Healthcare Administration and Service Management
CIP Code: 51.0704
Overview
This certificate prepares students to lead multidisciplinary healthcare teams, improve patient outcomes, and manage operations by integrating culturally responsive care and safety-focused leadership practices.
The Healthcare Administration and Service Management Graduate Certificate focuses on leadership development that meets the population’s health care needs, manages operations, and finds innovative and practical solutions to address complex challenges.
Students will be able to integrate patient and family care theories into current practices, which are responsive to various cultures, behaviours, situations and environments. Core concepts of leadership, quality and improvements to patient safety are explored to achieve enhanced patient outcomes.
Students will apply professional leadership concepts as members of a multi-disciplinary health care team in an organization.
Admission Requirements
- A university degree in a health care field
This program is not suitable for students with a dentistry or pharmacy background.
The admissions process is competitive and meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee admission.
Lambton College reserves the right to alter information including admission requirements and to cancel a program or course at any time; to change the program curriculum as necessary to meet current competencies or changes in the job market; to change the pathways to third-party certification bodies; or to withdraw an offer of admission both prior to and after its acceptance by an applicant or student because of insufficient applications or registrations or over-acceptance of offers of admission. In the event Lambton College exercises such a right, Lambton College's sole liability will be the return of monies paid by the applicant or student to Lambton College.English Language Requirements
Applicants must submit proof of English proficiency through one of the following in-person test methods:
- IELTS Academic: Overall score of 6.0
- TOEFL IBT: Overall score of 70
- PTE Academic: Overall score of 53
- CAEL: Overall score of 60
- CELPIP: CLB 7
- Lambton Institute of English Placement Test: Overall score of 70
- Completion of an English pathway program at a recognized partner school
Meeting the minimum English requirements does not guarantee admission. Students with higher English proficiency scores will receive priority in the admission assessment process. Not all students will qualify for EAP-3106 in place of the required IELTS or TOEFL test scores.
Costs
- Term 1 $9,242.74
- Term 2 $8,452.71
- Term 3 $9,152.71
- Term 4 $2,100.00
Total Cost of Program
Tuition fees are estimates and are subject to change each academic year. Fees do not include books (unless specifically noted), supplies or living costs.
Lambton College reserves the right to alter information including admission requirements and to cancel at any time a program or course; to change the location and/or term in which a program or course is offered; to change the program curriculum as necessary to meet current competencies or changes in the job market; to change the pathways third-party certification bodies; or to withdraw an offer of admission both prior to and after its acceptance by an applicant or student because of insufficient applications or registrations or over-acceptance of offers of admission. In the event Lambton College exercises such a right, Lambton College’s sole liability will be the return of monies paid by the applicant or student to Lambton College.
Additional Fees
Textbooks
The anticipated cost for textbooks in this program is approximately $500 - $700 per term. This amount accounts for both mandatory textbook costs (included in tuition fees) as well as textbook fees not included in your tuition fee amount.
Important Dates, Deadline & Late Fees
For additional information on registration dates, deadlines and late fees please refer to Registration Dates and Deadlines.
Student Fees
A student services fee is included in your tuition.
Health Insurance Coverage
Emergency medical insurance is mandatory for all international students at Lambton College. This includes students who are full-time and part-time and who are on a co-op. This insurance is provided by GuardMe - a third party insurance provider.
Technology Requirements
In order to keep pace with the requirements of each and every course in your program, Lambton College requires that each student have access to a laptop while studying at our college.
Courses
Patient & Family Centered Care
This course explores the principles and practices of Patient and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) as a foundational approach to health service delivery. Students learn to lead and support care models that promote respectful, collaborative partnerships between healthcare providers, patients, and families at all levels of the organization. Emphasis is placed on the leadership and supervisory strategies required to implement PFCC in clinical units, enhance service quality, and improve patient outcomes. Students examine tools for engaging patients and families in care planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and continuous improvement initiatives that support safe, ethical, and culturally responsive environments.
Patient Safety
This course prepares students to lead and support the development of a safety-focused culture within healthcare units and organizations. Emphasizing supervisory responsibilities and systems thinking, the course explores strategies to implement and sustain quality and patient safety initiatives. Learners examine evidence-informed practices, human factors, risk mitigation, and the role of technology in reducing medical errors. Key topics include compliance with safety standards, incident reporting, root cause analysis, and the engagement of staff, patients, and families in fostering continuous quality improvement and risk management.
Leadership in Health Care
This course develops the core leadership competencies required to manage healthcare teams and operations effectively. Students explore leadership theories and apply practical skills in conflict resolution, negotiation, strategic planning, and accountability within clinical and organizational settings. Emphasis is placed on fostering a collaborative and inclusive leadership culture, supporting staff performance through coaching and mentorship, and aligning unit-level practices with broader organizational goals. Learners gain the tools to lead interprofessional teams, drive change, and promote high-quality, patient- and family-centred care.
