Skip to main content

Secondary Menu

  • Hotline
  • Contact Us
  • Give Now

Call to Action Menu

  • Apply Now
  • Visit Us
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Information for:

Information Menu

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Children/Teens
  • Visitors
Penn State Beaver Home
Penn State Beaver Home
Penn State Beaver
Search

Information Menu

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Children/Teens
  • Visitors

Secondary Menu

  • Hotline
  • Contact Us
  • Give Now

Call to Action Menu

  • Apply Now
  • Visit Us

Main navigation

  • This Is Penn State
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Student Life
  • Continuing Education
  • Athletics
Information for:

Information Menu

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Children/Teens
  • Visitors

Main navigation

  • This Is Penn State
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Student Life
  • Continuing Education
  • Athletics
  1. Home
  2. Academics
A health administration student works with a nurse in a hospital.

Health Policy and Administration

Program description

The Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Administration (HPA) program helps prepare students for management and policy positions or graduate study in the field of health care. Students in the major develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand the complex societal problem of providing access to quality health care at reasonable cost.

HPA students study a multidisciplinary curriculum that prepares them to work as health services managers or health analysts. Health services managers, also called health care executives or health care administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical, health, and/or long-term care services. They might manage an entire facility or specialize in managing a specific clinical area or department, administrate a program, or manage a practice for a group of providers.

Health analysts are employed throughout the health care industry gathering, compiling, modeling, validating, and analyzing data needed by different organizations of providers, payers, and policy makers. Analysts help these organizations understand the current trends in the health care system and to make well-informed decisions.

HPA students have also used the degree to prepare for graduate study in business, law, medicine or allied health fields, health administration, health services research or policy, and public health.

All HPA students complete an internship in a health-care-related setting, giving them valuable experience and contacts in the industry.

What is Health Policy and Administration?

Health Policy and Administration (HPA) is a multidisciplinary course of study with courses in the liberal arts, business administration, and health sciences. In general HPA students are prepared to work in six types of health care organizations:

  • Health care providers (hospitals, physician practices, nursing facilities, home health agencies, etc.)
  • Health insurers (nonprofit and commercial insurers, health maintenance organizations, etc.)
  • Health care consulting firms
  • Health care supply companies (pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, etc.)
  • Health services research and policy organizations (health policy research groups, industry trade groups, etc.);
  • Local, state, and federal health agencies (local health departments, state Department of Health, federal Department of Health and Human Services, etc.).

You might like this program if ...

  • You are interested in business administration or management but want to focus primarily in the healthcare industry.
  • You are interested in influencing health policy by working in government at the state or federal level.
  • You are interested in improving access to health care for underserved populations.
  • You are interested in reducing health care costs or improving health care quality through policy reform.

Academics

  • Biology

    • Biology Faculty
    • Biology Admission Requirements
    • Biology Career Opportunities
  • Business: Accounting Option

    • Accounting Faculty
    • Accounting Option Admission Requirements
    • Accounting Option Internships
    • Accounting Option Career Opportunities
  • Business: Management and Marketing Option

    • Management and Marketing Faculty
    • Management and Marketing Option Admission Requirements
    • Management and Marketing Option Internships
    • Management and Marketing Option Career Opportunities
  • Communications

    • Communications Faculty
    • Communications Admission Requirements
    • Communications Career Opportunities
  • Criminal Justice

    • Criminal Justice Faculty
    • Criminal Justice Admission Requirements
    • Criminal Justice Career Opportunities
  • Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations

    • Cybersecurity Careers
  • Health Policy and Administration

    • HPA Career Opportunities
  • Information Sciences and Technology

    • IST Faculty
    • IST Admission Requirements
    • IST Internships
    • IST Career Opportunities
  • Nursing: RN to B.S.N.

    • Nursing Faculty
    • Nursing Career Opportunities
  • Project and Supply Chain Management

    • PSCM Faculty
    • PSCM Admission Requirements
    • PSCM Career Opportunities
  • Psychology

    • Psychology Faculty
    • Psychology Admission Requirements
    • Psychology Career Opportunities
    • Neuropsychology Lab
  • Sports Administration Certificate
  • Sports Journalism Certificate
Apply Now
Apply to Penn State
Request Info
Contact Us

HPA Resources

Suggested Academic Plan
Course descriptions

Penn State Beaver

100 University Drive
Monaca, PA 15061
724-773-3800
Map of the campuses of Penn State throughout Pennsylvania highlighting the location of Penn State Beaver

Secondary Menu

  • Hotline
  • Contact Us
  • Give Now

Call to Action Menu

  • Apply Now
  • Visit Us
Situated on 105 wooded acres just 40 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, Penn State Beaver features small class sizes, a close-knit community, award-winning faculty, and access to all of the opportunities of a Big Ten university.
Information for:

Information Menu

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Children/Teens
  • Visitors

Footer Menu

  • +This is Penn State
    • Explore Penn State Beaver
    • Penn State Lives Here
    • Campus Leadership
    • Campus Relations
    • Campus Calendar
  • +Academics
    • Majors and minors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Global programs
    • Information Technology
    • Launchbox
    • Library
    • Undergraduate Exhibition
  • +Admissions
    • First-Year Students
    • Transfer Students
    • International Students
    • Adult Learners
    • Visit Us
  • +Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Affordability
    • Financial Aid
    • Tuition & Fees
  • +Student Life
    • Living on campus
    • Health Services
    • Career Services
    • Personal counseling
    • University Police
  • +Continuing Education
    • Corporate workforce training
    • Professional development
    • Youth programs
  • +Athletics
    • Athlete Excuse Form
    • Club Sports
    • Varsity Sports
    • Wellness Center
  • +Contact Us
    • Faculty/Staff Directory
    • Campus Map
    • Directions

Connect with Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • flickr
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • snapchat
Penn State University
Penn State University

Footer Info Menu

  • Employment
  • Search
  • Hotlines
  • Calendar
  • Map
100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061 | 724-773-3800

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
The Pennsylvania State University © 2021