Purdue Global Online Health Care MBA | Dual Degree MSN-MBA

Purdue Global offers a fully online master of business administration (MBA) with a concentration in health care management that can be completed in just 2.5 years on a full-time basis. Students may also choose to study part-time. Courses last six weeks each for the MBA while the health care management concentration courses run on a ten-week schedule.

Additionally, a dual MSN-MBA with an executive leader concentration is offered that includes two local clinicals for the MSN portion. The rest of the program is online with no campus visits required. This pathway reduces the initial credit load from 120 credits to 88 credits and can be completed in 2.5 years of full-time study. Part-time study is also available.

Health care MBA courses cover topics such as value chain management, marketing and strategic management, human resource management, business ethics, and business processes. Health care management concentration courses cover health policy, quality and cost assessment, public health leadership, and health care marketing.

The online MBA through Purdue Global is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Graduates of the health care MBA may go on to positions such as health care administrator, health services manager, nursing home administrator, or health care consultant.

The MBA portion of the MSN-MBA degree is accredited by the ACBSP, and the MSN portion is accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Graduates of the MSN-MBA are eligible to sit for the Nurse Executive (NE-BC) and Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) certification exams through the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC). Roles may include leadership and management positions in hospitals, long-term care facilities, health organizations, insurance companies, and other healthcare-related positions.

In addition to the outcomes for each degree path, students must also meet professional competencies which are included throughout the curriculum. These include personal presentation, teamwork, leadership, multiculturalism and diversity, graduate problem-solving and critical thinking, and graduate communications.

Purdue Global is based in West Lafayette, Indiana, and is regionally accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

What to Expect from the Purdue Global Online MBA and MSN-MBA

Admission Requirements: Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. No health care or other work experience is required for traditional pathways. ExcelTrack® MBA students must have at least three years of professional work experience in their area. GRE and GMAT exam results are not required.

Application materials include an online application and fee and unofficial transcripts, with official transcripts required by the end of the first term and before any aid is distributed. A background check may be required. International students may need to submit English language proficiency test scores.

Study Plan: Start dates land approximately once a month and with courses running on six-week and ten-week schedules, depending on the degree. The health care MBA and MSN-MBA degrees may be completed in as little as 2.5 years on a full-time basis. Part-time study is also available. Students should expect to spend 20 hours per week on courses.

The online health care MBA program is 100 percent online with no internship or practicums required. The dual MSN-MBA program includes two local clinicals for the MSN portion with all other coursework online and no campus visits required.

Health care MBA students may choose to follow the traditional learning path or an ExcelTrack® pathway. The ExcelTrack® path is designed for professionals with at least three years of experience in their area and who are highly motivated self-starters. The ExcelTrack® allows students to complete competency-based learning modules of one credit each and students may complete as many learning modules in a six-week time period as they are able. There is a set fee for each six-week session, allowing students to reduce costs by completing modules more quickly.

Health Care Management MBA Curriculum: The online MBA with a concentration in health care management comprises 76 credits. Core courses run on a six-week schedule, while concentration courses run on a ten-week schedule.

Core MBA courses include business perspectives; business analytics; financial accounting principles and analysis; business communications; strategic human resource management; measurement and decision-making; marketing management; financial management; economics for global decision-makers; designing, improving, and implementing processes; strategic management; managing the value chain; ethics in business and society; leadership strategies for a changing world; and MBA capstone.

Health care management concentration courses include healthcare operations and quality assessment; healthcare marketing; health policy; and public health leadership and administration.

MSN-MBA Curriculum: The online MSN-MBA curriculum comprises 88 credits and includes MSN courses, MBA courses, and executive leader concentration courses.

MSN courses include advanced nursing roles; theoretical foundations of advanced practice nursing; epidemiology and health promotion; health policy, ethical, and legal perspectives of the healthcare system; and several one-credit courses including rating key elements of evidence-rating process; understanding statistical overview of research; interdisciplinary system approach in evidence-based practice; evaluating the level of evidence in existing practice and research; financial models and reimbursement; healthcare policy models; interprofessional practice and global healthcare environment; and healthcare reform and genetics and genomics research.