Professionalism & Health Care
This course examines the foundational elements of professionalism required to lead and support healthcare teams in a clinical environment. Students explore the distinction between professional identity and professional behaviour, with a focus on effective communication, ethical conduct, interprofessional collaboration, and workplace accountability. Emphasis is placed on fostering respectful, inclusive, and culturally safe work environments while upholding privacy, regulatory standards, and licensure requirements. Students gain the supervisory perspective needed to model and reinforce professional standards that contribute to high-quality patient care and healthy workplace culture.
Evidence Based Practice
This course equips students with the skills to critically appraise and apply health research evidence to inform operational and clinical decision-making. Learners develop the ability to design and lead unit-specific quality improvement initiatives by collecting and analyzing performance metrics, applying evidence-based strategies, and using data to drive improvements. Emphasis is placed on the leadership role in fostering a culture of inquiry, continuous learning, and quality enhancement. Students will translate research knowledge into practical interventions that promote patient safety, service excellence, and sustainable performance improvements within healthcare units.
Leadership in Primary Health Care
This course explores the leadership and supervisory roles required to support and strengthen primary healthcare delivery in Canada. Students examine the political, administrative, and policy frameworks that shape health system decision-making, with a focus on primary care models, health reform, and the social determinants of health. Emphasis is placed on leadership strategies that promote equitable, community-responsive care and support interprofessional collaboration. Learners gain insight into how frontline and unit-level leaders can influence policy implementation, advocate for system improvements, and align services with evolving population health needs.
Cultural Competence for Health Care Providers
This course prepares students to lead and support the delivery of culturally competent, patient- and family-centred care within diverse healthcare settings. Learners explore key concepts related to cultural safety, diversity, health equity, and organizational culture. Emphasis is placed on supervisory practices that promote inclusive care environments, reduce health disparities, and support respectful, culturally responsive communication among interprofessional teams. Students also examine strategies for fostering organizational change that reflects the values of transcultural care and meets the needs of increasingly diverse patient populations.
Strategic Planning in Health Care
This course introduces students to the principles and practices of strategic planning within healthcare organizations. Learners explore how unit-level and operational leaders contribute to organizational strategy through environmental scanning, goal setting, and performance measurement. Emphasis is placed on aligning unit objectives with organizational mission, vision, and values; identifying opportunities and threats; and supporting the implementation and evaluation of strategic initiatives. Students develop practical skills in strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, and change management to enhance service delivery and respond to current and emerging trends in healthcare.
Health Care Leadership Lab
This applied course provides students with hands-on experience managing real-world challenges faced by healthcare leaders and unit supervisors. Through simulations, case studies, and reflective practice, learners apply leadership and management strategies in scenarios focused on patient safety, conflict resolution, delegation, interprofessional collaboration, and culturally competent care. Additional emphasis is placed on unit-level operational management including staff scheduling, resource allocation, crisis intervention, and enforcement of occupational health and safety standards. Students explore ethical decision-making and develop resilience strategies to lead effectively in high-pressure clinical environments. This course builds the supervisory competencies needed to enhance healthcare delivery and support staff performance in dynamic healthcare settings.
Job Search and Success
This course provides student with skills and knowledge to help support their career search and succeed in the workplace. Students align their personal skill set and goals to guide them on their career paths. They will learn how to effectively conduct a job search, build a professional and well-tailored resume and cover letter, and develop and practice interview techniques. Students will also develop their personal brand to help support effective career networking and aid in their job search. Teamwork and collaboration in the workplace are also discussed. Self-reflection is used to inspire insight and support their professional career journey.
Health Services Information & Technology
This course introduces students to the foundational principles of health informatics and effective use of information systems in clinical and administrative settings. Learners examine electronic health records (EHRs), clinical documentation standards, and secure information exchange across Ontario's healthcare sectors. The course also emphasizes clinical leadership tools such as electronic staffing systems, patient flow tracking, and incident reporting platforms critical for unit management. Students explore the role of leaders in ensuring data accuracy, privacy, regulatory compliance, and leveraging digital technologies to support patient safety, quality improvement, and operational efficiency.
No Scheduled Classes
Human Resources & Performance Management
This course provides students with foundational knowledge and practical skills for supervising and managing human resources within healthcare organizations. Learners explore workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, labour relations, and staff development with a focus on unit-level responsibilities. Emphasis is placed on managing staffing logistics such as scheduling and workload balancing, fostering safe work environments compliant with occupational health and safety policies, and navigating labour relations challenges. Students gain tools to apply HR policies fairly, ensure regulatory compliance, cultivate professional conduct, and maintain a respectful and accountable workplace culture aligned with healthcare service delivery.
