Best Online Healthcare Administration Degree Programs
Healthcare administration is going through a number of changes thanks to new technologies, laws and medical breakthroughs, making it an interesting and challenging time to be working in this field. Baby boomers and a growing, aging population are placing different demands on healthcare systems — giving rise to diverse career opportunities. In fact, job opportunities in the field are expected to grow 20 percent from 2016 to 2026 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is much faster than average for all other occupations.
Successful healthcare executives must combine business and leadership skills with a working knowledge of the healthcare system. Online health administration programs cover a wide variety of business and health related topics.
What Do Healthcare Administrators Do?
Healthcare administrators are also known as medical managers, health service managers, or healthcare executives. While a large number of healthcare executives work in hospitals, many are also employed by individual medical practices, long-term care and nursing facilities, or various government agencies. Depending on their qualifications and experience, they may manage anything from a small medical practice to a large hospital. A typical healthcare manager may carry out the following duties:
- Maintaining records
- Managing finances
- Working with healthcare professionals in the facility to develop better practices to improve the quality of services
- Organizing work schedules
- Working closely with department heads to monitor and develop goals
- Ensuring staff is recruited and trained
- Staying abreast of regulations, laws and ensuring compliance
- Representing the facility at investor or board meetings
Healthcare administrators are required to coordinate between different administrative and departmental levels and therefore people skills, leadership, communication and analytical skills are essential.
Choose a Degree to Help You Meet Your Career Goals
Different degrees will help reach different career goals. While certificate programs are widely available and can be typically completed in less than a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration is generally considered the minimum barrier for entry-level employment. However, many employers are looking to recruit candidates with a master’s degree or higher.
Take a look at the education level most medical and health services managers have:
For information on what you can do with a degree in healthcare, check out our infographic.
While admissions criteria can vary from college to college, take a look at what you can expect to learn under the different degree program levels, the typical time it takes to complete the program and the career possibilities after earning your degree.
Online Associate Degree Programs in Healthcare Administration
What can I expect to learn in an online associate degree?
As changes in medicine, technology and the law move the industry forward, qualified individuals who contribute to the business side of healthcare may play an increasingly important role.Online associate degree programs in healthcare administration teach students how to perform the day-to-day functions that keep medical facilities operating smoothly.
Typical duration: Two years
General prerequisites: High school diploma or GED
Typical coursework: The core curriculum of these programs can include courses in finance, facility operations, personnel practices, and managerial techniques. Some of the course topics may cover:
- Introduction to medical terminology
- Medical law and ethics
- Healthcare entrepreneurship
- Healthcare management
Possible electives: Healthcare communication, human resources management, sociology
What can I do after earning an associate degree?
An associate degree may be used to obtain an entry-level position in the field of healthcare administration. Potential careers include:
- Health office receptionist
- Medical transcriptionists
- Customer service representative
- Health office manager
- Medical coder and biller
- Assistant healthcare administrator
- Medical assistant
What can I expect to learn in an online bachelor’s degree program?
Online bachelor’s in healthcare administration is designed to give students the ability to step up into leadership roles. Students in a bachelor degree program can learn the skills they need to manage workforces at healthcare facilities including employee relations and how to implement training programs for staff.
Typical duration: Four years
General prerequisites: A high school diploma or an associate degree in healthcare administration, GRE
Typical coursework: In addition to fundamental subjects like finance, facility operations, staffing and personnel practices required to pursue management jobs in the healthcare field, courses may include:
- Healthcare management
- Ethics and law in healthcare
- Healthcare entrepreneurship
- Introduction to public and community health
Hands-on experience can vary from course to course and can be through different exercises like writing an employee training manual, participating in a simulated job interview, and drafting a case study on a hypothetical healthcare organization.
Possible electives: Biology, healthcare economics, death and dying, healthcare terminology, algebra, anatomy and physiology, project management
What can I do after earning a bachelor’s degree?
A bachelor’s degree is often the minimum degree required to work at many larger healthcare facilities. Some of the possible careers are:
- Healthcare administrator
- Social or community service manager
- Human resources manager
- Healthcare consultant
- Health services manager
Online Master’s Degree Programs in Healthcare Administration
What can I expect to learn in an online master’s degree program?
As technology, laws and industry standards evolve in the field of medicine, more and more qualified leaders will be needed to help healthcare organizations navigate through new challenges and come out on top. Online master’s degree programs in healthcare administration (MHA) are designed to train these leaders.
Typical duration: Two years
General prerequisites: A bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from an accredited institution and/or an entrance exam
Typical coursework: Students in these programs can learn the core concepts of running a healthcare organization by taking courses in subjects such as healthcare law and ethics, healthcare informatics, marketing and strategic planning, human resources management, finance and accounting and project management. Some of the course topics covered may include:
- Healthcare economics
- Healthcare marketing
- Healthcare policy
- Healthcare leadership
Additionally, students in these programs may be required to complete a comprehensive examination or a master’s thesis that focuses on a research area of the healthcare field. Supplementary business classes like business writing courses or sociology can also boost your profile.
Possible electives: Gerontology, epidemiology, long-term care
What can I do after earning a master’s degree?
The specialization you choose during your master’s program can help you procure a role in the field that interests you the most. Here are some potential careers:
- Healthcare administrator
- Social or community service manager
- Human resources manager
- Program manager at a rehabilitation center
- Administration and policy
- Research assistant
Online Doctoral Degree Programs in Healthcare Administration
What can I expect to learn in an online doctoral degree program?
Online doctoral degree programs in healthcare administration focus on teaching students the business acumen needed to run a healthcare facility — such as human resources management, finance, healthcare ethics and healthcare informatics.
