Rhode Island College Healthcare Management and Administration Programs
Rhode Island College appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Online Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS).
Rhode Island College offers a variety of healthcare management and administration degree programs for both undergrads and those at the graduate level. One of those programs awards graduates a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration. It strives to help students succeed in entry-level jobs within the healthcare field. Students will take classes from both the School of Nursing and the School of Business, but they’ll also take courses from the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education and Human Development.
All incoming freshmen receive an academic roadmap that shows them the courses they must take. This lists out all 20 required courses and shows them which electives they can take too. Those required classes include Introduction to Health Care Systems, Health Care Organizations, Human Biology, Interpersonal Communications, Managerial Finance and Seminar in Strategic Health. The electives they take must include courses in gerontology, wellness, human resource management, informatics or management foundations. Health care administration majors will also do at least one internship in a local healthcare facility or agency.
Though the university does not offer any specific management or administration certificate programs, it does offer a certificate in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety. Designed for those who have a bachelor’s degree but do not yet have a graduate degree, it’s quite popular among nurses. The program focuses on how professionals can keep their patients safe and improve the qualities where they work. It includes 15 credits of classes such as Professional Role Development, Research Methods for the Advanced Nursing Practice and Quality and Safety Measurement and Management for Advanced Practice Nursing.
Also available at the college is a Master of Science in Health Care Administration program. As part of the college’s School of Business, this program focuses more on the administration and management of healthcare facilities than on working with patients or their families. The basic program includes 50 credits of courses, but the accelerated program includes just 36 credits of courses. Students will learn how to reduce costs, manage workers, identify potential issues and hire new healthcare workers.
About Rhode Island College
Rhode Island College is one of the oldest universities in Rhode Island. Established in 1854 as the Rhode Island State Normal School, it functioned as a training academy for teachers for more than a century. The school became the Rhode Island Normal School and the Rhode Island College of Education in its later years. Only after it moved its curriculum to reflect more programs outside of education did it adopt the Rhode Island College name.
Usually called RIC by students today, the college has five separate colleges and divisions that are responsible for its degree and certificate programs. With an enrollment of more than 9,000 students, RIC ranks as one of the largest public colleges in the state. Around 67% of its enrolled students are women. Forbes included RIC on its list of the best public universities in the United States. Recent additions to the campus created new residence halls and increased the amount of space for on-campus students by more than 40%.
Rhode Island College Accreditation Details
Since RIC has regional accreditation, students can submit their applications without worrying about whether they can use federal grants and loans. This accreditation also allows students to easily transfer credits between two different schools. RIC has regional accreditation from the New England Association of Colleges and Schools (NEACS). Though it does not have accreditation for its health care programs, it does have accreditation for its nursing degrees.
Rhode Island College Application Requirements
RIC has different admissions policies and requirements for students based on whether they enroll in undergrad, graduate or certificate programs. Undergrads must submit transcripts that show they took 18 units of college prep courses, including math, social science, life science, and foreign language classes. They will also submit an essay, test score, list of extracurricular activities and recommendation letters. The college has a deadline of March 15 for fall applications but recommends that students submit their applications by December 15 if they also plan to apply for scholarships.
Any student applying to a certificate program must have a bachelor’s and submit an application directly to the dean of the department or college that handles the specified program. They will also submit transcripts from the schools where they earned their bachelor’s degrees and any graduate schools they attended as well as three letters of recommendation. The college may ask a prospective student to interview with a representative from that department too.
Prospective graduate students will pay a $50 application fee and submit the RIC online application. Those applying to the standard program will also submit transcripts that show they took Introduction to Accounting, Principles of Economics and Elementary Statistics or equivalent courses. Unless the student maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher in a related field in college, he or she must supply a GMAT score. The college also requires a letter of intent and two letters of recommendation. Advanced standing students must have a 3.0 or higher GPA, a bachelor’s in a healthcare subject and a grade of at least B in all their major classes. Those students will submit the online application, three references and a letter of intent.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for full-time undergrads attending RIC who are also Rhode Island residents is $3,895 per semester. Students from other states pay $10,277 per semester. RIC now offers a Metropolitan Tuition Program that allows those living in certain areas to qualify for a reduced tuition rate of $5,843 per semester. Graduate students pay $407 per credit hour as a Rhode Island resident, $611 per credit hour as a metropolitan student or $792 per credit hour as a nonresident. RIC charges extra for room and board, which is available for graduate and undergraduate students.
There are five scholarships available to incoming RIC students and other scholarships that upperclassmen can apply for later. These awards start at $250 and rise to $10,000 or more. The college has a scholarship application available online for those who want to apply. Students can also use the FAFSA to find out if they can get any funding from the government. They may join the college’s work-study program, borrow loans or receive grants. All healthcare majors attending Rhode Island College can apply for financial aid.