Online Courses in Health Administration

What Topics Are Covered in Health Administration Courses?

Like any business, doctor's offices and hospitals need someone in charge who can manage personnel and finances as well as ensure that necessary supplies and services are available as needed. Through online courses in health administration, you will acquire the skills necessary to allocate resources within a healthcare organization in order to meet the needs of patients and their families.

Managing Public Health Systems

This course will teach students how to recognize and develop talent in their employees. Other topics include organizational skills, leadership, professionalism and public health management.

U.S. Healthcare System

Public and private sectors of the U.S. healthcare system will be explored in this course. Main concepts include consumer behavior, changes to the level of care and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010.

Healthcare Financial Management

Financial accounting terminology, balance sheets and cost accounts will be studied in this course. Budgeting, resource management allocation and quality improvement efforts will also be discussed.

Health Administration Law

This course will study legal accountability of healthcare organizations. A major emphasis is placed on critical-thinking skills, privacy of medical information and case law issues.

Healthcare Strategic Planning and Marketing

Students will cover the basic elements of strategic planning in a step-by-step implementation process as part of their studies in this course. Other areas of focus include marketing strategies, creative approaches and applications associated with healthcare providers.

What Levels of Health Administration Courses Are Available?

Online courses in health administration are available at the undergraduate and graduate level and are usually part of degree programs. You can pursue an online Associate of Science in Health Administration or an online Bachelor of Science in Health Administration. Online health administration programs and courses are also widely available at the master's and doctoral level. You can also earn a graduate certificate, and the credits completed can be applied toward a master's degree.

How Do Online Courses Work?

To complete your health administration courses online, you will log onto Blackboard or another web application where you can see the courses you're registered for and select the one you want. From there, you'll see the course syllabus, class discussions, lessons and assignments. You can select the lesson you're on, which will be available in video or audio format, and complete the related assignments. Some courses may use video conferencing to imitate an on-campus classroom, requiring that you meet at a certain time - but most courses are self-paced and accessible whenever you're available.

Assignments have scheduled due dates, and students usually take tests on the same day. Some classes have participation requirements, so you can use online chat or class discussion boards to fulfill these requirements. These also provide the opportunity to interact with your classmates and professors.