Healthcare administration masters programs are also known as a Masters in Healthcare Administration. This is a professional degree that is awarded to students who has finished a course of study in the knowledge and skills needed for careers in health administration. This involves how to manage hospitals, health organizations, and also public health infrastructures. This program is usually taught in colleges of Medicine and other health professions. The program can be classroom based, especially when taught in colleges of business or public health.
Some of the knowledge and skills students are required to know include completing applied experiences as well as coursework in fields such as the making of health policy, healthcare economics, population health, organizational behavior, the marketing and communications part of healthcare, human resource management, as population health, healthcare economics, health policy, organizational behavior, management of healthcare organizations, human resource management, information systems management and assessment, operations assessment and improvement, governance, leadership, statistical analysis and application, financial analysis and management, and strategy formulation and implementation. The purpose of this degree program is to equip graduates of health disciplines with a better understanding of management issues and prepare them for senior management roles.
What Is The Purpose Of Masters Of Healthcare?
This purpose of this program is to equip students with the essential knowledge that is needed for the senior management and planning work in the health sector. Also, the main aim is to develop graduates who are competent general and financial managers, competent planners, knowledgeable about public health and the structure, organization, and financing of healthcare systems, knowledgeable about society, law and ethics, and skilled in quantitative skills. “Health care is a labor-intensive industry, no doubt about it and it’s not likely to change shortly. The leadership of this human capital is uniquely challenging because of the diversity of both the workforce and the customer base and because of the life and death nature of our work.”
Healthcare Administration Degree
A healthcare administration degree prepares graduates for the challenges posed by the dynamic, complex and ever-growing healthcare industry. Although doctors and nurses are the faces of the healthcare system, there are some people behind the scene, making everything work smoothly. Just like the saying goes “behind every working operating medical facility, is a team of health administration professionals committed to making sure that patients get the optimum and effective care possible.” As the population of a society grows, there would always be an increasing need for knowledgeable and well-qualified healthcare administrators. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an estimated growth of 22 percent, in the employment growth rate in this sector, as compared to other occupations. This program opens graduates up to taking advantage of the numerous career opportunities in the field. Some of the things learned during this program include the principles of management, accounting, and strategic planning. Also, some classes focus on the healthcare industry such as health policy, legal principles, and ethics. Individuals interested in taking up leadership roles, especially in the modern healthcare system, would need this kind of program to prepare them for the challenges ahead.
How Many Years Does It Take To Be A Healthcare Administrator?
There are some people working behind the scene in the hospital. These set of people are responsible for the normal functioning of the hospital. Healthcare administration is the field that takes of hospital management, and other facilities related to healthcare. However, becoming a healthcare administrator needs a special kind of education and training. Some of the degrees associated with healthcare Administration include a Bachelor in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration, which both takes an average of 4 years. Also, there is the Masters of Science in Health Administrations, Healthcare Administration, an MBA in healthcare Administration which would take an average of two years. Lastly, there is the Ph.D. in Healthcare Administration, which would take an average of 3-5 years.
Masters In Healthcare Administration Requirements
The requirements needed in getting into a Master in Healthcare Administration differs from one school to another. However, some of the general requirements for this program include the following;
- An admission including having earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. The bachelor’s degree final cumulative GPA must be at least a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Otherwise, a graduate entrance exam may be required. The candidate’s work history, references, and other personal qualities and characteristics will be considered as well if the GPA requirement is not met.
- Entrance Exam(GMAT/GRE): This may be a requirement for applicants that earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, with a GPA below 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale).
- English Language Testing & TOEFL IELTS: Prospective students must demonstrate English Language Proficiency. Students are exempted from writing this test if they fall under the following category;
- The applicant is a citizen of a country where English is the official language.
- The applicant has received a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an institution located in an English-speaking country in which the courses were taught in English.
- The applicant has earned appropriate scores on language proficiency exams taken within the last two years.
Prerequisites For MHA Degree
The core responsibility of the healthcare manager is to manage proficiently and without issue. That’s why so many programs load students up on courses ranging from strategic management to healthcare organization and more. Business courses that are considered a prerequisite by most programs today include all of the following:
– Accounting I and Accounting II
– Microeconomics
– Macroeconomics
– Principles of Management
– Principles of Marketing
– Financial Management
– Business Writing
Beyond these business basics, students will be expected to take quite a few courses that combine both business and healthcare sensibilities. Typically, those courses are offered from the actual health professions college within the university.
Health-Related Prerequisites for the Healthcare Management Student
Though business-related courses serve as a strong foundation for management in healthcare organizations or virtually any other, there are some skills that must be mastered by candidates before they can be considered to manage and oversee today’s clinics and large hospitals. To that end, most universities require prerequisites like the following, though their exact name may vary:
– Seminar on Current Health Challenges
– Healthcare Organization
– American Healthcare
– Healthcare Administration and Management
– Healthcare Finance
– Laws and Ethics of Health Services
Because the number one thing that today’s employer’s value is work experience, most universities will require at least one internship in a related field before graduation. Some universities may mandate that this internship is pursued as a co-op, a job for which the student gets paid a part-time wage while attending a reduced number of classes. In either scenario, students will need to find a relevant job, land the job, and have that job approved by an advisor to satisfy this requirement.
Although the program is demanding and requires a lot of hard work, understanding of business, management, healthcare, and administration. Successful graduates are rewarded with a strong demand for their skills and a growing healthcare industry at large. For this reason, the healthcare management major remains consistently popular wherever it’s offered.
References
Anthony, M. (2016). Handbook of Home Healthcare Administration. Home Healthcare Now, 34(2), pp.57-58.
Application of Modern Management Techniques in Healthcare. (2011). The Internet Journal of Healthcare Administration, 7(1).
Bestvalueschools.com. (2018). What are the Prerequisites for a Master’s in Health Administration?. [online] Available at https://www.bestvalueschools.com/faq/what-are-the-prerequisites-for-a-masters-in-health-administration/ [Accessed 6 Jul. 2018].
