Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Services Management and Leadership

To meet the increasing demand for leaders in healthcare, the School of Public Health is excited to offer an undergraduate program in health services management and leadership.

The healthcare industry is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2030, and with an expected 32% increase in the medical and health services managers sector, in particular (U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics). You’ll be equipped to join this growing workforce immediately upon graduation.

Program Overview

From planning and coordinating to directing the delivery of quality service to patients and clients in a variety of healthcare settings, graduates of this program will play a direct role in shaping and growing healthcare – an industry that is rapidly evolving, driven by the recent coronavirus pandemic that has illuminated and exacerbated many widespread issues.

Graduates of this program will gain the following:

• An in-depth understanding of the dynamics that make up the U.S. healthcare system 
• Expertise to solve organizational problems
• A distinctive set of skills that enable you to successfully manage the daily operations of a healthcare facility, including the ability to provide budgetary oversight and recruit, train and retain quality staff
• Your unique, personal management philosophy and the ability to integrate it with health leadership

This program will be certified by the Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) in the future. Certified undergraduate program members are recognized for having withstood the rigors of peer review in which curricula, faculty and educational outcomes are critically examined. External stakeholders look at certification as a way to distinguish a program from its peers. Prospective students and their families seek out AUPHA certification when searching for a program where they will invest in their future.

Interested in planning beyond your undergraduate degree? The B.S. in HSML is a great stepping stone to earning a Master of Health Administration, which, for many students, is a natural next step in their academic careers.

Field Placement and Community Service

In addition to a bachelor’s degree, many prospective health services managers have some experience working in a healthcare setting. At WVU, you will get that experience as part of our Health Services Management and Leadership program.

All students complete field placement and capstone experiences as their culminating coursework. During their senior year, every undergraduate student completes an internship of a minimum of 125 hours in a health agency where they can put their classroom lessons to work. All students engage with agency partners, gain experience in the workplace and demonstrate acquisition of competencies.

In addition to field placements, all undergraduate students complete a minimum 25 hours of community service by the start of their senior year, documented through iServe in the WVU Office of Service and Learning. Getting involved in the Student Association of Public Health is also a great way to get involved with service projects.

And when you’re ready to apply for jobs, our career development team is here to help.

Learning Goals

• Demonstrate a strong foundational knowledge of the history, principles, theories, frameworks and current issues in public health. 
• Describe health and healthcare dynamics, including the structures, policies, processes and institutions that make up the U.S. healthcare system.
• Manage the basic human, fiscal and physical resources needed for accomplishing organizational goals.
• Articulate a personal management philosophy that integrates health services management and leadership concepts, knowledge and skills.
• Apply principles and practices of health services management and leadership to identify and solve organizational problems.

Required Courses

The Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management and Leadership program requires completing 120 credit hours, including coursework for WVU general education foundations, public health foundation courses and the Health Services Management and Leadership program. HSML follows the same core curriculum as public health, sharing 20 credits, so you will develop a solid foundation of public health knowledge within the program.

Each student will develop a Plan of Study with the School of Public Health’s dedicated undergraduate advising specialist, Sarah Opatz. It is important to follow this plan to complete all degree requirements and graduate on time.

Admissions Guidelines

The WVU School of Public Health admits undergraduate students in both fall and spring semesters. Interested students must apply and be accepted to West Virginia University. The School offers first-time freshmen direct admission to the Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management and Leadership program for those who meet the admission standards. Students who do not meet direct admit minimum standards, but are interested in pursuing a degree in Health Services Management and Leadership may elect to be admitted into the Pre-Health Services Management and Leadership program, if qualified.

WVU students who are undeclared or in other majors may apply to transfer into the Health Services Management and Leadership program via a WVU Academic Status Update form once the student meets the transfer guidelines. External transfer students who have completed undergraduate coursework at another institution of higher education prior to applying to the Health Services Management and Leadership major are eligible if they meet the minimum guidelines.