OVERVIEW
A Degree in Health Services Helps Leaders Focus on Medical Care and Coordination
Whether you already work in the health care field, have medical certificates or licenses, obtained an associate's degree, or simply have a goal to enter the medical career path, a health services coordination bachelor's degree could be the perfect fit for you. With increasing changes in technology, insurance, and medicine, the health care industry needs health leaders who can navigate complicated processes and issues within the field of health services management.
Graduates of this program will be prepared to coordinate with health care providers, patients, caregivers, and medical services to improve the effectiveness, safety, and efficiency of an increasingly complex health care system. With a degree in health services management, you'll also be prepared to navigate emerging value-based care systems, promote patient-centered holistic care, and provide integrated care management. A bachelor's degree in health services coordination from WGU includes instruction in value-based care, care coordination, and social determinants of health. Once you've earned your degree, you'll be ready to progress in a variety of medical fields, from pharmacy to home health.
Compare this degree: The B.S. Health Services Coordination program is not WGU's only undergraduate degree focused on building leadership skills in the business and administration of healthcare, or what many call the health services management field. You may also be interested in our B.S. Business – Healthcare Management degree program, or our B.S. in Health Information Management degree program.
61% of graduates finish similar programs within
16 months
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance when you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
Tuition per six-month term is
$3,475
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps students reduce the ultimate cost of their degrees. Finish faster, pay less!
Graduates who recommend WGU
97%
The vast majority of alumni say WGU delivered on its promises. In fact, over 50% of students found WGU thanks to a friend's recommendation.
COURSES & COMPETENCIES
Health Services Coordination Courses
The WGU Bachelor of Science Health Services Coordination curriculum was designed, and is regularly updated, with input from the professionals on our Health Professions Program Council, ensuring you learn best health care practices and keep up with the latest trends in the healthcare industry—the kind of expertise you need for a successful career as a health services coordinator.
The Bachelor of Science Health Services Coordination program is an all-online program that you will complete by studying and working independently with instruction and support from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 12 competency units (WGU's equivalent of the credit hour) each 6-month term. (Each course is typically 3 or 4 units.)
The health services coordination program prepares students for responsibilities in patient-focused health care, leadership, communication, cultural awareness, person-centered care coordination, and more.
The first course you take in this program will be unlike any other you complete at WGU. Professional Leadership & Communication in Healthcare requires participation in online group meetings with faculty and fellow students. Multiple group options are available, so you will work with your enrollment counselor or mentor to determine the group whose schedule works best for you. Learn more about this unique course and how to prepare for it.
36 Courses
Program consists of 36 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff.
Capstone Project
Special requirements for this program
At the end of your program, you will complete a capstone project that represents the culmination of all your hard work—a field experience project applicable to the field of health services coordination that aims to expand the body of knowledge in the profession. All students will be required to pass a background check prior to completing the field experience portion of the program. Also, most of your courses can be accelerated based on your prior knowledge and hard work.
“The completion of my WGU BS degree has motivated both my children to go back to school and finish their degrees. They're saying 'well if Mom can do it.' I am happy at this point in my life to be able to still influence my children in a positive way."
—Jayne Harrower
B.S. Health Services Coordination
Why WGU?
Affordability
WGU tuition is charged per six-month term, not per credit. That means if you want to move faster through the online health services coordination program, you'll pay less.
On Your Schedule
Continue working at your job and keep up with your family responsibilities all while earning a degree. You don't have to take time off work or rearrange your shifts—at WGU you don't have to log in to classes at a certain time, and your assignments don't have deadlines. You can work any time, any where.
Accelerated
When you earn your degree from WGU you can take your existing knowledge and put it to use. You can move through your courses as quickly as you show mastery in the material. WGU also has a generous transfer policy for students, helping them graduate faster.
Accredited, Respected,
Recognized
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
COST & TIME
An Affordable Healthcare Degree
By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay for your degree.
A Health Services Coordination Bachelor's Degree Is Within Reach
There is help available to make paying for school possible for you:
The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2019 (among those who borrowed) was less than half* the national average.
Most WGU students qualify for financial aid, and WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.
Many scholarship opportunities are available. Find out what you might be eligible for.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
A Bachelor’s Degree in Health Services Coordination Designed to Fit Your Life
Competency-based education puts working, busy, adult students in the driver’s seat of their education. At most other schools—including other online programs—you move through the curriculum at a set pace, driven by semesters and hours in class. At WGU, your progress is driven by your ability to prove what you know, so how quickly you progress is largely up to you. Once you’ve mastered the defined competencies (knowledge and skills), you prove what you know through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments.
At WGU, you’re not committed to attend class at a certain time, complete homework on a given schedule, or log “attendance” hours. It’s simple: Once you’ve mastered the defined competencies (knowledge and skills), you prove what you know through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course. Learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s health services coordination curriculum.
"I had a great educational experience at WGU, and the course instructors had a positive impact on the study curriculum. Each course was very organized, easy to follow and learn, and the educators are very attentive. I gained a greater understanding of research that is aimed at establishing facts and quality improvement.”
