Online MBA Programs in Healthcare Informatics
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 118 schools in our BSchools.org database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
“Because they are working through content with this well-defined industry focus, this degree truly does prepare them as graduates for the multifaceted situations they may encounter while working in healthcare.”
Jametta Magwood-Golston, PhD, Western Governors University
A master of business administration (MBA) concentrated in healthcare informatics or healthcare management prepares students for leadership roles in the healthcare industry, while also training them in innovative technology and data-driven research and analysis on topics ranging from appropriate patient treatments to public health statistics.
According to Precedence Research, “The global healthcare informatics market size is expected to be worth around US$ 104.80 billion by 2032 from at US$ 33 billion in 2022, expanding growth at a CAGR of 12.30% from 2023 to 2032.”
Additionally, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2025) expects job openings for medical and health service managers to swell 29 percent between 2023 and 2033—more than seven times the national average of 4 percent. With technology constantly advancing and legislation requiring many healthcare institutions to digitize their records and systems, the demand for professionals in the healthcare informatics field will only continue to grow.
Graduates of healthcare informatics or management MBA programs may find employment as technology operatives and executive-level administrators in hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, care facilities, research organizations, policy think tanks, and insurance companies. Graduates from healthcare informatics and management programs can expect to immediately begin making salaries just shy of the six-figure mark, according to most universities offering these programs.
Additionally, because of the high demand for professionals with healthcare informatics knowledge, many of these programs encourage applicants to discuss tuition reimbursement with their employers.
Most healthcare informatics MBA programs require applicants to have professional experience in the healthcare industry. Entrance exams such as the GRE or GMAT are often not necessary. The programs listed below are offered almost exclusively online, without on-campus weekends or travel requirements that are occasionally required of online hybrid MBAs in other concentrations. The curricula are also provided in a flexible format so that students can determine their pace of learning and continue working while enrolled in school.
| Featured Healthcare Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Southern New Hampshire University | Online MBA In Healthcare Management | View Full Profile |
| University of Southern Indiana | Online MBA - Healthcare Administration | View Full Profile |
| Purdue Global | Online MBA - Health Care Management | View Full Profile |
| Murray State University | MBA - Healthcare Administration | View Full Profile |
| Walden University | Master of Business Administration (MBA) | View Full Profile |
| University of Mount Saint Vincent | MBA - Healthcare Management | View Full Profile |
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 118 schools in our BSchools.org database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details. |
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Meet the Expert: Jametta Magwood-Golston, MPH, PhD
Dr. Jametta Magwood-Golston is an expert on the management of healthcare system operations at medical centers, hospitals, and clinics. She teaches for Western Governors University and currently leads WGU’s course C429, Healthcare Operations Management. This advanced course explores concepts and processes for managing operations in interdependent and multidisciplinary healthcare organizations that strive to meet stakeholders’ needs for safe and efficient productivity. Her course also teaches managerial skills, particularly useful in healthcare settings, such as communication, relationship building and maintenance, and marketing outreach.
Not all Americans are aware that almost half of the nation’s adult population suffers from high blood pressure, but only a quarter of them have their hypertension under control. In April 2024, Dr. Magwood-Golston also presented a session at the South Carolina Health Equity Summit that was sponsored by the Raleigh-based healthcare consulting firm Constellation Quality Health. Titled “The Constellation Regional Learning Collaborative (CRLC): An Alternative Approach to Hypertension Control,” her session focused on new and innovative strategies for transforming hypertension care.
Before joining WGU, Dr. Magwood-Golston launched her career as an assistant professor of clinical research and leadership at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC. She holds two degrees from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in public health, as well as a PhD.
BSchools.org: How has an MBA with this concentration enhanced your students’ careers?
Dr. Magwood-Golston: The versatility of the degree positions our learners to excel in their fields, both in specialized knowledge as well as compensation. Because they are working through content with this well-defined industry focus, this degree truly does prepare them as graduates for the multifaceted situations they may encounter while working in healthcare.
Most importantly, students work through actual healthcare processes during their coursework. For example, in one of our courses, students study the Joint Commission accreditation process. Many graduates working in the field have shared with me how this specific coursework prepared them for the accreditation procedures in which they actually participated.
This real-life coursework was invaluable to a recent student who was switching from a technology background to healthcare. Not only was he able to gain an improved understanding of healthcare organization accreditation, but he also felt the coursework validated his decision to switch career paths.
BSchools.org: What’s one piece of advice you would give to a prospective MBA student?
Dr. Magwood-Golston: In short, ensure a clear understanding of what you’re getting into from the outset. The options are extremely vast in this field, but there are key characteristics that will propel your success, and you need to start applying those during your MBA education.
