The Health Administration and Community Health Program offers two degrees, several minors and two certificates.
The Community and Public Health (CPH) degree prepares students for careers dedicated to enhancing population health and well-being through public health principles, community health strategies, and preventive care practices. It combines theoretical instruction with practical experience to equip graduates to address health challenges at the community, regional, or global level.
The Health Administration (HA) degree focuses on the “behind-the-scenes” infrastructure of healthcare — management, administration, policy, finance, quality, ethics, and informatics — enabling students to lead and manage healthcare organizations, ensuring safe, efficient, and effective care delivery.
Both programs are 120-credit-hour undergraduate majors and include a culminating experiential learning or capstone requirement.
New freshman, transfer students, and international students must complete a USI admission application available at the USI Admissions Office and complete all additional admission requirements for freshman, transfer students, or international students.
Note: The University transfers in courses with grades of C or higher. Transcripts may need to be further evaluated for health services course equivalency by the Department Chair. This process may require review of previous textbooks and syllabi.
Applicants with a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average may initiate a change of academic program throughout the school year to HA or CPH by completing a Change of Academic Program Form available from the HACH Program or the Registrar’s office.
Once in the HA or CPH programs, students will be required complete the prerequisite courses and achieve a 2.75 GPA prior to the start of an internship, capstone or Administrator-In-Training (AIT) opportunity.
The option of withdrawing from a course and receiving a grade of "W" is possible within the withdrawal period listed on the USI academic calendar each semester. Students electing to take a "W" in a HACH course are to understand that re-enrollment in that course is subject to the review of the faculty and space availability. The student is to be encouraged to explore all other alternatives before taking such action. See the Office of the Registrar's guidelines for the procedure that must be followed regarding withdrawal.
Students who do not follow the required University procedure to officially withdraw from a course will receive an "F" grade. Grades are recorded on university transcripts according to the rules and regulations of the Office of the Registrar.
In addition to all University of Southern Indiana policies, the following behaviors are grounds for dismissal from the Health Administration (HA) or Community and Public Health (CPH) programs:
Academic integrity is expected of all HACH students. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
Cheating on an examination, quiz, or assignment
Plagiarism
Fabrication or falsification of any academic or program-related document
Copying, sharing, photographing, or printing online exams or test items
Knowingly assisting another student in any act of academic dishonesty
These behaviors may result in:
A failing grade on the assignment or exam
A failing grade in the course
Dismissal from the HACH program and/or further university sanctions
Policies governing academic integrity and student rights are outlined in the USI Student Rights and Responsibilities webpage.
Plagiarism, as defined by the University, is the use of another person's ideas, words, or work without proper acknowledgment. Students must properly cite when using:
Direct quotes
Another person’s ideas, interpretations, or opinions
Data, statistics, or any other borrowed information
Failure to properly credit sources is considered academic dishonesty and may lead to dismissal. Additional guidance is available on the USI Student Rights and Responsibilities webpage.
Sharing assignments, exams, graded work, or exam information with others, whether in person, electronically, or through social media platforms (e.g., GroupMe, Discord, Facebook), constitutes academic dishonesty. Posting or distributing course materials without permission will result in an academic integrity violation and may lead to dismissal.
During internships, fieldwork, or community placements, students may be exposed to private or sensitive information. Any violation of confidentiality requirements, including misuse or disclosure of protected information, may result in immediate removal from the placement and dismissal from the program.
Students are expected to uphold the standards of professionalism required in public health and health administration workplaces. Students may be dismissed if they:
Demonstrate behavior that is unprofessional, unethical, or inappropriate for a practice setting
Fail to meet expectations for professionalism, communication, reliability, or conduct at community or internship sites
Engage in behavior that jeopardizes the safety, well-being, or rights of clients, community members, peers, faculty, or agency partners
Students may be dismissed from the program if they fail to make satisfactory progress toward program objectives, including maintaining the minimum GPA required for experiential learning or completion of degree requirements.
The HACH Faculty reserve the right to dismiss any student whose integrity, conduct, professionalism, or behavior indicates unfitness to continue in the program or to enter the health professions workforce.
If a student is absent for two or more semesters (Fall and Spring), they must reapply to the program through the USI Undergraduate Admissions.
