WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Jan. 17, 2019 — West Liberty University has a new online master’s degree that is just what the doctored ordered for healthcare professionals.
The recently announced MBA tract focuses on healthcare management and is designed for business professionals seeking advancement in the healthcare setting. This accelerated degree program can be completed in as few as 12 months, with two courses per seven-week term.
“After looking at the large number of our students working in healthcare, the Gary E. West College of Business took action. Having a degree that is relevant to the industry will give professionals the knowledge they need to lead in the healthcare industry,” said Sara A. Sweeney, director of the Office of Graduate Studies.
Sweeney was instrumental in coordinating the curriculum and details of the new master’s program.
“With the growth of careers in the healthcare industry, this MBA is much needed and because it’s 100 percent online, it’s a convenient choice at a reasonable cost,” said Dr. Rickard Briggs, interim director of the MBA program.
“We also just hired a full-time faculty member who is responsible for both undergraduate and graduate students majoring is healthcare management. He brings years of experience in the healthcare industry and has worked in today’s medical settings, making the program even stronger,” Briggs added.
Dr. Sean Ryan is the new professor. He formerly worked in patient financial services in the Midwest, Southeast, and Central Atlantic states as well as quality assurance projects throughout the country.
Ryan is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and also served as an adjunct professor of business at WLU.
The MBA in Healthcare Management online courses are designed to provide students with an understanding of the business of healthcare, with an academic and real-world foundation in healthcare issues, trends and practices. The traditional business administration courses like accounting, finance, leadership, marketing, economics, and information technology, round out the program and provide a solid base in business management.
Contemporary issues like the social, ethical and organizational challenges faced by healthcare workers, how to manage clinical information systems and their effects on patients and interdisciplinary teams also are addressed.
“We cover all current trends in healthcare informatics practices and technology, which can improve patient care and is a vital topic for today’s leaders and one that is always changing,” Briggs added.
Networking and career tips, along with student support and dedicated faculty is also a trademark of the 30-credit hour MBA.
WLU offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs including master degrees in clinical psychology, education, physician assistant studies, biology, professional studies and online master degrees in criminology, dental hygiene and the MBA.
For more information, please call 1.866.937.8542 (WESTLIB), visit westliberty.edu or follow WLU on social media. To view more about WLU, please visit westliberty.edu/youtube.