Healthcare Management Degrees

Overview

The healthcare management is a field that brings together the leadership, management, and administration in hospitals, hospital networks, and healthcare systems in general. Healthcare managers are vital for planning, coordinating, and supervising in the field of healthcare. Insurance, government staffing concerns, and supply orders are some of the vital things healthcare managers handle. A healthcare management degree can help professionals better perform their roles.

A student can pursue a degree in healthcare management right from the diploma level until the master's level. The duration of a degree varies between one and four years, depending on the program and school. A healthcare management degree may include training on health information management, legal aspects of the health care field, medical terminologies, concepts in healthcare delivery systems, medical informatics, coding and reimbursement systems, organization and administrative management, quality improvement, risk management, utilization management, clinical experience, and fundamentals of medical science. Many colleges provide internship training programs to their students, which greatly help in gaining practical knowledge.

Benefits

In the current times of recession, every industry in the United States of America has been ravaged. With almost all of the companies in trouble, the healthcare industry provides a bright spot. Currently, more than 100,000 people are employed in the healthcare management field. According to the statistics, by 2016 healthcare is set to generate about three million new jobs. From hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and clinics to diagnostic centers, labs, research facilities, and government agencies, you have many different places you can choose to work at. It is a rewarding profession too. According to U.S. Labor Department, the average salary for a health care manager is about $73,000 per annum. With a few years of experience, you can hope to get a salary package of up to $210,000 per annum.

Costs

Depending on the college or university at which you choose to pursue the degree, the average tuition fee for a bachelor's degree program may cost you around $5,000 for 20 credit hours. The tuition fee for a master's degree course may work out to about $1,100 per credit hour.

Schools

New York University and University of Texas are some of the names in the field of education that offer degree programs in health care management. There are certain schools that also offer distance education programs. Ellis College is one of them.

Testing & Preparation

For pursuing a bachelor's degree in healthcare management, you have to have a good academic score in your high school or an equivalent general educational development (G.E.D). For master's degree, the applicant should possess a 4-year baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Certain colleges also expect students to have work experience in the healthcare field.

You may also be required to take the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with reasonable scores. If you are an international student, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score is another requirement. You can also add value, by pursuing national level certifications like Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).

Apart from these, it is mandatory that all new students show proof of immunization for measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, hemophilus influenzae type B, and meningococcal meningitis.

Financial Aid

The Federal Student Aid is a government funded program that includes scholarships, grants, and loans. It can be availed by all the deserving American students. Every state also has some form of merit scholarship plans for its students. You can also approach private banks to obtain student loans. You must get in touch with the financial aid department of your college or university to know their provisions.