Online Healthcare MBA Programs
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The healthcare industry’s prime focus is helping people with medical concerns, but in order to do that effectively, it needs businesspeople to keep track of financial transactions and make operations more efficient. Facilities benefit from people with the abilities to manage people, organize resources, and streamline processes. By implementing smart, efficacy-minded changes, business leaders can allow healthcare providers more opportunities to do what they do best: tending to patients.
A master of business administration (MBA) with a healthcare focus can prepare graduates for a wide range of roles—many of which carry a high earning potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2018), medical and health services managers earn a median annual salary of $96,540. Furthermore, the BLS predicted a 20 percent increase in openings nationwide in this occupation, an addition fo 72,100 jobs between 2016 and 2026. This is much more robust than the 7 percent average growth anticipated across all fields during that same period. And this is only one of the job opportunities for those with an MBA in healthcare.
This degree can be a useful step for people currently working in healthcare, or even someone in the business world wanting to join the industry from elsewhere. For instance, The George Washington University, one of eight schools featured below, stated that there are several professionals who could benefit from a healthcare MBA, including dentists, entry- to mid-level administrators, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and scientists, among many others.
A majority of healthcare MBA programs call for candidates to have at least a bachelor’s degree and a few years of work experience. In addition to the traditional MBA programs on campuses across the country, there’s been a recent trend in reputable business schools adopting online MBA programs as well. These can allow students the flexibility to fit their course requirements around the other obligations in their lives such as a full-time job and caring for a family. Some programs require online students to visit campus for specific intensives or orientations, while others can be completed 100 percent at a distance.
This guide explores the varied online healthcare MBA programs, including discussions of coursework, tuition, and three outstanding professors.
Featured Online Healthcare MBA Programs | ||
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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 |
Grand Canyon University | MBA - Health Systems Management | View Full Profile |
Southern New Hampshire University | Online MBA In Healthcare Management | View Full Profile |
Lamar University | MBA - Healthcare Administration | View Full Profile |
Capella University | MBA - Health Care Management | View Full Profile |
Featured Online Healthcare MBA Programs
Here are nine accredited and highly respected college programs that offer the education and practical experience that can help candidates advance in their careers.
Students in the online MBA program at The George Washington University are required to complete several core business courses in business management, ethics, finance, and project management. It offers the healthcare specialty completely online, and also has the option of earning a graduate certificate in a specific area of healthcare. These choices include healthcare quality, health sciences, regulatory affairs, integrative medicine, clinical research management, clinical research practice, and clinical and translational research. The school’s MBA program has earned several distinctions, including a “top 100 best business schools” and “best online MBA program” from U.S. News and World Report.
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 21 months
- Estimated Tuition: $97,957 for entire program
Southern New Hampshire University offers an online master of business administration (MBA) in healthcare management program. The program delves into the business side of healthcare, with a focus on current trends, practices, and scenarios. The faculty for the program includes experienced professors with relevant, real-world experience.
The major admission requirements for the program include a bachelor’s degree, a graduate attestation form, and a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75. Test scores (GRE, GMAT) are not required, although international students are required to submit proof of proficiency in English.
Comprising 36 credit-hours, the curriculum helps students develop a unique skill set for excelling at managing the day-to-day intricacies of healthcare systems. Some of the courses in the curriculum are marketing and strategy, leading in an organization, accounting and financial analysis, health administration, healthcare informatics, and social and organizational issues in healthcare.
Students learn how to manage teams while navigating the challenges of healthcare, learn the best practices in healthcare informatics, and excel in positions of leadership.
Graduates of the program can pursue roles in hospitals, medical offices or clinics, pharmaceutical companies, insurance organizations, biotech health services, government agencies, healthcare consulting firms, and health maintenance organizations.
- Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
- Expected Time to Completion: 15 months
- Estimated Tuition: $627 per credit-hour
Ohio University offers the healthcare concentration of its MBA program fully online. The program has received recognition as third-best value in MBA education from Fortune. Program requirements include completing several core curriculum courses plus three courses in a healthcare management specialty. Core classes include data analysis, executive accounting, and organizational behavior. The three-credit courses in specialty concentrations include an introduction to healthcare delivery systems in the United States, healthcare financing, and healthcare law.
