HPA is a blend of courses in liberal arts, business administration, and the health sciences, designed to prepare students for careers or further study in health care.  

The HPA major gives students a lot of flexibility to select courses that fit their personal and professional goals. However, the flexibility means you bear a major responsibility—together with your faculty mentor and academic adviser—for designing a curriculum (a set of courses) that fits your goals.  What would you like to do?

  • Are you looking forward to a management role?
  • Are you interested in working in finance?
  • Do you have strengths in the realm of technology?
  • Do you want to contribute to the crafting of effective policies? 
  • What kind of facility do you envision working in?

Prescribed courses for the major range from Science and Biology courses to Business courses. Supporting courses that allow you to hone your focus fall into as wide an array as the types of work you might do when you graduate. Check out Penn State's HPA Supporting Courses list!

Major: Health Policy and Administration

Prescribed Courses (18 credits)

  • Introduction to Health Care Service Organizations
  • Health Service Policy Issues
  • Healthcare and Medical Needs
  • Health Systems Management
  • Professional Development in Health Care
  • Field Experience
  • Strategic Planning & Marketing for Health Sciences

Additional Courses (select 9 credits from among the following)

Financial and Information Management
  • Health Economics
  • Health Finance
  • Health Care Information Management
Health Care Management
  • Administration of Hospital and Health Service Systems
  • Long-Term Care Management
  • Human Resources Management in Health Care Organizations
Other Elective Courses for student customization of additional course packages
  • Comparative Health Systems
  • Healthcare Policies
  • Special Topics

Minor: Health Policy and Administration (18 credits)

Prescribed Courses (6 credits) (Sem 3-6)

  • Consumer Choices in Health Care
  • Introduction to Health Care Service Organizations

Supporting Courses and Related Areas

  • Select 3-6 credits from: Health Service Policy Issues, Healthcare and Medical Needs, Health Systems Management (Semesters 3 - 6)
  • Select 6-9 credits from 400-level HPA courses (Semesters 5 - 8)

Scheduling Your Classes

The process for scheduling courses looks different for different students.  Check the list below to see how you can plan your upcoming semester at Penn State Mont Alto.

New prospective students

Are you exploring Penn State Mont Alto for the first time?  Once you check out the campus website, our Admissions team would love to share information with you to help you decide how to move forward with the process of becoming a Penn Stater.

Accepted students ready to plan the first semester of college

If you have applied to and been accepted to Penn State Mont Alto as a new student, your scheduling experience will be highly personalized.  We schedule New Student Orientation (NSO) days with our first-time attendees to ensure that your introduction to the campus satisfies all your new student needs. Check out the NSO section of the website for instructions and step-by-step advice!

Transfer students

You already have some college completed and now want to know exactly how your courses from somewhere else will apply to a program you want to complete at Penn State Mont Alto.  We have created a page with information just for you.

Current students

Are you already enrolled at Penn State Mont Alto? Whether you are enrolled in a program or are still exploring your options, we are here to help you plan your successful next semester!