Online Legal Studies Certificate in Healthcare Administration Regulation
Program Overview
UC’s online Certificate in Healthcare Administration Regulation prepares professionals to navigate the complex intersection of law, policy, and healthcare management. Designed for non-lawyers, this program builds a foundational understanding of the legal frameworks, ethical considerations, and compliance standards that shape the U.S. healthcare system.
Program Highlights
High Quality Education
Through courses developed by the University of Cincinnati College of Law and the College of Allied Health Sciences, you’ll learn how to interpret, apply, and manage the laws and regulations that govern healthcare organizations. The curriculum blends legal reasoning with practical knowledge to help professionals ensure compliance, reduce organizational risk, and contribute to effective policy implementation.
Graduates of the Certificate in Healthcare Administration Regulation will be able to:
- Interpret and apply legal and ethical frameworks that govern healthcare operations.
- Evaluate organizational policies and practices for compliance with healthcare laws and regulations.
- Develop strategies to mitigate risk and improve accountability in healthcare systems.
- Communicate complex regulatory information to both legal and non-legal audiences.
- Apply critical thinking and ethical reasoning in policy and operational decision-making.
Flexibility
- 100% Online: Complete coursework on your own schedule with asynchronous classes designed for busy healthcare professionals.
- Interdisciplinary Expertise: Learn from faculty in UC’s College of Law and College of Allied Health Sciences, combining real-world healthcare and legal perspectives
- Pathway to a Master’s Degree: Apply your certificate credits toward UC’s Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program to continue your professional growth
Support from Application through Graduation
At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:
Enrollment Services Advisor: Your partner through the application process, getting enrolled, and starting your program
Student Success Coordinator: Helping you prepare for classes and stay on track
Access to Resources: Access to university resources that will support you through your program including online learning expectations and resources, health and wellness resources, and academic support
Curriculum
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| LAW6004 | Compliance This course focuses on the importance for business entities to adopt strong internal controls, federal and state regulation of minimum internal control standards, and best practices with respect to structuring internal controls. Students will evaluate control paradigms against the goal of maintaining efficient communication channels between management and employees, ensuring the accuracy of information submitted to regulatory authorities, and detecting illegal or disruptive conduct in a timely manner. The course will also discuss investigation protocols as well as issues and challenges in the investigation process. Students will consider ethical issues relevant to the substantive legal issues addressed in the course. |
3 |
| LAW6005 | Risk Management This course introduces students to best practices related to the management of legal and related business risk. The course explores risk management processes and strategies as well as the metrics used to measure compliance with regulations. Students will learn how to identify, assess, and prioritize risk and to develop a risk management plan. |
3 |
| LAW6006 | Privacy and Cybersecurity Law This course focuses on the legal and regulatory framework governing data privacy and cybersecurity. With an emphasis on financial data and personally identifiable information, the course will introduce students to regulations and safeguards that protect organizational and client privacy. Students will develop skills essential to the implementation of strategies for maintaining security compliance and managing related risks. |
3 |
| HCA7031 | Health Policy 1: Health Policy and Regulation Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Apply concepts and perform Time Value of Money calculations 2. Understand differences in interest rates (due to differences in risk, horizon, and compounding) 3. Use present value calculations to solve bond pricing and risk applications 4. Use present value calculations to solve stock valuation applications. |
3 |
| HCA7032 | Health Policy 2: Legal and Ethical Issues This course presents an introduction to the legal and ethical issues that arise in management of health services organizations. Topics include ethics in business and clinical decision-making, tools for understanding ethics and ethical analysis, and professional and organizational guidelines in making ethical decisions. The course examines codes of ethics and mission statements, organizational responses to ethical issues, including ethics processes, such as institutional ethics committees and institutional review boards. access to health care, nondiscrimination, conflicts of interest and constitutional constraints on public health initiatives. |
3 |
Admission Requirements
Prerequisites
- Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV purposes, or the international equivalent
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
- At least two years of professional work experience in a related field
Complete the online application and submit the application fee.
