The Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA) program was first offered at Toronto Metropolitan University in Fall of 1993 as a part-time degree completion program through the Chang School of Continuing Education. The BHA program, a joint venture with the Faculty of Community Services, was the first undergraduate program of its kind in Canada specifically designed to assist healthcare professionals interested in advancing into management positions in health service organizations. Unlike traditional undergraduate programs, the program offered courses that built on its students’ existing base of practical knowledge of the healthcare field.
The BHA program is a degree-completion model that offers healthcare workers the opportunity to get credit for their diploma courses as they work toward a university degree. The program is designed primarily for individuals currently working in applied healthcare who hold a diploma from one of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) and/or those certified by the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) who are currently working in Health Information Management and hold a CHIMA-certified two-year diploma in HIM. The program also includes a Practicum course that must be completed in conjunction with a partner health organization in the community.
Experiential learning
The Practicum is the culmination of all other courses in the programs. It includes weekly on-site sessions in a healthcare environment under the supervision of a site supervisor, as well as three modules of in-class learning and sharing ideas and information with classmates and faculty advisors.
Career ready
Graduates of the BHA program work in organizations such as the Ministry of Health, the Canadian Institutes for Health Information and major health institutions across Canada, including Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the University Health Network and Cancer Care Ontario (CCO).
Flexible schedule
Students in the the program have the option of taking courses online, in the evening or on weekends. They can also mix the various modes of study.
AUPHA Certification
The School of Health Services Management received full re-certification status by the Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), the recognized accrediting body for health administration programs. AUPHA is a global network of colleges, universities, faculty, individuals and organizations dedicated to the improvement of healthcare delivery through excellence in healthcare management and policy education. Its mission is to foster excellence and drive innovation in health management and policy education and to promote the value of university-based management education for leadership roles in the health sector.