SOHA History

Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) started a Bachelor of Science in Health Professions (BSHP) with a specialization in healthcare management in 1974 and officially created the Department of Healthcare Administration in 1976. In 1982 the specialization was changed to a major in healthcare administration. In 1998 the BSHP degree was changed to a Bachelor of Healthcare Administration (BHA) degree with a major in healthcare administration. Over 1,000 students have graduated with an undergraduate degree in healthcare administration from Texas State University. The degree was first certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) in 1990 and has been continuously certified as one of only two certified undergraduate degrees in healthcare administration in the state of Texas.

A Master of Science in Health Professions (MSHP) with a major in allied health management was approved in 1978 and in 1983 the major in allied health management was changed to healthcare administration and majors in allied health education and allied health research were added. In 1998 the MSHP in healthcare administration was changed to a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree with a major in healthcare administration; the MSHP degree in allied health research was changed to a Master of Science (MS) in health services research, and the allied health education major was changed to healthcare human resources. The program has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) since 1990. Over 550 students have graduated with graduate degrees with majors in healthcare administration, health services research, allied health education, and healthcare human resources. In 2010, the decision was made to discontinue the major in healthcare human resources due to declining enrollments and to initiate an MS in human resources in the McCoy College of Business.  This was followed by the elimination of the major in health research in 2014.

Organizationally, the above referenced degrees and majors were offered by two departments in the College of Health Professions--the Department of Health Services Research and the Department of Healthcare Administration. In order to be more efficient, the departments were combined into the School of Health Administration in 2007.

In 2024, SOHA responded to the healthcare community’s needs by launching the Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) graduate program. The Executive MHA, one of the Texas State Global accelerated programs, is an online-asynchronous concentration or modality offering an accelerated program for working professionals with some leadership or management experience, with the outcome of earning the MHA degree. In the accelerated, online EMHA program, professional students connect with the learning community and complete their coursework during a time that fits their schedule (24-7). The semesters are accelerated and 8 weeks in length to allow students to progress through their graduate studies faster.

After the Health Administration degree programs were established, the School of Health Administration (SOHA) responded to the need in the industry for prepared and equipped long-term care administrators by offering the Bachelor of Science degree in Long Term Care Administration (BSLTCA). The Coordinating Board of the Texas College and University System approved the degree on October 26, 1984. The first two faculty members who launched the BSLTCA were Dr. Beth Knox, serving as Program Director and Dr. Marian Upchurch, sharing the responsibilities for teaching, research, and service to support the long term care program. This program equipped graduates to successfully obtain their Texas Nursing Home Administrator licensure and contribute to a management need in the long term care industry.

The School of Health Administration expanded and enhanced the long term care administrative curriculum in 2022 by receiving approval and offering the Master of Long Term Care Administration, replacing the BSLTCA , followed by the offering of the Long Term Care Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in 2024. The Long Term Care Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program offers the five required courses required by the state of Texas for eligibility to take the nursing home licensure exam. Both programs are delivered in an asynchronous online format in accelerated and 8-week semesters in which students connect to their courses 24-7 at a time convenient for them.

The enrollment in all of the SOHA programs continues to increase, representative of industry needs and job opportunities.