Make an Impact
Through this program you will gain a broad view of the healthcare delivery system and healthcare management practices which prepare you for a rewarding career in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, group medical practices, personal care homes, retirement centers, health maintenance organizations, medical sales, insurance companies, health departments, mental health organizations, public agencies, and many other types of healthcare organizations.
Are you interested in:
- Improving the healthcare system and population health?
- Ensuring access and affordability of high-quality health care?
- Managing the day-to-day operations of a health care facility?
- Helping others, serving patients and stakeholders?
- Influencing policy and procedures in a health care setting?
If you answered yes to any of the questions, the Health Management (HM) major may be a great fit for you. Our program’s dedicated faculty and staff includes former hospital leaders, federally funded researchers, highly acclaimed teachers and well-respected members of the healthcare community who focus on your success and the completion of your degree. You will choose one of three specialties: aging studies, health administration, or public health.
The health management program may be completed fully online, or hybrid with classes on campus and online, ensuring convenience and flexibility that allows you to balance work, school, and life.
Program Mission, Vision, Values and Goals
The Health Management Program prepares students to be essential drivers in health administration, public health or aging-related careers.
To be the premier health management program educating the next generation of change agents.
Values: Leadership, Quality, Dedication, Equity, Collaboration, Service
Program Goal 1: Prepare students to be leaders in healthcare management.
Program Goal 2: Foster a high-quality academic experience for health management students.
Program Goal 3: Engage students in professional experiences outside of the classroom.
- Communication: Communicate healthcare information, in oral and written forms using appropriate media tailored to specific audiences.
- Analytic Assessment: Use healthcare information for analysis and decision making.
- Healthcare Policy and Administration: Describe the evolution of the healthcare system and roles and issues across local, national, and global health systems.
- Evidence Based Practice and Quality Improvement: Demonstrate how to connect and use data to promote, protect and assure improved health outcomes and knowledge.
- Leadership and Management: Exhibit an understanding of healthcare leadership, management, and policy, using systems thinking.
- Health Equity and Justice: Describe social, behavioral, cultural, and environmental factors that impact health.
- Professionalism: Demonstrate a commitment to professionalism, ethics, stewardship and lifelong learning in healthcare.
Health Management Concentrations
The aging studies concentration has two options to prepare students for either a career in aging services or for management in senior living. Both options prepare students for graduate education in aging studies.
- The general aging studies (AGEG) option prepares students for a variety of entry level positions in senior centers, and nonprofit or for-profit aging
- The senior living management (AGESL) option prepares students to complete the administrator in training practicum or operator's license after completion of the BS in health This concentration can be taken for credit towards the dual accelerated bachelor's to master's degree in aging studies.
The public health (PH) concentration prepares students for a variety of entry level positions in state and local health departments or health-related nonprofit and for-profit organizations and graduate education in public health.
The health administration (HA) concentration prepares students for a variety of entry level management positions in nonprofit and for-profit clinical health care organizations and graduate education in health The third course within this concentration can be taken for credit towards the dual accelerated bachelor’s to master’s degree in health administration.
The health science (HS) concentration prepares students for a variety of professional healthcare positions providing clinical, laboratory and sales support through government, academic and private organizations.
Information About the Program
- Acquire leadership skills. Build personal and professional leadership, analytic and administrative skills that allow you to serve in a leadership capacity necessary for entry-level managerial positions in the health care sector.
- Gain hands-on experience. Gain firsthand experience through local community initiatives while completing a practicum in a local healthcare organization.
- Establish a network in professional field. Establish relationships within a spectrum of local health care services such as acute care medicine, public and community health, and long-term care.
- American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE). The health management program is a member of the ACHE Higher Education Network.
- Dual/Accelerated Bachelor's to Masters options. Earn your master's degree in less time by taking advantage of a dual/accelerated bachelor's to master's degree in the areas of health administration or aging studies.
- Caring professors. Compassionate, experienced and student focused faculty.
- Applied Learning Portfolio. Professional development activities are required to provide applied experiences beyond the classroom. Provides a structure to build experiential reflections and educational outcomes, both of which will provide you an edge as you prepare your resume. Evidence of completed activities along with written entry for each activity is required.
- Departmental Honors. In-depth exploration of the research area of your choice, one-on-one faculty mentorship and collaboration in scholarly activities.
- HEALTH Student Association . Involvement with HEALTH provides the opportunity to make a difference in your community and provides leadership opportunities.
The healthcare industry encompasses a diverse array of organizational settings and management opportunities. You will be prepared to work either in organizations where health care is delivered or in organizations that support health care delivery. Entry-level managers can expect to hold positions such as supervisor, section head or department manager in larger organizations, or managing directors of small organizations. Those seeking executive leadership positions see the dual accelerated bachelor's to master's in health administration. The potential for advancement in the field is great, the health care industry is expected to experience faster than average job growth between 2019 and 2029, (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- The median wage for all medical and health services managers in 2021 is $101,340 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $60,780, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $205,620.*
- The median wage for all health education specialists and community health workers in 2021 is $48,860 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,020, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $102,480.*
Location and type of job will also play a key role in the amount you are able to earn upon graduation.
Our extensive network of alumni serve throughout Kansas and beyond in various health care sectors including, hospitals and health systems, medical practice management, long term care, insurance, electronic health records management and public service.
