TXST authorized to offer new master’s degree in long term care administration

Texas State University will soon offer a new master’s degree program.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents recently authorized Texas State to offer a new Master of Science degree in Long Term Care Administration to address pressing demand in the state’s economy.

Texas State will be the first university in Texas to offer such a degree with instruction being delivered fully online, the university said.

The board approved the new degree during its quarterly meeting May 19 in Huntsville. The program will begin enrolling students in the fall of 2022, pending final approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Texas State said the program, offered through the College of Health Professions and Graduate College, will build on state and national boards’ minimum requirements to become a nursing home administrator. Although graduate level preparation is not a current requirement in most states, employers view applicants holding a master’s degree in high regard. The program will incorporate environmental design and management, personnel management, elder abuse and mistreatment and internship hours. Students will be able to complete the degree requirements with either full- or part-time enrollment.

“The degree addresses a need created by the rapidly aging ‘baby boomer’ population,” Texas State said in a news release. “By 2030, the elderly population will be double what it is in 2022, with 61 million people 66-84 years of age living in the U.S. along with another 9 million aged 85 years and older. This will result in a significant need for increased options for long-term care for these aging populations, including nursing homes. As this population ages, nursing home administrator jobs will continue to be in high demand.”

The university said Texas can expect an exponential rise in the number of residents utilizing nursing homes, from approximately 101,000 in 2010 to more than 309,000 by 2040. Data from the Texas Labor Market Information  predicts growth in the need for medical and health service managers in the state to rise from 32,000 in 2018 to 39,000 in 2028, an increase of nearly 23%.