Professional behavior is expected in all settings, online, in the classroom, and in any community, agency, or internship environment. This includes interactions with faculty, classmates, community partners, internship supervisors, and agency staff.
Failure to meet professional behavior expectations may result in formal disciplinary action, up to and including removal from an internship site or dismissal from the program.
All students enrolled in the HACH program must meet health and immunization standards prior to participation in any experiential learning (internship, capstone, AIT residency) or other program-related fieldwork. These requirements help ensure the safety of students, clients, patients, and the broader community. Specifically:
Students must submit a complete health history and immunization record, including up-to-date vaccinations and any required screenings (e.g., tuberculosis, other infectious diseases) as mandated by USI HACH and/or placement sites.
Any additional health documentation (physical exam forms, immunization updates, annual screenings) must be submitted in accordance with deadlines set by USI or the placement site.
Students are expected to maintain valid immunization and health records throughout their enrollment in the program, especially prior to internships or AIT.
Failure to comply with health or immunization requirements may result in denial of placement and could delay graduation or program completion.
Student change in health status is to be reported to the internship coordinator. A physician's release is required for students to continue clinical agency experiences. After surgery or other hospitalization, a physician's release to return to the internship or AIT site is required.
Students are expected to have healthcare insurance while enrolled in the program. The student is responsible for all costs related to their health care, including any costs associated with any type of internship or AIT exposure, while enrolled in the program
The standard university grading scale applies for all courses under the HACH program unless specified otherwise.
A = 90.00 – 100
B+ = 87.00 – 89.99
B = 80.00 – 86.99
C+ = 77.00 – 79.99
C = 70.00 – 76.99
D+ = 67.00 – 69.99
D = 60.00 – 66.99
F = less than 59.99
* Students must receive a grade of C or greater to pass many courses within the HACH program. If a student does not pass a course, their plan of study must be revised, and progression into the next HACH courses may be delayed (course dependent).
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required before a student may begin the experiential learning component (internship, capstone, or AIT residency) for both CPH and HA majors.
Students must complete all required courses (Core 39, major courses, electives) and any prerequisites to remain in good standing and progress toward graduation.
Any courses counted toward the major must meet the university’s academic integrity standards; plagiarism, cheating, or other academic misconduct will result in appropriate disciplinary action per USI policy.
For graduation, all degree requirements (general education, major requirements, electives, experiential learning) must be satisfied.
To foster professional responsibility, successful learning, and to meet the expectations of placement sites, the following attendance and absence policy applies:
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, labs, seminars, and any required program-related sessions (e.g., orientations, guest lectures, group meetings).
For any absence, students must notify the instructor or internship coordinator in advance, unless prevented by emergency or unforeseeable circumstances.
Excessive unexcused absences may result in grade penalties, required remediation, or dismissal from the course.
For experiential learning (internship, AIT), students must adhere to the attendance requirements of the placement site: maintain regular, punctual attendance; adhere to hours and scheduling requirements; and comply with site-specific policies (e.g., dress code, confidentiality, professionalism).
In case of illness, injury, or other health-related absence, students must provide documentation (e.g., doctor’s note) if requested by the program or placement site.
Given the importance of effective communication in public health and health administration, the following writing skills requirement applies:
Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in academic writing, including correct grammar, clear and coherent organization, and proper citation of sources.
Professional or policy-oriented writing, report writing, data interpretation summaries, and documentation produced for internships or community placements must meet the standards of clarity, accuracy, and appropriateness for the target audience (e.g., lay public, health professionals, administrators).
All written assignments, in coursework or experiential learning, should adhere to the formatting and citation style specified by the instructor or site supervisor (e.g., APA style, professional report format).
Failure to meet writing standards may result in assignment revision requests, lower grades, or ineligibility for placement, at the discretion of instructors or program leadership.
Refer to the University Policy at Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Code of Student Behavior Section 5.0
Refer to the University Policy at Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Code of Student Behavior Section 5.2
The USI KCNHP adheres to standards set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. A copy of the Act is available from the College Office. Any personal data/information about students or graduates of the USI HACH will be protected under the tenets of this Act. Students may request review of their academic file. Students must provide permission for the College to provide information to employers and other educational institutions by signing the "Permission to Disclose Personal/Confidential Information" form.
To ensure fairness, academic integrity, and assessment of competencies: