College of Health Sciences
Advance your healthcare career with a USAHS Graduate Certificate tailored to today’s clinical and operational needs. Executive Leadership builds the skills to lead teams and drive improvements in quality, safety, finance, and policy across healthcare settings. Business Intelligence strengthens your expertise in healthcare informatics, information management, and data analytics to support smarter decision-making. Interprofessional Education enhances your ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines with a focus on communication, ethics, and cultural competency.
These certificates offer immediate, practical value to healthcare professionals and may apply toward a USAHS degree program, with potential transfer credits (subject to a case-by-case review).
Locations: Distance + in-person immersions
Format: Online + hands-on
Start Dates: Sept., Jan. & May start dates
Duration: 12 credit hours over 2 trimesters, or .7 years*
*Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress and other factors.
Forge your leadership pathwayAdvance your career as you help your organization transform its processes and improve patient care. We offer three certificates:
Depending on your pathway, you may optionally earn an industry-level certification from the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
USAHS’ Graduate Certificates are ideal for career changers and busy professionals who want to enhance their education in the field of healthcare administration. They are also a way for you to get a taste of our Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program (currently not enrolling new students) before committing to earning a graduate degree. If you choose to enroll in the MHA program following the completion of your certificate, you may apply to transfer those 12 credits to the program.
If you want to expand your leadership role within your healthcare organization, choose the Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership. Featuring courses on organizational leadership and policy, human resources management, project management, finance and more, this certificate will prepare you to make strategic decisions that can improve patient care and your organization’s bottom line.
Students in the Executive Leadership certificate track can optionally earn a professional industry certification: The Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR), offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
Health administrators translate data into intelligence to make decisions about business operations and patient care. While earning the Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence, you will study data analytics, health informatics, information management and more—so you can oversee strategic technology investments and help bridge the gap between the IT, clinical, and business aspects of your healthcare organization.
Students in the Business Intelligence certificate track can optionally earn a professional industry certification: The Certified Specialist in Business Intelligence (CSBI), offered by the HFMA.
Facilitating collaboration between healthcare providers is an important competency for health administrators. While earning the Graduate Certificate in Interprofessional Education, you will gain the leadership, project management and communication skills you need to guide your teams. All your courses involve problem-solving in groups of your peers, ranging from nurses to rehabilitative professionals to other managers.
Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate program will take a total of 12 credits per certificate (or possibly 13 for the Executive Leadership certificate).
| Courses | Hours |
|---|---|
IPE 7121 - Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health CareThis course introduces students to interprofessional healthcare policy and organizational leadership concepts. Students have the opportunity to analyze and advocate for health policy with the inclusion of diverse stakeholders to optimize access to care, improve care coordination, and reduce disparities affecting population health. Various leadership styles are examined as well as self-assessment, goal setting, and strategies for continuous improvement as healthcare leaders. OR IPE 7121B - Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health Care (B)This course introduces students to various concepts and tools necessary for understanding operationalization of health service delivery and the effect on performance outcomes, including leadership competencies that support interprofessional collaboration, process improvement, health policy and regulation, and project and quality management. Students will discover the essential relationship linking operations and quality management and develop metrics for monitoring daily operations within their field. | 3 |
| Elective Curriculum | |
COM 7130 - Healthcare Communication and CollaborationIn this online course, students will develop the understanding and competency to deal with common communication issues in the healthcare professions, including cultural differences, interdisciplinary collaboration, professional and clinical documentation, case presentations, social media presence, and successful project management. This course will focus on effective writing, speaking, and conflict management skills. These abilities determine professional credibility and impact patient outcomes. | 3 |
HSA 7200 - Foundations of Healthcare AdministrationStudents investigate and analyze the changing landscape of the healthcare environment and the factors affecting the practice of healthcare administration. Students consider stakeholders in a variety of settings to establish a framework for scholarly investigation of effective strategies for healthcare administrators in practice. Particular emphasis will include the importance of collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and diversity. The course introduces students to techniques applied by successful healthcare administrators, such as setting goals and managing time, as well as the attitudes and motivation required for success as a healthcare manager, administrator, and leader. OR HSA 7200B - Foundations of Healthcare Administration (B)Students investigate and analyze the changing landscape of the healthcare environment and the factors affecting the practice of healthcare administration. Students consider stakeholders in a variety of settings to establish a framework for scholarly investigation of effective strategies for healthcare administrators in practice. Particular emphasis will include the importance of collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and diversity. The course introduces students to techniques applied by successful healthcare administrators, such as setting goals and managing time, as well as the attitudes and motivation required for success as a healthcare manager, administrator, and leader.This is an Accelerated Learning Course. | 3 |
