Health Services Administration – Undergraduate Info

Health Services Administration, B.S.

FAQs

General Program

Yes. While we do encourage students to complete all their lower level course requirements first, students are eligible for some of the Health Services Administration major courses while still working on prerequisite requirements.
There are online sections of the Health Services Administration major courses offered each semester.
Yes, the entire program is offered online. See Online Health Services Administration (BS).

Searching for an Internship

You must enroll into internship orientation class HSA 4853, during this class you will be applying to approved internships.

Since it can take time to secure an internship, we encourage our students to start thinking about where they would like to intern a full semester before they start. For example, if you wish to begin an internship during the spring semester, we recommend that you complete the internship orientation and begin contacting the organizations of interest to you during the fall semester.

  • An overall GPA of 2.5
  • The completion of 90 cumulative credit hours
  • The completion of 24 credit hours in health services administration
  • Completion of an online HSA internship orientation class (HSA 4853)

Internship Locations

Yes. We provide students with a list of affiliated organizations with which we have established a contract or agreement. However, you may be interested in interning at a location that is not on the list. If you find your own internship site, you must contact the HSA internship coordinator so that an affiliate agreement can be established with the organization.

If you cannot find an internship site, either from the affiliate list or on your own, you must contact the internship coordinator immediately. It is your responsibility to enroll into internship orientation, secure an internship and enroll into internship class (HSA 4850) for the semester you do your internship.

No, you may not use your current place of employment to satisfy the internship requirement unless you have discussed this with the internship coordinator and come to an agreement on how this may be possible. In fact, if it is discovered that you are interning at the same organization at which you work (without any type of approval), you will fail the course.
No. Students are not allowed to intern with their family members and family members cannot be preceptors to students as this is a conflict of interest. Any student discovered to be interning with a family member will automatically fail the internship course.

Registering for the Internship Course

You must register for internship orientation class (HSA 4853). During this class semester long class you will be applying to approved internship sites. Once you secure an internship, you must begin your internship the semester after internship orientation. You will then need to register for internship class (HSA 4850) and do your internship in parallel with internship class.
Yes. For legal and liability reasons, students must be registered in the internship course. When a student is engaged in work with an organization but is not enrolled in a class, the student is acting as an individual and not as a representative of UCF. You will only receive credit for the internship by enrolling in and completing the requirements of the internship course.
Graduate Internship:
HSA Graduate Program: 3-credit internship = 240 working hours
Undergraduate Internship:
HSA Undergraduate Program: 3-credit internship = 150 working hours
HSA Undergraduate Program: 3-credit internship = 120 working hours*
(*Enrolled in catalog year Spring 2015 or before)
Most internships are unpaid, however sometime paid opportunities arise. If any opportunities arise they will be posted in your internship orientation webcourses class.

Completing the Internship Course

The internship has two components: the work requirements and the course requirements.

Students are expected to meet the work requirements by:

  • Adhering to their established work schedules
  • Developing and completing their work product, or final project
  • Meeting their required working hours
  • Working with their preceptor on designated tasks
  • Making a significant contribution to the organization

Students are expected to meet the class requirements by:

  • Participating in the online course
  • Completing all requirements of the course, including readings and quizzes
  • Developing and completing their work product
  • Submitting all required forms

You will be expected to develop a work product, or final project, which will count as a portion of your final grade in internship class. You will design your work product in conjunction with the preceptor. The product should focus on a managerial topic that is of importance to the preceptor and to the organization for which the you are interning.

The work product is not intended to be a recap of what you have already done during the internship, but rather a specifically designed project that you are asked to develop for the organization. The work product is expected to be rationally, yet creatively, developed, allowing you to apply learned knowledge to a practical situation. The benefit of completing the work product is that you will have a project that can be placed in your portfolio and shared with future potential employers.

Due to the nature of this internship, there are specific forms that students and their preceptors are required to complete. You can access these forms via the online course once you have registered. All you need to do is complete, scan and return the forms during the semester via the online course. The forms are:

  • The Confidentiality Agreement Form, Schedule and Goals Form
  • The Preceptor Acknowledgment Form
  • The Student's Evaluation of Preceptor & Internship Experience Form
  • The Preceptor's Evaluation of Intern & Work Product Form
  • The Hours Worked Form
  • Final Project
  • Academic integrity is expected and required from all students. You must adhere to the internship timeline in order to meet specific deadlines throughout the course of the semester.
  • Professional behavior is expected and required from all students. During the semester, you will see proprietary information that is not intended for public dissemination; it is a privilege and honor to be entrusted with this type of sensitive information. You must not reveal this information to anybody outside of the organization. Also, you will be expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner. This includes acting and dressing professionally at all times. .
  • Attendance with the preceptor. You will commit to spending several hours per week with the organization and will work with your preceptors to develop a work schedule. You are expected to independently resolve personal and work-related scheduling conflicts that interfere with your ability to meet your internship obligation.
By registering for an internship, you are agreeing to meet all obligations, including the completion of the required number of working hours. If you fail to meet this requirement or choose to quit your internship, you will fail the internship course.

The Office of Experiential Learning services the entire university and offers internships and co-ops to a variety of different disciplines. Students must register with the Office of Experiential Learning and then work with them to find placement. The co-ops are paid positions offered by the Office of Experiential Learning, similar to a job. In the major, the co-ops can be used as either a program requirement or elective credit.

If you wish to go through the Office of Experiential Learning, you will need to complete the required paperwork with the Office of Experiential Learning and must then submit them to the Department of Health Management and Informatics. The co-op will then either be used to fulfill the internship requirement, or be counted as elective credit NOT program required internship credit.

If you have additional questions that are not answered here, you may contact our HSA internship coordinator, contact HSAInternships@ucf.edu or call 407-823-0552.

Course Descriptions

Prerequisites

Undergraduate Internship Process

GEP- The determination of prices in a market economy; their role in allocating consumer and producer goods and in distributing incomes, including attempts to improve market efficiency through public policy. Fall, Spring.
3 credits- PR: ACG 2021 and MAC 1105C, each with a “C” (2.0) or better- The purpose of this class is to thoroughly familiarize the student with the various uses of accounting information for planning and control. Fall, Spring.
3 credits- PR: Sophomore standing and MAC 1105C with a “C” (2.0) or better- Nature of accounting, financial statements, the accounting cycle, assets, current liabilities, long-term debt, and owner’s equity; accounting for proprietorships and corporations. Fall, Spring.
3 credits- PR: MAC 1105C or MGF 1106- First methods course introducing probability and statistical inference, including estimation, hypothesis testing, binomial and normal distributions, sample size. Fall, Spring.
By registering for an internship, you are agreeing to meet all obligations, including the completion of the required number of working hours. If you fail to meet this requirement or choose to quit your internship, you will fail the internship course.

Select One

 

GEP- Uses of computers and software in business, including business applications, commercial packages, and the internet. Not open to Computer Science majors. Fall, Spring.
GEP- Digital literacy, computer hardware, peripheral components, memory devices, effects of computers on society, application of computers. Not open to Computer Science majors. Fall, Spring.

