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Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Studies
Revitalize your career! In this curriculum, you will learn about the US health care system, as well as medical ethics and law. Your courses cover subjects from community health to special populations.
Introductory Courses
Depending on the number of credits transferred in, you may be required to take one or both of Ashford University's introductory courses: EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education and PSY 202 Adult Development and Life Assessment. If you enter the program with fewer than twenty-four (24) transferable credits, you are required to successfully complete EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education as your first course, followed by PSY 202 as your second course. If you enter the program with twenty-four (24) or more transferable credits, you will be required to successfully complete PSY 202 Adult Development and Life Assessment as your first course.
EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education
This course is designed to help adult learners beginning their university studies to achieve academic success. Students will explore learning theories, communication strategies, and personal management skills. Adult learners will develop strategies for achieving success in school and work. Students will also be introduced to the University's institutional outcomes and learning resources.
PSY 202 Adult Development & Life Assessment
This course presents adult development theory and links theoretical concepts of life and learning through a process of psychometric assessment and reflection. Both classical and contemporary adult development theories are examined. These theories then provide the paradigm for self-analysis and life learning, including a plan for personal, professional and academic learning.
Major Course Requirements
(30 semester credits, all classes are 3 credits. Courses are listed in the recommended sequence.)
HCA 305 The US Health Care System
The US Health Care System is an introductory course exploring historical origins, foundations, values and resources. Other national health care systems are discussed in comparison to that of the United States. Throughout the course, health care service is integrated with marketplace, legal, ethical, regulatory, and financial forces that influence the continued evolution of the US Health Care System, and its resulting opportunities.
HCA 322 Health Care Ethics & Medical Law
Ethics and Medical Law presents the ethical and legal implications of health care administration. The unique legal aspects encountered in the provision of health services are analyzed. Concepts of access, affordability, health care interventions, and human rights are combined with legal and ethical issues that challenge the provision of health care services. Concepts of risk management, continuous quality assurance, guardianship, Institutional Review Boards, and needs of special and diverse populations provide discussion points. The overlapping domains of ethics and medical law are examined. Case studies, and discussion of ethical and legal precedent-setting decisions, are used to link theory with reality.
SOC 313 Social Implications of Medical Issues
This introductory course provides learners with a basic foundation of human biology, as it applies to health and human services providers. This course explores basic human biology and its relationship to selected socio-cultural domains, grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Human Development.
HCA 340 Managing in Health & Human Services: An Interdisciplinary Approach
An upper-level management course providing basic management theory for the beginning manager. Management challenges, human service environments, management theories, organizational design, program planning, supervisory relations, managing finances, program evaluation, leadership theories, and teams in organizations are explored.
BUS 303 Human Resources Management
This course applies theory and research to human resource management (HRM) policies and practices; including attaining organizational goals; legal concerns, labor relations; strategic analysis; the HRM role in shaping organization and employee behavior; applying technology and systems to HRM; and HRM problems/issues.
HCA 415 Community & Public Health
Community and Public Health explores public health services in the well-being of a population. Regulatory mandates that promote public and community health are explored. The relationship between public health services and the overall health care industry is explored. Legal and ethical imperatives emergent in public health services are discussed. Financing options are explored, recognizing the role of categorical fiscal resources. Health care promotion and prevention strategies are explored in concert with the role of health care institutions and the public sector. Health information data is utilized in the planning of a community and/or public health project.
HCA 430 Special Populations
Special Populations explores health care services for special populations, such as: mental health, substance addiction, rehabilitation, geriatrics, and selected specialty services. The course is problem-focused, emphasizing access, cost-quality issues, and financing. Health information data is utilized as resources for the analysis of demand, quality and cost-efficiency. Historical perspectives are presented as factors that influence the present models of health services for special populations. Government mandates, categorical services, legal, ethical, and reimbursement issues are presented as driving forces in the provision of special population health services. Multidisciplinary models of special population health service models are discussed. Learners will develop a model program for a self-selected special population.
HCA 331 Introduction to Health Care Education
This foundational course provides an introduction to teaching and learning for health care professionals, consumers and clients. Theories of adult learning and introductory instructional design concepts provide the framework for students to design interactive courses.
HCA 333 Introduction to Long Term Care
This course provides an overview of the long-term service delivery continuum. Course topics include: patient-family-centered services; introduction to theories of adult development and aging; modalities of the long-term care delivery system; organizational culture; introduction to regulatory agencies; financial resources; and quality assurance.
HCA 497 Health Care Studies Capstone
In this final course, students will demonstrate their mastery of program outcomes by reflecting on and synthesizing insights gained from their studies. This will take the form of a focused study of a significant trend or problem in contemporary health care.
If this program sounds like it will fit your personal and professional goals, contact us at 866-711-1700 to learn more, or click here to request additional information.