What's the Curriculum of a Bachelor's Degree in Health Administration?

<p>The requirements for earning a bachelor's degree in health administration may differ from one school to the next; however, most schools require students to complete approximately 120 credits to earn the degree. These credits include general education and liberal arts courses, along with health administration-specific classes. The health administration courses typically include core classes and electives. While schools may use different titles for these classes, the topics covered are usually similar. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutBachelorSDegreesInHealthAdministration">Important Facts About Bachelor's Degrees in Health Administration</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Prerequisites </td><td> High school diploma or GED equivalent</td></tr> <tr><td>Online Availability </td><td> Yes</td></tr> <tr><td>Continuing Education </td><td> Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA)</td></tr> <tr><td>Possible Careers </td><td> Human resources manager, community service manager, health insurance specialist</td></tr> <tr><td>Median Salary (2023)</td><td> $76,019 (healthcare administrators)*</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---GeneralEducationRequirements">General Education Requirements</h3> <p>General education requirements may include coursework in the humanities, arts and English, along with mathematics, science and social sciences classes. Some schools recommend students take classes in biology, psychology and sociology, since coursework in these fields could give health administration students a better foundation for dealing with the medical terminology they'll encounter on the job. </p> <h3 id="section---HealthAdministrationCoreCourses">Health Administration Core Courses</h3> <p>The core classes in health administration programs typically cover management policies along with healthcare history and legal topics. Some commonly required classes could include: </p> <ul><li>Healthcare systems economics </li><li>Medical terminology </li><li>Healthcare organizations </li><li>Health law </li><li>Healthcare in America </li></ul><h3 id="section---HealthAdministrationElectives">Health Administration Electives</h3> <p>Elective courses allow students to customize a program with an eye toward employment. For example, if you know you want to work as a manager for a practice that treats older patients, you might want to focus your elective coursework on topics such as gerontology and elder care. Courses that your school might offer include: </p> <ul><li>Hospital administration </li><li>International health </li><li>Managed care </li><li>Services for the mentally ill and elderly </li></ul><h3 id="section---Internships">Internships</h3> <p>Many health administration bachelor's programs require you to complete an internship or field experience in a health administration position. This gives you an opportunity to put your classroom lessons into practice, and these experiences could help you find an employer sooner. Often, your educational department will have a list of organizations in the area that offer an internship.</p>