Certification

Undergraduate programs in the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) are engaged in the education of students at the baccalaureate level for careers in health services management. While students may come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, with or without experience, the purpose of baccalaureate education in health services management is to provide the initial education for professional careers in health services management.

Hundreds of schools across the U.S. advertise undergraduate programs in health administration, health management or health policy. The academic offerings for these programs range from a couple of electives in the subject added to a business degree on one end of the spectrum to a Bachelor of Health Administration with required field experience on the other. Within this wide range of available options, how does a program set itself apart from the others in terms of overall quality? How can prospective students gain the confidence and assurance that the academic program they choose is of the highest quality and relevant in today’s health care industry? How can employers have confidence in the quality and competence of program graduates? All of this can be accomplished by turning to an AUPHA Full Certified Program.

In a process comparable to specialty accreditation of graduate health care administration programs, AUPHA has established a rigorous peer review process modeled for those programs willing to undergo the rigors of external review in the interest of program excellence. Successful completion of the panel review process leads to Certification by AUPHA and attainment of Full Certified Undergraduate membership status. The Full Undergraduate Membership Criteria and companion Self-Study Guide were developed and are regularly revised by AUPHA’s Undergraduate Program Committee (UPC). The UPC manages a panel review process through which its standards and criteria are applied. The Committee is composed of leading program directors and faculty from undergraduate health administration programs who are familiar with program development, monitoring and operations.

The Certification process involves the preparation of a detailed self study by the applicant health administration program based on standards established by AUPHA. The self study provides a detailed picture of the program’s structure, educational processes and evaluation/improvement mechanisms. A panel of peers is appointed by the UPC to review the self study materials and seek clarification or amplification of the self study information in preparation for a panel review session. Panel review involves the face to face meeting of the appointed peer panel with the program director and selected faculty and college/university administrators for the purpose of thoroughly examining the program. The Panels’ reports and recommendations are the basis of certifying the program and seeking changes for program improvement. As of November 2012, 45 undergraduate programs are certified by AUPHA.

The cost for Undergraduate Certification is $4,000 ($3,200 for recertification), payable at the time the application is submitted. Please see the Policies and Procedures for submission deadlines.

For additional information about certification or a current listing of certified programs, write to AUPHA, 2000 14th Street North, Suite 780, Arlington, VA 22201, email lmeckley@aupha.org or call 703-894-0940 x122.