College of Health Sciences

Graduate Certificates


Locations: Distance + in-person immersions
Formats: Online + hands-on
Program duration: 2 trimesters, or .7 years*
See Requirements & Program Details


Graduate Certificates at a Glance

  • Choose from Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence or Interprofessional Education
  • Online coursework
  • Optional on-campus immersions
  • 12 credit hours over 2 trimesters, or .7 years*
  • Acceleration options available
  • Sept., Jan. & May start dates

*Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress and other factors.

 

usahs-graduate-certificates-5050Forge your leadership pathway

Advance your career as you help your organization transform its processes and improve patient care. We offer three certificates:

  • If you seek to advance your skills in organizational leadership, finance, policy, and quality management, choose the Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership.
  • If you want to deepen your knowledge of healthcare informatics, including information management and data analytics, choose the Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence.
  • And if you lead or participate in interprofessional teams, the Graduate Certificate in Interprofessional Education (IPE) will bolster your understanding of healthcare team dependencies that support patient care. You’ll focus on team communication, ethics, cultural competency and more.

Depending on your pathway, you may optionally earn an industry-level certification from the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

USAHS’ Graduate Certificates are ideal for career changers and busy professionals who want to enhance their education in the field of healthcare administration. They are also a way for you to get a taste of our Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program before committing to earning a graduate degree. If you choose to enroll in the MHA program following the completion of your certificate, you may apply to transfer those 12 credits to the program.

How Our Graduate Certificates Stand Apart

We’re online + hands-on.

Courses are delivered online, with both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (on-demand) elements. Some courses offer optional on-campus immersions, a chance to enjoy face-to-face connections with faculty and fellow students—and complete the course faster.

We’re interprofessional.

Our courses and on-campus immersions emphasize interprofessional education, in which students from different healthcare disciplines learn together. During simulated patient scenarios, you will contribute your management perspective to problem-solving on collaborative teams. From your first trimester, you’ll join classes with students from various cohorts of the MHA and other programs.

Our rich curricula bolster your qualifications.

Expand your knowledge base and qualifications within a shorter timeframe than a graduate degree—and become a more valuable team member by helping your organization improve its clinical and business outcomes. The Executive Leadership and Business Intelligence certificates include the opportunity to earn professional certifications from the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Graduate Certificates Specializations

Executive Leadership

If you want to expand your leadership role within your healthcare organization, choose the Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership. Featuring courses on organizational leadership and policy, human resources management, project management, finance and more, this certificate will prepare you to make strategic decisions that can improve patient care and your organization’s bottom line.

Students in the Executive Leadership certificate track can optionally earn a professional industry certification: The Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR), offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Business Intelligence

Health administrators translate data into intelligence to make decisions about business operations and patient care. While earning the Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence, you will study data analytics, health informatics, information management and more—so you can oversee strategic technology investments and help bridge the gap between the IT, clinical, and business aspects of your healthcare organization.

Students in the Business Intelligence certificate track can optionally earn a professional industry certification: The Certified Specialist in Business Intelligence (CSBI), offered by the HFMA.

Interprofessional Education

Facilitating collaboration between healthcare providers is an important competency for health administrators. While earning the Graduate Certificate in Interprofessional Education, you will gain the leadership, project management and communication skills you need to guide your teams. All your courses involve problem-solving in groups of your peers, ranging from nurses to rehabilitative professionals to other managers.

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Graduate Certificates Curriculum

Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate program will take a total of 12 credits per certificate (or possibly 13 for the Executive Leadership certificate).