Alumni Job Titles
- Practice Manager
- Business Development Manager
- Electronic Health Records
- Public Health Program Manager
- Disease Intervention Specialist
- Tobacco Educator
- Non-profit Program Director
- Operations Manager
- Health Promotion and Physical Fitness
- Licensed Nursing Home Administrator
- Health Facility Manager
- Marketing in Health Services
- Health Services Administrator in Long Term Care
Alumni Employers
- Ascension
- HCA
- Cerner Corporation
- University of Kansas Medical Center
- Kansas Academy of Family Physicians
- Kansas KIDS Network
- Crothall Healthcare
- Medxcel Facilities Management
- Health Insurance Companies
- Long Term Care Corporations
- Hospice Organizations
- State and County Health Departments
- Area Agencies on Aging
*Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.
Visit the Health Management Alumni Directory to view what program alumni are doing with their degree.
Dual/accelerated bachelor's to master's programs are available in both health administration and aging studies. The dual/accelerated programs are designed to prepare you for graduate work at WSU while allowing you to earn dual credit towards your bachelor's degree. Once admitted to the accelerated program you are allowed to enroll in courses for graduate credit (up to 9 credit hours) while completing your undergraduate degree requirements.
- Dual/accelerated Bachelor of Science (BS) in health management to online Master of Health Administration (MHA). Allowed dual credit hours include PHS 621, PHS 622, and PHS 807.
- Dual/accelerated bachelor's to online Master's in Aging Studies. Allowed dual credit hours include PHS 560, PHS 562, and PHS 626.
Students should apply to the accelerated bachelor's to master's program of their choice early in their junior year.
- Fall or spring entry.
- Program can be completed as hybrid or fully online.
- Can be completed in two (2) years.
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Accommodates flexible study plans including full-time, part-time, with a combination of evening and online synchronous and asynchronous classes. The program can be completed fully online.
- Minimum GPA for admission 2.00.
Fall 2019
Annual Health Management Award Winners
Community Service Award Public Health Sciences
Academic Achievement
Sarah graduatd in Fall 2022 with a triple major in Health Science, Psychology, and Health Management with an aging studies concentration and honors leadership track. During her time at Wichita State, she served as a Student Ambassador for the Office of Admissions where she helped recruit prospective Shockers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she volunteered for Wichita State’s asymptomatic COVID testing site. Additionally, she spent time as a research assistant for the Institute for Health Equity Advances and the INSPYRE Research Lab. She currently works full-time as the Transfer Communications Assistant for the Wichita State Office Of Admissions. In this role, she manages the marketing and communications efforts for nontraditional prospective students and plans recruitment events. After graduation, she plans to stay at Wichita State and obtain her MBA in Marketing.
Leadership Award Public Health Sciences
Kari graduated with a Bachelor of Science in health management with a concentration in health administration in Fall 2022. During her time as an undergraduate student, she also was an Emory Lindquist Honors Scholar and received Departmental Honors in Public Health Sciences. She was dedicated to being involved at WSU and served as an Honors College Ambassador, Treasurer and Vice President of Academic Excellence for Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Treasurer and President for Health Education Advocates for Leadership Teamwork and Humanity (HEALTH). Kari is most proud of her time spent developing the Dr. Amy Drassen Ham HEALTH Student Association Scholarship with her fellow Executive Board Members and Dr. Drassen Ham. After graduating, she will stay at Wichita State University to pursue a Master of Healthcare Administration degree.
Alpha Eta Outstanding Student
Academic Achievement
Taygen is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in health management with minors in public health and health science in Spring 2023. She is also a part of the Accelerated Master's Program for health administration. Currently, she works as the Prevention Intern at Positive Directions and has been the College of Health Professions Living Learning Community Resident Assistant for the last two years. Her campus involvement includes being an executive member of Future Health Care Professionals, a member of Mortar Board, and Christian Challenge. She has been on the Dean's honor roll each semester and has completed the Emory Lindquist Honors Track as part of the Honor's College.
Academic Achievement
Vincent will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in health management with a concentration in health administration in spring 2023. He has worked as a clinic manager since 2012, where he supports a highly skilled team. Together they provide care for patients undergoing sleep diagnostic testing. He shares the organization’s mission and values to enhance patient outcomes by providing exceptional service and compassionate care through collaboration, drive, innovation, sincerity, and professionalism. The highlights of his time at WSU have included his community service experience through work as a Customer Care-Usher at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and as a warehouse worker at the Kansas Food Bank. His volunteer service combined with his personal learning investment at WSU have immeasurably enriched his life. With school wrapping up, he is heartened by the thought that he has e something to show for his efforts as he applies what he has learned to continue to impact the lives of his children, professional team, and my community.
Academic Achievement
Madison will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in health management with a concentration in health administration and receive a minor in human resource management in Spring 2023. She transferred to WSU in the fall of 2020 and most of my classes have been online since then, but she has enjoyed getting to travel to campus on different occasions. Throughout her college experience she has been involved in many different community service events such in her own community and in the Wichita community. In the future she would like to have a career that focuses on Quality Improvement and Safety in the Workplace, as that was a topic that hooked her right away, although the possibilities with this degree are endless and she cannot wait to see where it takes her.