Health Care Administration
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Online Degree Program

The Bachelor of Science online degree program in Health Care Administration is designed to provide a comprehensive exploration of the theories and practices integral to the management of health care organizations.

Designed For You

The California Coast University online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration program was designed for complete flexibility for the student. All courses are self-paced and completed 100% online.

View Program Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

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Explore The Program

The Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration degree program consists of 42 total courses.
The required courses are comprised of: 14  Core Courses > 14  General Ed Courses > 14  Elective Courses .
There are 126 total semester units in this program.

14 Core Courses

For the online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration (B.S.) degree program, the following 14 courses must be fulfilled. Click on course title to expand and read more.

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ID Course Name Units
BAM 105 Introduction to Business  3

Introduction to Business introduces the business world and the contemporary environment in which it operates. How business operations are managed and organized will be explored and the basic ideas of marketing processes and consumer behavior will be discussed. Additionally, students will become aware of the changing face of business, with its current technological and management information system advances.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the types of ethical and social responsibility issues that affect the contemporary business environment.
  • Explain how businesses, operations, and people are organized and managed.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of marketing, including marketing processes, consumer behavior, customer relationships.
  • Explain the financial issues facing business today, including money, banking, securities and investments.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the utilization of information technology within a business environment.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the introduction to business course content.
BAM 312 Business Communications  3

Business Communications covers the fundamental dimensions of communication: language and behavior. Alternatives for conveying messages are discussed. The course also covers, in detail, the various channels and media for business communication, with guidelines for effective and successful use of each.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the foundations of business communication and analyze why it is important.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of effective business communication and the writing process.
  • Describe best practices in finding, evaluating, and processing information to effectively plan and write formal reports and proposals.
  • Discuss how to develop and deliver effective business presentations with the use of slides and visual media.
  • Assess the importance of writing employment messages, and describe best practices for interviewing for jobs.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to business communications.
BAM 313 Introduction to Financial Management  3

Introduction to Financial Management introduces students to the elementary principles and motives of financial management and covers basic fundamental principles of short-term financing, time value of money, risk, value, and cost. Students will be able to understand the interrelationships underlying the various data and techniques in which financial decisions are based, analyze financial data, and apply basic concepts to make confident financial decisions in their respective business futures.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define financial management, key terms, theories, and its importance to business.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of financial management processes including valuation of financial assets and capital budgeting.
  • Analyze capital structure and dividend policy related to the field of financial management.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of financial management policies related to liquidity management and international business.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to financial management.
BAM 315 Principles of Management  3

Principles of Management serves as an introduction to the discipline of management. It is designed to integrate the accepted theories in the area with real world applications to provide students with the basic knowledge and skills needed for managing others. This course begins with a discussion of the current issues in management and then proceeds to cover the traditional functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. By the end of this course, students should have an understanding of the needs of modern public and private organizations, including emerging national and international trends.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Examine the role of managers in organizations, and identify the value of studying management.
  • Describe managerial challenges and issues relating to ethics, diversity, and social responsibility.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of management functions including planning and managing strategy.
  • Examine organizational structure and human resources in relation to managing, organizing, and leading individuals and teams within the organization.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to management.
BAM 402 Public Relations  3

Public Relations is the values-driven management of relationships with groups of people that can influence an organization’s success. This course will examine how organizations can ethically and systematically build productive, mutually beneficial relationships with such groups, especially with the exponential growth of social media and emerging technologies. This course also discusses the dynamic growth of global communications and its challenge for the PR profession.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the theoretical foundations, key terms, and history of public relations.
  • Describe the types of ethical and social responsibility issues that public relations must address.
  • Examine best practices for social media and emerging technologies in public relations.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the globalization of public relations.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to public relations.
BAM 411 Human Resource Management  3

Human Resource Management explores the fundamentals of human resource management and its significance to a company’s success. Examined, in detail, are HR functions such as recruitment, retention, appraisal, compensation, labor relations, development, and current trends in the field. Practical skills-oriented concepts and techniques are highlighted throughout the course, as is the emphasis on building and maintaining an engaged and productive workforce.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and define human resource management, and describe major trends and best practices related to the field.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of staffing and training issues related to human resource management.
  • Develop an understanding of compensation plans and total rewards.
  • Recognize the importance of employee and labor relations, social responsibility, ethics, and risk management as they relate to the field.
  • Identify the issues of managing human resources on a global scale.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to human resource management.
HCA 200 The United States Health Care System  3

The United States Health Care System course is designed to introduce students to the organization, structure, and operation of the nation’s health care system. This course aims to help students effectively identify their 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, the nature of wellness and disease, individual provider settings, financial and nonfinancial resources used and needed, and measurement of quality of care.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define health and healthcare, key terminology, and analyze the role and process of healthcare in America.
  • Describe aspects of employment in healthcare delivery including key personnel and required education and training.
  • Examine the various delivery systems in healthcare and discuss related legal, ethical, and political issues.
  • Analyze issues in the healthcare industry regarding research, cultural competency, and international applications.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the United States healthcare system.
HCA 305 Introduction to Community Health  3

Introduction to Community Health allows students to reflect on 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.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the foundations of community health and discuss current issues facing the field of community health.
  • Examine aspects of the nation’s health ranging from infancy to older adults.
  • Analyze issues involving environmental health and safety.
  • Discuss issues related to community and public health including cultural competence, social determinants, racial and ethnic disparities, and community mental healthcare.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to community health.
HCA 310 Information Technology for Health Professions  3

Information Technology for Health Professions 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).

