10 Top Double Majors With a Healthcare Administration Degree

If you have a passion for helping people and know that you want to work in a medical facility, most likely you want to earn a healthcare administration degree. This type of degree helps prepare you with the skills necessary to excel in a medical facility, though you typically are limited to front-office responsibilities.

This may include patient intake, billing, and support for the other departments. While this may seem like an interesting option, a double major can help you pivot into other job titles in the future. If you're curious about the different majors that work best with a healthcare administration degree, this article covers 10 great choices.

Healthcare Administration Double Majors

If you're ready to get started at college and are interested in choosing a double major, then this list will tell you the 10 best options with a healthcare administration degree.

Business Administration

Business administration is a natural combination with healthcare because it helps you develop skills that may be applicable to management-level positions beyond administration.

This double major combines healthcare management with business acumen and may include core courses like financial management, organizational behavior, strategic management, and knowledge of regulatory and healthcare policy.

Public Health

The study of public health helps you understand statistical information on population help, and the preventative care necessary to avoid the spread of disease.

Healthcare facilities need qualified professionals with this background because it's important to understand how to keep patients healthy throughout the time they're admitted.

A typical public health major will include courses that focus on:

• epidemiology
• biostatistics
• environmental health
• health promotion
• health systems

Nursing

Also, within the realm of healthcare is nursing. While not everyone who majors in nursing goes on to become a registered nurse, this schooling can equip you with the clinical knowledge and administrative skills to reinforce the operational side of a medical facility.

Many of the program's courses will include learning related to nursing, such as patient care, healthcare policy, and patient rights.

Information Technology

Information technology is an integral part of almost all industries, not foregoing healthcare. Most healthcare facilities now maintain their patient records in an electronic database and conduct all of their scheduling and billing through a computer system.

Information technology skills are an important piece of administration efforts because they integrate this core piece of the job into your daily learning. You'll take courses that include database management, network, security and healthcare IT management. If you decide to pursue an online information technology degree as your double major, you'll be able to avoid commuting.

Finance

Working in the front office of a healthcare facility may mean that you will take part in patient billing and paying for the typical office expenses. In other words, you may be handling book balancing accounts payable, and accounts receivable.

Earning a double major in finance will provide financial expertise that may be critical for budgeting, financial planning, and analyzing the financial health of a business.

Human Resource Management

Human resources consists of the management of employees, similar to the management of patients. In human resources, you may be responsible for employee onboarding and training as well as administering benefits.

Working in the front office may require some of these skills. A healthcare administrator should prepare themselves with an understanding of labor laws and managing healthcare personnel by earning a human resource management degree too.

Psychology

Studying psychology can benefit just about any professional because it offers insights into human behavior. If your professional environment deals with humans, then understanding, mental health and wellness can make an impact on your overall success.

Choosing to double major in psychology, can certainly benefit your progress in patient relations, but may also help with staff management. If the healthcare facility you decide to work in is for health, then you may provide additional services to patients based on your prior knowledge.

Law

Similar to human resource management, studying law can provide an administrator with legal knowledge that's vital for navigating healthcare regulations, compliance, and employee relations.

Law degrees may also supply coursework for healthcare ethics. As a healthcare administrator, the most important part of the job includes offering dignified an ethical support to patients, so this program may help you learn how to do it effectively.

Marketing

While working in a healthcare facility, you may decide that you want to pivot into a communications-focused role. Now that so many businesses have a presence on social media and take part in other digital marketing efforts such as email marketing and website SEO, you may have a chance to get started in a marketing position.

Marketing helps develop your understanding of promoting healthcare services and enhancing patient engagement. You may also take part in building relationships and authority online that can further improve your rep reputation.

Public Policy

Public policy is essential if you want to learn how to advocate for patients and make strategic plans in healthcare. If you decide to double major in anything, consider public policy, which will help achieve these goals.

This double major may include courses like economics, public administration, and public policy analysis. Learning this along with earning experience in healthcare administration may line you up for a career in a government-run initiative.

What Is a Double Major?

A double major refers to a student completing the requirements for two distinct academic disciplines or fields of study simultaneously, leading to the award of a single bachelor's degree with two majors listed.

This typically involves fulfilling the core and elective course requirements for both majors within the timeframe of a typical undergraduate program, which can be demanding but rewarding.

Double Major vs. Dual Degree

A double major involves a student completing the requirements for two different majors within the same degree program, resulting in a single bachelor's degree that lists both majors.

A dual degree involves a student earning two separate degrees, which can be at the same or different academic levels (e.g., two bachelor's degrees, a bachelor's and a master's, etc.), often from different schools or colleges within the university or even from two different institutions.

Essentially, a double major consists of one degree with two separate majors, while a dual degree is comprised of two separate degrees.

FAQs About Double Majoring With Healthcare Administration

If you're interested in double majoring with a healthcare administration degree, then you may have some additional questions about degree options and if it's worth the extra effort. Here we will discuss the answer to frequently asked questions.

Can You Double Major With Healthcare Administration?

Yes, you can double major in healthcare administration. While you're searching for prospective universities, look for colleges that have a robust healthcare administration program with the ability to double major.

Keep in mind that not every single school has the same course offerings, so you may want to look for a university with a lot of different program options so you can choose while you're enrolled.

Is a Double Major in Healthcare Administration Worth It?

Yes, a double major in healthcare administration can be worth it, depending on the trajectory you hope to take in your career. The purpose of a major is to give you an additional skill set in a related area that you may pivot into at any given time.

What you choose to double major depends on your interests and skills. Someone who has a strong interest in communications may opt in for a marketing double major whereas a person who is good with numbers may choose finance.

What Are the Benefits of Double Majoring With Healthcare Administration?

Among the biggest benefits of completing a double major is the ability to pivot into different career paths based on the skills you learned. While you may know you love healthcare and want to work in a medical facility, you may not want to have just one position there.

Having a double major can teach you different skills, such as marketing, accounting, or business administration that will then help you take on other responsibilities in the office.

Will a Double Major With Healthcare Administration Improve My Career Outlook?

Yes, in some circumstances, your career prospects may increase with another major under your belt. This depends on what type of career path you're interested in. For example, if you would like to take on a creative role within a healthcare organization, such as managing a social media page or patient communication, earning a marketing degree can help you get there.

On the other hand, if you wish to get into a management level role, then a double major in business administration can help develop the skills necessary to oversee a team of people.