HSA 7233 - Revenue Cycle and Reimbursement Management *Course Description In this course, students break down the complexities of revenue cycle and reimbursement management for healthcare services. The course provides details on the impact of patient access accuracy, billing and collections of various payers and patients, managed care, and steps healthcare administrators can take to navigate these challenges to maximize reimbursement. The Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) study materials and examination offered through the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) is used as one of the learning tools. Current topics is used to ensure the timeliness of the healthcare reform efforts in the United States. | 1 |
HSA 7236 - Accounting, Finance and Economics for the Healthcare LeaderThis course provides basic accounting, finance, and economics for the healthcare leader. Students will be able to educate patient care team members on financial implications of patient care decisions, use financial statements for decision making, use basic accounting, finance, and economics concepts needed for efficient management of the healthcare organization, develop policies and procedures for coding and reimbursement, and negotiate contracts for effectiveness and compliance. | 3 |
HSA 7250 - Human Resources Management and Organizational Development in HealthcareUsing a systematic approach, students address the role of human resources in healthcare organizations. Students gain an understanding of key roles in planning for workforce needs and aligning with the strategic goals of the organization. Students examine organizational behavior and dynamics, as well as leadership principles to help navigate change. Students analyze theory and practice of managing individuals and groups through motivation, communication, teamwork, collaboration, leadership, organizational change, negotiation, and conflict management and resolution. | 3 |
HSA 7260 - Operations and Quality Management in HealthcareThere are many opportunities for healthcare organizations and/or their unitary departments to employ strategies to affect the challenges and enhance the outcomes found in today's healthcare delivery system. This course familiarizes the student to a framework of various concepts and tools necessary for understanding the operationalization of health service delivery processes and their effect on performance outcomes. The development of leadership performance competencies that support interprofessional collaboration in organizational health care delivery systems, process improvement, and project and quality management will be emphasized. Through clinical and service quality planning, control and improvement initiatives, outcomes will demonstrate that quality improvement is a strategic mandate Students will discover the essential relationship linking operations and quality management and the importance and use of metrics in daily operations. OR HSA 7260B - Operations and Quality Management in Healthcare (B)There are many opportunities for healthcare organizations and/or their unitary departments to employ strategies to affect the challenges and enhance the outcomes found in today's healthcare delivery system. This course familiarizes the student to a framework of various concepts and tools necessary for understanding the operationalization of health service delivery processes and their effect on performance outcomes. The development of leadership performance competencies that support interprofessional collaboration in organizational health care delivery systems, process improvement, and project and quality management will be emphasized. Through clinical and service quality planning, control and improvement initiatives, outcomes will demonstrate that quality improvement is a strategic mandate Students will discover the essential relationship linking operations and quality management and the importance and use of metrics in daily operations.This is an Accelerated Learning Course. | 3 |
HSC 7470 - Legal and Regulatory IssuesThis course investigates the legal and regulatory environment of the health services industry. Case law, statutory and regulatory analysis, and trends in health services delivery law will be analyzed in context of implications among major stakeholder groups (providers, patients, administrators, third-party payers, and health care organizations). Topics include civil and criminal law, ethics, contract law, antitrust, malpractice, human resources/personnel laws, managed care laws, professional and corporate liability, information management/medical records, patient safety and mandatory reporting issues, patients' rights and responsibilities, among others. | 3 |
IPE 7050 - Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare ProfessionalsThis course provides an overview of the evidence-based practice process to prepare the healthcare professional as a consumer of scientific evidence for decision making. A process for formulating a practice question and conducting literature searches for existing evidence. The course also includes an overview of the research process for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research with emphasis on the critical appraisal of evidence for determination of inclusion in a literature synthesis related to a practice question. The discussion of biostatistics focuses on determining the appropriateness of the statistical analysis and interpretation of the statistical results in the critically appraised research evidence. Finding and critically appraising research summaries, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses, and clinical practice guidelines is included. Effectively implementing, evaluating, and disseminating an evidence-based change process is discussed. OR IPE 7050B - Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals (B)This course provides an overview of the evidence-based practice process to prepare the healthcare professional as a consumer of scientific evidence for decision making. A process for formulating a practice question and conducting literature searches for existing evidence. The course also includes an overview of the research process for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research with emphasis on the critical appraisal of evidence for determination of inclusion in a literature synthesis related to a practice question. The discussion of biostatistics focuses on determining the appropriateness of the statistical analysis and interpretation of the statistical results in the critically appraised research evidence. Finding and critically appraising research summaries, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines is included. Effectively implementing, evaluating, and disseminating an evidence-based change process is discussed. | 3 |
IPE 7133 - Foundations in Healthcare Administration with Strategic PlanningStudents build on leadership concepts introduced in IPE 7121 to develop a foundational understanding of healthcare administration while analyzing the changing landscape of the healthcare environment. Application of these concepts occurs through formulating, implementing, and evaluating a strategic plan while working with an interprofessional team. Students examine the role of strategic planning in achieving organizational performance measures as well as the notion of planning as a cyclical process within the healthcare organization in the role of a healthcare administrator. | 3 |
IPE 7230 - Program/Project Planning and Management for Practice and Policy ChangeLearning how to plan, develop and manage projects and programs are essential skills for healthcare professionals. This course focuses on the processes of analyzing organizations and systems, completing a gap analysis through use of selected quality improvement tools, and identifying specific steps in the project sequence. Experiential opportunities are integrated into the project life cycle phases in validating the need for developing an improvement change project. Leadership and interprofessional team collaboration are incorporated into project and program development and management. | 3 |
IPE 7421 - Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population HealthStudents evaluate cultural, environmental, societal, and economic factors impacting population health and health outcomes. Students assimilate factors impacting individual and community health. Knowledge is applied to create interprofessional, evidence-based interventions to improve population health and advance health equity. OR IPE 7421B - Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population Health (B)This course explores concepts relevant to population health practice. These include the importance of reflective practice and a focus on prevention and upstream interventions, with particular attention to social determinants of health and mitigation of adverse childhood events. Using an interprofessional/cross disciplinary approach, students examine how economics, social factors, cultural safety/competency, health literacy, policy, urbanization, globalization, the environment, and other factors influence health and disease. Students consider how research in prevention, health determinants, cultural ecology, and global health applies to population and community health efforts. | 3 |
MHS 7313 - Fundamentals of Healthcare LawThis course introduces students to the myriad of ethical and legal implications of health care administration, particularly regarding the legal rights of patients as they interact within an increasingly complex healthcare system. The course specifically focuses on patients' rights, healthcare access, ethical best practices, and affordability. In addition, students will discover the multifaceted implications impacting healthcare professionals in providing ethically-sound and quality-driven healthcare services in an ever-changing legal and regulatory environment. | 3 |
MHS 7315 - Contemporary Trends in WellnessThis course introduces students to contemporary trends in wellness that impact the goal of living a healthful lifestyle and achieving personal well-being. Students will explore a wide variety of available resources at individual, community, and global levels that enable individuals adopt wellness techniques correlated with long-term health. Innovative course design affords collaborations with industry partners and the opportunity to impact the greater wellness community. | 3 |
| Certificate Credit Hours 12 | |
| * Course includes the Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR), a professional industry certification examination offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). † Course can be tailored to complete a project that supports the needs of the student's work/organization. | |
| Courses | Hours |
|---|---|
IPE 7400 - Healthcare Informatics and Technology ManagementThis course introduces the student to healthcare informatics, focusing on the foundational experiences with health information systems and technology; roles within interprofessional teams (when applicable); and ethical and legal use of technology to improve patient safety, healthcare quality, and population health outcomes. Students examine data management systems to improve outcomes of care and technology for care delivery and to explore new trends to improve patient outcomes using evidence to inform the design of workflows and utilization of health information systems to improve user experience, standards, and safety. OR IPE 7400B - Healthcare Informatics and Technology Management (B)This online interprofessional education (IPE) course introduces the student to healthcare informatics focusing on the foundational experiences with health information systems and technology, roles within interprofessional teams to optimize ethical and legal use of technology to improve consumer safety, healthcare quality, and population health outcomes. Students examine data management systems to improve outcomes of care and utilize evidence to inform redesign of workflow and utilization of health information systems to improve user experience, standards, and safety.This is an Accelerated Learning Course. | 3 |
| Elective Curriculum | |
IPE 7155 - Clinical Data Analytics and Decision Support *Course Description: This interprofessional course is focused on the synthesis of data and information into knowledge, wisdom, and clinical decision-making to support all members of the healthcare team and the consumer. Areas of emphasis include healthcare data standards and taxonomies, data analytics, and data security. | 3 |
IPE 7250 - Healthcare System Life Cycle Analysis and DesignThis healthcare informatics course is focused on the phases of system implementation life cycle. Areas of emphasis include project management, strategic planning, system analysis, workflow redesign, system implementation, evaluation and service management. | 3 |
IPE 7365 - Information Management for Quality and Safety †This graduate level interprofessional informatics specialty course provides the learner an overview of healthcare quality and patient safety with an emphasis on healthcare informatics. This course uses a systems approach to introduce the learner to the complexities of quality and patient safety management with understanding of measurement and improvement of outcomes. This course will expose the learner to multiple measures for quality and patient safety from a variety of organizations and regulatory bodies that offer measure comparisons. The framework within this course will establish broad concepts to practical application of improvement steps, including issues related to data quality, challenges within HIT management, collaborative efforts between disciplines, and challenges of calculating quality measures with data from the EHR. Areas of emphasis include data analytics for quality improvement and patient safety, control chart methodology, failure modes and effects analysis, and HIT influence in change management. | 3 |
IPE 7495 - Application of Technology for Population Health and Healthcare Professional EducationThis healthcare informatics and nurse informaticist specialty course is focused on the design, use, and promotion of innovative technologies that advance healthcare outcomes. Areas of emphasis include information literacy, social media, genomic, consumer products to facilitate health, and the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) initiative. | 3 |
| Certificate Credit Hours 12 | |
| * Course utilizes EHR Go as an educational EHR and learning platform. † Course includes the Certified Specialist in Business Intelligence (CSBI) exam, an industry-level certification examination offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). | |
| Courses | Hours |
|---|---|
IPE 7025 - Psychosocial Strategies for HealthcareThis innovative course explores the evidence surrounding holistic patient care across healthcare and wellness professions. Psychosocial characteristics of effective practitioners are identified and patient education tools for use across healthcare and wellness settings are presented. Critical examination of contemporary literature serves as the foundation for implementation of client care plans.
OR IPE 7025B - Psychosocial Strategies for Healthcare (B)This innovative course explores the evidence surrounding holistic patient care across healthcare and wellness professions. Psychosocial characteristics of effective practitioners are identified and patient education tools for use across healthcare and wellness settings are presented. Critical examination of contemporary literature serves as the foundation for implementation of client care plans. This is an Accelerated Learning Course. | 3 |
| Elective Curriculum | |
IPE 7001 - Interprofessional Education and Collaborative PracticeThis course provides students with a foundation for interprofessional education and collaboration. Emphasis is on learning roles and responsibilities of healthcare peers, effective interprofessional communication, teams and teaming, as well as ethical practice and patient (or client)-centered care. All coursework prepares the student to engage on highly functioning healthcare teams, while striving to improve healthcare delivery through increasing patient and practitioner satisfaction, reducing costs, and achieving better outcomes. The course will expose the student to industry-relevant tools and techniques that meet the demands of the contemporary healthcare workplace. OR IPE 7001B - Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (B)This course provides students with a foundation for interprofessional education and collaboration. Emphasis is on learning roles and responsibilities of healthcare peers, effective interprofessional communication, teams and teaming, as well as ethical practice and patient (or client)-centered care. All coursework prepares the student to engage on highly functioning healthcare teams, while striving to improve healthcare delivery through increasing patient and practitioner satisfaction, reducing costs, and achieving better outcomes. The course will expose the student to industry-relevant tools and techniques that meet the demands of the contemporary healthcare workplace. | 3 |
IPE 7050 - Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare ProfessionalsThis course provides an overview of the evidence-based practice process to prepare the healthcare professional as a consumer of scientific evidence for decision making. A process for formulating a practice question and conducting literature searches for existing evidence. The course also includes an overview of the research process for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research with emphasis on the critical appraisal of evidence for determination of inclusion in a literature synthesis related to a practice question. The discussion of biostatistics focuses on determining the appropriateness of the statistical analysis and interpretation of the statistical results in the critically appraised research evidence. Finding and critically appraising research summaries, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses, and clinical practice guidelines is included. Effectively implementing, evaluating, and disseminating an evidence-based change process is discussed. OR IPE 7050B - Evidence-Based Practice for Healthcare Professionals (B)This course provides an overview of the evidence-based practice process to prepare the healthcare professional as a consumer of scientific evidence for decision making. A process for formulating a practice question and conducting literature searches for existing evidence. The course also includes an overview of the research process for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research with emphasis on the critical appraisal of evidence for determination of inclusion in a literature synthesis related to a practice question. The discussion of biostatistics focuses on determining the appropriateness of the statistical analysis and interpretation of the statistical results in the critically appraised research evidence. Finding and critically appraising research summaries, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines is included. Effectively implementing, evaluating, and disseminating an evidence-based change process is discussed. | 3 |
IPE 7100 - Ethics in Health CareThis course provides a comprehensive perspective on ethical issues in healthcare. It takes a practical approach toward contemporary ethical issues surrounding healthcare professions and emphasizes an interprofessional appreciation of ethical decision-making. Ethical principles, theory and decision-making models will provide the foundation for ethical case analysis and other critical thinking activities. Principles and constructs such as morality, goals of professional practice, professional and organizational values, and socio-cultural contexts of health care will be defined and realistic solutions will be discussed. Understanding the ethical-legal relationship in areas of greatest risk, minimizing such risk, and gaining the knowledge required to prepare for the circumstances will be discussed. | 3 |
IPE 7121 - Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health CareThis course introduces students to interprofessional healthcare policy and organizational leadership concepts. Students have the opportunity to analyze and advocate for health policy with the inclusion of diverse stakeholders to optimize access to care, improve care coordination, and reduce disparities affecting population health. Various leadership styles are examined as well as self-assessment, goal setting, and strategies for continuous improvement as healthcare leaders. OR IPE 7121B - Organizational Leadership & Policy in Health Care (B)This course introduces students to various concepts and tools necessary for understanding operationalization of health service delivery and the effect on performance outcomes, including leadership competencies that support interprofessional collaboration, process improvement, health policy and regulation, and project and quality management. Students will discover the essential relationship linking operations and quality management and develop metrics for monitoring daily operations within their field. | 3 |
IPE 7133 - Foundations in Healthcare Administration with Strategic PlanningStudents build on leadership concepts introduced in IPE 7121 to develop a foundational understanding of healthcare administration while analyzing the changing landscape of the healthcare environment. Application of these concepts occurs through formulating, implementing, and evaluating a strategic plan while working with an interprofessional team. Students examine the role of strategic planning in achieving organizational performance measures as well as the notion of planning as a cyclical process within the healthcare organization in the role of a healthcare administrator. | 3 |
IPE 7200 - Cultural Competence in HealthcareThis course introduces participants to population demographics and their impact on cultural influence with regard to health care and wellness. Emphasis is placed on cultural awareness and cultural competence, discussing methods of inclusion and appropriate intervention using an interprofessional model. OR IPE 7200B - Cultural Competence in Healthcare (B)This course introduces participants to population demographics and their impact on cultural influence with regard to health care and wellness. Emphasis is placed on cultural awareness and cultural competence, discussing methods of inclusion and appropriate intervention using an interprofessional model.This is an Accelerated Learning Course. | 3 |
IPE 7230 - Program/Project Planning and Management for Practice and Policy ChangeLearning how to plan, develop and manage projects and programs are essential skills for healthcare professionals. This course focuses on the processes of analyzing organizations and systems, completing a gap analysis through use of selected quality improvement tools, and identifying specific steps in the project sequence. Experiential opportunities are integrated into the project life cycle phases in validating the need for developing an improvement change project. Leadership and interprofessional team collaboration are incorporated into project and program development and management. | 3 |
IPE 7421 - Interprofessional Approaches to Regional and Global Population HealthStudents evaluate cultural, environmental, societal, and economic factors impacting population health and health outcomes. Students assimilate factors impacting individual and community health. Knowledge is applied to create interprofessional, evidence-based interventions to improve population health and advance health equity. | 3 |
| Certificate Credit Hours 12 | |
USAHS is currently accepting applications for enrollment into the Graduate Certificates in Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence, and Interprofessional Education from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
USAHS is not accepting applications from states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states. Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program and the ability to be placed for on-the-ground activities. It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides.
USAHS’ Graduate Certificates are not designed or intended to lead to professional licensure in any state.
The map below identifies the states from which the University is now accepting applications for the Graduate Certificates in Executive Leadership, Business Intelligence, and Interprofessional Education (indicated in blue).
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