Rhode Island Graduate Healthcare Administration Programs

If you want to combine your administration and management skills with an interest in health care, look no further than Healthcare Administration Graduate Programs! You could develop a deep understanding of the many aspects of healthcare management through a combination of business and health specific courses.

Earning your healthcare administration degree, you might study topics such as health informatics, the effective delivery of patient care, and leadership strategies. Some programs may even allow you to select a focus area or examine health care administration in a specific setting. These include hospitals, nursing homes and mental health facilities, to name a few.

About Healthcare Administration Graduate Programs

What is Health Administration?

Health administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to the leadership, management, and administration of public health systems, hospitals, health care systems, medical practices and residential facilities. Essentially it is the intersection of business and healthcare.

Also known as healthcare management, it involves the planning and coordinating of medical and health services, as well as day to day administrative duties ranging from budgeting to HR management.i Health administrators seek to balance the twin goals of providing high quality patient care while maximizing an organization's efficiency and effectiveness.

Healthcare administration graduate programs could help prepare you to take on this challenge and more. Graduate programs tend to really fine-tune your analytical skills and may play a role in helping you to potentially move into leadership roles or pursue a new career.

Reports show that the job prospects for medical and health services managers is projected to grow 17% from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Also those with a masters in health administration degree and knowledge of healthcare IT systems are likely to have improved prospects.i

Professional insight into Healthcare Administration Programs

"The expansion of health care services will continue to be driven by the growing number of older Americans needing care as well as by an increasing number of people insured and seeking care because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that opportunities for professional jobs in health care administration will continue to expand at a faster pace than in most other job sectors.

The MHA focuses on the skills needed to succeed in the business of health care, whether it is managing health care services, health care financing and insurance, or designing new programs and advocating for pubic policies to improve quality and access to care. The MHA graduate can look forward to an exciting and satisfying career in health care, making a real difference in the lives of people, and enjoying many opportunities for career advancement."

Mary Ann Hart is the Program Director and Associate Professor of the Graduate Program in Health Administration at Regis College

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What Might I Study While Earning a Healthcare Administration Degree?

Due to the breath of the health administration field, graduate health care administation program curricula may vary.

Some programs focus on specific areas of study, such as leadership, health informatics, health policy or health program planning. Or on practicing in a particular setting. You might even concentrate on a specific type of patient, like the elderly.

Other health administration graduate programs may seek to provide a broader overview by covering advanced management theory, as well as medical terminology and health service management. That being said, students could expect to take some of the following courses.ii

  • Hospital organization and management
  • Law and ethics
  • Human resources
  • Strategic planning
  • Accounting and budgeting
  • Health economics
  • Health information systems

These are just a sample of possible courses. Read program descriptions carefully and review curricula to find a perfect match for you.

Types of Healthcare Administration Graduate Programs

Health administration programs may offer graduate certificates or masters and doctoral degrees. While all may touch on important topics in healthcare management, the depth of study and requirements may vary.

Follow up with programs directly or visit the pages linked below to learn more about each healthcare administration degree.

Healthcare Administration Masters Programs and MBA Programs

Master in Healthcare Administration programs are often offered as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Health Care Administration, where it functions as a concentration within the MBA Program, or as a Master of Science in Health Care Administration.

MBA in Health Care Administration Programs seek to impart knowledge of management theory and pivotal elements of the health care profession. It may be great for those looking for a more well rounded business background, in addition to healthcare specific knowledge.

In this type of program, you might study subjects such as business English, statistical business methods, marketing, financial management and organizational behavior. Then you may go on to more health specific topics assigned to your track.

Additionally, these programs often also include a hands on component through required internships and may conclude with a capstone or thesis paper.

Master of Science in Health Care Administration Programs tend to cater to individuals working in the health care sector. For this reason, schools may require a certain level of experience for admission.

Coursework may be more heavily focused on the field of health and cover subjects like health policy, international and local health, health care information systems management and applied research techniques.

In addition to the above examples, schools may also offer the MHA degree, Master of Business Administration –Concentration in Health Care and Master of Science in Health Care Ethics programs.

Browse all Master in Healthcare Administration Degrees to learn more.

Doctorate Healthcare Administration Programs

Doctorate Healthcare Management programs expands upon a student's knowledge and skills in the administration of health care. Often these are research intensive, and may focus on health policy and quality improvement.

These health care administratoin degrees cater to future leaders of health care organizations by providing them with an approach that bridges theory and application. They could be ideal for those interested in pursuing opportunities as academics, leadership positions or interested in addressing issues in healthcare systems as a whole.

Doctorate in Healthcare Administration programs may award several different degree types, including the DHA, DBA and PhD in Healthcare Administration. Some of the listings that might interest you include Doctorate in Healthcare Management (DHA) and Leadership, Doctor of Business Administration - Health Care Administration (DBA) and Phd in Healthcare Administration programs.

Browse all Doctorate in Healthcare Management Programs!

Graduate Certificates in Healthcare Administration Programs

Students not ready for a full health care administration degree program might consider earning a graduate certificate, such as a Graduate Certificate in Elder Care Management. These programs are often shorter with more focused curriculum.

They may be taken as an add on to a degree program, or as a stand alone non degree option. If you are seeking to explore a specific subject area in depth or boost your credentials, this may be a good choice.

Browse all Graduate Certificates in Healthcare Administration!

Healthcare Administration School Accreditation

Accreditation may be an important factor when choosing between healthcare administration graduate programs. This is one way to help assess the quality of a given school, as well quality of the education you could receive while earning your healthcare administration degree.

In addition to regionally accredited schools, be sure to look for health care administration programs accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). CAHME is the only organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit graduate healthcare administration programs in the US and Canada.

Pursing a healthcare degree from a CAHME accredited program could help ensure you can transfer their credits to other schools and pursue professional licensure and other credentials. However it's always best to follow up directly to ensure all requirements are met.

Healthcare Administration Programs: On-Campus or Online?

Healthcare administration graduate programs may be offered in more than one learning format. This is to cater to a range of student needs and learning styles.

Healthcare administration schools essentially offer face-to-face interactions and hands-on learning. This may be especially useful for developing interpersonal skills considered important in healthcare management. Students may also gain access to campus facilities such as libraries, career services, tutoring and labs.

Online healthcare administration programs often suit busy working students who cannot commit to attending class on site, but want to earn their degree. Class work may be available anytime and anywhere with an internet connection. Plus you could still interact with peers and professors through email, discussion boards and online chat.

So how to choose?

If undecided, sometimes it helps to initiate a search, see what is offered, and request more info from the university or college. On GradSchools.com we make it easy. Choose your program level depending on what your current needs are – graduate certificates, masters or PhD in Healthcare Administration Management.

Then, select your program format. Searching for campuses, you are even able to use the city, state or country tabs if you are looking for programs offered in a specific area.

Find Graduate Healthcare Administration Programs

Ready to begin your search for great healthcare administration graduate programs? Browse the listings below or use the menu bars to customize your directory. Then click the sponsored program link to learn more.There you can contact schools directly with an easy on page form.

Take the first step to earning your graduate healthcare administration degree today!

Source: [i] bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-6 | [ii] bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-4

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