Major in Health Policy and Administration

Are you interested in:

• Improving the health care system and population health?
• Ensuring access and affordability of high-quality health care?
• Managing the day-to-day operations of a health care facility?
• Becoming a graduate of one of the largest career fields in the United States?

Health care is a complex and rapidly growing field. Students of Health Policy and Administration develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand the societal challenges associated with providing widespread access to quality health care at a reasonable cost. The HPA program provides in-depth understanding of health and health care - including the structures, policies, processes and institutions that make up the U.S. health care system.

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Administration prepares students for management and policy positions or for the pursuit of graduate education in health policy, health law, public health and other health-related fields.

A competency-based program, HPA prepares students to work in one of the largest fields in the United States. Our core curriculum delivers foundational knowledge in a blend of liberal arts, business, and health sciences. Students learn to manage the finances, policies, and daily operations of hospitals, long-term care facilities and other organizations.

Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in HPA.

Integrated undergraduate/graduate programs

HPA has several integrated programs that allow qualified undergraduate students to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in five calendar years of full time academic study.

Learn more about the integrated undergraduate/graduate programs in HPA.

Employment of professionals in the health care field is projected to grow 32 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than other occupations.

Graduates of health policy and administration may hold careers in areas such as:

• Consulting
• Health services management
• Health services research or policy
• Long-term care
• Marketing
• Medical device manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Public health
• and more

Learn more about career opportunities in HPA.

The Undergraduate Program in Health Policy and Administration (HPA) uses multiple measures to assess how well we are meeting our program goals, including:

Job placement data

Based on responses from our student exit survey, approximately 90 percent of HPA graduates find placement in health care-related occupations. Graduates have held positions in areas such as healthcare consulting, public policy, physician practices, and more. The HPA program also prepares students for pursuit of graduate study in business, law, health administration and more. Responses to our alumni survey report that 76% of HPA graduates have annual salaries of $50,000 or higher.

Industry Feedback

Each year student internship sites are surveyed on student understanding of the health care industry. Over 95% of post internship survey respondents ranked their students understanding of the health care environment as either “good” (42%) or “excellent” (55%).

National Recognition

• In 2018 HPA was ranked 7th among the 35 Best Bachelor's in Health Degrees by College Choice: collegechoice.net/rankings/public-healthdegrees
• In 2016 HPA was ranked in the among the best 10 low-cost health care administration programs: healthcare-administration-degree.net/best/affordable-vs-cost-no-object-schools/

Penn State's Health Policy and Administration Department is certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.