One of them requires good time management skills. A second calls for your openness to having your analyses and conclusions challenged. And a third entails developing a good sense of knowing when to tap into your resources, like your instructors and the professional network you’re developing.
Analysis: Dr. Magwood-Golston’s response to the first question explains how her coursework is more than theoretical—it integrates real-world regulatory frameworks, such as Joint Commission accreditation. Based in Chicago, the Joint Commission is a nonprofit board that accredits and certifies 22,000 healthcare organizations across the United States.
This accreditation is a big deal in the healthcare industry because it ensures hospitals and providers meet sufficient quality and safety standards. Moreover, most state governments require Joint Commission accreditation as a condition of licensure before a healthcare organization can receive reimbursements for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
By introducing students in the MBA program to how this process works, the coursework gives them a real-world reference point. For someone coming from a tech background (like the student she mentions), this coverage can also help demystify how healthcare systems are evaluated.
Why is that essential knowledge if a student wants to pivot into healthcare leadership or informatics roles? That’s because the coursework prepares students to understand the minimum standards they have to enforce while successfully managing a high-functioning healthcare operation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Featured Online MBA Programs in Healthcare Informatics
SNHU includes healthcare informatics in its MBA curriculum for budding healthcare administrators. The 80-year-old university offers an MBA in healthcare management that provides students with the skills they need to excel in the field and incorporate informatics into daily decision-making and care delivery. The online program is presented on a flexible schedule determined by students individually.
No GMAT or GRE scores are required for admission, and the university provides career counselors to help students navigate the program and find employment upon graduation. Coursework includes both case studies and specialized classes, including social and organizational issues in healthcare; healthcare informatics; topics in health administration; leading people and organizations; organizational strategy in a global environment; and innovation and strategy for high-performance organizations. The program is made up of 30 credits.
| Location: Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 12 months |
Eastern Washington University offers an online MBA in health services administration. Candidates for admission must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applicants with at least a 2.5 GPA plus three years of professional work experience may be considered. Additionally, those with a 2.5 GPA and an acceptable score on the GMAT may apply.
Core courses include the essentials of operations management; data-driven decision-making; marketing management; corporate finance; leadership and ethics; advanced accounting for managers; and MBA capstone. Concentration coursework covers health systems finance and governance; U.S. health systems; health law and human resources; and business intelligence and health systems.
| Location: Cheney, Washington |
| Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 10 months or more |
Southern Oregon University offers an online MBA in healthcare administration that comprises 45 credits. Core courses include marketing management and strategy; information systems; strategic operations management; graduate research project; managerial accounting for decision-making; economic analysis; advanced organizational behavior; financial management practices; legal and ethical issues in business and management; and a capstone.
Concentration courses include instruction in process improvement; healthcare in the United States: structures, systems, and policies; and advanced health communication.
| Location: Ashland, Oregon |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 16 months |
Purdue Global provides two options for those seeking advanced training in the business of healthcare: an online MBA in healthcare management and a dual MSN-MBA program. Admission requirements include at least a 2.5 GPA. Also, applicants to the online dual MSN-MBA program must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and an unencumbered RN license.
Courses in the core MBA portion of these programs include business perspectives; business communications; business analytics; financial accounting principles and analysis; measurement and decision-making; strategic human resource management; marketing management; economics for global decision-makers; financial management; designing, improving, and implementing processes; managing the value chain; strategic management; ethics in business and society; leadership strategies for a changing world; and an MBA capstone.
The healthcare management concentration adds instruction in healthcare operations and quality assessment; health policy; healthcare marketing; and public health leadership and administration.
MSN core course requirements include advanced nursing roles; theoretical foundations of advanced practice nursing; epidemiology and health promotion; health care policy models; health care reform and genetics and genomics research; and health policy, ethical, and legal perspectives of the health care system.
The online MBA in healthcare management program comprises 76 credits, while the dual MSN-MBA program comprises 88 credits.
| Location: West Lafayette, Indiana |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 to 36 months |
Ohio University provides an online MBA program with a healthcare concentration. To apply, students must have a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 (or greater) GPA and at least two years of professional work experience. No GRE or GMAT test scores are required.
This unique online MBA offers instruction in foundational business concepts such as accounting for executives; strategic use of information systems; descriptive analytics; organizational behavior and human resource management; operations management; strategy; managerial finance; strategic marketing; and the capstone course applied business experience. Additionally, the healthcare concentration adds coursework in the US healthcare delivery system, health law, and healthcare finance. The program comprises 35 credits.