- Location: Athens, Ohio
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $35,140 for entire program for Ohio residents or $35,805 for non-residents
The Grand Canyon University online MBA in health systems management requires completion of 54 credits over 18 to 24 months. most courses run eight weeks each with one course running only four weeks. No GMAT is required and students with a bachelor’s degree in a business field are eligible to waive most or all fundamental MBA courses.
The degree is offered completely online with start dates in the fall, spring, and summer. Focusing on transformational, ethical leadership in health care through the proper application of business principles, the MBA in health systems management focuses on the impact of the global economy on decision-making. Business principles include accounting, marketing, finance, economics, and management, incorporating the use of current technologies, e-commerce, and electronic telecommunication.
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $31,860 ($590 per credit)
The Queens University of Charlotte McColl School of Business offers a 100 percent online master of business administration (MBA) in healthcare management.
The program faculty includes business-savvy professors who are consultants, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and chairmen with real-world experiences.
Admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree, a completed online application, two admissions essays, and a resume outlining professional and academic background. Applicants who have less than three years of work experience or an undergraduate grade point average below 3.0 are required to submit GMAT or GRE scores.
Made up of 36 credit-hours, the curriculum includes topics such as leadership development, managerial accounting, management and human resources for healthcare, marketing management, business analytics, health services organization, and quality improvement for healthcare.
Students gain essential skills such as integrating best practices and theories, recognizing and addressing ethical challenges, applying current healthcare laws, developing a strategic plan, and understanding the employee lifecycle in healthcare practices. At the end of the program, graduates can pursue opportunities in a vast array of high-level careers within the public and private sectors.
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,165 per credit-hour
Utica College provides a 30-credit online MBA with a healthcare management specialization with three start dates in January, May, and August. There are no on-campus dates required, as this program is 100 percent online. Courses are designed to give students knowledge of ethical corporate leadership, how markets operate, global supply and demand dynamics, budgeting, data analyses, and strategic planning, among other cornerstones of running a successful business. Notably, this is one of the most affordable online MBAs in healthcare available with overall tuition under $20,000.
- Location: Utica, New York
- Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (candidate)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years or less
- Estimated Tuition: $650 per credit
The University of Saint Mary offers an online master of business administration (MBA) in healthcare management program. This fully online program allows students to complete coursework on their own schedule, from anywhere. The program makes use of practical examples and focuses on instilling strong business skills, so students can handle any ethical and legal issues that may arise. The program faculty includes professors who are steeped in real-world experience and committed to ethical business practice.
Program applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, a minimum college grade point average of 2.75, official transcripts from all undergraduate work and any graduate coursework, a resume, and a completed application. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.
The program consists of 36 credit-hours. Students delve into topics such as healthcare informatics and technologies, leadership and business operations in healthcare, legal and ethical issues in healthcare, organizational management, marketing management, human resource management, and managerial economics.
Students develop knowledge needed to succeed in a leadership role at health services organizations, learn to communicate effectively in both a written and oral manner, and gain in-depth knowledge of legal and ethical aspects of the field along with the business skills to handle them.
Graduates of the program are well-equipped to work in clinics and hospitals, mental and public health organizations, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. They can take up roles such as healthcare consultant, practice manager, health services manager, or an administrator.
- Location: Leavenworth, Kansas
- Accreditation: International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
- Estimated Tuition: $595 per credit-hour
Online MBA degree-seekers at the University of Scranton must complete a minimum of 36 credits of core curriculum plus up to 12 credits towards the healthcare management specialty. Core classes include accounting for management, financial management, and managerial economics. Potential elective courses in this specialty include financial management in healthcare, healthcare law, health services and systems, hospital administration, and global health management. The University of Scranton is one of 28 Jesuit-affiliated private universities in the country.
- Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months for full-time students
- Estimated Tuition: $1,101 per credit for full-time or $896 per credit for part-time
Widener University offers an online master of business administration (MBA) program with a concentration in healthcare management. This program can be completed online. The program faculty includes experienced and dedicated professors who are experts in the field.
The program offers knowledge and skills that make them valuable to healthcare employers. Whether they manage a department or an entire facility, they will learn to lead and ensure their organization keeps up with the constant changes in healthcare policies, laws, and technology.
In order to get accepted into the program, applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university, minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.7, a GMAT score of 450 (can be waived), completed application form, statement of purpose, a current resume, official college transcripts from each school attended, and TOEFL scores for international students.
The program comprises 33 credit-hours. Courses include healthcare policy, community health management, developing management skills, leading organizations and people, information systems and data analytics, and strategic financial management.