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and define the study of medical informatics including commonly used terms and key principles.
  • Examine the applications of IT to the various fields of health care.
  • Describe the legal, licensing, insurance, and privacy issues involved in telemedicine.
  • Analyze how IT has made health information more accessible to people and has created more advantages for healthcare education.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to information technology for health care professionals.
HCA 320 Essentials of Managed Health Care  3

Essentials of Managed Health Care focuses on health insurance as it impacts the management of healthcare organizations. This course provides a systematic overview of the history of managed healthcare and health insurance in the United States, types of health plans and available payers, the provider network, utilization management, quality management, accreditation, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, and laws and regulations in health insurance and managed care.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Discuss the major forces shaping health insurance and managed care today.
  • Examine the basic elements of health benefits coverage and provider payment options.
  • Describe the basic components of utilization management for medical services.
  • Explain the Medicare and Medicaid benefit structures.
  • Identify key state and federal laws and regulations governing managed care.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to the essentials of managed care.
HCA 340 Cultural Diversity in Health and Illness  3

Cultural Diversity in Health and Illness promotes an awareness of the dimensions and complexities involved in interactions between health professionals and patients from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. It examines different cultural perspectives regarding health, illness and health care that exists within American society by demonstrating traditional health beliefs and practices among selected populations. Emphasis is placed on the importance of having culturally competent health care professionals to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define and describe the importance of cultural and linguistic competence in healthcare.
  • Examine the various health domains including health, healing, and familial traditions.
  • Analyze trends in healthcare and describe current issues and barriers to healthcare.
  • Discuss health care problems in various demographic groups.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to cultural diversity in health and illness.
HCA 420 Medical Law and Ethics  3

Medical Law and Ethics explores the study of medical ethics, or applied ethics, for healthcare professionals who often face dilemmas that are not experienced by the general population. The fast-paced growth of medical technology has made the study of ethics even more relevant. The study of bioethics, or biomedical ethics, refers to moral dilemmas due to advances in medicine and medical research. Since medical law and ethics are often interrelated, students need to have a clear understanding of both in order to protect themselves, their employer, and the patient. The study of ethics includes many questions for which there is no one answer.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define medical law, ethics, and bioethics and examine why it is important to study them.
  • Examine the legal environment of healthcare including the legal and court systems and essential laws for healthcare professionals.
  • Describe issues related to the healthcare environment regarding liability, confidentiality, and the physician-patient relationship.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of medical ethics and describe future trends in healthcare.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to medical law and ethics.
PSY 150 Health Psychology  3

Health Psychology examines the correlation between health, illness, and optimal health care from a behavioral science approach. The relationship between health and behavior is explored through an integration of foundational theories, relevant research, and “real-world profiles.”

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe and discuss the meaning and foundations of health psychology including the psychological and ethical aspects related to the field.
  • Analyze issues in behavioral health including the affects and impact of drugs and alcohol, eating, and exercise.
  • Describe the relationship between behavioral factors and strategies related to chronic disease, stress, pain, and illness.
  • Examine future trends and challenges in health psychology.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to health psychology.
PSY 180 Introduction to Organizational Psychology  3

Introduction to Organizational Psychology provides an introduction to industrial/organizational psychology and emphasizes the connections between theory and practice across the full spectrum of organizational behavior. The course covers job analysis, employee selection, and training and performance appraisal. Common worker issues are examined 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 analyzed as they relate to organizational structure.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology, key terminology, and discuss its origins as a field of study.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical perspectives of I/O psychology, and examine applications of motivational theories to organizational problems.
  • Evaluate the elements of I/O psychology including job analysis, performance management, criterion measurement, training, development, and the role of the leader.
  • Examine best practices along with future trends related to the field of I/O psychology.
  • Demonstrate proficiency with academic writing related to organizational psychology.
14 General Ed. Courses

For the online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration (B.S.) degree program, the following 14 courses must be fulfilled. Click on course title to expand and read more.

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14 Elective Courses

For the online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration (B.S.) degree program, you will select 14 courses to take from the list of courses below. Click on course title to expand and read more.

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Prerequisites to Admission:

The applicant should meet the following prerequisites in order to be admitted to the program: An applicant must be at least 18 years of age and have successfully obtained a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent.

FAQ About Coursework

Required units may be satisfied in the following ways: