ALBANY, NY—Maria College students will be enrolling in a new bachelor degree approved by New York State; a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management. This four year major is part of the College’s evolution as a baccalaureate institution (NYS modified the 56 year old college’s charter on September 17, 2013 to award four year degrees). The addition of Healthcare Management to the college’s list of majors will enhance Maria’s reputation in the Region for educating highly skilled healthcare professionals.
Maria College President, Dr. Lea A. Johnson stated, “The Healthcare Management degree curriculum was carefully designed to prepare graduates for entry into mid-level management positions in a variety of healthcare settings from corporate health and wellness departments and pharmaceutical manufacturers to nursing homes, hospitals, assisting living and rehabilitation centers. We have developed a broad foundation to enable graduates to enter highly rewarding careers in the healthcare arena and continue the Mercy heritage of serving others.”
Dr. John Kowal, Maria College Vice President of Academic Affairs provided these details on the 120 credit Healthcare Management major, “We integrated liberal arts with science in the curriculum. Concepts in accounting, organization and management, economics, leadership, organizational behavior, ethics, sociology, finance, and law were included; all focused on the unique needs of healthcare organizations.”
He further added, “Maria Healthcare Management students will be challenged to demonstrate an understanding and application of program planning and evaluation within healthcare organizations and the role of information systems in this process. They will also learn how to identify barriers for continuous improvement in healthcare settings and also how to apply best practice processes for creating effective and high performing healthcare structures. Both full-time faculty and working healthcare management practitioners will teach students, infusing the courses with real world scenarios for rich classroom discussion and projects.”
Johnson referenced U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in her statement on why the College chose to add the healthcare management major. She stated, “The field of healthcare management is expecting double digit growth in the next decade. This is attributed to both the US population aging and individuals requiring increased long-term care or medical treatment.”
A survey of Maria 2013 alumni showed that 99% are either working in their field or continuing their education. The College anticipates that the Healthcare Management degree will follow suit, as a cooperative work experience is built into the program schedule further preparing students for career entry upon graduation or a solid foundation for advanced study at the graduate level.
The College partners with many healthcare facilities in the region. The Healthcare Management bachelor degree program is expected to fulfill a critical need in advancing the education of the currently employed allied health professionals, while providing a recruiting pipeline of qualified new employees.
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About Maria College
Maria College is a baccalaureate nonprofit, independent, co-educational institution, founded in 1958 by the Sisters of Mercy, and is one of 17 colleges and universities in the United States sponsored by the Conference for Mercy Higher Education. The College serves traditional and nontraditional students through day, evening, weekend and online classes. A student focused and highly affordable private college in Albany, NY with a 99% placement rate—employment and continuing education.