Core Requirements

3 credits- PR: (CGS 1060C or CGS 2100C) and Sophomore Standing- A survey of the economics, social, and political aspects of the health care system in the United States. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- A study of the language of medicine and allied health specialties, including work construction, definitions, and application of terms. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: ENC 1102 and Junior Standing, or C.I.- Historical, sociocultural and economic factors in community health; current community health problems; interphase of governmental, voluntary and private agencies. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA major and Sophomore standing, or C.I. – Organization and functioning of long-term care administration. Covers long-term care providers, interaction in long-term care continuum, managing long-term care and future issues. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA majors – PR: or CR: HSA 3111 and PR: ACG 2021 and ACG 2071; non-HSA majors: ACG 2021 and ACG 2071-Budgeting and resource allocation related to health care agencies. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA 3111 and (STA 2014C or STA 2023), or C.I. – A study of the distribution and determination of diseases and injuries in human population. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA 3111 or admitted to HIIM program- Management of health care organizations, strategic planning, healthcare economics, and healthcare financial management. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA 3111; CGS 2100C, or CGS 1060C; or C.I. – The origin, evolution and application of health information technology in today’s healthcare industry. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA 3111; ECO 2023; or C.I. – To provide an application of economic principles to analyze how different economic incentives affect patients, providers, and policy makers behaviors in the delivery of health services. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA 3111 and HSA 4180, or C.I. – Management of health care organizations including hospitals, long term care facilities, and medical group practices. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSC 3537 or C.I. – Principles and mechanics of quality improvement; utilization review; case management and risk management. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: (STA 2014C or STA 2023) and Junior Standing, or C.I. – Introduction to research design in the Health Sciences, including design, literature review, testing, analysis, and conclusions. Fall, Spring, Summer.
0 credits- PR: 2.75 Major GPA, 90 overall credit hours, 24 HSA credit hours- This prerequisite for HSA 4850 provides critical information for the internship search. The course must be completed no more than one semester prior to the internship. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA 3111 or C.I. – Course will introduce the contractual, financial, and practice pattern components of managed care. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: ENC 1102 and Junior Standing, or C.I. – Overview of the legal and ethical issues faced by health care consumers, practitioners, administrators and health care facilities. Fall, Spring, Summer.
Credits vary- PR: HSA 4853, 2.75 Major GPA, 90 overall credit hours, 24 HSA credit hours, approval of the Internship Director- 150 hour minimum administrative experience in an approved health care organization. Fall, Spring, Summer.
3 credits- PR: HSA major and senior standing, HSA 3170, HSA 3430- Capstone course applies healthcare administration theory to a healthcare organization. Students will integrate previous coursework to evaluate an existing healthcare organization. Fall, Spring, Summer.

Internships

Through an internship, students can apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and gain valuable administrative experience that is essential for starting a career in health services administration. Because of this, the School of Global Health Management and Informatics requires students who are enrolled in the undergraduate health services administration program to complete an internship prior to graduation.

If you have specific questions about the program that aren’t answered here, please visit our HSA FAQ section.

Prerequisites

The internship will be counted as a course, so you must meet the following pre-requisites in order to enroll:

  • 90 overall credit hours completed
  • 24 HSA credit hours completed
  • A minimum overall GPA of 2.5 (2.75 major GPA for catalog year Spring 2015 or earlier)

Enrollment:

  • Self-enroll through MyUCF into HSA 4853 (Internship Orientation)
  • Secure an internship within the semester you take HSA 4853 (Internship Orientation), then wait until grades post
  • Self-enroll into HSA 4850 (Internship Class)

HSA 4853 Internship Orientation (Online via Webcourses):

  • One Semester to complete
  • Access to all UCF affiliated internship sites to apply to
  • To successfully pass this course students need to secure an internship and onboard with the site
  • Complete preceptor form (in webcourses)

HSA 4850 Internship Class (Online via Webcourses):

  • Needs to be completed in one semester
  • Submit all required class forms and final project (in webcourses)

Must finish 150 internship hours (or 120 internship hours if student’s catalog year is Spring 2015 or earlier)

Securing an Internship

Before signing up for an internship, you must complete an online internship orientation session. This session will be offered during the semester before your internship starts. During orientation, you will receive an affiliation list with contact information for the various internship locations. Once you have chosen the organizations for which you would like to intern, you must follow these steps to secure an internship:

  • Contact your organizations of interest by sending a resume and cover letter.
  • Set up an interview.
  • Interview with the organization.
  • Secure the internship.

Once you have secured an internship, you will be able to enroll in the internship course.

Internship Requirements

Once you have begun your internship, you will be required to complete four things:

  • The required number of working hours, which is 150 for a three-credit undergraduate internship
  • A “work product,” or final project, for the organization
  • The course portion of the internship
  • All of the required paperwork throughout the semester
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