Health Systems Management MS


Health Systems Management: Online
Master of science degree
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A degree driven by real-time employer demand
Health care administration and management jobs are growing by 20%, nearly four times the overall labor market growth. Employers need professionals with the leadership and organizational management competencies of an MBA with the specialized skills to manage within the unique intricacies of the health care industry.
The health systems management job market
75k+
Average Annual Salary
20%
Employment Growth by 2030
11M
Jobs in the Health Care Industry
170k+
Job Postings in Last Year
Program Highlights
Successfully managing strategy, finance, patient experience, and operations in the highly regulated and unique health care sector requires specialized competencies and expertise beyond a traditional MBA. The master of science in health systems management is the currency needed to advance and perform in health care systems today.
This degree focuses on the critical success factors driving health care systems today (guided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Quadruple Aim):
- Improve the health of populations
- Enhance the quality of care for individuals
- Reduce the per capita cost of health care
- Improve the work-life of care providers
Flexible degree built around your schedule
This online degree offers five start dates per year and an accelerated course format which will allow you to complete your degree in half the time of a traditional, semester-based program. A full-time student can complete this degree in 12 months; a part-time student can complete the degree in 24 months.
Plan of study
This health administration master's degree is an applied, competency-based and industry-focused online degree. Students are provided the flexibility to pursue the degree full- or part-time, with 12-month and 24-month degree plans available, to accommodate professional schedules.
Unique to this degree, you will have the opportunity to attend two on-campus leadership immersions and a faculty-led travel experience to study another health care system. The faculty strive to blend the flexibility of online learning with the value of face-to-face networking, interaction, and travel. All courses use a case-based, dynamic, and interactive focus on key health care topics including economics and policy, health IT and decision support, ethics, systems quality, and organizational learning.
Business and leadership courses prepare you to tackle issues involving financial management, quality improvement, operations, and strategy formulation—all within the context of real-world health care trends and challenges. You’ll be well prepared to develop, direct, and implement strategy and tactics that will shape the health care organizations of the future.
The MS in health systems administration program was built to support a set of professional competencies identified by the program’s advisory board, faculty and alumni. These 19 competencies fall under five domains and support students for success in the field of management and leadership in health care:
- Knowledge of health care systems in the U.S.
- Communications and interpersonal effectiveness
- Critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills
- Management and leadership skills
- Professionalism and ethics theory and practice
Curriculum packed with high-demand skills

Salary Premium
Strategic thinking and project management skills will give you a salary premium in the workforce.

Competitive Edge
Financial and patient safety skills will make you more competitive when searching for employment.

Processes
Quality assurance and control skills will grow 39.5% by 2023.

Analytics
Data analysis skills will grow 82% by 2023.
Featured Profiles
A rewarding return on investment
Andrea Strecker ’18
I chose RIT to pursue my master’s degree in Health Systems Administration from RIT because of the affiliation with Rochester Regional Health System, the self-paced program, affordability, and RIT’s...
Learning from experts in the field
Carlos Sosa ’20
I have a background in public health and have worked in health care for some years. I really wanted to understand what makes a hospital system tick. I chose RIT’s Health Systems Management master’s degree specifically because of their close working relationship with Rochester Regional Health.
Curriculum
On-campus leadership immersion
To best gain highly developed leadership skills, you will have the valuable opportunity to attend two on-campus, hands-on, application-based learning and networking experiences. You will work closely with your classmates and faculty on case analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills during these four-day sessions. This face-to-face training delivers skills and competencies which will continue to be developed in a virtual environment within the online courses to maximize your return on investment in skill development and practice.
Travel course
One of the most distinguishing and attractive benefits of this health administration degree is the culminating travel course. During the final summer term, you will have the opportunity for a faculty-led travel experience in which you will conduct an intensive study of the locale’s health system in comparison to your native system. As your final project, you will use that experience to innovate a product or service. For those unable to travel, an alternative study option will be provided.
Earn a credential as-you-go
Earn the advanced certificate in health care finance and advance your career, all while working toward your master of science in health systems management. Four courses of the MS degree program may be fully applied toward a graduate advanced certificate.
Faculty
The program is led by a team of faculty who are practice-based scholars with extensive experience in the field. Faculty members are accessible, offer constructive feedback on course projects and assignments, and are at the forefront of providing an educational experience in which students can learn and directly apply classroom theories and concepts to the real-world practice of health care management.
An advisory board of health administrators from around the country guides the development of the degree program to ensure the curriculum addresses today’s most pressing challenges for health care leaders.
Admission Requirements
- Hold a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university or college.
- Submit official transcripts (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work.
- Submit a personal statement of educational objectives.
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- No GRE/GMAT required
- International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the TOEFL or IELTS exams.
Cost
The online MS in Health Systems Management requires 39 credits and costs $1,237 per credit hour (Academic Year 2021 – 2022). This tuition reflects the RIT Online discount of 43% off campus-based program costs.
Keep in mind that there are many options available that may help you lower your costs. Learn more about resources available including:
- Military tuition benefits
- Support from employers
- Private scholarships
- Financing
- Payment plans
Resources
There’s so much more to learn about this in-demand master’s degree! Take a deeper dive for more information about admissions procedures, curriculum and course sequencing, the advisory board which works closely with RIT to keep this program on the cutting edge of health care management, the program’s competency model, and success rates of graduates.
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