HADM 260
Master of Health Administration Program Health Administration Internship 2021/2022 COURSE MANUAL
The intent of this manual is to cover the 2021/22 academic year as noted on the cover page with every attempt made to assure accuracy. If there are changes, updates or errors, the revisions and additions will be communicated to students and faculty.
HADM 260 OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
The Master of Health Administration (MHA) internship is an integral part of the MHA program; it provides students the opportunity to enhance and apply many MHA curriculum components in a practical setting. During the unpaid internship, students undertake the duties and responsibilities of an experienced health services administrator for approximately 300-hours. Students are expected to work on graduate-level projects, independently and/or as part of a team while interacting with staff and leadership at their internship site. A MHA faculty member provides support and supervision to students during the internship. Upon completion of the internship, students are expected to demonstrate the knowledge, competencies, and inter/intra-personal skills required to be a successful administrator and to have begun developing their own leadership styles.
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HADM 260 THE PROJECT
THE PROJECT
You will collaborate with your internship site mentor to construct the specifics of your internship experience. You should become immersed in the organization where you complete your internships and have multiple opportunities to: obtain new knowledge and apply existing knowledge to practical applications; practice and enhance your communication skills; observe different leaders and their leadership styles; contribute to the internship site through a graduatelevel project. All projects must be approved by your MHA internship professor before you begin your internship. The Mentor's Letter, found on the course's webpage, provides additional project information.
KNOWLEDGE
COMMUNICATION
LEADERSHIP
CONTRIBUTE
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HADM 260 WHEN TO ENROLL
WHEN TO ENROLL
Students should complete at least 27-credit hours before beginning their internships. Completing the internship during the second half of the program allows students to have a firm understanding of the program’s core curriculum 1 when they begin their internships. The foundation provided during the first half of the program should prepare students to actively contribute to the their internship sites as they apply their knowledge and skills to an applied, management level project. Given the workload and time commitment required during the internship, it is recommended that students complete their internships before enrolling in the Capstone course (HADM 300). Students must have permission from their academic advisor to enroll in the internship course.
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HADM 260 STEP 1: REGISTRATION
STEP 1: COURSE REGISTRATION Students must obtain permission from their academic advisors and complete a number of steps to register for the internship course. Specifically, students should:
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Meet with their academic advisor.
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Read this entire document.
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Complete the pre-registration survey Program faculty provide you with a registration override.
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Register through the MyHofstra portal. Please enter the course CRN into a box on the add/drop classes worksheet.
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HADM 260 PRE-INTERNSHIP ELEMENTS
PRE-INTERNSHIP ELEMENTS Before the internship starts, you will need to:
Review the course webpage page labeled: "Health Administration Internship" ~2 weeks after registration
Attend the initial information session ~3 weeks after registration
Complete a mock interview ~5 weeks after registration
Upload your resume to the webpage Career Center team member can review resumes ~7 weeks after registration
Complete the internship information survey information sent to possible site (if you agree) ~7 weeks after registration
Attend orientation ~1 weeks before your internship semester starts
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HADM 260 STEP 2: SITE SEARCH
STEP 2: SEARCHING FOR AN INTERNSHIP Students secure their own internships through networking and other such opportunities. This format corresponds with the practical application of searching for employment. Additionally, by securing their own internships, the relationship at the internship site is between the student and their internship site mentor, not the internship site mentors and the MHA program. Although students are responsible for securing their own internship sites, MHA faculty provide guidance during the search process as needed. In addition, in the pre-internship information survey, students may select an option that allows the MHA program to share their resumes with possible internship sites. While searching for internships, students should research the institutions to which they are applying and approach the process in the same professional manner they would when searching for a full-time employment position.
Students may complete an internship at their place of employment if the unpaid project is outside of their normal employment. The MHA program must approve these placements.
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HADM 260 STEP 3: FOUND SITE
STEP 3: LOCATED A POSSIBLE INTERNSHIP What Next? After locating a possible internship, complete this survey to let the program know the site.
program staff check for an affiliation agreement with the site; if one is needed, program staff will work towards this goal.
