MBA in Healthcare Management
B-School Search
As companies grapple to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all, the need for qualified individuals to manage healthcare facilities also increases. Healthcare is one of the fastest growing fields. Between 2016 and 2026, the number of jobs in healthcare is expected to grow 20 percent in the United States, much faster than the average 7 percent for all U.S. jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This makes a specialization in healthcare management an attractive option for prospective MBAs.
While an MBA prepares professionals to handle complex decision-making tasks and ensure that organizations function smoothly, a specialization in healthcare can make MBA graduates even more valuable to employers in the industry. This advanced degree equips students with key business skills, such as the planning, operations, marketing, and management of healthcare facilities. Students gain a thorough understanding of public health systems and environmental factors that affect community health, while also learning how to implement sound healthcare practices that comply with legislation.
This degree is ideal for two types of professionals. Those looking to make a foray into healthcare or those interested in taking up managerial positions in the field. Healthcare MBA graduates are in high-demand at hospitals, healthcare management companies, biotech companies, and pharmaceutical companies. They often go on to pursue positions such as health administrator, hospital chief executive officer (CEO), hospital chief financial officer (CFO), and pharmaceutical manager.
This guide explores outstanding online MBA programs in healthcare management and profiles three distinguished faculty members who teach in these programs.
Featured Healthcare Programs | ||
---|---|---|
Maryville University | MBA - Health Administration | View Full Profile |
Grand Canyon University | Online MBA - Health Systems Management | View Full Profile |
Grand Canyon University | Online MBA/MSN - Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems | View Full Profile |
Texas A&M International University | Online MBA - Healthcare Administration | View Full Profile |
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | Online MBA in Healthcare Administration | View Full Profile |
Case Western Reserve University | Online MBA in Healthcare Management | View Full Profile |
Featured Online MBA Programs with Healthcare Management Specializations
The Financial Times ranked Northeastern’s D’Amore McKim School of Business online MBA program as one of the top programs of its kind. The course equips students with knowledge of healthcare strategy, decision making, and environmental analysis. To gain admission into the program, students need an undergraduate degree from an accredited institute, a GPA of 3.0 or more, and five years of professional work experience.
The 50-credit program includes 13 core courses and five electives. Core courses include value creation through financial decision making, managing the global enterprise, and ethics in the workplace. In the healthcare specialization, students learn about the U.S. healthcare system, health record management, the use of capital and operating budgets, and data analysis.
advanced MBA program such as this one opens the door to high-level positions in healthcare. Graduates can pursue jobs as medical practice managers, CEOs or CFOs of a hospital, hospital administrators, or pharmaceutical project managers.
Location: Boston, Massachusetts |
Accreditation: AACSB International |
Format: Online |
Tuition: $1,560 per credit |
Program length: Two years |
SNHU’s MBA in healthcare management provides students a foundation in the best healthcare practices and trends, as well as the challenges plaguing the industry. With this wealth of knowledge and skills gained in the program, graduates are well-equipped to pursue a successful career in healthcare.
Courses provide a holistic understanding of healthcare administration including finance, accounting, leadership, marketing, and IT. Students learn how to handle challenges that healthcare workers, medical law, and ethics, and managing clinical information systems face in the field. Students take three healthcare management courses for this specialization: healthcare informatics, topics in health administration, and social and organizational issues in healthcare
Students who have completed the program can transition to managerial roles in government agencies, healthcare consulting firms, biotech health services, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals companies.
Location: Manchester, New Hampshire |
Accreditation: England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and ACBSP |
Format: Online |
Tuition: $627 per credit |
Program length: 15 months |
GW’s online healthcare MBA is one of the most reputable in the country. The university was ranked among the top national universities and top colleges for veterans by the U.S. News & World Report, as well as among the top business schools and online MBA programs in the country. The program is designed for students who want to work at the intersection of business and healthcare so that they can improve healthcare efficiencies and processes. Students must have at least three years of work experience to apply, preferably in healthcare.
Students complete 55.5 credits on topics that include business ethics and public policy, microeconomics for the global economy, strategic management, and more. Also, students can customize their education through one of seven graduate certificates. The certificates can be completed in healthcare quality, health sciences, regulatory affairs, integrative medicine, clinical research administration, clinical research practice, and clinical and translational research.
Location: Washington, D.C. |
Tuition: $1,765 per credit-hour |
Time to Completion: Two years to 30 months, and up to five years |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
The online MBA program at Benedictine University offers the option to concentrate in healthcare administration. This program provides students with a keen understanding of how healthcare organizations run marketing, financial, and operational activities. It is an advanced degree that aligns with the stringent guidelines set by public health institutions. The degree can be completed in one or two years, and those who enroll in the accelerated program must be prepared to take two classes per session instead of one.