Graduates can take up roles such as medical and health services managers, corporate social responsibility managers, health informatics managers, and health care consultants, among many others.
| Location: Athens, Ohio |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 months |
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers an online post-bachelor’s certificate in healthcare analytics. Courses include data analysis and business modeling; governance, ethics, and legal considerations in healthcare; information systems for healthcare analytics; and artificial intelligence for healthcare.
| Location: Winona, Minnesota |
| Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: Two semesters |
This school also touts the benefits of its MBA in healthcare management in the growing need for health industry leaders. In addition to strong academics, Widener provides its students with workplace-readiness skills through professional workshops and guidance from leadership coaches.
In addition to the core MBA courses, students in the healthcare management concentration will take health care policy; healthcare economics; managing community health; managing human capital; and developing management skills, for a total of 36 credits. MBA applicants should have maintained at least a 2.7 undergraduate GPA, and the GMAT is required, though waivers are available to candidates with relevant work experience. Additionally, students who do not have a business background may be required to take up to five foundational courses before beginning the program.
| Location: Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months |
Maryville University’s John E. Simon School of Business provides an online MBA program in health administration. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA, although those with a lower GPA may qualify for conditional admission. Notably, there are no test scores, admission fees, or work experience required.
Maryville University’s online MBA in health administration offers core coursework in strategic marketing; business ethics; the legal environment of business; global business; accounting for managers; corporate financial policies; organizational behavior and development; and business economics. Additionally, the health administration courses include the healthcare industry and its impact on healthcare management; healthcare operations; healthcare law, ethics, and risk management; and population health management. The program consists of 39 credits.
Graduates will be prepared for high-impact and high-demand roles in finance, administration, project management, and even the executive suite in pharmaceutical companies, clinics, hospitals, and more. They can take up roles such as medical and health services managers, hospital administrators, pharmaceutical project managers, and practice managers.
| Location: St. Louis, Missouri |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 14 months or more |
Northeastern’s online MBA is ranked in the top ten online MBA programs in the country by The Financial Times. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business provides education for seasoned business professionals who have already reached an executive level in the field and are looking to further their career prospects.
Applicants may choose from eight concentrations, including healthcare management, and should be prepared for a rigorous curriculum. Among the courses offered for healthcare management MBA candidates are strategic decision-making for healthcare professionals; healthcare finance; healthcare industry; and introduction to health informatics and health information systems.
Students also have the option to participate in a domestic or international residency where they will learn about national and international business, economic influences, and cultural considerations. The school strongly weighs professional experience in the admissions process, and GMAT or GRE scores are not required. The program is made up of 50 credits.
Graduates of this healthcare management MBA can take up roles such as hospital administrators, pharmaceutical project managers, medical and health services managers, and healthcare executives.
| Location: Boston, Massachusetts |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) |
| Format: Online with optional residencies |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 months |
The University of Scranton offers an online MBA specializing in healthcare management where students learn to apply advanced business skills within the healthcare setting. The program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed for supervising healthcare facilities, planning and directing operations, and managing healthcare teams.
Comprising 36 to 48 credits, the program includes core courses in accounting for management; managerial economics; financial management; operations management; introduction to business analytics; and marketing management. The healthcare management specialization includes courses such as health care law; hospital administration; global health management; health services and systems; introduction to health informatics; and healthcare financial management.
Admission requirements to the program include a completed online application, an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0, official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities, a professional resume, three years of professional or supervisory experience, a statement of intent, and three letters of reference. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.
Notably, The University of Scranton offers several other programs related to health informatics such as a health informatics graduate certificate; a master of health administration (MHA) program with a health informatics specialization; an online master of science in health informatics; and a master of science in health informatics program with a data analytics specialization.
| Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 months |
George Washington University offers a 46.5-credit online healthcare MBA program for professionals who seek to acquire strong business skills with a clear healthcare focus. Whether a student is a practicing physician, pharmacist or pharmaceutical executive, administrator, nurse, business professional, scientist, healthcare director or manager, dentist or dental hygienist, this MBA offers options for customizing their Healthcare MBA and aligning it with their career goals.
To get accepted into the program, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a college or university in the United States that is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies, at least three years of professional work experience, and GMAT or GRE scores (waivers available).
The program involves 31.5 credits of core courses, 3 credits of technology electives, and 12 credits reserved for healthcare-focused elective courses. Core courses include decision making & data analysis; operations management; organizations and human capital; business ethics and public policy; and business essentials for dynamic markets. Electives include medicines development; patient safety systems; epidemiology; issues and trends in health systems; and introduction to global regulatory affairs.
In addition, students will also have the option to complete one of seven certificates offered by the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences which may be applied to the Healthcare MBA healthcare-focused and/or general elective requirements.
| Location: Washington, DC |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) |
| Format: Online |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 months or less |