Standard Application Fees*:
- $65.00 for domestic applicants to most degree programs
- $70.00 for international applicants to most degree programs
- $20.00 for domestic applicants to Graduate Certificates
- $25.00 for international applicants to Graduate Certificates
- Fee waivers are automatically applied for applicants who:
- are currently serving in the US armed forces
- are veterans of the US armed forces
*Application fees are waived for Spring 2027 applications submitted by November 1st, 2026.
All applicants are required to upload unofficial transcripts during the application process, showing all undergraduate and graduate course work completed, including degrees granted and dates of conferral.
Official transcripts are not required until the student has received and accepted an offer of admission from the university. Once the offer has been confirmed, the student must submit official transcripts.
Students who have received degrees from the University of Cincinnati do not need to submit official paper copies of their UC transcripts.
Transcripts can be submitted electronically or by mail. To see if your transcript(s) can be ordered electronically, visit the links below and search for your previous school(s).
- Parchment
- Please select “University of Cincinnati – Main Campus” as the recipient of your transcript.
- National Student Clearinghouse
- Please have your transcript sent directly to grad.admissions@uc.edu.
If you do not see your past school(s) listed on either site, please contact the school(s) directly. Then, mail your sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
Please mail sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
University of Cincinnati
Graduate Admissions
2618 University Circle
PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0091
One letter of recommendation required from an academic or professional source. Reference forms are submitted via the application system.
Current resume or CV.
Application Deadlines
| Term | Application Deadline | Classes Start |
|---|---|---|
Spring 2027 Summer 2027 Fall 2027
|
December 15, 2026 April 15, 2027 August 8, 2027 |
January 11, 2027 May 10, 2027 August 23, 2027 |
Tuition & Fees
The University of Cincinnati's online programs allow students to pursue degrees without having to quit their jobs. Our online courses offer the same quality education found on campus in a modern format that fits students’ tight budgets and busy schedules.
The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program.
To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.
Accreditation & Rankings
- The University of Cincinnati and all of its regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Careers & Outcomes
Who Is This Program For?
This program may be a good fit for:
- Healthcare administrators and operations professionals
- Clinicians moving into administrative, policy, or compliance responsibilities
- Healthcare compliance and risk-management professionals
- Health information, privacy, quality, and patient-services professionals
- Nonlawyers who need to understand healthcare laws, regulations, and ethical frameworks
Career Opportunities
Combined with relevant education, healthcare experience, and professional credentials, the knowledge developed through this certificate may support responsibilities related to:
- Healthcare regulatory compliance
- Policy analysis and implementation
- Organizational risk management
- Healthcare privacy and information governance
- Quality and accountability
- Regulatory communication and training
- Healthcare operations and administration
Relevant settings include hospitals, health systems, physician practices, insurance companies, long-term-care organizations, government agencies, consulting firms, public health organizations, and health-technology companies.
The certificate alone does not qualify someone for a healthcare administration, compliance, clinical, legal, or leadership position, and it does not qualify graduates to practice law. Employers may require related healthcare experience, a professional license, an advanced degree, or additional credentials.
Career Outlook
A related BLS benchmark is medical and health services managers. These professionals earned a national median annual wage of $123,860 in May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 24% from 2025 to 2035, with approximately 62,300 openings annually. Management positions typically require related administrative or clinical experience. These figures represent national occupational data, not certificate or graduate outcomes. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—Medical and Health Services Managers.
Build Your Credentials
Depending on their roles, professionals may also pursue healthcare compliance, privacy, quality, risk-management, project-management, Lean Six Sigma, or healthcare leadership credentials. Examples may include CHC, CHPC, CPHQ, FACHE, or credentials aligned with an existing clinical profession.
With the appropriate education, healthcare experience, licensure, and additional credentials, professionals may advance into areas such as:
- Healthcare compliance management
- Regulatory affairs
- Healthcare policy
- Privacy and information governance
- Quality and patient-safety leadership
- Healthcare operations and administration
Continue Your Education at UC
Credits from this certificate may be applied toward UC’s online Master of Legal Studies, which can help experienced professionals deepen their understanding of laws and regulations affecting their work.
Ready to get started?
We offer over 130 degrees from undergraduate to doctoral programs. Each program is supported by a team of Enrollment Services Advisors (ESAs) who are here to help answer any questions you have.