Healthcare Administration Degree | Healthcare Management Degree

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February 2nd, 2010

What type of educational background is needed to pursue a job in healthcare administration or management?

Since the field of healthcare administration is very broad, there are not standardized regulations in terms of the type and level of degree healthcare administrators and managers need. There are entry-level positions in health management or administration and some senior-level positions in smaller operations that will hire those with a bachelor's degree. With a bachelors degree one is eligible for supervisor or manager positions whereas a master's degree is typically needed for those who wish to move up the ranks to become a director or CEO. The type of bachelor's degree can typically be in a field related to but not specifically in healthcare administration or management. The types of undergraduate degrees that may prepare someone for a career in this field include: business administration, finance, marketing, or nursing.

Although there are some supervisor and manager positions that only require a bachelor's degree, the bulk of healthcare Healthcare Administration Degree

administration positions require a master's degree, especially for those who want a competitive edge when applying for these positions. Most professionals wanting to move into the management role of a clinical specialty will choose to earn their master's degree in that field. So if a person's goal is to manage a nursing staff they may earn a master's of science in nursing (MSN). However, for a person with the goal of becoming a hospital administrator, earning a master's degree in health administration or in public health may be a good fit. These master's programs generally take two years to complete. If considering a degree in Health Administration, attending a healthcare administration school that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) may provide a competitive edge.

Other degrees that would be appropriate for healthcare administration jobs would be those in health services administration, public administration, business administration, health sciences, and long-term care administration. While some of these programs use a general approach, covering the variety of healthcare facilities they could work in; others allow students to focus in a specialty area such as medical groups, hospitals, mental health facilities, or nursing homes depending on their area of interest.

What types of courses are included in a healthcare administration program?

Master's programs in healthcare administration provide students with the knowledge and skills they need in the areas of business, marketing, finance, human resources, budgeting, and management. A degree in health administration will also provide information about how healthcare organizations operate and process improvement strategies. Typically a supervised internship is also part of healthcare administration programs, which provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience.