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California State University, Long Beach
Health Care Administration Program
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MSHCA/MS Nursing Dual Degree Program

Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Science in Health Care Administration (code NRSGMC01)

The Departments of Nursing and Health Care Administration offer a concurrent Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Health Care Administration dual degree available to qualified students who desire advanced preparation with a practice focus as Advance Practice Nurses in administration. The concurrent program leading to both degrees represents the core accreditation requirements of each degree. Coursework is integrated between the two degree programs each semester in order to provide an intensive learning experience.

The philosophy of graduate nurse education is that the practice of nursing is constantly changing as health needs and health delivery systems are altered. Integral to nursing is an ability to work effectively and cooperatively with other disciplines. The joint Master of Science in Health Care Administration and the Master of Science in Nursing provides the opportunity for students to specialize as advanced practice nurses with emphasis in administration and increasing competence in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs in preparation for serving in various health organizations. An important career path for advanced practice nurses is as nurse executives in different segments of the health care industry, including entrepreneurial activities. Courses are interdependent and have been structured to provide clinical depth in the areas of nursing and administration.

Each applicant should request that official transcripts of all college course work be sent to the Nursing Department Graduate Advisor and to the University Office of Admissions and Records.

Admission Requirements:

  1. Bachelor's degree in nursing or currently enrolled in accelerated RN to Master's program. Those nurses with Baccalaureate degrees in health related fields may be conditionally admitted.
  2. Current license to practice as a registered nurse in California.
  3. Admission to graduate standing at the University.
  4. An upper division or graduate course in biostatistics (H/SC 403 or ED P 419).
  5. Public Health Nurse Certificate, or eligibility for certificate in California.
  6. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better; an upper division nursing GPA of 3.0 or better and a science GPA of 3.0 or better. Students who fall below these averages will be evaluated on an individual basis.
  7. Submission of quantitative and verbal scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
  8. Three letters of recommendation from persons with whom the applicant has worked and who has direct knowledge of the applicant's qualification.
  9. A separate personal statement of applicant's reasons for pursuing this field of study and comments about interests and experiences germane to career objectives.
  10. Current professional resume describing the applicant's relevant experience.

Advancement to Candidacy

A joint committee, consisting of Nursing and Health Care Administration faculty involved in the program, will review files and make a determination to advance the candidate to graduate status. Student criteria for advancement are as follows:

  1. Satisfy the general University requirements for advancement to candidacy in Nursing and Health Care Administration
    1. Pass the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)
    2. Have at least a 3.0 GPA for all course work attempted as a graduate student
  2. Joint approval by the Department of Nursing and Health Care Administration and the Associate Dean in the College of Health and Human Services.

Requirements for Completion

  1. A minimum of 57 units of approved Nursing and Health Care Administration upper division and graduate level courses including: The program of Study: NRSG 559, 560, 596, 680A, 680B, 680C, 680AL, 680BL, 680CL, 698, HCA 502, 505, 510, 515, 524, 530, 535, 550, 698 (For HCA course descriptions, click here). To review course individual course syllabi, please click on the "Programs" tab.
  2. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all courses.
  3. Directed project or a thesis.
  4. Graduate Degrees obtained previously may be accepted toward meeting a portion of the unit requirements of the concurrent MSN/MSHCA degree program.
  5. If a student after entering the concurrent MSN/MSHCA program returns to a single degree program, all requirements for the single degree program must be met.
    * 60% of units must be earned in residence.

Further admission and advisory information may be obtained by contacting:

Tony Sinay, Ph.D
Director, Health Care Administration
College of Health and Human Services
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-4902
Phone: (562) 985-5694
Fax (562) 985-5886

or

Loucine Huckabay, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Nursing Department
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-4902
Phone: (562) 985-4473
Fax (562) 985-2382