Executive leader concentration courses include informatics – science, standards, regulations, and quality improvement; producing positive healthcare results with data analytics; applying principles of advanced nursing practice – clinical; and evaluating and disseminating principles of advanced nursing practice – clinical.

Online Experience: Most of the online MBA and MSN courses are asynchronous; however, some synchronous portions may be included. Purdue Global utilizes Blackboard Learn as its online Learning Management System (LMS). Students are expected to know how to communicate electronically, access courses through the LMS, submit homework, and take exams. In the Blackboard LMS, students will find course syllabi, grades, readings, assignments, and assessments, plus discussion boards and chat rooms.

Student services include access to several help centers, including the Technology Center, the Writing Center, the Science Center, the library, and the Math Center. Students also have access to faculty during office hours and through email communication. Each MBA or MSN-MBA student is assigned an advisor to help guide them throughout the program. Finally, students have access to the Career Services Center.

On-Site Requirements: There are no on-site requirements for the Purdue Global online MBA as the program is 100 percent online. The MSN-MBA includes two local clinicals in addition to online coursework.

Paying for the Purdue Global Online MBA and MSN-MBA

The online MBA at Purdue Global charges tuition either on a per-credit basis or, in the case of ExcelTrack® students, on a per-session basis (sessions run six weeks). The MSN-MBA has two cost levels, one for the MBA courses and another for the MSN courses. Prospective students should contact the Purdue Global School of Business and Information Technology for up-to-date tuition and fees information.

Purdue Global graduate students may have access to unsubsidized federal student loans in accordance with the FAFSA. Additionally, Purdue Global may offer military discounts and discounts for alumni and in-state students. As well, Purdue Global maintains partnerships with various organizations that provide educational benefits to employees.

MBA and MSN-MBA students should inquire with their employers concerning a tuition reimbursement program. Finally, students may seek outside opportunities to fund their graduate degrees such as organizational and community scholarships and grants.

Purdue Global Online MBA - Health Care Management

  • Complete the online Health Care Management MBA in just 2 and a half years of full-time study through 6-week sessions
  • Choose the traditional MBA route or the ExcelTrack® pathway which is competency-based and has a set 6-week tuition rate
  • Health care management courses cover health policy, quality and cost assessment, public health leadership, and health care marketing
Program Essentials
Degree Level Master's Degree
Program Start Dates Frequently - 1-2 per month
Credits Needed to Graduate 76
Time to Complete? Graduate in as few as 2.5 years.
100% Online? Yes
Program Accreditation ACBSP
Program Admissions
Level of Education Required? Bachelors degree or higher
GRE or GMAT Required? No
Work Experience Required? None
Program Tuition
Credit Hours 76
Average Cost Per Credit $485.00
Estimated Program Tuition * $36,860.00

Purdue Global Online MSN-MBA

  • Prepare for leadership roles in the healthcare industry with this dual MSN-MBA degree with an executive leader concentration
  • Complete a local MSN clinical, while all other coursework is online
  • Be prepared to sit for the Nurse Executive (NE-BC) and Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) certification exams through the ANCC
Program Essentials
Degree Level Master's Degree
Program Start Dates Frequently - 1-2 per month
Credits Needed to Graduate 88
Time to Complete? Graduate in as few as 2.5 years.
100% Online? Yes, plus local clinicals
Program Accreditation CCNE/ACBSP
Program Admissions
Level of Education Required? Bachelors degree or higher
GRE or GMAT Required? No
Work Experience Required? None
Program Tuition
Credit Hours 88
Average Cost Per Credit $420/$485
Estimated Program Tuition * $36,960.00

Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees, unless otherwise specified. Please check here for any tuition updates.

Sara Navratil
Sara Navratil
Writer

Sara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She's the owner of Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information on online MHA programs. When not working she likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family.