Department of Social Sciences

Ann Visconti, RN, M.P.H., Program Coordinator
avisconti@mercy.edu

Purpose

The master’s programs in Health Services Management have been designed to prepare graduates for roles as health care managers in today’s rapidly changing health care environment.

The Master of Public Administration in Health Services Management, a 48-credit multidisciplinary program of study, is intended for students seeking a broad education in preparation for entering (or who have recently entered) the health care field. The program has been designed to provide a global, in-depth education in health services management. This program is suitable for those students who anticipate careers in a variety of health care settings in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

The Master of Science in Health Services Management is a 36-credit program of study designed to consolidate and strengthen the knowledge and abilities of the working health care manager. The electives provide flexibility so that a person can tailor the program to his or her personal career goals.

Expectations of the Graduate

Graduates of the Health Services Management programs are expected to:

Know and be able to use the concepts, methods, procedures and skills of health care economics, finance, accounting and quantitative analysis in health care management decision making and assessment of effectiveness and efficiency of operations.
Develop and use the leadership and communication skills needed by the health care manager.
Acquire knowledge of how health care organizations interface with political, economic, scientific, technological and religious institutions as well as other health care facilities.
Have the ability to plan, organize, staff, direct, control and evaluate health care organizations and resources for optimal management and delivery of health care services.
Interact competently with colleagues, patients (clients) and associates of diverse cultural backgrounds.
Be aware of the technological advances to support health care operations and the impact on the delivery systems.
Identify ethical principles and challenges facing the health care manager in a variety of health care settings in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Be familiar with the issues and challenges facing the heath care manager in a variety of health care settings in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Able to manage effectively the uncertainty and change of the 21st century health care environment.

Admission Requirements

Please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Admissions section.

Program Requirements

Each applicant must submit the following:

Current résumé
Two professional letters of recommendation on letterhead (letters from friends, acquaintances or clergy are welcome but do not replace the two professional letters)
Two-three page essay providing the reasons the student wishes to pursue a graduate degree in Health Service Management.
Interview with the program coordinator or the program director

Students applying to enter the MS program must have worked in health care as a practitioner or a manager for eight years. Upon receipt of all transcripts and completion of all requirements and interviews, qualified applicants will be admitted and assigned an advisor.

Student Classification

A student will be classified as a matriculant when admitted to the program by the Admissions Committee of the program.

Advisement

Students in the Health Services Management programs must meet with the program director (or associate director) to plan his/her courses and to review the plan of study prior to course registration. Students will plan their program of study with the program director (or associate director) and in consideration of individual career interest.

Course Load

Students must consult with the program coordinator or regarding his/her plan of study. This accelerated program is designed so that students may complete the Master of Public Administration in two years, or the Master of Science in eighteen months. This is accomplished by taking courses in each quarter offered (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer). Full-time students may register for six credits per quarter, and part–time students may register for three credits per quarter. Any student who wishes to take more than six credits in a quarter must obtain written permission from the program coordinator, program director or dean. Such requests are carefully reviewed on an individual basis; approval is not guaranteed.

Transfer Credits

Graduate courses taken at other institutions prior to admission at Mercy College may, if pertinent to the plan of study, be credited to the Graduate degree. Permission to transfer credits must be requested in writing at the time of admission and official transcripts and course descriptions must be submitted to the program director for evaluation. Transfer credit will be granted only for courses taken in the five-year period prior to acceptance in the Mercy College program and for courses in which the student earned a grade of B or above. Students may request transfer credit for up to six credits. Course(s) with a grade of B- are not acceptable for transfer.

Maintenance of Matriculation

It is expected that students will fulfill the requirements for their graduate degree by registering over successive sessions. For cohort programs, registration is required during summer session(s). For non-cohort programs, summer registration is not required. Registration is accomplished by either enrolling in classes or maintaining matriculation. The Maintaining Matriculation fee is $100 per session and is processed as a registration. Students who have not maintained matriculation and wish to return to their program within one year after their last course will be charged the Maintaining Matriculation fee of $100 for each missed session. Maintenance of matriculation without attending classes is limited to one year. Activated U.S. Military Reservists are not required to pay the Maintenance of Matriculation fee.

Capstone Advisement

It is expected that Capstone students shall make satisfactory progress with their program’s culminating activity. After the student registers for all sections of their Capstone requirement, they will be given one subsequent term to complete their work. The Maintaining Matriculation registration must be completed for this subsequent term if no other courses are taken. After this period, a Capstone Continuation fee (equal to the cost of one graduate credit) will be charged for each additional term required to complete the project. Students can only register for Capstone Continuation for two terms. A student’s degree will not be released until all Maintaining Matriculation and Capstone Continuation registration and fees are recorded appropriately on a student’s record.

Maintenance of Good Academic Standing

The cumulative GPA for both good academic standing and degree conferral is a 3.0. A student admitted as a Special Matriculant is required to achieve a 3.0 average or better after completing a certain number of credits as stipulated by their respective program. Grades are subject to review by the faculty advisor and program director at the end of each term. If the academic average falls below 3.0 the student will be placed on academic probation.

Academic Probation

All students who have a cumulative GPA of below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. If a student will not be able to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within a reasonable time, the student will be dismissed from the program. If a student receives a grade of F or FW in any course the student may be subject to dismissal from the College. For all students on probation, future registrations must be reviewed and approved by the director of the student’s program as well as the school dean.

In all subsequent terms in which the student is on probation the student is required to achieve a term GPA of 3.0 or better. If the 3.0 or higher is not achieved the student will be dismissed. Students who receive a grade of less than B may be required to repeat the course. Students will be allowed to repeat a course only once.

Degree Requirements

Successful completion of full curriculum (36-M.S.; 48-M.P.A.)
A 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Schedule

The program is designed to accommodate the schedules of employed students. All courses are offered evenings and on weekends. The program is designed so that students may take two courses per quarter and in the summer semester and thereby complete the M.P.A. program in two years, or the M.S. program in a year and half. The Health Services Management programs are offered on-campus in Dobbs Ferry and online.

Campus-based courses will each include an additional hour of Internet-based instruction in addition to the classroom instruction.