Online MBA: Focus in Healthcare Management
With nearly 300,000 professionals and a projected 16% increase in job growth for the 2008-2018 decade, healthcare management is one of the fastest growing careers in the healthcare industry. Aspiring healthcare managers will find employment opportunities in all areas of healthcare, but the following industries will offer the most:
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
- Outpatient Care Centers
- Offices of Physicians
- Home Health Care Services
- Nursing Care Facilities
Healthcare management salaries are on the rise as well. In 2008, healthcare managers earned a median annual salary of $73,340. By 2009, this figure increased to $76,990. This represents a 4.7% increase in the average salary for healthcare managers in just one year.
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a healthcare manager, you should begin by obtaining your bachelor's and master’s degrees. While it isn't required for entry into the field, most employers prefer a master’s degree from an accredited program in health sciences, public health, public administration, business administration, long-term care administration, or health services administration.
According to the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education, there were only 5 accredited master’s degree programs in health information management as of 2008; and 72 schools that had accredited programs leading to the master’s degree in health services administration.
Many accredited on-campus colleges offer a master’s degree in areas such as health administration, public health, and business administration. These programs are often available online through the continuing education department. In addition, many colleges that operate 100% online offer master’s degrees in the areas listed above or an MBA with focus in healthcare management.
Whether on-campus or online, most accredited MBA programs are similar. However, it is still important to pay close attention to accreditation and curriculum when searching for a top online MBA program. The on-campus MBA curriculum is still the standard in the academic and business world as well as accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency.
The following agencies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education:
- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
- The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
- The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
The following recognized accreditation agencies offer regional accreditation:
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The core curriculum listed below is the standard for accredited online and on-campus MBA degree programs. Core curriculums typically account for 40% of the degree requirement.
- Accounting
- Business
- Strategy
- Economics
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Marketing
- Management
- Manufacturing and Production
- Operations Management
- Statistics
- Technology and Information Systems
Other courses include financial accounting, marketing strategy, managerial economics, leadership development, managerial statistics, operations strategy, financial planning and analysis, strategy structure and incentives, global economic environment, and social networks and social capital.
Online MBA: Focus in Healthcare Management Curriculum
In addition to the standard core curriculum for the MBA degree, the focus in healthcare management will include courses such as:
- Concepts of Family Nursing
- History Dynamics of Family Systems
- Financial Resource Management
- Human Relations and Organizational Behavior
- Information Management in Business
- Issues and Strategies in Nursing Research Utilization
- Leadership and Management in Nursing and Healthcare
- Legal Issues in Healthcare/Law
- Marketing Management
- Population Focused Healthcare
- Strategy Formulation and Implementation
- Theoretical Foundations of Professional Nursing
Finding Online MBA: Focus in Healthcare Management Programs
To locate top accredited online MBA programs in healthcare management, students may explore offerings at on-campus universities, search through comprehensive online directories such as Top Online Colleges, or use well-known search engines such as Bing, Ask or Google. Each online degree program will offer information on accreditation. Although the accrediting agencies listed above are common, the list of recognized accrediting agencies is extensive. Please visit the U.S. Department of Education website to take a look at the entire list of recognized accrediting agencies.
Tip: For more information about healthcare management careers, visit the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM).
