals).
HCA 320 ESSENTIALS OF MANAGED HEALTH CARE
3 Semester Units
This course presents basic information on all the critical concepts of managed care. It will compare myths about managed care to actual facts; progressing from introductory material on the types of managed care organizations to negotiating and contracting, controlling utilization, and using data reports in medical management; and illuminates the regulatory landscape, with careful attention to both federal and state law, as well as the legislative environment. This course provides practical knowledge and advice to help master the complexities of managed care today.
HCA 340 CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS
3 Semester Units
This course promotes an awareness of the dimensions and complexities involved in caring for people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The course will review the latest information on the health care delivery system, it examines the differences existing within North America by probing the health care system and consumers, and examples of traditional health beliefs and practices among selected populations. An emphasis on the influences of recent social, political, and demographics changes helps to explore the issues and perceptions of health and illness today.
HCA 420 MEDICAL LAW AND ETHICS
3 Semester Units
This course is designed to develop a general understanding of laws, ethics and bioethics relating to health care and the health care industry. Areas covered include managed care, the history of ethics, and health care ethics as applied ethics.
General Education Course Descriptions
GED 102 THE HUMAN BODY
3 Semester Units
This course is an invitation to discover more about yourself and how your body works, both when it is healthy and when it is suffering from disease. It is intended for anyone interested in gaining a basic understanding of the human body, and seeing how that information can be used to diagnose and treat various diseases.
GED 108 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
3 Semester Units
This course is an interdisciplinary approach to environmental science, focusing on the interrelatedness of humans and the natural world. Historical perspectives, economic and political realities, varied social experience and ethnic backgrounds are integrated into the identification of major issues and the search for possible solutions.
GED 120 INTRODUCTION TO THE HUMANITIES
3 Semester Units
This course explores the conduct of human life with emphasis on understanding the esthetic sense, an important element in the art of being human. The course focuses on key events, styles, movements and figures of Western art, philosophy and religion which are all essential to exploring the esthetic human experience. Students will learn to think critically about how the past themes, movements and creative genius have impacted, and still influence, the modern world which we live in today.
GED 130 INTRODUCTION TO CIVILIZATION
3 Semester Units
This course is a presentation of Civilization's major happenings including the cultural, social, political and economic development of the World from earliest times to the Fifteenth Century. A survey of the birth and diffusion of world civilizations is explored, and interactions between or among civilizations are stressed- leading to a better understanding of where man has been, and where he is now.
GED 132 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
3 Semester Units
This course will review and examine the institutions of the American political system, the Presidency, the Congress, the Superior Court, state and local governments, as well as political parties and the roles they have played in the development of the American polyarchy.
GED 150 MATHEMATICS
3 Semester Units
An introduction to the concepts and techniques of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
GED 155 ENGLISH
3 Semester Units
This course introduces the necessary writing, composition, grammar, and spelling skills needed for various careers in the 21st century. This comprehensive course provides the student with a firm grasp of what components are required to be a good writer.
GED 215 PSYCHOLOGY OF ADJUSTMENT
3 Semester Units
This course explores major perspectives on psychology and provides opportunities for students to apply useful concepts to their personal lives. Content is drawn from theory and research in different areas of psychology, and covers personality development, stress management, health issues, relationships, work, life span development, and other areas of life.
GED 216 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
3 Semester Units
This course is a study of how society around us influences the way we act, think and feel. Culture, society, social interactions, social class and gender stratification all influence every part of who we are, how we behave, and how we participate in our existence on this earth. An introduction to social problems including minority inequality, aging and death, women’s rights and urban problems in general is also explored.
GED 232 EARLY U.S. HISTORY
3 Semester Units
This course explores the history of the United Sates from 1600 to 1877. An in-depth analysis of transition in United States history from pre-colonial beginnings to an independent national state. This course will survey the historical, cultural, political and economic events that shaped early United States History.
General Elective Course Descriptions
BAM 401 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
3 Units
This course reviews the key concepts of international trade and the way it affects the nature of global economic activity. Concepts such as globalization, cultural and political environments, world financial environments, and global strategies are all explored to help students gain a global perspective and to be confident and familiar with international business operations.
BAM 410 ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY AND BEHAVIOR
3 Units
This course emphasizes the relationships among individuals, groups, organizations and society. A dynamic, systems approach to understanding and facilitating work relationships is examined. Emphasis is given to the interaction of individual values, attitudes, needs, abilities, traits, and motivation within teams and organizations.
BCJ 210 JUVENILE JUSTICE
3 Units
This course serves to clarify the importance of juvenile justice within the larger framework of the criminal justice system. The interrelatedness of juvenile justice agencies and organizations will be explored, and the behaviors, patterns, trends and intervention strategies specific to juvenile delinquency will be discussed.
