Online Healthcare Administration Graduate Certificate Programs
MHA Search
As a result of an active and aging population, increases in the number and length of chronic conditions, expanding regulatory demand, and rising need for evidence-based accountability, the healthcare system is expanding and becoming more complex. As the system grows, more healthcare administrators will be needed to keep the healthcare system running, to keep care accessible to patients, and to ensure high quality of care at the most reasonable price point possible.
This systemic need is going to be so great that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2022) predicts that there will be a 28 percent growth in jobs in medical and health services management between 2021 and 2031. This will produce 136,200 new positions nationally, for a total of 616,900 jobs in the field. With a growth rate nearly six times higher than the average, medical professionals looking to grow in the medical industry have huge opportunities ahead of them.
Medical administrators are non-clinical professionals that may find themselves responsible for everything outside of patient care that keeps a healthcare organization running. Some medical administrators run entire hospitals, while others may be responsible for small clinics or departments within a larger institution. At any scale, medical administrators may be responsible for tasks like budgeting, hiring, scheduling, compliance, development, managing insurance contracts, streamlining operations, and more.
For professionals currently working in the healthcare field, online graduate certificates can be a quick, affordable, and flexible way to shift into healthcare leadership. Online graduate certificates in healthcare management allow students to learn at their own pace and generally require 18 months of commitment or less.
Graduate certificates are ideal for professionals who want to test out a school’s program before committing to a full master’s degree. Most graduate certificate programs allow for any courses completed toward the certificate to be used toward completion of a master’s in health administration (MHA).
Keep reading to learn more about graduate certificate programs in healthcare administration.
| Featured Graduate Certificates in Healthcare Administration | ||
|---|---|---|
| The University of Scranton | Executive Certificate in Health Administration | View Full Profile |
| Boston University | Visual & Digital Health Communication (Grad Certificate) | View Full Profile |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | Online Healthcare Administration Graduate Certificate | View Full Profile |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | Online Healthcare Analytics Graduate Certificate | View Full Profile |
| Methodist University | Graduate Certificate - Healthcare Administration | View Full Profile |
Featured Graduate Certificates in Healthcare Administration
The executive certificate in health administration is an online, Jesuit health leadership program offered through the Panuska College of Professional Studies at the University of Scranton. This graduate certificate is best suited to experienced professionals interested in making an immediate impact in healthcare by learning leadership and decision-making skills through an American College of Healthcare Executives-aligned curriculum.
Students enrolled in the five-course, 15-credit certificate program take three core courses and can choose two electives from the full master’s in health administration program. Coursework includes healthcare organization and administration; healthcare financial management; health services and systems; hospital administration; and medical practice administration.
Students can choose to transfer completed coursework credits into the MHA program, should they decide to transfer to the degree pathway. While no GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply, this certificate program is for experienced professionals. A minimum of three years of full-time professional or supervisory experience is required to apply.
- Location: Scranton, PA
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
- Expected Time to Completion: Ten months
- Estimated Tuition: $920 per credit
The Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University offers a 100 percent online graduate certificate in healthcare innovation designed to help graduates become change facilitators in the healthcare industry. The Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation was ranked no.51 in the nation for master’s programs by the U.S. News and World Report.
Faculty teaching in the online program include Fullbright Senior Scholars, the Rosalynn Carter Leadership Award in Caregiving recipient, and the Ruth B. Freeman Award from the American Public Health Association.
Students enrolled in the 15-credit, five-course program complete four core courses and one capstone course. Coursework in the program includes innovation and the individual; systems thinking in a complex environment; outcomes evaluation; and innovation methods. No GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply, and there is no minimum work experience requirement. Applicants with an academic background in any health-related business, social science, hard science, healthcare practice, or technology field are encouraged to apply.
- Location: Tempe, AZ
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: One year
- Estimated Tuition: $807 per credit
Methodist University offers an online graduate certificate in healthcare administration. Exploring topics in policy, finance, management, and more under the guidance of expert faculty members, students in this program will be provided with leadership and business skills through a healthcare lens.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university, an overall GPA of 3.0, two letters of recommendation, and a one to two-page personal statement. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.
