With the demand for medical and health services managers expected to skyrocket in the coming decade, getting an online bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration could be the first step towards a stable and lucrative healthcare career. These degrees prepare students to work within the operational, business, financial and managerial facets of the healthcare industry. Many schools now offer their healthcare administration programs online, providing additional flexibility to help more students get the education they need to thrive in this growing field.  

What to expect

Most online bachelor’s degrees in healthcare administration consist of at least 120 semester credits (or 180 quarter credits) to graduate. Like most other baccalaureate programs, that usually takes about four years of full-time study. 

A bachelor’s in healthcare administration may be a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. BS degrees are more common and typically include slightly more math and science courses.  

According to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), most of their baccalaureate programs in healthcare administration allow students to specialize in one of the following: 

• General management 
• A specific discipline within healthcare administration, such as financial management 
• A specific segment of the healthcare industry, such as long-term care 

AUPHA is not an accrediting body, nor does their directory include all health administration programs that are available. As a global network of institutions dedicated to the improvement of healthcare management and policy education, however, it can be a valuable resource as you begin searching for a program that’s right for you.  

BS in healthcare administration curriculum

Bearing in mind that individual programs may have their own unique learning objectives and curricular structure, AUPHA states that the basic curriculum for a healthcare management degree addresses three main areas:  

• Study of management theory, concepts and skills. “Broadly defined, all programs are expected to teach students leadership, financial management, economics, law, organizational behavior, quantitative methods and planning.” 
• Study of the healthcare industry “including epidemiology, health and human behavior and medical care organization.” 
• Demonstration of integration of course material “through application of management concepts to the healthcare industry in a major project, paper, or exam.” 

 To these ends, an online bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration may include courses such as:  

• Principles of healthcare management
• Healthcare marketing 
• Legal and ethical issues in healthcare administration 
• Health informatics 
• Healthcare administration budgeting and finance 
• Healthcare administration human resources management 
• Healthcare systems 

On top of these degree-specific courses, baccalaureate students should expect to take general education courses in English composition, mathematics and the physical and social sciences. Many healthcare administration programs also require that students take several business classes in topics such as business administration, project management, economics and more.  

Delivery format

As an online student, you can generally expect to take classes in one of two ways: either as live, regularly scheduled courses (synchronous) or as courses that you can complete on your own time at your own pace (asynchronous). Most programs include a mixture of both types of classes, but some programs may have classes that are delivered 100% one way or the other. 

When searching for programs, it’s important to consider which type of class works best for your learning style. Synchronous classes resemble more traditional college courses since they occur at a set time and allow you to interact in real time with your instructors and classmates. Asynchronous courses, on the other hand, provide the flexibility to complete the course content at your own pace, but in doing so, they sacrifice structure and some of the interpersonal elements.  

Final projects and experiential learning opportunities

Many online bachelor’s degrees in healthcare administration include a capstone course in the final year. This course is dedicated to the completion of a final project that synthesizes all the knowledge and skills learned throughout the program. This often entails a written and oral component.  

Some degrees—even online ones—also include an internship and/or practicum course that allows students to work in a real healthcare setting and put their learning into practice. This could take place at a hospital, clinic, health or human services organization or something else.  

Career paths

Getting your bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration is a versatile career move that can be applied to numerous roles in the healthcare industry. Depending on your prior experience and education (such as any degree specializations or minors you have), you may choose to work in a more generalist role or in positions that deal with a specific facet of healthcare systems, such as finance or human resources. In general, recent graduates probably need to gain some experience in more entry-level administrative positions before they can work their way up to a management role.  

Those who wish to climb to the very top of the field may even qualify for executive positions, however, these may not be attainable with a bachelor’s degree alone. A graduate degree and/or clinical experience may be necessary for high-level healthcare management roles.  

Early career jobs

These jobs may be best for recent graduates who may not have as much work experience under their belt to break into the field of healthcare administration.  

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Middle and later career positions

These jobs may be achieved after accruing at least several years of experience within the field. 

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Tips for success in an online healthcare admin bachelor’s program

The convenience of online learning doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to be a breeze. You’ll have rigorous classes that demand commitment and focus, and you also have to adapt to an online learning environment which may be new for some people.  

