Online Healthcare MBA Programs
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 112 schools in our MHAOnline.com 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.
“Healthcare MBA degrees help students appreciate that healthcare is also a business and that the ethical application of sound business principles can improve the design and delivery of care.”
Jose Proenca, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for the School of Business Administration Graduate Programs, Widener University
The healthcare industry’s prime focus is helping people with medical concerns, but to do that effectively, it needs businesspeople to keep track of financial transactions and make operations more efficient. Facilities benefit from people who can 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 2024), medical and health services managers earn a median annual salary of 110,680. Furthermore, the BLS predicted a 28 percent increase in openings nationwide in this occupation, an addition of 144,700 jobs between 2022 and 2032. This is much more robust than the 3 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, George Washington University, one of several schools featured below, stated that several professionals 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.
Featured Online Healthcare MBA Programs | ||
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Purdue Global | Online MBA - Health Care Management | View Full Profile |
Purdue Global | Online MSN-MBA | 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 |
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 |
Lamar University | MSN-MBA Dual Degree | View Full Profile |
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 112 schools in our MHAOnline.com 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. |
Meet The Expert: Jose Proenca, PhD
Dr. Jose Proenca is a professor and the associate dean for the School of Business Administration graduate programs at Widener University. With a diverse background that includes experience in marketing and operations within the pharmaceutical and hospital industries, he brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his academic role.
His educational journey led him to earn a PhD in business and healthcare management from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions with multiple Distinguished Graduate Teaching Awards and prestigious accolades, such as the American Academy of Medical Administrators Award and the ACHE Health Management Research Award. He specializes in teaching leadership development, change management, strategy, and population health management and has facilitated leadership development workshops across various industries, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and entertainment.
Dr. Proenca’s research interests include human capital management issues in healthcare organizations, service matters within the healthcare sector, and community orientation. His scholarly work has been published in reputable journals, such as the Academy of Business Research Journal, Medical Care, and Health Services Research.
MHAOnline.com: What is something you wish the public understood about healthcare MBA degrees?
Dr. Proenca: Healthcare MBA degrees help students appreciate that healthcare is also a business and that the ethical application of sound business principles can improve the design and delivery of care.
Many organizations in the largely non-profit healthcare sector struggle to fulfill their mission of providing their communities equitable access to high-quality yet affordable medical care. Regulatory and financial constraints, tight labor markets, growing competition, operational inefficiencies, and demanding consumers and payers are some causes.
Healthcare MBA programs focus on the interplay between medical and business forces and are uniquely positioned to prepare students to navigate and address these highly complex issues.
MHAOnline.com: What advice would you give to aspiring healthcare MBA students?
Dr. Proenca: If you are an experienced healthcare professional enrolling in a healthcare MBA program, you should keep an open mind and recognize that, while healthcare is unique in many ways, it can also learn a lot from the business practices being deployed in other industries. Many of the vexing problems facing the healthcare sector today are being successfully tackled in other business settings through innovative strategies and technologies. Use the MBA to expand your horizons!
If you are new to healthcare, you should recognize the additional layers of complexity that come into play in a healthcare business. The moral imperative to offer compassionate care, the notion that clinical work is a calling rather than just a job, and the complicated nature of medical diagnosis and treatment processes are just some of the unique features of managing healthcare organizations and professionals. Use the healthcare MBA to gain a more nuanced view of how organizations can do good while also doing well!
Featured Online Healthcare MBA Programs
Here are accredited and highly respected college programs offering the education and practical experience to help candidates advance in their careers.
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), a completed application form, a 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 business area. At the end of the program, graduates can pursue several opportunities in the healthcare and business sectors.
- Location: Chester, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
Purdue Global presents a fully online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program specializing in healthcare management. The program allows students to complete their studies in just 2.5 years when pursuing full-time enrollment, with the flexibility to opt for part-time study.
