Francis Marion University Launches New Healthcare Administration Degree, Combining Schools of Nursing and Business

Francis Marion University (FMU) recently graduated its first class from the new Healthcare Administration major. 27 students graduated from the program in the Fall 2016 commencement ceremony and 113 additional students enrolled in the major are expected to graduate over the next few years.

FMU is pleasantly surprised by the number of graduates, especially for a program that is only a year old. However, it’s a field filled with promise for students who want to work in healthcare but don’t have interest in being a clinician, and many students are migrating to the hot new field. Dr. Ruth Wittman-Price, Dean of FMU’s School of Health Sciences, told SCNow.com,

“Healthcare organizations, in-patient and out-patient, are using baccalaureate prepared people in managerial positions to run units and departments. It’s a good alternative program if they don’t want to be a clinician. There are jobs available for them.”

The Healthcare Admin program is FMU’s first entirely online degree, offering flexibility for students to work and participate in extracurricular activities. Incorporating several courses that already existed in the nursing program and School of Business, offering the new degree made sense for FMU.

Many students know healthcare administration is a growing field and that much of healthcare is moving in-patient to out-patient with managers on each side who handle budgets, scheduling, ordering supplies, and who also have background knowledge in healthcare, finance, psychology, and sociology. It’s an important part of the healthcare system and a rewarding position for those who don’t want to be clinicians on the front lines of medicine.