Healthcare Administration Degrees through an Urban Lens at the University of Colorado- Denver
The University of Colorado appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Online Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS).
Healthcare is the largest industry in the nation, and its second largest employer. That is why so many people with an acumen for business want to work in healthcare management. Because of its beautiful environment and robust economy, Colorado is a great choice for those choosing to earn their degrees, and the University of Colorado has the reputation of offering quality programs.
When the University of Colorado is mentioned, most people think of the Boulder, Colorado, campus. The business degrees, however, are housed in the Denver campus in the heart of downtown Denver. The school has four degrees in healthcare management. Three are offered through the downtown campus and one is at the Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora.
The MBA in Health Administration is intended for health professionals who would like to add an MBA to their resumes. The degree prepares graduates for senior and “C-Level” management positions. The objective of the program is to provide students with the ability to analyze data and use critical thinking to make decisions and problem-solve in their positions.
The MBA-Healthcare Administration degree contains 48 credit hours. It is offered in a blended format. Students may take some courses online, but the program is mainly taught one or two nights a week on campus. There are three specializations to the MBA at CU-Denver: Financial Health Management, Health Information Technology, and International Health Management and Policy. Students may also earn a dual degree which is an MBA, MS in Healthcare Administration, but those students must take all the core courses. The program includes business courses, health courses and electives in the healthcare division.
The MS in Health Administration is for students who already have an MBA. The program combines the “Common Body of Knowledge,” Core Health Care courses and electives that can be used to specialize the degree.
Common Body of Knowledge curriculum consists of classes like Managing Individuals and Teams, Management Data Analysis and Financial Management. Core Healthcare courses include Healthcare Systems, Legal and Ethical Environment of Business and Strategic Management, among others. Administrative residencies are strongly recommended for those in this program.
The EMBA in Health Administration is a blended program as well. Most courses can be taken online, but the program requires a week of intensive on-campus study in July and in January. There are 15 required courses in the program including Management Accounting in Healthcare Organizations, Statistics, Healthcare Corporate Finance, and Healthcare Marketing. There are also four electives: International Health, Quantitative Methods, Transformational Leadership, and Managing Physician Relationships.
The fourth program, the Master of Public Health, is an online program. It is a collaboration with the Colorado School of Public Health and is offered through the Anschutz campus. The degree can be earned with a Leadership and Public Health Practices concentration. It consists of 42 credit hours and is presented in a two-semester sequence format. The program can be completed in two years.
A three-year Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Master’s program is offered by the College of Nursing. Two-thirds of the courses are available online.
About University of Colorado-Denver
The primary campus of the University of Colorado is in Boulder, Colorado, but there are several satellite locations and two other main branches of the school. One of these is in Colorado Springs and one is in metropolitan Denver. The Denver campus also has a medical center in Aurora, Colorado, about ten miles from the metro campus. The University of Colorado-Denver began in 1912 as the extension center of the University of Colorado Department of Correspondence and Extension. It assumed its present name in 1973.
The school has a student body comprised of about 43 percent graduate students. In total, there are more than 18,000 students enrolled at the school and another 11,000 online. The University of Colorado-Denver houses the largest graduate business school in Colorado. There are 13 colleges and schools with more than 140 degree programs. The US News and World Report ranks the school as #205 ( tie) of National Universities. Its business programs tie for #127.
University of Colorado-Denver Accreditation Details
The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission. The business school is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the health administration programs are accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). In addition, the business school is a member of the Business School Alliance for Healthcare Management.
University of Colorado-Denver Application Requirements
All students must apply electronically. Freshman applicants should complete the application form, arrange for their high schools to submit their official transcripts to the university and for the testing agencies to send the official results of the SAT or ACT, whichever the student took. There is a $50 non-refundable fee that must be paid when the application is submitted.
Students wanting to enter graduate programs apply directly to the program. They must complete parts I and II of the graduate application online and arrange to have official transcripts of undergraduate work sent to the university. There is a $60 application fee. Additionally, programs will have their own requisites. Some of these may include letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, essays, resumes, and portfolios.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Most students need help paying for college, and graduating with a huge financial burden makes starting a career difficult. The federal government funds grants, subsidized and non-subsidized loans and work-study opportunities to students with financial need through its FAFSA program. Colorado has several grants and scholarships available as well. Examples of these are the CollegeInvest; CCHS, or volunteer scholarship; College Opportunity Grant and College Access. Grants are usually awarded because of financial need. The state also has scholarships which may include requisite financial need, or may be awarded totally because of academic merit ( such as the Boettcher Scholarship) or membership on a special population because of gender, age or ethnicity. State money for education can be found on the Colorado Department of Education website.
Colorado University awards some needs-based scholarships but also has funds allocated for students who excel in athletics, participate in clubs or activities or pursue degrees in certain departments. The school lists many school and privately funded opportunities on its website. Additionally, private individuals, service organizations and corporations often fund scholarships. It is important to use this money first because grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. If students do not have enough “free” money to pay their student debts, they may take out student loans. Student loans, government or privately funded, have lower interest rates and usually allow students to defer repayment until they graduate and become employed. Part-time jobs and work-study opportunities other resources for paying college expenses, and they have the bonus of building student work experience.
In any case, students desiring to earn their degrees at the University of Colorado can make their education more affordable and less stressful by applying for financial aid.