Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business announced on Feb. 16 that it will launch a new healthcare-centric MBA program this summer.
TCU's program joins a host of others around the country and world that train students to work in an increasingly complex, ever-changing industry. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the American healthcare system has undergone a series of changes that require medical professionals to understand business practices.
“Why is a health care MBA more vital now than at any time in health care? Everything is changing,” says Bill Cron, senior associate dean of graduate programs at the TCU Neeley School, in a press release. “Look at payment systems, for example. Approximately 93 percent of a provider’s revenue today comes from fees for services. As health care changes, fees and services will become a minimum part of their revenue. How can they make that transition? It requires an intricate understanding of policy and financing.”
Students at TCU will learn skills such as finance, accounting, information technology, operations and marketing. Some classes will be taught by University of North Texas Health Science Center teachers.
Other similar programs at schools around the US include Boston University's Questrom School of Business's Health Sector MBA, the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management's Medical Industry specialization, Rutgers Business School's Pharmaceutical Management MBA, and Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management's Healthcare MBA. Business degrees for healthcare professionals in Europe are also popular; schools such as Copenhagen Business School and the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland report that approximately 15 to 20 percent of their graduates go into the healthcare and pharmaceutical fields.
TCU's program starts in August; the application deadline is May 31. Visit the TCU website for more information.
Photo credit Easal22 (cropped)
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