Healthy Growth

The C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston is now accepting applications for the Spring 2025 class of the Master of Science in Healthcare Leadership, a new advanced degree program designed to prepare students for professional leadership and administrative careers in healthcare.

“Given that Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world with more than 375,000 healthcare employees, the need for professionals in the field is poised for growth as the population expands and ages,” Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Programs Leiser Silva said.

He added: “Bauer College is ready to meet that need through our new MS in Healthcare Leadership, where students will work hands-on alongside faculty and industry professionals to focus on healthcare quality, healthcare accounting and finance, health law and policy, and leadership and strategy.”

According to Forbes, jobs for medical and health service managers rank among the top five fastest growing segments in the country. Nationally, one in eight jobs are healthcare-related, and healthcare spending makes up nearly 20 percent of the GNP.

Bauer’s new healthcare program bears a distinct advantage to existing educational opportunities, said Professor of Practice Edward J. Kroger, who helped to develop this and other healthcare curriculum for the college.

Unlike other Texas universities offering master’s degree programs with a focus on healthcare, the Bauer program includes world-class business faculty working in tandem with the UH Law Center, known for its leading health law program, as well as the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. UH data science experts and Bauer’s expertise in artificial intelligence research and applications are also key to the program’s strong foundation, Kroger said.

“The need for healthcare administrators and managers and leaders with a significant business background is in a major growth period,” he added.

Bauer’s program will provide professionals with the tools to address complex issues that include navigating federal and state policy imperatives while addressing systemic inefficiencies.

“Policy, regulations and the government all have roles to play, but efficient care delivery also requires businesses — small, medium, large and startups — to play a significant role in delivering effective and efficient care,” Kroger said.

The MS in Healthcare Leadership is a focused, 12-course degree program that can be completed in 12-24 months, with evening classes offered for the convenience of working professionals at the University of Houston at Sugar Land. The college also offers five graduate-level healthcare electives for MBAs seeking a healthcare certificate as well as three undergraduate healthcare courses for an undergraduate Certificate in Healthcare.

Kroger, with Professor Ravi Aron, a technology strategist with a joint appointment in the Department of Health Systems & Population Health Sciences, helped found Bauer’s recently established Healthcare Business Institute (HBI). Aron is HBI’s research director, and Kroger is the institute’s administrative director.

For more information on the MS in Healthcare Leadership and to apply for Spring 2025, click here.