GEL 205 MARKETING HOSPITALITY
3 Units
This course examines marketing concepts and principles specific to the hospitality and tourism industry. Strategic and operating marketing plans for hospitality properties will be explored support e d by research and evidence from economics, the behavioral sciences, modern management theory and real-world examples from today’s global marketplace. Consumer buying behavior specific to tourism, and the design and delivery of guest services will be explored with a practical, marketing-management approach.
GEL 477 BUSINESS ETHICS
3 Units
This course reviews business ethics and how it relates to the environment, corporate culture, health care, financial reporting, information technology, and strategy. The primary focus is to present potential ethical dilemmas that decision makers may face pertaining to a number of different decision-making areas. Real-world business ethics cases will be utilized including some with a global focus.
MKT 121 CUSTOMER SERVICE
3 Units
This course focuses on building career success by applying proven principles that create customer satisfaction and loyalty. The text is skill based and offers practical, immediately applicable information. The course provides a clear and usable process for developing the skills, attitudes, and thinking patterns needed to overcome the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities in customer service.
MKT 230 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
3 Units
This course focuses on the examination and application of consumer behavior principles to the development and implementation of marketing strategies. The text explains how “new media” (e.g., the expansive Internet, enhanced cell phones, specialized search engines, E-commerce-oriented web sites, and Tivo-like devices) has greatly influenced the marketer’s ability to more precisely track and understand consumer behavior. Substantial attention is given to consumer online behavior, and the importance and power of the Internet and other digital technologies in facilitating consumer communications, as well as their ability to purchase products online.
MKT 310 ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS
3 Units
This course will allow students to see a collective picture of integrated marketing communications. Focus is placed on business-to business marketing concepts, international marketing discussions, brand management and various advertising and promotional tactics. An integrated approach with a solid advertising core .
PSY 102 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course introduces the methods and findings of contemporary psychology. Topics include a survey of biology and behavior, sensory process, human development, perception, learning and motivation. Emotion, personality, abnormal behavior, therapy and social interaction are also examined to provide students with a solid understanding of the facts, principles and theories which make up the field of psychology.
PSY 116 PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER
3 Units
This course examines the biological, cultural, and historical factors that influence the development of gender roles and identities. Stereotypes of masculinity and femininity are examined, and the impact that these ideas have on our lives at the personal, social, and institutional levels are explored.
PSY 150 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course surveys the correlation between health, illness, and optimal health care with behavioral medicine. The relationship between health and behavior is explored through an integration of relevant research and findings, and the biopsychosocial health psychology model is explicitly contrasted and compared to the traditional biomedical model to help students effectively navigate and apply concepts and ideas from the science of Health Psychology.
PSY 180 INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course provides an introduction to industrial/organizational psychology and emphasizes the connections between theory and practice across the full spectrum of organizational behavior. Students will examine personnel issues including job analysis, employee selection, and training and performance appraisal. Common worker issues are covered including motivation, job satisfaction, and stress. Group dynamics in the workplace including communication and group processes are explored, and topics such as leadership and power are considered as they relate to organizational structure.
PSY 220 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course introduces students to the scientific study of patterns of change and stability that occur as we move through the process of human development from conception to death. Various theories of development will be presented, and an emphasis on physical, emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial changes throughout the life-span will be discussed.
PSY 228 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course offers students an in-depth look at how people come to understand themselves and others in a social context. Research methods used by social psychologists are explored with the goal of explaining how attitudes develop and change, and the influence of groups on behavior. The process of interpersonal attraction and love is covered, as is altruism, aggression, prejudice and social deviance.
PSY 380 PERSONALITY THEORIES
3 Units
This course presents an in-depth look at a number of classical and current personality theories, providing an explanation and interpretation of personality development from several different theoretical approaches. Classic theory is integrated with the latest research and current topics, preparing students to apply theoretical approaches to better understand the particular individuals and personalities they may encounter in their professional and personal lives.
PSY 408 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course offers students an eclectic, multicultural approach to abnormal behavior, drawing on contributions from various disciplines and theoretical stances. The psychosocial and psychophysiological factors of abnormal behavior are examined, and the causes and classifications are discussed. Case vignettes and client experiences will be explored and combined with research based explanations of abnormal behavior.
PSY 418 COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course addresses the history of counseling and the theory behind its practice; exploring the multicultural, ethical, and legal environments in which counselors operate. Counseling in a multicultural society and with diverse populations will be covered, and the various counseling theories including Behavioral, Cognitive, Systemic, Brief, and Crisis counseling will be discussed.
PSY 430 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
3 Units
This course focuses on the principles and theories related to human learning and motivation, child and adolescent development, individual and group differences, and psychological assessment related to classroom practice. The emphasis is placed on identifying, discussing, and summarizing core concepts and principles relevant in the American education system today.