The Essential Guide to a Career in Healthcare Administration

Interested in making an impact in the world of medicine, but without becoming a surgeon, nurse, or other healthcare provider? The field of healthcare administration might be for you! In this field, you’ll be able to make positive changes for patients, but without picking up a scalpel, so it is perfect for those more interested in business than biology. Let’s take a look at your career options in this field and the education you need to get started.

Healthcare Administration Careers

With a degree in healthcare administration, a number of career paths will be available to you. Most start in an entry-level administration position after graduation, but from there you can work your way up to be a manager, vice president, or even CEO. All healthcare facilities and companies have administrators, which ensure that the company stays on budget, is properly staffed, and makes the best decisions both for profits and for patients.

Daily Tasks as a Healthcare Administrator

Your tasks as a healthcare administrator will depend on your position within the company and the facility where you work. In this field, however, your job will focus more on ensuring that the business is viable and patients receive proper care than working directly with patients in a caregiver role. On a daily basis, you could be tasked with balancing budgets, creating policy, staffing, making purchasing decisions, ensuring that employees are properly educated, solving ethical problems, organizing committees, and more. Healthcare administrators often have to wear many hats every day to ensure that daily operations run smoothly.

Healthcare Administration Education

You can get started working as a healthcare administrator with just a bachelor’s degree in the field, but the top positions are often only open to administrators who have at least a master’s degree in the field. Some master’s degree programs are specifically for healthcare administrators while others (such as MBA programs) are more generalized and allow students to add healthcare-related classes as part of the overall course. Every program is different, but some of the classes you can expect to take will cover topics such as finance, international relations, ethics, human resources, management, operations, health informatics, law, and policy creation.

Top Online Master's Degrees in Healthcare Administration

Healthcare administration involves the administration, leadership, and management of healthcare systems, hospitals, or hospital networks. In the United States, a master's degree is the standard credential for becoming a health administrator. Listed below are the top accredited online colleges and universities offering degrees in health administration or closely related fields.

	The online Ohio University Masters MBA Healthcare Management degree program prepares students for success in the management of the healthcare field. The online program is quick and manageable, students are able to continue to work while they complete their degree. Learn More
	The Kaplan University MS in Healthcare Management, MBA in Healthcare Management, MPH in Public Health Program Development, and MPH in Health Education are examples of the university's dynamic healthcare education offering. These programs graduate future leaders in the healthcare field. Learn More
	The University of Phoenix offers several specializations in its MHA program, including Gerontology, Health Education, and Health Informatics. The Gerontology specialization examines the physical, emotional and cultural needs of the aged, while the Health Education and Health Informatics specializations add further options to your course of study. Learn More
	Ashford University is one of the biggest providers of online education in the country, with programs across all degree levels to choose from. AU has three programs in health administration: Master's of Business Administration, Masters's of Arts, and Bachelor's of Arts. These programs help students prepare for high level positions with in the healthcare system and takes a thorough look into biostatistics, finance, and strategic planning. Learn More
	Florida Tech University features an MBA in Healthcare Management program, ideal for individuals seeking to advance into managerial positions. In today's growing healthcare field, students need to understand business concepts and practices to effectively run a hospital, outpatient office, rehabilitation centers, and other related settings. Learn More
	Students enrolled in the MBA in healthcare management program from WGU will learn about the impact economic, quality, cultural, political, and financial factors that shape the delivery of health care and how to factor in cost and economics in the decision-making process. Students are taught the necessary skills needed to analyze and resolve issues within the field of healthcare. Learn More