The MBA curriculum features courses structured in six-week intervals, while the healthcare management concentration follows a ten-week schedule. Purdue Global offers a dual MSN-MBA program focusing on executive leadership for those seeking a more specialized path. This unique program incorporates two local clinicals within the MSN component, with the remainder of the coursework delivered online, eliminating the need for on-campus attendance.
The healthcare MBA curriculum delves into essential topics such as value chain management, marketing and strategic management, human resource management, business ethics, and business processes. Meanwhile, the healthcare management concentration courses explore health policy, quality and cost assessment, public health leadership, and healthcare marketing.
- Location: West Lafayette, IN
- Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
- Expected Time to Completion: 2.5 years
The Lamar University (LU) College of Business provides a fully online MBA program specializing in healthcare administration that can be completed in 12 months. They also offer an MSN-MBA dual degree with a focus on nursing administration in partnership with the JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing. This dual degree features two local administrative practicums and a 36-month completion timeline.
Courses at LU are delivered asynchronously for business and may involve a mix of asynchronous and synchronous methods for MSN studies. The online learning environment includes various tools like discussion boards, recorded lectures, videos, chat rooms, case studies, and simulations. Notably, the program offers affordable in-state tuition.
The core curriculum of the healthcare MBA encompasses topics such as managerial economics, accounting, marketing, international business, and enterprise resource planning. Students can select three healthcare administration electives covering areas like healthcare economics, strategy, policy and finance, information systems, and entrepreneurship.
- Location: Beaumont, TX
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi offers an online MBA in healthcare administration that can be completed in 12 to 24 months through accelerated seven-week courses starting six times per year. The program equips graduates with decision-making skills, team leadership abilities, effective communication, healthcare management expertise, and cultural sensitivity.
Individuals holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution can apply, with no mandatory work experience but a resume submission required. Non-business degree holders may need to complete four foundational courses before entering the program. While the GMAT/GRE is typically required, waivers are possible under specific conditions. Graduates of this program pursue roles such as hospital administrator, human resource manager, medical entrepreneur, or chief financial officer.
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) offers an online MBA in healthcare administration through the A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business that can be finished in 15 months or longer via accelerated seven-week courses. Taught by diverse faculty, this program emphasizes global readiness and innovation. TAMIU is affiliated with Quality Matters (QM), ensuring course quality through peer reviews and established standards.
Core courses include strategic management, financial analysis, business research, economics, marketing, and managerial concepts. Specialized healthcare administration courses tackle topics like organizational behavior, leadership, cost control, ethics, informatics, quality assurance, and evidence-based practice.
Prospective students holding a bachelor of business administration (BBA) and meeting specific qualifications receive automatic admission without needing GMAT or GRE scores. Applicants not meeting automatic admission criteria must provide additional materials for review.
- Location: Laredo, TX
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Expected Time to Completion: 15 months
Students in the online MBA program at George Washington University must complete several core business courses in business management, ethics, finance, and project management. It offers the healthcare specialty completely online and can earn 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
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, focusing on current trends, practices, and scenarios. The faculty 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 must submit proof of proficiency in English.
The 36-credit-hour 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 leadership positions.
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
Ohio University offers a healthcare concentration in its MBA program, which is fully online. Fortune has recognized the program as the third-best value in MBA education. 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
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 healthcare 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
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 with less than three years of work experience or an undergraduate grade point average below 3.0 must submit GMAT or GRE scores.
Made up of 36 credit-hours, the curriculum includes 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
Utica College provides a 30-credit online MBA with a healthcare management specialization. The program is 100 percent online and has three start dates: January, May, and August. No on-campus dates are required. Courses are designed to teach students about 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.
- Location: Utica, New York
- Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (candidate)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years or less
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
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
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
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
Completing the online MBA program with a 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 to 24 months
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 two elective courses or a master’s thesis. The core curriculum focuses on cost management, error reduction, quality, 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 to 36 months