Consider some of these tips to help you succeed in your online bachelor’s program in healthcare administration:  

• Create and stick to a consistent study routine: Many of your classes may be asynchronous, meaning you can complete them at your own pace. While this can be incredibly convenient for people with busy or inconsistent schedules, it also means that you must take it upon yourself to sit down and do your work. After all, there’s no scheduled live class to keep you honest and engaged. Try mapping out a weekly schedule at the start of each term to make sure you keep up with your studies and don’t fall behind.  
• Interact with peers and professors as much as possible: Learning management systems—the software that you’ll use to access much of your course materials—often provide several ways to contact and interact with your classmates and instructors. With in-person interactions being fairly limited as an online student, it can be extremely beneficial to make up for this social deficiency by participating in live classroom discussions, contributing to online class forums, asking questions and reaching out to your instructors for one-on-one help.  
• Take advantage of in-person opportunities where you can: Whether it’s built into your healthcare administration degree or not, seek out as many in-person learning opportunities as possible. This could include internships, career fairs or anything else that allows you to network face to face with other students or professionals in the field.  
• Take a job in a health care setting, if you can: Whether out of necessity or just to make some extra money on the side, many people still work while in college. If you’re in this boat, see if you can find an entry-level administrative job in a healthcare setting. This not only allows you to apply what you’re learning outside of the classroom but can also put you one step ahead once you graduate now that you’ve already accumulated some experience in the field.  
• Utilize your school’s resources: Online students are not left in the dark when it comes to needing support from their school. Various school services that are available to their students like academic tutoring, writing workshops and career centers are now typically available virtually as well. If you need help at any point throughout your degree, don’t forget all the assistance that your school has to offer you.  

Choosing the right healthcare administration BS program for you

Enrolling in an online bachelor’s degree program is a huge undertaking. It’s a decision that should be made with care and deliberation to ensure that the program you choose meets your needs and can prepare you for the career ahead.  

As you begin your search for an online bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, consider some of these factors to help you narrow in on the program that’s best for you.

Alignment with your career goals

Take a look at each program’s curriculum and learning outcomes to make sure it’s a degree that can give you the knowledge and skills needed to enter the healthcare administration field. This may include any internship opportunities, final projects, available electives and more. If you’re interested in specializing in a particular area of medicine or discipline (e.g. finance), then you may also wish to look for degrees that offer these kinds of specializations as part of their program.  

Reputation, student outcomes and student support

It’s important to also scrutinize the school itself and make sure it’s a reputable institution that has a track record of positive student outcomes. As an online student, it’s especially important to explore what kind of student support services are available—such as tutoring, counseling, career support and more—should you need any help throughout your degree.  

Cost

The price tag on your education is always a significant factor when determining which programs are feasible for you. Tuition isn’t the only cost item you should look at, however. Consider other fees such as technology fees, any additional equipment you must buy, textbooks and any scholarships that the school offers to reduce the overall cost of the program.  

Accreditation

Any program you attend should be accredited by an accrediting body approved by the U.S. Department of Education. This ensures not only that you are receiving a high-quality education but that you can also qualify for federal financial aid, if needed. 

Resources and further reading

If you’d like to learn more about the healthcare administration profession, check out some of the leading professional organizations in the field: 

• The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) is a global network of institutions dedicated to promoting high quality health care management and policy education. They certify health administration programs that have undergone a rigorous review process, but not all health administration programs are or need to be AUPHA-certified.  
• The Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA) is a nonprofit trade association that supports the education, networking, resource and advocacy needs of numerous different types of health care administrators within the self-funded industry.  
• The American Association of Healthcare Administration Management (AAHAM) is “the only national organization dedicated exclusively to the revenue cycle,” and acts as resource center for information, education and advocacy in the areas of reimbursement, admitting and registration, data management, medical records, patient relations and more.  
• The American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) is a professional membership organization which specifically advocates for excellence within post-acute and aging services leadership.

Wrapping it up

Healthcare administration jobs are expected to explode in the coming decade—the BLS estimates that the employment of medical and health services managers will grow by a whopping 28% through 2034, much faster than the national average across all occupations, which is only 3%. Getting a bachelor’s degree in health care administration could prepare you for a career in this dynamic health care role. With the breadth of online programs that are now available, getting your bachelor’s degree in health care administration has seldom been easier.  

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