Healthcare Accounting

The UBC Micro-certificate in Healthcare Accounting equips you with essential financial knowledge and skills tailored to the Canadian healthcare system. The program covers key areas such as accounting, budgeting, forecasting and analysis of financial statements and reports. You’ll also learn how to use financial data to support informed decision-making, ensuring alignment with the goals and priorities of healthcare units and organizations.

By the end of this program, you’ll be able to:

• Understand fundamental accounting, costing and budgeting principles relevant to the healthcare sector
• Read, interpret and analyze financial statements and reports pertinent to healthcare departmental management
• Integrate current guidelines and regulations into financial reporting practices within healthcare organizations
• Understand costing principles and the dynamics of cost behaviour in the healthcare sector
• Effectively manage direct and indirect costs associated with healthcare operations
• Prepare a simple budget, conduct budget variance analysis, and engage effectively with finance teams and leadership during the budgeting process
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with finance teams and/or the Chief Financial Officer to support financial planning and management
• Perform basic financial analysis and apply insights from financial data into the financial planning and management of a healthcare unit
• Make informed budgetary and other financial decisions aligned with organizational goals and priorities

This program is designed for healthcare professionals working in the Canadian public healthcare system who seek to develop financial knowledge and skills, whether aiming to improve performance in their current roles or preparing for new opportunities. It is ideal for individuals without formal financial education or training in public healthcare. Specifically, it is intended for:

• Clinical leaders and medical directors: lead physicians, directors of nursing, clinical supervisors and medical directors
• Healthcare managers and administrative leaders: department heads, program managers, hospital administrators, operations managers and medical office managers
• Quality improvement specialists
• Research and support staff: clinical research managers, administrative coordinators and other support staff

The total cost of the program is $1,500.

All fees are in Canadian dollars and subject to change. Fees are subject to GST where applicable. Fees may be paid by Visa®, Visa® Debit, Mastercard®, American Express®, money order or certified cheque.

For details on UBC’s payment policies, please see Refunds, Cancellations and Transfers

This program is eligible for the StrongerBC future skills grant. To learn more about this grant available to BC residents see the “StrongerBC future skills grant” information below.  

The program consists of one course of 16 weeks, approximately 50 hours total.

Required course

Required course

Course name	Format	Next start date	Learn more
Healthcare Accounting (0438)	See details	Jan 13, 2025	Details

This part-time 100% online program is instructor supported with two real-time classes combined with independent study. The real-time sessions include discussions on practical topics and a Q&A on previous modules.

Outside of class, you can access online materials when it suits your schedule. Each week, you’ll have an opportunity to review readings and videos, apply your knowledge in quizzes and contribute to a discussion board where you can engage with other students. The final project involves a case study that mirrors the Canadian healthcare system.

Expected effort

Expect to spend approximately three to four hours a week completing all learning activities, including attending the real-time online classes.

Technology requirements

To take this program, you need access to:

• an email account
• a computer, laptop or tablet, using Windows or macOS
• the latest version of a web browser (or previous major version release)
• a reliable internet connection
• a video camera and microphone

Assessment

You are assessed on successfully completing weekly activities, including quizzes and discussion posts, participation in the real-time sessions, as well a final project and related multiple-choice questions. While you’re not assessed on your attendance of the real-time sessions, we encourage you to attend and participate to make the most of the opportunity to learn and interact with your instructor and peers. All sessions will be recorded in case you cannot attend or would like to review the content later.

These activities are marked using a proficiency scale. The assessment breakdown is as follows:

• Module participation and completion (30%): Each of the six modules accounts for 5% of your overall grade. This includes engagement in discussions in the real-time sessions and online discussion boards, and completion of quizzes and all required course materials.
• Final project (70%): The final project requires you to analyze a case study and answer a set of multiple-choice questions. The project is designed to assess your ability to apply the concepts learned throughout the course to a real-world scenario. You are allowed up to three attempts to complete this assessment successfully.

The course is graded on a pass/fail basis. You must achieve an overall grade of 80% or higher to pass.

NICHOLAS SCHNEE, BSc, MHA, CMA/CPA, is the Executive Director of Cardiac Services BC, Stroke Services BC and Specialized Provincial Programs. He is a healthcare administrator with experience in operations, finance, healthcare analytics and decision support and provincial clinical program delivery. In addition, Nicholas serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Population and Public Health in UBC Faculty of Medicine, and teaches a finance course in the UBC Master of Health Administration program.