After an affiliation agreement is complete, there are two possible paths.
MHA staff will guide you Path 1
Path 2
Site compliance checklist
Project plan Located on the course webpage. Work with your mentor to list the projects to be completed during the internship. Send the completed plan to your faculty member for review.
Information you must provide the program before starting your internship. The list may include medical exams and tests. The checklist must be completed even if you work at the site.
After faculty approve your checklist complete the project plan
After faculty approval of your project plan, you may begin your internship once the semester starts!
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HADM 260 COURSE QUESTION
300 HOURS IS A LOT, I ALSO WORK? Most students should be able to complete their internships during a standard fall or spring semester. Students who need to extend their internships beyond the standard semester may request an extension from their course faculty member. Students who enroll in the winter or summer session should discuss a completion date with their course faculty member. Communicate early with your faculty member if you need an extension.
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HADM 260 COURSE QUESTION
WHEN CAN I START? Before beginning the internship: You must complete all the pre-internship activities.
You must receive approval from the MHA program to start (e.g., affiliation agreement in place, compliance checklist completed).
You must receive project plan approval from your faculty member assigned to the course.
The semester in which you are registered for the course has begun.
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HADM 260 DURING THE INTERNSHIP
DURING THE INTERNSHIP During the internship, your course professor is available to assist you. Meetings with your professor may be scheduled throughout the internship. Meetings between your professor, your site mentor, and you may also be scheduled during the internship. When challenges arise, contact your professor immediately. In addition to any individual meetings, students are required to attend four group reflection sessions during the semester. Reflection session dates are provided in a separate document. You are encouraged to keep a journal during the internship where you describe your tasks, comment on your experiences, and track your hours.
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HADM 260 WHAT ARE THE DELIVERABLES?
WHAT ARE THE COURSE DELIVERABLES? Each course professor may have different deliverables, please review your course syllabus (found on the course webpage). In general, at the conclusion of the internship experience you must complete (or ask your mentor to complete) the following documents:
An organizational profile of your internship site
Additional information on the course webpage Email this document to your professor at the end of the semester.
A 3 to 5-page executive summary of the internship experience.
Highlight your internship project, describe your experience, and detail professional lessons you acquired during the internship. Email this document to your professor at the end of the semester.
Evaluate your internship at this link.
Once completed the information is provided to the MHA program. The MHA program provides your professor with the information.
Provide your mentor with this link to evaluate you as an intern.
Once completed the information is provided to the MHA program. The MHA program provides your professor with the information.
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HADM 260
Health Administration Internship Quick Guide
1. REGISTER FOR COURSE Discuss course with your faculty advisor. Read internship guide (emailed to you after your advising session). Complete HADM 260: Survey 1.
2. PRE-INTERNSHIP MEETINGS You will attend a series of meetings before your internship semester starts. The first meeting is roughly three weeks after registration.
3. SEARCHING FOR AN INTERNSHIP Complete HADM 260: Survey 2 (information may be sent to possible sites) Upload resume to the Health Administration Internship course webpage Mock interview
4. SITE APPROVAL Your internship site needs to be approved by the MHA program. Once you locate an internship site, please complete HADM 260: Survey 3. The MHA team will review the site and follow-up with you.
5. SITE REQUIREMENTS Sites may require medical information (e.g., flu vaccines) and other items before you may begin your internship. MHA staff will let you know if your internship site has site requirements
6. PROJECT PLAN You will complete a project plan with your site mentor where you outline what you will work on during the internship. Send the completed project plan to your professor for review.
7. ATTEND ORIENTATION Orientation will be a week or two before the semester begins.
8. REFLECTION SESSIONS AND DELIVERABLES While you will not meet weekly with faculty and your peers, throughout the semester, you will attend a series of reflection sessions. A description of the course deliverables are provided in the course syllabus.
QUESTIONS? Please contact the MHA program with any questions at: edward.coffield@hofstra.edu