The COVID-19 Impact on Health Administration Education: Understanding Student Perspectives on the Transition from In-Person to Remote Course Instruction

COVID-19 has infected millions of Americans. To combat the spread of the virus, state and local officials instituted social distancing guidelines that forced schools to shutter campuses and transition from in-person to remote learning. In this study, we examined health administration (HA) student perspectives on the transition from in-person to remote learning. We sought to understand how schools attempted to manage student concerns, how adaptations to remote learning were implemented, and what influences the transition had on student stress and anxiety. We used a mixed-methods study design that included (1) a survey of undergraduate and graduate students from six geographically diverse HA programs, and (2) a focus group with 6–10 students from each program. Our survey response rate was 52% (n =215). We found that students experienced five phases following the transition: grief, loss of engagement, fatigue, coping, and resilience. Focus groups also revealed stress and anxiety, as well as communication from leaders, as important themes. We present integrated survey and focus group findings, and supplement with exemplary quotes where applicable. We conclude by discussing a number of insights provided by HA students that may help guide program leadership and HA faculty who are teaching future remote courses