Plans are currently being implemented to launch a new major.

This new major, health care administration, is developed almost exclusively from existing courses and will allow students interested in health care a more narrow field of study.

Health care administration is primarily designed for students who are seeking future employment in long-term health care.

This program is sponsored by Life Care Centers of America.

“Life Care is searching for a feeder program in which they can train quality interns to fill their many management positions,” said Dr. Matthew Melton, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Life Care came to us and asked us to start this program because they have had numerous wonderful experiences with Lee students in their programs,” Melton said.

Students majoring in health care administration will be trained as administrators in any health care venue such as a clinic, various outpatient facilities or extended care facilities.

A median salary for a student with a bachelors in health care administration can range from $49,500 to $77,000.

Health care administration is aimed to be interdisciplinary in nature, with courses from the business, natural sciences, math and behavioral sciences departments.

Students will need to take 49 credit hours specifically towards this major, including Aging Gerontology, Accounting, Marketing, Organization and Behavior.

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in this program have the prospect of participating in a two-year internship with Life Care in one of its hundreds of programs located throughout the country.

Interns will be involved in daily decision-making processes ranging from managing employees and clients to costs of daily activities.

“Students interested in this program need to have a wide-range of talents and skills because this is a fairly demanding job,” Melton said.

Lee hopes to offer this new major, offered through the Behavioral and Social Sciences department, as early as next fall.