Health Administration
The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration at WMU is to educate innovative future leaders who will improve the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve.
Our curriculum, delivered by the College of Health and Human Services and the Haworth College of Business, combines two areas knowledge required for health administrators: health and management. Our expert faculty promote hands-on, experiential learning in the field, which prepares you to enter the workforce upon graduation or continue your studies in a health administration-related graduate program.
We seek to be recognized as a cutting-edge program of choice in health administration by students, alumni, colleagues, employers and professional organizations.
Job outlook
23% growth
32% growth
3.3 million new jobs
Health administrators are involved in the non-clinical functions of health organizations, such as planning and managing the delivery of health services, overseeing facility operations and budgets, hiring and training staff, and ensuring compliance with regulations. They work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, medical offices and outpatient facilities, nursing homes, home health agencies, managed care organizations, human service organizations, and government organizations.
Student Spotlight
Why did you choose Health Administration?
Since high school, I've been driven by a passion for making a positive impact and helping others. Health administration combines my love for science with the opportunity to enact meaningful change in healthcare systems, making it a natural choice for me.
What are your future career goals?
My future career goal is to become a sales representative for Stryker. I aim to leverage my knowledge in health administration to effectively communicate the value of Stryker's medical products and contribute to improving patient outcomes.
What are you most proud of so far at WMU?
I'm incredibly proud to have co-founded the Association of Healthcare Business Leaders (AHBL) at WMU. It's gratifying to see how this organization has grown and provided opportunities for students to engage with healthcare leadership and make a difference in our community.
What will I learn?
The health administration program will prepare you for a variety of leadership roles in health and human services organizations. Some of the topic areas you will focus on in this degree include:
US health system information
Cultural competency and diversity
Healthcare organization management
HR and information systems
Community and population health
Organizational development
Operation assessment and improvement
Healthcare law and policy
Program values
Curiosity
Collaboration
Connection
Curriculum
There are three main parts to the health administration curriculum: required core courses, required cognate courses, and elective courses.
You can earn a general business minor after you complete the required cognate courses.
You will be eligible to take the Michigan Nursing Home Administrator examination after you complete the required core courses and choose GRN 1000 as an elective.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the health administration program, you will:
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate professionally and effectively in oral and written formats
- Demonstrate the ability to lead and productively participate as a member of a team
- Demonstrate the ability to solve problems related to health administration
- Demonstrate an understanding of public health and the healthcare system
- Demonstrate an understanding of business principles and apply this knowledge in a health-related environment
New cross-campus partnership aims to fill growing need for health administrators
Western's new undergraduate health administration program, which incorporates both the College of Health and Human Services and Haworth College of Business, will prepare students for in-demand jobs as administrators and leaders in a variety of health care settings.
College of Health and Human Services offers new, redesigned programs for fall
For the fall of 2022, the College of Health and Human Services is announcing new programs and redesigned certificates that show our commitment to growing and evolving to better support our students and the communities we serve.
Emerging Healthcare Leaders Webinar Series: Part 1
Emerging Healthcare Leaders Webinar Series: Part 2