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APSU announces new Healthcare Graduate Degrees

Austin Peay State University - APSUClarksville, TN – Last year, 18 percent of the new jobs created in the United States were in the healthcare industry, and in June of 2015, Forbes magazine declared, “Healthcare is booming.”

Anyone interested in advancing his or her career within this lucrative industry needs to look at Austin Peay State University, thanks to a recent modification of academic programs within the school’s Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP).

Austin Peay's new graduate healthcare degrees are offered online and can be completed in one year.
Austin Peay’s new graduate healthcare degrees are offered online and can be completed in one year.

Recently, the department established a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree to develop a new generation of leaders within the healthcare sector.

The department also added a public health education concentration to its existing Master of Science in HHP degree, to help professionals improve health and promote wellness within their communities.

Both programs are offered online and can be completed within a year.

The MHA degree is designed to produce executive-level administrators to assume leadership roles within hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, physician’s offices, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare related companies.

“Employers in healthcare want administrators who have the quantitative tools and qualitative wisdom developed from earning an MHA to be in senior management positions in a growing but complex industry,” Dr. Gregory Moore, APSU HHP professor, said. “Salaries can be higher with an MHA. A master’s degree is essential for some employers, but an MHA is a more refined and appropriate degree in the kind of positions and careers mentioned above.”

In the last few years, the healthcare industry has shifted its focus to more preventative services, which has created a new demand for professionals with degrees in public health education. APSU’s new concentration in this area was developed to train individuals to fill these positions.

“The degree will prepare students with the knowledge and skills to be an effective health educator,” Dr. Kadi Bliss, APSU assistant professor of HHP, said. “Our curriculum aligns with the profession’s Areas of Responsibility and exposes students to the concepts and skills that they will need to improve the health of communities.”

Individuals interested in the programs do not need a healthcare background or experience to apply.

The department admits between 30 and 45 students into its graduate programs each fall, with 10 faculty members designated to teach the master’s level classes. The department also offers competitive graduate assistantships, providing students with opportunities to teach and conduct additional research.

For more information on both graduate degrees, visit www.apsu.edu/grad-studies or www.apsu.edu/hhp, or contact Dr. Timothy Leszczak at leszczakt@apsu.edu

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