What Education Do I Need to Become a Health Care Administrator?

<p>Graduate-level education is becoming increasingly important for employment as a health care administrator, especially so with large health care organizations. In smaller medical offices, a bachelor's degree will usually suffice. Some education options for those who want to become health care administrators are discussed below. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisDegree">Important Facts About This Degree</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Online Availability</td><td> Bachelor's and master's degrees in health care administration available fully online</td></tr> <tr><td>Common Courses</td><td> Accounting and finance, health care law and policy, health insurance, human resources, ethics, information systems, operations management</td></tr> <tr><td>Prerequisites</td><td> High school diploma or equivalent; bachelor's degree required for master's program</td></tr> <tr><td>Specializations</td><td> Criminal forensics, finance, emergency management, sales and marketing, information technology, communications</td></tr> <tr><td>Median Salary (2021)</td><td> $76,019*</td></tr> <tr><td>Job Outlook (2021-2031)</td><td> 28% (for all medical and health services managers)**</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *PayScale.com, **U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---BachelorSDegree">Bachelor's Degree</h3> <p>For entry-level positions in small health care facilities, a bachelor's degree may be sufficient. Those with a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration often begin their careers as assistant health care administrators of a department in a large hospital. Some physicians' offices and smaller medical facilities may overlook the educational requirement and hire those with extensive on-the-job experience instead. </p> <h3 id="section---MasterSDegree">Master's Degree</h3> <p>According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, <i>www.bls.gov</i>), a master's degree is usually required for a generalist position as a health care administrator. The master's degree may be in a variety of fields, including business administration, public administration, public health, or health sciences. Those with a master's degree in health administration or a related field may begin their careers at the department manager level. </p> <h3 id="section---DegreesInHealthInformationManagement">Degrees in Health Information Management</h3> <p>A health information administrator is a special kind of health care administrator who manages the electronically stored information for health care organizations. Those entering this field should have at least a bachelor's degree in health information management or health informatics. For larger employers, a master's degree in the field may be required. Those with a degree from an approved program may take a certification exam from the American Health Information Management Association to become Registered Health Information Administrators.</p>