Health Policy and Administration, Minor

Program Code: HPA_UMNR

Program Description

The minor in Health Policy and Administration (HPA) is designed to provide students with a background in the policy issues and administrative challenges related to quality, cost, and access to health care. The minor is most appropriate for students interested in clinical and health-related fields (e.g., nursing, nutrition, biobehavioral health, or medicine), professional fields (e.g. business administration or law), or the social sciences (e.g., economics, sociology, political science, psychology), giving these students an understanding of the health care industry and the impact of business and government on that industry.

What is Health Policy and Administration?

Health Policy and Administration (HPA) provides a solid foundation for students interested in business administration and health sciences. Students interested in clinical fields such as nursing, physical therapy, biobehavioral health or medicine can gain an understanding of the impact of business and government on their professions. The world of health care offers students interested in economics, sociology, psychology, human development and family studies, political science or other social science fields a host of challenges, from insuring the uninsured and regulating managed care to reforming Medicare. Students interested in business or law can learn about one of the country's fastest growing industries representing 17 percent of the U.S. economy.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

You Might Like This Program If...

  • You are interested in a career as a health care provider and want to know more about how services are reimbursed or how federal and state policies might impact your practice.
  • You are interested in business administration or management but want to focus primarily in the healthcare industry.
  • You are interested in economics, sociology or politics and want to learn about one of the country's fastest growing industries representing 17 percent of the U.S. economy.

Program Requirements

Requirement Credits
Requirements for the Minor 18

Requirements for the Minor

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).

Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
HPA 57Consumer Choices in Health Care Keystone/General Education Course3
HPA 101Introduction to Health Services Organization3
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 3-6 credits of the following:3-6
Health Care Payment
Financial Decisions in Health Care Organizations
Health Services Policy Issues
Health Care and Medical Needs
Population Health and Healthcare
Health Systems Management
Select 6-9 credits from 400-level HPA courses6-9

Note: Some courses have additional prerequisites that must be met.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Caroline Condon-Lewis
Academic Adviser
604 Ford Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2900
cxc29@psu.edu

Harrisburg

Jane Beckett-Camarata, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator
Olmsted Building, W160
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6206
ejb27@psu.edu

Mont Alto

Michelle Pittman
Lecturer in HPA
112 General Studies Building
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6124
mxp99@psu.edu

Career Paths

HPA courses help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand the complex societal problem of providing access to quality health care at reasonable cost. The HPA minor will help prepare you for work in entry-level management or policy-related positions or for the pursuit of graduate education.

Careers

The HPA minor can help prepare you for work as a health services manager/administrator or health analyst. Health services managers/administrators plan, direct, and coordinate medical, behavioral, and/or long-term care services. These individuals might oversee matters of personnel, budgeting, billing, equipment outlays, information systems, planning and more. Health analysts are responsible for analyzing, compiling, and validating information needed by different organizations of providers, payers, and policy makers. Analysts help these organizations understand the current trends in the health care system and to make well-informed decisions. Employment in the health care sector is projected to grow 28 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than all other occupations.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES WITH A MINOR IN HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

When added to your academic major course of study, students have used the HPA minor to prepare for graduate study in business, law, medicine or allied health fields, health administration, health services research or policy, and public health.

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
601F Donald H. Ford Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2861
mxs838@psu.edu

https://hhd.psu.edu/hpa/bachelor-science-bs-health-policy-and-administration

Harrisburg

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Olmsted Building, W160
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6206
ejb27@psu.edu

Mont Alto

HEALTH POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM
112 General Studies Building
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6124
mxp99@psu.edu

https://montalto.psu.edu/academics/bachelors/minors