This certificate comprises 15 credits and encompasses finance and economics, organization and leadership topics, and policy issues. The curriculum includes courses such as management and leadership of healthcare organizations; healthcare policy issues; finance and economics of healthcare organizations; strategic management for healthcare leaders; and accounting for managers.
Upon completing the program, graduates can take up roles such as medical and health services managers, healthcare consultants, healthcare human resources managers, administrative managers, health informatics officers, nursing home managers, and medical office administrators.
- Location: Fayetteville, NC
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two terms
- Estimated Tuition: $500 per credit
The credits earned in Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s online graduate certificate in healthcare administration can be applied toward several SMUMN’s graduate programs, including the master of arts program in health and human services, which is accredited by the Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. Other options include the MS in project management, MA in organizational leadership, MA in human resource management, MS in business intelligence and data analytics, and master of business administration (MBA) program.
Graduates completing this 12-credit program will develop the budgeting, strategic planning, leadership, and management skills they need to succeed. Coursework includes financial practices in the health and human services sector; health and human service systems; advanced health policy and ethics; and health and human service administration.
Designed to be completed in just one year, this graduate certificate does not require GRE/GMAT scores to apply. Admission requirements include an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.75, a written statement, two professional references, and a current resume.
Graduates can prepare for leadership and management roles in healthcare settings like pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, not-for-profit organizations, and long-term care facilities.
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: One year
- Estimated Tuition: $730 per credit
The graduate certificate in clinical research administration offered by the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences is designed for current professionals working in clinical research who wish to deepen their understanding of drug development, clinical trial practice and protocols, and the industry’s business side.
Students enrolled in the six-course, 18-credit program will complete five core courses and one elective of their choice. Coursework in the program includes critical analysis in clinical research; medicines development; partnerships with human subjects; the clinical research industry; and quality and risk management.
Enrolled students who chose to switch to the full master’s of science in health science (MSHS) in clinical research administration can apply completed graduate certificate credits to their degree. No GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply. While no minimum threshold of work experience is specifically delineated for acceptance into GW’s graduate certificate program, previous healthcare experience is preferred.
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months
- Estimated Tuition: $990 per credit
Combining coursework from the College of Allied Health Sciences and the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, the University of Cincinnati offers a 100 percent online graduate certificate in healthcare administration designed to prepare participants for leadership in the healthcare organizations of tomorrow. In addition to being completely online, the certificate is taught by expert professors who have active roles in health administration.
The 12-credit graduate certificate requires participants to complete four total courses: two core courses and two electives of their choosing. Core courses include health systems management: organization and delivery, and healthcare marketplace: health economics. Examples of electives include health quality: evidence-based decision-making, and global health systems. No GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply. While no work experience is required, applicants are encouraged to highlight experience in healthcare on their resume or CV.
Graduates will be ready for roles such as chief executive officers, chief operations officers, facilities managers, group practice administrators, hospital administrators, nurse managers, operations managers, and program managers.
- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months or less
- Estimated Tuition: Resident ($754 per credit); non-resident ($769 per credit)
The graduate certificate in clinical operations and healthcare management offered through the School of Medicine & Health Sciences at George Washington University is designed to prepare graduates for various healthcare leadership positions. Students in this program gain the skills and knowledge required for hospital management and the expertise needed for effectively leading clinical operations and strategic development initiatives throughout the healthcare field. All credits earned in this program can be transferred toward the MSHS program in clinical operations and healthcare management.
Coursework in the 18-credit program includes strategic communications; finance for healthcare operations; informatics for operational leadership and healthcare quality; healthcare systems operations; applications in clinical operations and healthcare management; and topics in healthcare leadership.
No GRE or GMAT is required to apply. While no minimum amount of work experience is required, some experience in healthcare settings is preferred.
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: One year
- Estimated Tuition: $990 per credit
