About

Do you have the ability to keep a business running smoothly, even amid change? Do you want to be a leader in a health-care setting?

The BS degree in health services management is designed to provide you with the skills and competencies to function as a supervisor or manager in healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, insurance companies, medical supply companies, public health departments, medical practices, and a variety of other health service delivery organizations. You might manage an entire facility, specialize in managing a specific clinical area or department, or manage a medical practice for a group of physicians. As health care changes, medical and health services managers must be able to adapt to changes in laws, regulations, and technology.

You would enter the program as a junior and become skilled in business writing, ethics and health law, human diseases, health-care systems, leadership, interpersonal skills, health data management, healthcare operations management, finance and accounting, personnel management, medical practice management, and health services research. In addition, you would complete an internship during the last semester of your senior year. With some additional work, graduates are also prepared for entrance into master's programs such as physical therapy, occupational therapy or the physician assistant studies program.

ECU Advantage

The College of Allied Health Sciences is the largest university-based allied-health provider in the state of North Carolina. The college has eight departments: Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies, Biostatistics, Clinical Laboratory Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Health Services and Information Management, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies, and offers degrees on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.


Delivering a comprehensive professional education that will prepare allied health graduates to make a difference in the health of the region, state, and nation was the primary reason for the creation of the College of Allied Health Sciences and its departments. Fueled by the growth and aging of our population, the demand for these highly skilled specialists is expected to greatly increase as health care continues to be a priority for our citizens.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Robert Kulesher (4340-T Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6174; kulesherr@ecu.edu)

The Health Services Management, BS provides health care practitioners and others with the skills and competencies to function as supervisors and managers in health care settings. Graduates will be prepared for mid-level management positions or for entrance into master's programs in health and business administration, and public health. Students interested in clinical graduate programs will find that the courses of study have been created to meet the prerequisites. Typical work settings for graduates include hospitals, ambulatory care centers, long term care facilities, health research and clinical trials firms, and home health care agencies.

ECU's program is certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA).

Admission to the Health Services Management, BS program requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. Applications are required and should be submitted when the student is nearing completion of general education requirements. Undergraduate students interested in pursuing master's level professional degrees in allied health disciplines are encouraged to seek academic advisement as freshmen.

Majors must earn a minimum grade of C (2.0) in all general education, cognate and core courses before progressing on to subsequent courses in the program curriculum. A student earning a grade below C (2.0) in any of these courses must petition the Department of Health Services and Information Management for probationary continuation. One grade below a C (2.0) will result in the students having to repeat the course. Two grades below C (2.0) will result in students being placed on program probation. Students on program probation in the major will not be able to take HSMA 4904 or HSMA 4905. Three grades below C (2.0) will result in dismissal from the health services management program. Appeals of dismissals must be made in writing to the Student Affairs Committee of the Department of Health Services and Information Management.

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

1. General education requirements including those listed below - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

  • BIOL 2130 - Survey of Human Physiology and Anatomy
  • BIOL 2131 - Survey of Human Physiology and Anatomy Laboratory
  • ECON 2113 - Principles of Microeconomics
  • MATH 1065 - College Algebra
2. Core - 56 s.h.
  • HIMA 3120 - Health Care Delivery Systems
  • HIMA 4030 - Quality Management in Health Care
  • HIMA 4075 - Applied Health Services Research
  • HSMA 2000 - Professional Roles and Environments in Health Care
  • HSMA 3020 - Health Care Payment Systems
  • HSMA 3025 - Professional Ethical Codes and Law in Health Care
  • HSMA 3030 - Written Communication and Documentation in Health Care
  • HSMA 3040 - Managing the Health of Populations
  • HSMA 3045 - Health Data Management
  • HSMA 3050 - Leadership in Health Care
  • HSMA 4010 - Health Information Management
  • HSMA 4050 - Human Resource Management for Health Care Organizations
  • HSMA 4055 - Health Care Finance and Accounting
  • HSMA 4056 - Marketing for Health Care Organizations
  • HSMA 4060 - Medical Practice Management
  • HSMA 4065 - Management of Health Care Operations and Patient Flow
  • HSMA 4080 - Economics for Health Care Managers
  • HSMA 4904 - Allied Health Management Experience
3. Cognates - 3-4 s.h.
  • BIOS 1500 - Introduction to Biostatistics OR
  • MATH 2228 - Elementary Statistical Methods I OR
  • MATH 2283 - Statistics for Business OR
  • PSYC 2101 - Psychological Statistics
4. Concentrations - 6-11 s.h.

(Choose one.)

    Allied health management concentration (8-11 s.h.)

    (Choose from the following.)

    • HPRO 2501 - Allied Health Practice
    • HPRO 2502 - Allied Health Practice
    • HPRO 2503 - Allied Health Practice
    • HPRO 2504 - Allied Health Practice
    • HPRO 2505 - Allied Health Practice
    Health services management concentration (6 s.h.)
    • HIMA 3000 - Medical Terminology for Health Professionals
    • HSMA 3115 - Human Diseases
5. Electives to complete requirements for graduation.
    For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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