UBC MHA Micro-certificate

In Canada’s public healthcare system, clinicians, managers and other professionals are increasingly taking on financial roles and responsibilities without adequate training or support. Addressing this gap in financial knowledge is crucial to sustaining quality, accessible public healthcare amid significant budget constraints and a growing demand for services.

Developed by the School of Population and Public Health in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, this program blends expert-led instruction, Q&A sessions, applied activities and case study analysis to help participants build the skills and confidence to fulfill new or existing financial responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to planning, budgeting and strategic decision-making.

Launching in January 2025: UBC Micro-certificate in Healthcare Accounting

The UBC Micro-certificate in Healthcare Accounting is a part-time online program that equips non-accountants working in the Canadian healthcare system with essential financial knowledge and skills. It has been designed to quickly enable participants to upskill with practical insights and tools they can apply to their daily tasks. Launching in January 2025, this program blends expert-led instruction, applied activities and case study analysis to help participants build the skills and confidence to fulfill new or existing financial responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to planning, budgeting and strategic decision-making. Below are some additional details about the program:

Format: 100% online and instructor supported with two scheduled real-time classes
Duration: One course of 16 weeks, approximately 50 hours total
Cost: $1,500
Next course offering: This program will start in January 2025 with registration expected to open later this fall.

**This program is eligible for the StrongerBC future skills grant, which is open to most BC residents aged 19 years or older – and covers up to $3,500 for eligible programs at public post-secondary institutions. Read more about eligibility and registration process.

Program Details

What this program offers

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

Who is this program for

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

Costs

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.

How we deliver this program

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 account 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.

Meet your Instructor

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.

UBC Healthcare Accounting Micro-certificate Info. Session: Monday, Dec. 9^th, 12pm PST

Join us virtually to learn more about the program. Meet the instructors who are experts in the field and have extensive industry experience and bring your questions to a Q&A following the presentation.

For more information about the session or program details, please contact us: healthcare.microcert@ubc.ca

Micro-certificate: Healthcare Accounting