Students interested in healthcare management are in luck.
Enrollment is currently open for SUNY’s new Healthcare Management Master’s program, which will hold its first classes this fall, Bruce Marx, the director of graduate programs at SUNY Old Westbury’s School of Business, said.
The program, which students can complete in a year, is designed for anyone, he said, from those who have just finished an undergraduate degree to professionals working in an adjacent field, like nursing or office management, looking for a career shift to an administrative position in the healthcare field.
The program prepares students for roles like practice manager, nursing director, rehabilitation center director, and administrative positions in nursing homes, walk-in clinics and hospitals.
“Healthcare needs just keep growing,” said Marx, who added that SUNY was motivated to develop this program after local healthcare organizations and providers expressed an interest in the university doing so.
SUNY initially began developing the program in 2017, but before it could officially launch, ran into complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, after renewed interest from local healthcare professionals, the school began redeveloping the program to launch this year.
Although the university’s website states applications are due by March 1, Marx said that as long as space remains, students can apply for rolling admissions through mid-August. He anticipates the program will accept between 25 and 30 students this year.
Students will take 30 credits across 10 courses in accounting, human resources, healthcare analytics, systems, operations, technology, leadership and ethics, specifically designed for this degree. The program is structured with four three-credit courses to be taken in each the fall and spring semesters, and two in the summer. The two summer courses involve a research capstone and an elective, which Marx said the program will heavily encourage students to take as an internship.
“We think this is going to be key,” Marx said of the internship, emphasizing the importance of students gaining work experience in their desired field. “A lot of times these internships turned into part-time and full-time jobs.”
He said the program will do everything it can to help students obtain placement in a summer internship that aligns with their interests and career goals.
Marx will be making the final decision on program entry, according to Barbara Hillery, interim assistant dean of the School of Business. All interested students will be directed to him for a pre-evaluation.
Hillery said the department anticipates courses will be provided in both in-person and online formats. The program will be offered at SUNY’s typical graduate tuition rate of $5,655.00 per semester for state residents and $11,895.00 for out-of-state students.
Prospective students will fill out an application, provide two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and an undergraduate transcript with a GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants who have a GPA under 3.0 are eligible to go through a special consideration process and would have their admissions decision considered by the graduate faculty review committee.
“We want to contribute to the community and society at large. This is a way to improve the administration of healthcare services,” Madeline Crocitto, the chair of the School of Business’s Department of Management, Marketing, and Finance.