At this level, there are several ways that healthcare administration students can earn a degree.
- A Doctor of Health Administration, or DHA, is a degree program that focuses on the real-world management skills that can help students pursue managerial roles in the field.
- Students who are interested in the research end of the profession can pursue a Ph.D. in health administration, which prepares them for more academically driven careers in healthcare.
- Students who want to combine healthcare administration with business can earn a Doctor of Business Administration with a specialization in healthcare administration.
Typical duration: Three to seven years
General prerequisites: A master’s degree in healthcare administration from an accredited institution
Typical coursework: The curriculum in these programs aims to prepare students for upper managerial positions as well as high-level policy-making roles in the in the healthcare system. Courses may cover public administration and public safety, healthcare finance and accounting, and healthcare marketing. Other course topics can include:
- Healthcare research methods
- Healthcare communication
- Legal and ethical issues in the healthcare industry
- Healthcare management
What can I do after earning a doctoral degree?
Doctoral degrees open up a higher level of potential job roles — some of which allow autonomous research. Some of the positions that may be open to candidates with a doctoral degree are:
- Political scientist (healthcare policy research and analysis)
- University professor
- Healthcare executive
- Researcher
Specializations in Healthcare Administration
Healthcare administrators are needed to oversee operations in a variety of health-related fields. While many work in hospitals, others do not. Some specializations for medical management professionals include:
- Hospital administration
- Clinical administration
- Group practice administration
- Nursing home administration
- Assisted living administration
- Home healthcare administration
- Healthcare policy research and analysis
- Insurance and pharmaceutical consulting
- Health information management
Some career tracks may be available immediately upon graduation, while others might require years of work experience. Regardless, online degree programs in healthcare administration can help prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to begin a career in the medical management field.
Best Online Healthcare Administration Degree Programs
We’ve used factors that students that are especially useful for students interested in online healthcare administration programs. To present you with the best opportunities, our methodology has taken into consideration factors like number of online programs offered in healthcare administration, tuition, ratio of students participating in distance education programs compared to the total enrollment, student-faculty ratio, services such as academic and placement, and more.
NOTE: The accuracy of data derived from IPEDS depends on colleges regularly reporting to IPEDS. Not all colleges are as regular as they should be in updating this information with IPEDS. OnlineDegrees.com, therefore, has gone a step further to ensure the rankings you see are accurate and verified. We manually check each college website to provide you the top rankings you can rely on. Because of this double-check, the number of colleges may vary for each degree level.
Accreditation
Completing an accredited program can give you higher validation in terms of employability and can allow you to transfer credits while applying for further education. Well-known accrediting bodies for healthcare administration degree programs include:
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)
These organizations assess healthcare administration education programs rigorously based on educational processes, assessment structures and other criteria.
Certifications and Licensures
Licensing requirements vary from state to state, but administrators in all are required to hold licenses to work in nursing care facilities. Most states require healthcare executives to have at least a bachelor’s degree along with passing a national licensing exam. The National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) has information on examinations and licensing for assisted living facilities.
Certification is not mandatory, but is available through various associations such as:
- Professional Association of Healthcare Office Management
- American Health Information Management Association
- American College of Healthcare Administrators
It may be worthwhile to spend some time researching the course you are applying for before enrolling
Scholarships and financial aid programs
- Craig J. Aune Scholarship
- Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship
- Foster G. McGaw Graduate Student Scholarship
- ACMPE Scholarship Fund Program
- Elliott C. Roberts Scholarship
- The Dawn Gideon Scholarship
What Can I Do With Healthcare Administration Degree?
While a degree in healthcare administration generally leads to a position in medical services management, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (shown in the table below) lists several other related occupations, along with current wage and employment data.
Career | Employment | Median Salary | Projected Job Growth |
---|---|---|---|
Medical and Health Services Managers | 394,910 | $115,160 | 17.6% |
Receptionists and Information Clerks | 1,057,370 | $44,090 | 8% |
Medical Transcriptionists | 341,600 | $35,270 | -2% |
Medical Dosimetrists, Medical Records Specialists, and Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | 341,600 | $44,090 | 8% |
Source: 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.
Employment Statistics
Healthcare Services Managers
Source: 2016 Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.
Other resources for aspiring students of Healthcare Administration
- American College of Healthcare Executives
- MGMA
- American Hospital Association
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
See Methodology Information Here
Sources:
- B.S. Degree with an a Major in Office Administration and Technology, Valdosta State University, https://www.valdosta.edu/programs/b-s-degree-with-a-major-in-office-administration-and-technology/, Accessed May 2018
- Business Administration Program Curriculum, Ashworth College, https://www.ashworthcollege.edu/bachelors-degrees/business-administration-degree-online/curriculum/, Accessed May 2018
- Certificate in Business Office Administration, Charter College, https://www.chartercollege.edu/programs/business/office-administration-certificate, Accessed May 2018
- Diploma Mills and Accreditation, U.S. Department of Education, https://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/diploma-mills/, Accessed May 2018
- Office Administration Certificates, Okanagan College, http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Programs/Areas_of_Study/Business/Business_Programs/Office_Administration_Certification/, Accessed May 2018
- Online Associate in Arts in Business Administration, Strayer University, https://www.strayer.edu/online-degrees/associate/business-adm, Accessed May 2018
- Program of Study for BS in OAT, Valdosta State University, https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/education/adult-and-career-education/degree-programs/undergraduate/OAT/BS-in-OAT-POS-Online.php, Accessed May 2018
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm#tab-4, Accessed May 2018