Experiential Learning Requirement

Last Updated: 8/13/2026

What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential learning means giving students opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom to authentic healthcare settings, problems, and professional situations. The emphasis is on learning by doing rather than learning only through lectures, readings, and exams. MHA students aren’t simply preparing to know about healthcare management. They’re preparing to manage healthcare organizations. This experience can also help students understand the difference between “what should happen” theoretically and “what can actually happen” within a complex healthcare organization.

What Course Do I Take?

If you are in the Medical Laboratory Management track, you will take HPMT 52873 – Laboratory Management Project. Professor Jason Key directs this course, and it will follow all guidance related to Management Projects.

If you are in the General track, there are two options, but based on one question:

Are you working full-time in healthcare?
If No, you would take HPMT 52853- Summer Residency (Jump to Residency section)
If Yes, you would take HPMT 52863- Management Project (Jump to Project section)

Dr. Melissa Yandell directs these courses. If you have questions about which course you need to take, please talk to your advisor, Dr. Yandell, or reach out at MHAprogram@uams.edu.

General Guidelines for all Experiential Learning

1. Students must be in good standing.
2. The preceptor should have an advanced degree (MHA, MBA, MHSA, MD, etc.) and be in a role at least one level ahead of your current practice level.
3. You MAY NOT begin until you receive approval from the faculty member.
4. Each student must communicate with the preceptor before the start of the experience.
   • The student must provide the preceptor with the faculty’s name and contact information.
   • The student must get the preceptor to sign the preceptor form.
5. This course is graded on a Pass/Fail scale. You must turn in ALL assignments/documentation in order to receive a Pass grade.
   • All assignments and documentation need to be submitted via Blackboard regardless of whether they were approved via email.
6. You should register for the designated course during the term you expect to FINISH your project.
7. This experience also satisfies the IPE 6 (UNIV 16000) Practice Activity. Students should be registered for both their designated course along with UNIV 16000 during the term they finish their project.
   • UNIV 16000 does require some submissions to the Blackboard shell designated for that course, including the Practice Activity Verification Form (which can be signed by your faculty or preceptor) and the reflection. You are responsible for submitting these promptly to get credit.

Guidelines for Residences

The Summer Residency is a ten-week administrative internship in a health institution or agency working under a qualified health administrator. The residency is designed to provide “real world” experience in a healthcare organization, and so that students may apply program competencies learned in their first year of study.

• The student must complete 400 hours to satisfy the requirement.
• Typically, the experience is paid when the healthcare partner is amenable to such arrangements.
• Students who are in Graduate Assistantships typically continue with the same organization for the Summer Residency.
• Students may also participate in Internships that are nationally competitive from organizations nationwide. You can find more information about those is the Blackboard Organization (MHA Program) > Experiential Learning Requirement > Internships.
• If you want to develop a new partnership with a healthcare organization, please reach out to us at mhaprogram@uams.edu

Evaluation Criteria and Assignments

1. Preceptor Forms
   • If before Blackboard opens, students will email the preceptor forms to the course instructor. The student will get email confirmation of approval. When Blackboard is opened, the student will submit and the course instructor will mark as complete.
   • If after Blackboard opens, students submit the preceptor forms in Blackboard. The student should evaluate the comments and feedback in Blackboard.
2. Weekly Journal
   • You will keep a journal throughout your entire residency experience to reflect on your journey. You will submit your reflections weekly. Each entry should be dated, describe your activities, and reflect on how you gained insight and perspective from the experience. Frequent entries are encouraged, but at least one entry per week is required.
3. Preceptor Evaluation of Student
   • The preceptor will be emailed the evaluation of the student along with a competency assessment.
   • The student does not need to turn anything in for this assignment.  
   • The faculty will mark this as complete when the completed evaluation is received.
4. Student Evaluation of the Experiential Learning
   • The student will complete the evaluation of the conclusion of the experiential learning via the link in Blackboard.
   • The faculty will mark this as complete when the completed evaluation is received.
5. Resume Update
   • Upload an updated resume that incorporates a short description of your residency and the activities.

Guidelines for Projects

The Management Project provides the student with an opportunity to apply management theory and skills to a real-world healthcare organizational challenge and develop actionable recommendations for improvement. There is no required length of time or hour requirement, but it is advised to spend about 8-12 weeks for approximately 150-200 hours.

1. If you are doing the management project at your place of employment, the project must be outside of the scope of your regular job duties.
2. The project must be needed and valuable to the organization.
   • Examples include: Strategic plans; Feasibility studies; Marketing Plan; Operation Flow/Input study; Needs assessment for service lines.
   • If the project is beyond the scope that a student can reasonably complete, the student can engage in a component of the project that provides value to the overall project.
3. The project must contain management elements (organizational development, human resources, strategic planning, finance, etc.).

Evaluation Criteria and Assignments

1. Preceptor Forms
   • If before Blackboard opens, students will email the preceptor forms to the course instructor. The student will get email confirmation of approval. When Blackboard is opened, the student will submit and the course instructor will mark as complete.
   • If after Blackboard opens, students submit the preceptor forms in Blackboard. The student should evaluate the comments and feedback in Blackboard.
2. Project Charter
   • Submission and Approval of the charter must occur before the project may commence.
   • If before Blackboard opens, students will email the preceptor forms to the faculty. The student will get email confirmation of approval. When Blackboard is opened, the student will submit and the course instructor will mark as complete.
   • If after Blackboard opens, students submit the preceptor forms in Blackboard. The student should evaluate the comments and feedback in Blackboard.
3. Final Deliverable
   • The final deliverable that was approved in the charter must be submitted via Blackboard.
4. Preceptor Evaluation of Student
   • The preceptor will be emailed the evaluation of the student along with a competency assessment.
   • The student does not need to turn anything in for this assignment.
   • The faculty will mark this as complete when the completed evaluation is received.
5. Student Evaluation of the Experiential Learning
   • The student will be emailed the evaluation of the experiential learning (Appendix E). The student does not need to turn anything in for this assignment.
   • The faculty will mark this as complete when the completed evaluation is received.
6. Executive Summary
   • The executive summary is in the style of a poster, with the goal is to develop a way to easily describe your project. This summary should help you to communicate better about the work in interviews and such.
7. Resume Update
   • Upload an updated resume that incorporates a short description of your management project and the activities.