To be accepted, applicants must have a GPA of at least 2.75. While work experience is not required, it is preferable. The 64-credit program includes three concentration-specific classes as well as the foundational MBA coursework. The healthcare concentration courses cover public health systems, environmental systems, marketing of public health, and business of healthcare. As part of their coursework, students explore government programs, basic structure and operations of healthcare, and use of electronic medical records.
The program also provides real-world experience with capstone projects at the end of each course. Students work on creating a strategic blueprint, risk assessment, and grant proposal. Candidates also have the option to pursue dual degrees.
This program may be ideal for those wishing to work in clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare settings. They have several opportunities to work as a specialist in a particular clinical department, or as the manager of an entire facility.
Location: Chicago, Illinois |
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
Format: Online |
Tuition: $600 per credit |
Program length: One to two years |
The University of Saint Mary offers an online MBA for individuals looking to study at their own pace. The program is ranked as one of the best by the U.S. News and World Report.
The program can be completed in as little as one year, with students taking two classes per term, or over two years, with one class per term. Courses are eight weeks long and start in January, March, April, May, July, and October. The 36-credit curriculum is spread over nine core and three specialization courses. In the healthcare specialization, students will focus on communication and relationship building, business skills for healthcare managers, and legal and ethical issues in healthcare. Additionally, the curriculum highlights key leadership concepts within the healthcare industry.
The entirely online program provides a good understanding of business fundamentals through core course. Students completing the program go on to work in administration, consulting, and management at clinics, rehabilitation centers, university and college research institutions, and mental health organizations.
Location: Leavenworth, Kansas |
Accreditation:International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) |
Format: Online |
Tuition: $615 per credit |
Program length: One to two years |
Utica College also offers an online MBA program with a specialization in healthcare management. The program instills in students a deeper understanding of legal and ethical issues involved in healthcare, global health politics, and the ability to tackle technology projects.
While students are not required to take the GMAT or GRE for admission, students must have at least two years of work experience and a minimum GPA of 2.7. The 30-credit program is divided into 15 credits of core courses, 12 credits for the healthcare specialization, and three credits for capstone projects.
While there are no on-campus residencies required to complete this program, students are required to complete a capstone project where they will study a real-world issue and present their recommended solution to a real company’s challenge. Throughout the course, students delve into topics such as healthcare ethical and legal issues, health informatics, and quality management and performance. The core MBA courses focus on ethical leadership in business, data-driven decision making, and market forces. The program opens doors to high-level opportunities in healthcare including hospital CEO and CFO, hospital administrator, and health information manager.
Location: Utica, New York |
Accreditation:Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
Format: Online |
Tuition: $650 per credit |
Program length: Two years |
The online MBA program in healthcare management at the University of Scranton’s Arthur J. Kania School of Management is well-suited for working professionals looking to enter healthcare, or those wishing to take a new direction within the field. The University of Scranton is ranked among the top universities by the Princeton Review, Forbes, and the U.S. News and World Report.
The program comprises 36 credit-hours, though an additional 12 credits may be required according to incoming students’ qualifications. Students are expected to have at least three years of professional work experience to be eligible for the program.
The healthcare specialization teaches topics such as healthcare law, hospital administration, global health management, health services and systems, and healthcare financial management. Combined with cutting-edge technology, and a focus on ethics and real-world application, this MBA degree aims to set students on a path to success in healthcare.
Students graduating from the program gain valuable skills in healthcare management so that they can work in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. They can take on coveted jobs such as healthcare administrator, healthcare services director, medical practice manager, and pharmaceuticals project manager.
Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
Format: Online |
Tuition: $965 per credit |
Program length: Two years and up to six years |
Professors to Know in Online MBA Programs in Healthcare Management
-
Paul J. Bolster, PhD Northeastern University
Dr. Paul J. Bolster is the MBA faculty director at Northeastern University. His main teaching and research interests are in portfolio management and investments. He has also assumed managerial positions such as director for investment funds managed by Gartmore Investment Management in London. Additionally, Dr. Bolster is a certified chartered financial analyst (CFA) and an active member of the Financial Management Association and Boston Security Analysts Society. Apart from being a faculty member at Northeastern, he sits on the Board of Trustees for Woodbury College. His research has appeared in prominent journals such as the Journal of Investing and the Journal of Accounting and Finance. Some of his publications include "Investing in Morningstar Recommendations: Price and Style Effects" and "How Mad is Mad Money: Jim Cramer as a Stock Picker and Portfolio Manager." Dr. Bolster earned his doctorate and MBA in finance from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and his undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics from Bowdoin College
-
Sharon Jumper, JD University of Saint Mary
Sharon Jumper is passionate about teaching online classes. At the University of Saint Mary, she teaches strategic management and ethics, healthcare management, and global management. She was previously a full-time faculty member and department chair at the Leavenworth-based school, but she now spends most of her time teaching online. Over more than 15 years of teaching experience, she has taught in the United States, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. Her education includes a bachelor's degree in government, a master's of public administration (MPA), a Juris Doctor (JD), and post-graduate certificates in applied project management and instructional design and educational technology.