Online Certificate in Business of Healthcare

Business of Healthcare Certificate Outcomes

Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 13% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. As a result, 2 million new jobs could be created over the next decade (bls.gov).

According to bls.gov, that growth is not limited to just clinical roles. Medical and health services managers are expected to experience similar growth, meaning abundant opportunities for high-paying leadership roles within health care systems will become available over the next decade.

As an experienced clinician or business professionals, the combination of your previous experience and the skills gained in our certificate could prepare you for roles such as:

• CEO, CMO, CNO, COO, etc. within a hospital/health care system
• Healthcare Administrator
• Healthcare Manager
• Medical Practice Manager
• Quality and Compliance Officer
• Division Chief
• Division Chair
• Division Director
• Dean of Medicine
• Dean of Nursing
• Director of Health Care Operations
• And more

Important Dates:

• Spring Start (January)
  • Application Due: December
• Summer Start (June):
  • Application Due: May 

Admission Requirements and How to Apply

• Submit a graduate school application as a non-degree-seeking student:
  • Start your application today!
• $40 application fee
• Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited college or university
• Request official transcripts certifying an undergraduate degree earned from an accredited institution.
  • Electronic (recommended):
    gradadm@louisville.edu
  • Physical Mail:
    University of Louisville,
    Graduate School
    2211 S Brook St, Houchens Bldg, Rm 105
    Louisville, KY 40292;
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)

Note: GMAT/GRE scores are not required for admission to the online Business of Healthcare program. The courses are offered in the spring and semesters. 

Students must choose at least 6 of the 7 courses offered to complete the certificate. 

Business of Healthcare Certificate Course Descriptions

BOHC 610 Health Care Strategy*

This course builds on existing courses and frameworks to provide the tools necessary for crafting successful strategies for firms operating in the U.S. health sector. It introduces key strategic problems facing the complete set of health care organizations and develops strategic frameworks that can be applied in a variety of settings. This course will explicitly cover recent health care changes, including COVID-19 and how those can represent both opportunities and threats for participants in a variety of markets. Credit may be granted if the student has already taken PHMS 620 – Strategic Management.

BOHC 621 Healthcare Budgeting & Finance

This course is mandatory for those without a finance background or those not in the MBA program.

This introductory course provides an overview of healthcare budgeting and finance. Students will gain practical skills for budget preparation, cost control, revenue maximization and financial decision making in health care organizations. The course emphasizes critical financial management skills that are essential for supervisory and management roles in healthcare administration. Upon completion, students will be prepared to apply budgeting and finance knowledge to real-world health care settings.

Note: Official curriculum requirements will be decided and discussed with your academic advisor after admission.

BOHC 630 Healthcare Economics

This course is designed to introduce students to the ways economists analyze topics related to the production of health and the delivery of healthcare. Throughout the course, we will consider the role that incentives play in the health care sector by applying economic theory and methods to current issues in health policy, with a particular focus on the U.S. healthcare system.

BOHC 640 Healthcare Operations*

This course introduces analytical tools for improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare operations, focusing on topics such as throughput, scheduling, quality control, resource allocation and capacity planning. Credit may be granted if the student has already taken PHMS 685 – Health Operations and Management Science.

BOHC 650 Business Planning for Healthcare Initiatives

This course walks students through the steps of building clinical service lines or practices, including the process of determining a budget, understanding how health and employment law apply, creating HR systems and the other processes that make new health initiative mirror entrepreneurial ventures. It will be an applied, practical course, serving as a capstone for the certificate.

BOHC 660 Conflict Management & Negotiations in Healthcare

A common experience for which many health professionals are not prepared is the amount of conflict that must be managed in a health system. Health organizations are almost designed for conflict, given the competing demands for patient care and financial solvency or even profitability. This course explores causes of conflict and approaches for productive resolution, such as uncovering hidden agendas, finding integrative solutions, maintaining respectful relationships, active listening and so forth.

BOHC 670 Compassionate Leadership in Medicine

This course will empower the students to become the best compassionate leaders in medicine, with necessary tools, skills, and science behind how compassion improves quality care as well as increase revenue for the healthcare systems. Students will learn from a practicing surgeon who shares passion for helping patients with compassion, hear from several healthcare professionals who are leading with compassion. At the end of the course, students should be able to articulate what compassionate leadership in medicine is and finish the course with 15 min presentation on healthcare leader who is showing compassion in their leadership.

*Where noted, PHMS courses already taken through the School of Public Health and Information Sciences can be granted as credit toward the Business of Healthcare Certificate.