News 2021: Charlton College of Business is ranked among the top 35% of the nation’s online master’s programs in business, other than MBA programs

U.S. News ranking places the MSHM program among the top 60 in the country

In the second U.S. News & World Report national rankings for online master’s programs in business, other than MBA programs, the UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business (CCB) has ranked nationally among the best U.S. business schools for the second year in a row.

According to the recent 2022 College Rankings report, the CCB is ranked:

• 58th nationally out of 164 colleges and universities surveyed (top 35%) 
• 5th in Massachusetts

The UMass Dartmouth online MS in Healthcare Management (MSHM) program was also ranked No. 58 nationally by U.S. News & World Report in 2021 among its “Best Online Master’s in Business Programs Offering Health Care Administration.”

"In a data driven, high tech and ever-changing profession, it is more important than ever for our leaders in health care to sharpen their problem-solving, operations management, and communication skills,” said CCB Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs Melissa Pacheco. "The faculty in the Master of Science in Healthcare Management program provide the education and expertise that allows our students to be well-prepared for advancing their career and caring for their communities."

UMass Dartmouth offers the only masters in healthcare management degree in southeastern Massachusetts, and the only graduate healthcare management program in the UMass system with a focus on the operational and behavioral skills necessary for graduates to transform the healthcare workplace into an efficient, effective, error-free and empowered organization.

Each MSHM student has a faculty advisor and the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the program to a hands-on process improvement project in a healthcare setting. Students learn the technical tools and management approaches that continuously improve a workspace so as to reduce delays that lead to better quality and lower costs. As they progress through the program, students acquire the communication and teamwork skills necessary to work together as a partnership – crucial competencies in healthcare settings.

Graduates of the healthcare management program have found positions as the Director of Health Information Management, Director of Risk Management and Patient & Family Relations, Radiology Manager, Account Manager – Health Plan Solutions, Project Manager, Clinical Risk Manager, Manager – Medical Quality Assessment, Program Manager III – Senior Care Products, Medical Service Administration Officer, Clinical Systems Analyst, Lead Patient Advocate, Practice Manager, the University of Minnesota's PhD program, and Quality Improvement Project Manager at hospitals, laboratories, government, and health insurance organizations: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Beverly Hospital, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Lifespan, Massachusetts General Hospital, Quest Diagnostics, Salem Hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center as well as Amwell, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Tufts Health Plan, and UnitedHealth Group.

The online MS in Healthcare Management has been ranked nationally by 12 different organizations over the past five years. 

In addition to the online MSHM, the CCB also offers an in-person delivery of the same program. Undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences who are interested in healthcare management can major in Economics with a concentration in Healthcare Services Administration and take the requisite preparatory courses to enroll later in the MS in Healthcare Management program. Business undergraduates gain the necessary preparation for the MSHM through their core coursework. 

The U.S. News & World Report online master’s programs rankings other than MBA are based on a weighted average of five categories used in the ranking formula: engagement (30%), expert opinion (25%), faculty credentials and training (15%), student excellence (15%), and student services and technologies (15%). Data is collected from reporting schools and from a separate peer assessment survey. A school's rank reflects the number of schools that sit above it. 

by Laura B. Forker PhD

Director, MS in Healthcare Management 

Professor, Operations & Healthcare Management

"The faculty in the Master of Science in Healthcare Management program provide the education and expertise that allows our students to be well-prepared for advancing their career and caring for their communities."