Leadership Communication, Collaboration & Relationships
This course develops the communication and interpersonal skills essential for leading healthcare teams and fostering collaborative workplace relationships. Students explore strategies for creating a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and shared problem-solving within interprofessional settings. Emphasis is placed on the use of emotional intelligence (EI) to enhance both personal and social competence, build trust, and strengthen team performance. Through practical application, learners develop supervisory skills in conflict resolution, active listening, and effective coordination to support high-quality, patient-centred care and positive staff engagement.
Human Resources and Performance Management
This course provides students with foundational knowledge and practical skills for supervising and managing human resources within healthcare organizations. Learners explore workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, labour relations, and staff development with a focus on unit-level responsibilities. Emphasis is placed on managing staffing logistics such as scheduling and workload balancing, fostering safe work environments compliant with occupational health and safety policies, and navigating labour relations challenges. Students gain tools to apply HR policies fairly, ensure regulatory compliance, cultivate professional conduct, and maintain a respectful and accountable workplace culture aligned with healthcare service delivery.
Financial Management
This course introduces students to essential financial concepts and tools required to manage budgets and resources in healthcare settings. Learners develop skills to read, analyze, and interpret financial statements with a focus on budgeting processes, funding models, and accounting procedures relevant to Ontario's healthcare system. Emphasis is placed on managing unit or department-level budgets, including oversight of staffing costs, supplies, and operational expenditures. Students learn to make fiscally responsible decisions that support quality care, efficient resource utilization, and alignment with organizational goals.
Project Management
This course will provide the student with an overview of the structured processes and knowledge areas of project management within the context of organizations. It will contrast the differences between operational management and project management. It will provide the student with numerous tools and techniques used to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project. Students learn the vocabulary, definitions, principles and concepts of project management and working in a project team.
WIL Project
Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Project is aimed at enriching students by connecting different program areas of study, cutting across subject-matter lines, and emphasizing unifying concepts. The focus of the WIL Project is to make connections between study and industry by engaging students in relevant and meaningful activities that are connected to and practiced within the professional workplace. WIL Project allows students to enhance and strengthen their employability prospects post-graduation by fine tuning skills and knowledge and meeting the expectations of today's employers. Students are required to attend the scheduled shifts in the WIL office, reporting to the WIL Supervisor. Weekly real-world challenges are presented in the WIL office, designed by industry professionals. In addition to the weekly assigned deliverables, students are also offered professional development sessions, and exposed to industry guest speakers, enhancing their opportunity to develop their professional network.
WIL Project Eligibility
In order to continue onto Term 4, the following prerequisites must be met:
- Overall GPA of 2.0 or greater
- Not more than two outstanding courses in addition to WIL Project
- These courses must be able to fit your WIL schedule conflict free
- Courses scheduled back-to-back with your WIL shifts are considered in conflict
Contact
Centre for Global Engagement
LAMBTON COLLEGE SARNIA
1457 London Road
Sarnia ON N7S 6K4
After Graduation
Employment Opportunities
Graduates of the Healthcare Administration and Service Management Graduate Certificate program can pursue careers in a wide range of healthcare settings, including but not limited to:
- Hospitals and clinics
- Long-term care and residential facilities
- Government health agencies
- Insurance companies
- Outpatient care centers
- Medical and diagnostic laboratories
- Private healthcare organizations
Looking for Support After Graduation?
The International Graduate Services & Support Centre (GSSC) is a place dedicated to assisting International alumni as they seek employment and settle into Canadian life following graduation.
More Information
Student Responsibilities
- Course and program delivery schedules are proposed and subject to change for each intake.
- Students are required to bring their own laptop with wireless capability.
- Students are advised to bring an official copy of their most recent police clearance, driver's license, and vaccination record from their home country.
Technology Requirements
It is recommended that you use a Windows laptop for your coursework. While other devices like MacBooks or Chromebooks might work for some tasks, they may not support all the software required for your program. If you're unsure, check with your professors before buying.
Internet Speed Requirements
To get the best experience while learning online, we recommend having an internet connection with at least 40 Mbps download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed. This will help you use video calls, attend online lectures, and access other learning tools smoothly.
Because students live in many different areas, we can't suggest a specific internet provider. You'll need to check with local companies to find one that works best for you.
Laptop Requirements
In order to access the internet and virtually-delivered software and courseware, student laptops should include the following at a minimum. By meeting the following specifications, students will be equipped to access software and courseware on their laptop through the internet:
- Intel i5 8th Gen Processor or equivalent
- 8GB of RAM
- 100 GB HDD or more
- Webcam with a microphone
- Wi-Fi capable (802.11n/ac 5GHz)
- Windows 11 operating system
Mobile Device
Students will require a mobile device (smartphone) for:
- Accessing your digital student ID
- Using campus applications and services
Software
To ensure students are getting the most our of their classroom experience, some software will be required.
Lambton College has made this software easily accessible online. Students can leverage our Microsoft Office 365 software packages and services. In addition, much of the software you require for your courses will be available on demand for use on any device - on or off campus.