ODESSA, Texas — UT Permian Basin has started a new bachelor's degree for students interested in business and health care.
It's called a business administration in healthcare management degree and it focuses on two of the faster growing industries according to the UTPB press release.
“Data from the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board showed that programs in Texas only met 24% of projected demand for Healthcare Management graduates,” says Dr. Steve Beach, Dean of the College of Business. “To address the shortage of qualified managers in the healthcare industry, the College of Business sought input from industry experts on the skills needed to staff these critical roles."
This degree provides incoming freshman or people who work in healthcare already with an opportunity to move up into management roles. Some of these roles that this degree focuses on are hospital or clinic administrators, budget or financial officers, and patient service specialists.
"Many leaders in healthcare believe that an infusion of talent with business skills will help healthcare providers become more agile in adjusting to the rapidly changing demands on the industry,” Beach says.
Students have options when it comes to deciding on how to take the program. They can either complete it online, in a classroom or do a hybrid option if they'd like.
“A degree in healthcare management offers students preparation for careers in a fast-growing complex industry with growing demand for excellent managers," says Dr. William Fannin, College of Business professor. "It’s also a field where managers impact individual lives through improving patient care and public health. It’s one of the fastest growing majors nationally and is now available in the Permian Basin."
The university is currently accepting applications for spring 2021 and if you want to apply, you can visit utpb.edu.