Executive Leadership

Executive Leadership Certificate CoursesCredit Hours
IPE 7121 Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health Care OR
IPE 7121B Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health Care (B)
3
Choose three of the following courses (or four, if taking HSA 7233):
COM 7130 Healthcare Communication and Collaboration3
HSA 7200 Foundations of Healthcare Administration OR
HSA 7200B Foundations of Healthcare Administration (B)
3
HSA 7233 Revenue Cycle and Reimbursement Management*
(recommended to take concurrently with HSA 7236 below)
1
HSA 7236 Accounting, Finance and Economics for the Healthcare Leader3
HSA 7250 Human Resources Management and Organizational Development in Healthcare3
HSA 7260 Operations and Quality Management in Healthcare OR
HSA 7260B Operations and Quality Management in Healthcare (B)
3
HSC 7455 Special Topics in Professional Practice**2–3
depending
on other
courses taken
HSC 7470 Legal and Regulatory Issues3
IPE 7050 Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals OR
IPE 7050B Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals (B)
3
IPE 7133 Strategic Planning in Healthcare Administration3
IPE 7230 Program/Project Planning and Management for Practice and Policy Change3
IPE 7421 Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population Health OR
IPE 7421B Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population Health (B)
3
MHS 7313 Fundamentals of Healthcare Law3
MHS 7315 Contemporary Trends in Wellness3

*This course includes a professional industry certification examination: The Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

**This course can be tailored to complete a project that will support the needs of your organization.

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence Certificate CoursesCredit Hours
IPE 7400 Healthcare Informatics and Technology Management OR
IPE 7400B Healthcare Informatics and Technology Management (B)
3
Choose three of the following courses:
IPE 7155 Clinical Data Analytics and Decision Support*3
IPE 7250 Healthcare System Life Cycle Analysis and Design3
IPE 7365 Information Management for Quality and Safety**3
IPE 7495 Application of Technology for Population Health and Healthcare Professional Education3

*EHR Go is used in this course as an educational EHR and learning platform.

**This course includes an industry-level certification examination: the Certified Specialist in Business Intelligence (CSBI) exam, offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Interprofessional Education

Interprofessional Education Certificate CoursesCredit Hours
IPE 7025 Psychosocial Strategies for Healthcare OR
IPE 7025B Psychosocial Strategies for Healthcare (B)
3
Choose three of the following courses:
IPE 7001 Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice OR
IPE 7001B Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (B)
3
IPE 7100 Ethics in Health Care3
IPE 7121 Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health Care OR
IPE 7121B Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health Care (B)
3
IPE 7133 Strategic Planning in Healthcare Administration3
IPE 7200 Cultural Competence in Healthcare OR
IPE 7200B Cultural Competence in Healthcare (B)
3
IPE 7230 Program/Project Planning and Management for Practice and Policy Change3
IPE 7421 Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population Health OR
IPE 7421B Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population Health (B)
3
IPE 7050 Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals OR
IPE 7050B Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals (B)
3
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Graduate Certificates Admissions Requirements

Application to the Graduate Certificates program is open to candidates with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or higher from an accredited institution.

To be considered for admission, you must submit an online application, which includes the following:

  • Official transcripts from each college or university you previously attended. An official transcript is one that is sent directly to the Admissions Office by the Registrar of the issuing institution or one forwarded in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution. The transcripts must show a GPA of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
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Graduate Certificates Tuition & Fees

Total program tuition and fees for the Fall 2024 term are as follows.

Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence, and IPE Graduate CertificatesTuition and Fees
School Expenses
Tuition – 12 credit hour program$10,815.00
Program Fees$900.00
Books & Associated School Expenses$996.00
Total Program Direct Expenses$12,711.00

Students whose address on record is in California at the time tuition is first charged and/or who attend the California campus will be responsible for paying a one-time Student Tuition Recovery Fund non-refundable fee, pursuant to California Code of Regulations §76120.

Choose your program and the campus you are interested in attending to see the tuition and fee estimates. All tuition and fee numbers are subject to change.

Please note that the Graduate Certificates are not eligible for Title IV financial aid, but other financing alternatives may be available, such as private loans or employer reimbursement. See our Financial Aid page.

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Graduate Certificates State Approvals/Post-Graduation Licensure

Graduate Certificates in Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence, and Interprofessional Education

USAHS is currently accepting applications for enrollment into the Graduate Certificates in Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence, and Interprofessional Education from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

USAHS is not accepting applications from states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states. Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program and the ability to be placed for on-the-ground activities. It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides.

Post-Graduation Licensure

USAHS’ Graduate Certificates are not designed or intended to lead to professional licensure in any state.

The map below identifies the states from which the University is now accepting applications for the Graduate Certificates in Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence, and Interprofessional Education (indicated in blue).

 

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