About

 

The full-time On-Campus Masters of Science in Health Care Administration develops leaders who are prepared for the challenges of health care delivery, today and tomorrow. Full-time track students represent a range of interests and prior experience. All undergraduate degrees are considered including basic science, social science, nursing or other clinical degrees, business administration, public health, and more. Trinity’s graduate program in health care administration is one of the best in the nation and provides an intensive, experiential environment for graduate students, placing them in the heart of the health care industry through a year-long administrative residency.

CAHME Accreditation Logo

Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) ensures that you and your degree will be taken seriously wherever your career takes you.

CAHME Mentorship Circle Accreditation

The CAHME Mentorship Circle is an opportunity for model programs to mentor other programs who are seeking continuous quality improvement or accreditation.

Degree Format

The On-Campus Masters takes 28 months to complete and consists of two components. The first component consists of 16 months of academic coursework and requires students to attend daily classes on the Trinity Campus. Then students spend 12-months in a paid Administrative Residency with a health care organization. A list of past residency placements is available here.

28 Months

 

16 Months

On-Campus Academic Coursework

 

12 Months

 Paid Administrative Residency

 

Admissions

 

Learn more about applying for this program.

Get Started→

 

 

Key Features

Experiential Learning

A combination of practical and experiential learning coupled with the development of strong leadership skills helps students become confident professionals. Examples include Case Competitions, Capstone Projects, Tiger Tank, and the Residency year.

Administrative Residency

Students spend 12-months working full-time as a resident in a health care organization before graduation. This is an essential opportunity to gain hands-on administrative experience by applying conceptual knowledge to real situations.

Personal Attention

With an average cohort size of 25 students, our faculty is able to provide valuable one-on-one time with students and work diligently to support their success well into their careers.

Networking

Strong ties with classmates, a vast alumni network, and a reputation for producing exceptional health care leaders form a foundation for professional relationships and career development.

Student Experience

Students Gabbie and Sabrina sit together at a local hospital.
Administrative Residency

A foundational component of each student’s experience is the paid 12-month Administrative Residency, which is a graduation requirement for all students in the full-time track. Resulting in the final 6 hours of course credit, the goal of the Administrative Residency is to gain a practical understanding of and appreciation for the relationships between the clinical and administrative sides of health care. Residency placements cover the full range of health care settings, push students to further develop critical leadership skills, and frequently lead to employment opportunities.

During the residency year, students are paid a stipend, work under the direct supervision and receive mentorship of a senior-level executive, and are guided by an assigned faculty adviser.

Students have completed administrative residencies in:

  • Healthcare systems
  • Children's hospitals
  • Community health centers
  • Academic Medical Centers
  • Consulting firms
  • Physician practices and medical groups

Past Residency Placement List

Tiger Tank

In the spring semester, students form small groups to identify a specific problem they observe and feel compelled to address in health care today.  Each group then applies design thinking principles to creatively solve their identified problem in a feasible, viable, and desirable manner, concluding with a competition in which groups pitch their innovative ideas before a panel of health system executives and health care entrepreneurs.

Group of Trinity Students at Tiger Tank
Sabrina, Andy, and Justin take first place at a case competition.
Case Competitions 

Each year, the Department of Health Care Administration sends students to represent Trinity University at varied health administration case competitions across the country.  Not only are case competitions a fun opportunity to engage in friendly competition with peer programs, but more importantly they are meaningful opportunities for students to develop as they synthesize core concepts and competencies in solving real-world scenarios and challenges in health care.

Capstone Projects

In the final semester before beginning their administrative residency, each student participates in two “live” consulting projects as part of the Capstone Seminar, working in separate teams throughout the semester to address current problems or expressed needs for diverse client organizations.  At the semester’s conclusion, teams deliver and present their work directly to their clients.

Graduate student presents a business plan in a classroom.
Students pose with mannequin of a patient on a gurney.
Friday Lecture Series and Site Visits 

The Friday Lecture Series brings students together with experienced professionals who share their insights and observations about the skills needed to become effective health care managers. Tours of local health care facilities provide students with the opportunity to interact with health care administrators while observing the daily operations of an organization. This is also a great networking opportunity for students before their residencies.

American College of Healthcare Executives: Annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership

All first-year students attend this annual health care leadership conference in Chicago, Illinois through ACHE. Students learn about health care issues and network with executives from across the nation.  

REACH Symposium

Some of the country's most prominent experts in health care delivery, policy, and administration deliver keynote addresses and lead discussion panels.

Preceptors Conference

This annual two-day networking event that launches the residency search process for the Full-Time program students. Organizations and preceptors representing a variety of health care sectors are invited to attend the on-campus event and interview students for potential residency placements. 

 

Students pose in front of the Chicago "Bean" while traveling for the ACHE Congress
Four female graduate students gather with their professor at the Alumni Dinner.
HCAD Alumni Association Awards Dinner

In the fall, the Trinity University HCAD Alumni Association hosts its annual awards dinner, during which it recognizes and honors the achievements of distinguished alumni, including newly announced recipients of the Duce and Momentum Awards, while celebrating the HCAD family.

Scholarships

 

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships are funded by Trinity University and are based on merit. Assistantships fund a portion of the first academic school year's tuition and recipients are expected to work a fixed number of hours per week in the department. The amount of this award varies yearly.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries scholarships

The Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas established an endowed scholarship to honor John E. Hornbeak, LFACHE. This endowment provides tuition benefits to one student each year. The Hornbeak Scholar will demonstrate academic achievement, financial need, and leadership potential.

Department scholarships

The Department of Health Care Administration has various scholarships it awards to new students. The amounts of these scholarships are based on available funds.

Other Scholarships

Other scholarships may be awarded to students based on merit or financial need. The availability and amount of these awards vary each year.

Culture

Trinity's culture of openness and support is at the core of our graduate experience.

This student lounge is located in the center of the faculty office suite, giving students full access to faculty well beyond classroom hours, as well as a place to bond with classmates while studying, eating lunch, or just hanging out.

HCAD has annual celebrations and regular social activities that build strong bonds between students and faculty members.

The cohort model means each class moves through the program as a unit, creating unique opportunities to learn and grow as a class.

Every student receives both a faculty adviser in the department and a distinguished senior adviser from the program’s alumni network to support their personal and professional development.

Faculty build authentic relationships by learning each student’s personal story, core values, and goals.

Personal development activities and 1:1 advising sessions challenge students to discover more about themselves and each other.

 

Students celebrate Dr. Shay who just received an award.