—Nasiba Ruziyeva
B.S. Nursing RN-BSN
CAREER OUTLOOK
Choose a Profession Where Patient Care and Health Management Go Hand in Hand
The role of the health services coordinator (HSC) is to help patients and families navigate the complex healthcare environment. The HSC connects clients and families with the necessary medical assistance by working in collaboration with a social worker or nurse case manager. The assistance that an HSC provides includes identifying resources, making appointments, and providing follow-up to questions that might be encountered following discharge from a medical facility or transition to a different environment. The HSC is an essential member of the interdisciplinary care team. The degree program does not require you to have a license, certification, or certificate, nor will you need one to provide support services and coordination. This health services management and coordination degree is the right choice for many individuals currently in healthcare or those seeking to pursue a career in healthcare.
Return on Your Investment
13%
The number of positions for health educators and community health workers is expected to grow 13% from 2019 to 2029.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Gain an Advantage in Today’s Fast-Growing Patient Care and Coordination Professions
Your career in health services coordination may be nearer than you think. This program creates a bachelor’s degree pathway for experienced pre/para professionals, including LPN/LVNs, medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, home health aides, EMTs, paramedics, and military medics. It also provides a bachelor’s completion degree with a patient-facing function for AA/AS-prepared technicians. Graduates will be able to work directly with patients and families to provide health care, address early intervention issues within diverse communities, develop a process to intervene with high-risk patients, identify and close patient care gaps, provide outreach to patients with recent hospitalizations and coordinate care transitions, develop a process for medication reconciliation and adherence at each visit, and coordinate referrals and test results.
Possible Jobs
- Care coordinator
- Patient advocate
- Health services coordinator
- Patient educator
- Community health educator
Possible Work Settings
- Acute care hospital
- Extended stay facilities
- Ambulatory care
- Home care
- Wellness and outreach
WGU Grads Hold Positions With Top Employers
Hospitals and clinics around the country know the benefit of a bachelor's degree from WGU, so your healthcare degree is valuable.
ADMISSIONS
Admissions Requirements Unique to This Degree
To be considered for enrollment into the Bachelor of Science Health Services Coordination program, you must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent.
All students will be required to pass a background check prior to completing the field experience portion of the program.
Safety Notice: WGU and the College of Health Professions (CHP) are committed to the health, safety, and well-being of all patients, community members, and key stakeholders that interact with WGU students at various clinical/host sites. Interactions might include direct patient interaction, observation experiences, laboratory experiences, project development, or conducting research. Standard compliance verification for students in applicable CHP programs is required to protect the public, meet CHP program expectations, reasonably assure compliance with state regulatory board requirements, meet WGU’s contractual and legal obligations with clinical partners, and support WGU’s mission to prepare students who will be qualified to enter their desired field. Compliance items may include, but are not limited to, background checks, immunizations, and drug screens as needed.
Get Your Enrollment Checklist
Download your step-by-step guide to enrollment.
Get Your Questions Answered
Talk to an WGU Enrollment Counselor.
More About the Health Services Coordination Program
- General Program Questions
- Expert Panel
- Dr. Richard Merkin Scholar
The degree was developed with financial support from the Merkin Family Foundation and is possible thanks to the following expert panel members:
- Nancy A. Myers, PhD – Vice President, Leadership and System Innovation Health Research & Educational Trust, American Hospital Association
- Cassie J. Alexander – Program Director, Public Health Technology, Itawamba Community College
- David Wagner, MHCM – Chief Compliance Officer, Genuine Health Group
- Colleen Swedberg, MSN, RN, CNL – Vice President of Strategy, St. Vincent’s Health Partners
- Denise Patriaco, RN, APN-C – Administrative Director, Accountable Care Organization, Hackensack University Medical Center
- Johnpaul King RN, MSN – Nursing Director, Affinity Living Group
- Cindy Tack, LCSW, MS – Senior Director, Clinical Initiatives, MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization
- Charisse N. Hunter, MHA, RN – Vice President, Population Health, Somatus, Inc
Completion of this program awards the honor of “Dr. Richard Merkin Scholar."
This honor appears on the academic transcript or the certificate of completion depending on the program and acknowledges the achievement of specific skills related to key contemporary concepts for the transformation of healthcare. Graduates of such programs may use the email tagline “Dr. Richard Merkin Scholar” in addition to including it in resumes, CVs, bios, and social media professional profiles.
Dr. Richard Merkin has been a pioneer in healthcare innovation and transformation. Richard Merkin, M.D. is the CEO and founder of the Heritage Provider Network. He has focused on the efficient delivery of high quality patient outcomes while emphasizing early and preventative interventions. Under his stewardship, the Heritage Provider Network has become the largest physician-owned and operated integrated healthcare delivery system in the United States with over 50 related healthcare companies.
Dr. Richard Merkin scholars demonstrate competency in many cutting edge areas including:
• Decision-Making with Evidence-Based Practice
• Helping Individuals and Families Meet Healthcare Goals
• Transition of Care
• Care Planning and Service Delivery
Ready to Start Your WGU Journey?
