The Master of Science (M.S.) in Health Services Administration (HSA) was first registered with New York State (NYS) in 1989. This degree program focuses on a systems approach for managing health care services including financial management, policy on economics, legal aspects of health care, quality improvement and epidemiology. The components of the program conform to the 4 required core competency areas required for Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accreditation. This program serves professionals who seek to improve their skills and develop new strategies to meet the ever-changing health care environment. The minimum program requirement is 38 credit-hours. Part-time students (six credits per semester) can complete their coursework in just over six semesters. Full-time students taking nine to twelve credits per semester can finish in four semesters.

Required Core Courses

Good Academic Standing

A student’s academic standing is determined by the cumulative quality point average (G.P.A.). Graduate and doctoral students are expected to maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or above. A student who has less than a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. at any time is placed on academic probation for one semester. At the end of the probation semester, the student’s file is reviewed by the program's student progress committee. If the student’s cumulative G.P.A. is a minimum of 3.0, the student is automatically removed from probation. If a student does not achieve the 3.0 G.P.A., the program student progress committee will either dismiss the student from the program immediately or continue the student on probation for one more semester. If a minimum of 3.0 is not then achieved, dismissal is automatic.

A student who maintains a minimum of a 3.0 average but receives more than two grades of C or lower will be reviewed by the program graduate committee for a recommendation regarding continuation in the program. An appeal to any of the above may be made by following the grievance procedures found in the D’Youville University calendar and resource guide.

Grades Below B Policy

All grades of B or higher are applicable to the Health Services Administration MS Program at D’Youville University. Up to six credits of grades lower than a B (B-, C+ or C) may be applied to the graduate degree. Grades of C- or lower are not applicable to the Health Services Administration MS program.

Provisional Admission

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria but have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 and show promise, will be reviewed on an individual basis by the admissions committee and may be admitted provisionally. While on provisional status students must meet all academic requirements of the program and must either receive grades of B or better in their first four courses in the Health Services Administration Program or earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in the first four courses in the Health Services Administration MS program. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program. 

Academic Probation

Students enrolled in the doctoral programs who receive more than two grades of B- or below will be notified in writing that they have been placed on academic probation. Academic probation will then apply to the next semester of their enrollment, including summer semesters. Students who have been placed on academic probation must successfully complete all coursework with grades of B or higher in the next semester of their enrollment in order to be removed from academic probation. Students who have been placed on academic probation, and receive a grade of B- or below for any course taken in the next semester of their enrollment, are at risk for dismissal from the program. Students who are taking coursework, and are carrying an I (Incomplete) grade from any previous doctoral coursework, and who have a grade of B- or below submitted to replace any I grade, will immediately be placed on academic probation for the current semester of their enrollment.

Appeals

To appeal a decision rendered by the Center for Doctoral Studies and Research faculty/administration that has academic consequences, you must follow the appeal procedures which are available in the student manual.

To be considered for entrance into the HSA master's program, applicants must:

1. Complete the online graduate application.
2. Provide official transcripts from ALL prior colleges/universities.
3. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
4. Have successfully completed a three-credit, undergraduate statistics course ("C" or higher). 
5. Students are strongly encouraged to have taken an undergraduate accounting course prior to program admission.
6. Preference will be given to candidates with an established work history in the field.