Within the healthcare field, there are several positions in which you may be interested in besides the obvious ones like becoming a Registered Nurse or a Nurse Practitioner. Some people prefer contact with patients and some don’t. If you are not interested in direct patient bedside care, that’s okay because a position in Healthcare Administration may be a career that you can pursue. And, of course, there are specializations within Healthcare Administrations, too, such as finances and accounting, criminal forensics, sales and marketing, communications, information technology and emergency management.
As always, any job in healthcare can be stressful and, depending on the situation, can be daunting, however, all healthcare careers are rewarding and fulfilling. The ability to change the course of someone’s physical or mental health to their best takes a very special person and if you choose to work in the administrative portion of healthcare, your position is just as significant as any other.
If you are just beginning to embark upon your educational journey to become a Healthcare Administrator, also known as Medical and Health Service Managers, then perhaps you are wondering what sort of degree you will need to get the best possible position, in addition to, a lucrative salary. The absolute minimum degree for this position is to own an online bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, however, most Healthcare Managers require that you own an online master’s degree in healthcare administration.
The process begins with earning your online bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration or in a related field, such as health services, public administration or perhaps, long-term care administration. These programs provide the necessary training and coursework to provide knowledge for entry-level positions in management within the field of healthcare administration.
Coursework within the bachelor’s program may include learning important business skills such as accounting, finance and human resources management. As always, if you are thinking of eventually earning your online master’s degree in healthcare administration, then be sure to take the required prerequisite courses such as competence with statistics and others in your bachelor’s program to prepare you for a master’s program. Your program may also provide opportunities to work an internship, as well, providing you with excellent experience within the healthcare system.
As previously stated, earning your online master’s degree in healthcare administration is the desired degree for an administrator’s career. Although an online master’s program will take two to three years to complete, it will be worth your while. It will make you more knowledgeable and more sought after out there in the job market.
An online master’s in healthcare administration program will include additional coursework in strategic planning, economics, healthcare law and policy, health insurance, ethics, information systems and leadership/operations management. As a graduate student, you will be required to complete field studies through a required internship program, as well as, involvement with student organizations. These types of programs promote networking and educational opportunities within the realm of healthcare.
If you are interested in a career in healthcare, check out our Top 20 Online Master’s Degree of Healthcare Administration Programs that we have compiled for your review.