BSHIM/MHSA Bridge

This selective-admission program is offered exclusively to students already admitted into the on-campus health information management bachelor's degree program. The master's degree in health services administration is made available through the Department of Population Health, in partnership with the Department of Health Information Management.

By participating in this intensive, full-time bridge program, students ultimately complete a bachelor's degree and master's degree in five years. Graduates will be prepared to assume management and executive positions in health care organizations and bring expertise in health information management to these positions.

Today, as never before, the health care sector is under tremendous pressure to significantly elevate its ability to control, organize, and manage its information resources in efforts to make care safer and more affordable. Successfully addressing these challenges will depend on individuals who are well trained in the fields of health information management and health services administration.

Requirements and Eligibility

The application to apply for this program is available only to junior-year students already admitted into the bachelor's degree program in health information management at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

Steps to apply include the following:

1. Undergo academic advising and receive approval from health information management department chair to apply by February 1 of junior year
2. Complete the GRE revised General Test (optional for 2022 admissions)
3. Submit completed application to the MHSA department by March 1. The application also requires the following documents to be submitted:
   • Official transcripts reflecting minimum 3.0 GPA
   • Resume
   • Personal statement
   • Three letters of recommendation (one of which must be written by the health information management department chair)
   • Official score on the GRE revised General Test (If available)

Curriculum

Students accepted into the the HIM/MHSA dual-degree program complete a course of study as prescribed below.

Note: Students must complete 120 eligible credit hours to graduate with a bachelor degree from KU. All applicants interested in this program will have their transcript evaluated; if accepted into the program, additional undergraduate credit hours may be needed as determined by an advisor to meet graduation requirements.

Junior Year, Fall Term

HEIM 425 Pharmacology Concepts for Health Information Management (2)
HEIM 401 Introduction to Health Information Management (3)
HEIM 415 Healthcare Delivery Systems (3)
HEIM 435 Clinical Concepts for Health Information Management (3)
HEIM 501 Information Resources and Professional Development (2)
HEIM 570 Introduction to Healthcare Management (3)
TOTAL: 16 undergraduate credit hours

Junior Year, Spring Term

HEIM 420 Legal Aspects of Healthcare (3)
HEIM 450 Introduction to Professional Practice Experience (1)
HEIM 525 Healthcare Database and Architecture (3)
HEIM 540 Health Information Systems (3)
HEIM 565 Clinical Terminologies & Classification Systems I (4)
TOTAL: 14 undergraduate credit hours

Senior Year, Fall Term

HEIM 485 Independent Study – Health Statistics (1)
HEIM 510 Professional Practice Experience/Lab I (1)
HEIM 571 Human Resource Management in Healthcare (3)
HEIM 585 Healthcare Reimbursement and Financing (3)
HEIM 635 Clinical Terminologies & Classification Systems II (3)
HP&M 819 Research for Healthcare Leaders (3)
HP&M 858 Health and Social Behavior (3)
HP&M 859 Professional Development (2)
TOTAL: 11 undergraduate credit hours, 8 graduate credit hours

Senior Year, Spring Term

HEIM 665 Topics in Health Information Management (2)
HEIM 676 Healthcare Analytics (3)
HEIM 679 Information Governance in Healthcare (3)
HEIM 680 Management Internship (3)
HP&M 850 Introduction to Operations (3)
TOTAL: 11 undergraduate credit hours, 3 graduate credit hours
    Student graduates with bachelor's degree in May     

Summer Term following completion of undergraduate course work

HP&M 852 Strategic Marketing (2)
TOTAL: 2 graduate credit hours

Graduate School, Fall Term

HP&M 822 Healthcare Economics (3)
HP&M 825 Financial Concepts in Healthcare Management (3)
HP&M 830 Health Care Management (3)
HP&M 837 Health Policy (3)
TOTAL: 12 graduate credit hours

Graduate School, Spring Term

HP&M 827 Financial Applications in Healthcare Management (3)
HP&M 861 Capstone Seminar (2)
HP&M 848 Designing Healthcare Organizations (2)
HP&M 853 Strategic Management (2)
HP&M 833 Ethics (2)
TOTAL: 11 graduate credit hours

Summer Term following completion of graduate year

HP&M 860 Graduate Internship in Health Services Administration (1)
TOTAL: 1 graduate credit hours
       Student graduates with master’s degree

Total undergraduate HIM credit hours: 52 credit hours
Total graduate MHSA credit hours: 37 credit hours

See also: KU Course Descriptions – HEIM Courses – HP&M Courses