Students learn state-of-the-art concepts and acquire core competencies in healthcare management. They also get equipped to confront and overcome the industry’s greatest challenges. This concentration will provide students with the leadership, analysis, and communication skills to succeed in this developing area of business. At the end of the program, graduates can pursue several opportunities in the healthcare and business sector.
- Location: Chester, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,004 per credit-hour
The healthcare management concentration at Fort Hays State University is offered online only. To meet the requirements of this MBA concentration, students must complete three of the following five courses: administration in healthcare, administration management in healthcare organizations, complexity in healthcare organizations, global health, health promotion programming, or legal issues in healthcare. As a prerequisite, students may need to complete one to four foundational courses in economics, managing and marketing principles accounting theories, or financial and quantitative methods. The MBA also includes several core curriculum classes including advanced managerial accounting and information systems for management.
- Location: Hays, Kansas
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months full-time
- Estimated Tuition: $231.95 per credit Kansas residents or $590.33 per credit out-of-state residents
Students at the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University can choose a fully online program or a hybrid program that combines online and on-campus courses.This business college has recently earned recognition from U.S. News and World Report, including no. 36 in the nation for “best online MBA program” and “best online programs for veterans.” Degree requirements include up to nine graduate hours of foundational courses, 28 graduate hours of core courses, and three to nine hours of coursework in healthcare management. Foundational courses in accounting, corporate finance, and statistics may be required depending on a candidate’s educational and professional experience. Core-level courses include information technology management, marketing, and strategic management.
- Location: Canyon, Texas
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,200 per three-credit course
Completing the online MBA program with healthcare management concentration at the University of Texas at Tyler requires completing 36 credits in seven-week courses. This includes 27 credits of core courses and nine concentration credits. The healthcare management concentration requires completing courses in healthcare marketing, introduction to the American healthcare system, and special topics in healthcare management.
- Location: Tyler, Texas
- Accreditation: Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Expected Time to Completion: 12-24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $30,174.60 for full program
While not an MBA program, this 30-credit online MS in healthcare management has related coursework. This program from UMass Dartmouth can be completed online, on campus, or a combination of both. Students can enroll part-time or full-time. The degree includes eight required courses and either two elective courses or a master’s thesis. The core curriculum focuses on cost management, error reduction, and quality, plus collaborative skills, leadership, and motivation. Elective courses include advanced operations analysis, business analytics and data mining, finance for decision making, managing systems, and strategic management.
- Location: Dartmouth, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 18-36 months
- Estimated Tuition: $643.71 per credit per semester for residents of Massachusetts or $1,161.67 for non-residents
Professors to Know in Online Healthcare MBA Programs
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Kerri M. Camp, PhD - The University of Texas at Tyler
Dr. Kerri M. Camp, an assistant professor of marketing in the UT Tyler’s MBA healthcare program, received her PhD from Texas Tech University, her MBA from Golden Gate University, and her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M. Her past career highlights include working as a media consultant for marketing issues for NBC and CBS News; writing a column for the Daily Sentinel newspaper; and serving as a healthcare marketing consultant while managing a multi-surgeon practice. Notably, Dr. Camp is the founding director of the school’s Center for Retail Enterprises, and also serves as director of undergraduate programs in UT Tyler’s College of Business and Technology.
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Brett Hicks, PhD - Ohio University
Dr. Brett Hicks teaches healthcare management courses at Ohio University. He brings over 20 years of experience to his work, including hands-on healthcare administration, disaster relief, global public health, and humanitarian assistance. He has assisted people affected by disasters in the United States as well as Australia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Kenya, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Dr. Hicks maintains membership in the International Association of Emergency Managers and is a certified emergency manager. His educational credentials include PhD in health science from Nova Scotia University, a master of public health with a focus in disaster management and emergency service from Emory University, another master’s in homeland security from American Military University, and a bachelor’s degree in human resource development from Hawaii Pacific University.
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Steven Tam, PhD - Fort Hays State University
Dr. Steven Tam is an associate professor of management at Fort Hays State University. He has received numerous awards for educator excellence and research. He currently teaches four courses for the business portion of the MBA degree, including business policy, international business, management principles, and strategic management. His research interests include ethics, innovation, leadership, learning, and strategy. Dr. Tam earned his PhD at the Surrey Business School in the United Kingdom. He has worked all over the world and has 30 years of academic and industry experience with many elite organizations.