Online Master of Clinical & Healthcare Operations Management
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Healthcare is a constantly-evolving, dynamic field, with new challenges and opportunities being created each day. A specialized degree such as a master’s in clinical and healthcare operations management helps students understand the industry and its developments. Many universities offer online master’s programs in healthcare management, thus helping working professionals take their careers to the next level while studying at their own pace.
An MS in clinical and healthcare operations generally comprises 30 to 36 credits and can be completed in two years. The coursework typically includes topics such as human resource development, finance for healthcare, clinical informatics, long-term care management, and leadership in a healthcare organization. Students are introduced to the day-to-day challenges that healthcare organizations face and how they can overcome these in an ethical way. They are also encouraged to reduce business expenses, develop new administrative plans, and bring about an overall positive transformation in their organization.
This article examines exceptional online master’s programs in clinical and healthcare management and three notable faculty members teaching them.
Featured MS in Clinical & Healthcare Operations Management
George Washington University offers an online master of science in health sciences (MSHS) in clinical operations and healthcare management. This rigorous program aligns with the Health Leadership Competency Model introduced by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership. This online program’s curriculum also follows the Competencies Assessment Tool Model developed by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
Admission requirements for the program include a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, a grade point average of 3.0 or above, a written statement, official transcripts from all previously attended schools, and proof of English language proficiency for international students. Previous work experience in healthcare is also preferred.
The program comprises 36 credits and prepares students to become leaders in clinical operations. The curriculum includes courses such as human resource development; leadership and change; strategic communications; applications in clinical operations and healthcare management; healthcare systems operations; and finance for healthcare operations specialists. Students will learn how to enhance efficiency and financial stability in healthcare operations, analyze data and promote strategic development, and improve the overall performance of a healthcare organization.
At the end of the program, graduates can take up roles such as clinical managers or supervisors, clinical laboratory operations supervisors, clinical program leads, vice presidents of operations, and directors of clinical operations. Graduates are also eligible to join healthcare associations such as the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
- Location: Washington, DC, United States of America
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,030 per credit
Strayer University offers an online master of science in health services administration with a concentration in clinical care management. The fully online program offers 24-hour online tech support. It trains students to improve the day-to-day clinical operations at healthcare facilities.
Eligibility requirements include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5, official copies of transcripts from all other colleges or universities attended, a government-issued photo identification, and proof of English ability for international students.
Made up of 12 courses, this 54-credit program helps students understand the on-the-ground realities of running a long-term care facility. The core courses in the program include management in healthcare; health services strategic marketing; and health economics, while courses in the clinical care management concentration are healthcare operations management; long-term care management; and physician’s practice management.
Students develop the skills to plan strategies for different stakeholders in long-term care, learn financial planning and operations, and the delivery of quality healthcare. They also learn to use information technology systems to collect, analyze, and apply healthcare data. Graduates of the program can pursue opportunities in sectors such as pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and government health organizations.
- Location: Herndon, Virginia
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,680 per course
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science offers an online master of science in clinical management program. This is a part-time program, offered completely online. It empowers students to grow into successful clinical management leaders.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree, minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0, healthcare management experience or any other closely related field, official transcripts from each college or university attended, one letter of recommendation, and proof of English language proficiency if English is not the applicant’s first language.
The program is made up of 36 credits. It helps students develop the skills and knowledge to manage healthcare delivery. Some courses include population health & risk management; value-based healthcare; organizational dynamics; quality improvement in healthcare; clinical informatics and data analysis; and leadership in healthcare organizations.
The program trains students to communicate clearly, meet patients’ needs, and make ethical decisions. Upon completing the program, students can work in leadership roles in hospitals and physician organizations.
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,110 per credit
The University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth offers an online master of science in healthcare management (MSHM) program through the Charlton College of Business. Students can complete this program online as well as on campus. The program has been ranked No. 10 in the nation by College Choice among the “Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Management Degrees.”
Admission requirements for the program include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, official transcripts from all institutions attended, GMAT exam scores (can be waived off in certain cases), and TOEFL or IELTS exam scores (for international students).
The program comprises 30 credits in courses such as accounting for decision-making; the management of healthcare operations; leading, motivating, and empowering others; strategic cost management; and management of organizational change.
Through the program, students can become positive agents of change. They learn how to make healthcare delivery more efficient, develop administrative policies and procedures, and help reduce errors, thereby saving time and money. They also are trained to redesign organizational processes.
Graduates of the program can pursue roles in a variety of healthcare settings.
- Location: Dartmouth, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $587 per credit
Johns Hopkins University offers an online master of science in healthcare management (MSHM) program through the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. The program is available full-time as well as part-time. In the part-time online format, students will be required to take one course with a residency.
The program asks prospective students to submit the following: a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, official transcripts from all universities or colleges attended, a current resume, and TOEFL or IELTS scores for non-native English speakers. GMAT scores are required but can be waived in the part-time format. Work experience is not required (but preferred) in the full-time format, while the part-time format requires the student to have work experience of more than two years.
The program comprises 36 credits in areas such as operations management; frameworks for analyzing healthcare markets; healthcare law and regulation; accounting for decision-making in healthcare; applied and behavioral economics in healthcare; fundamentals of healthcare systems; and healthcare organization and management. Students gain an understanding of the healthcare system from an economic, analytical, and technological perspective. They also learn how to apply business skills and principles to solve healthcare issues and anticipate changes in this dynamic industry.
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,800 per credit (part-time)
The University of Scranton offers an online MBA (master of business administration) with a specialization in healthcare management. The program is ideal for students who wish to pursue a career in healthcare operations and management.
Applicants to the program must submit proof of three years of professional work experience, transcripts from all schools attended, and proof of English proficiency for international students, among other documentation.
The MBA program comprises 36 to 48 credits and trains students to make an impact in their healthcare organization. Core coursework includes accounting for management; financial management; and management information systems. Courses in the healthcare management concentration include hospital administration; global health management; introduction to health informatics; and healthcare law.
The program makes students aware of case laws and research statutes related to healthcare, helps them examine organizational and structural changes, and promotes ethical leadership. Graduates of the program can pursue opportunities in healthcare and enterprises such as healthcare management companies, medical practices, pharmaceutical companies, and biotech firms. Some of the roles they can take up include hospital administrator, healthcare consultant, pharmaceuticals project manager, healthcare services director of program management, and medical practice manager.
Notably, the University of Scranton also offers an online MBA with a specialization in operations management. This concentration includes courses such as supply chain management; data mining; project and change management; business forecasting models; quality management; and production planning & control.
- Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $965 per credit
Clarkson University’s David D. Reh School of Business offers an online master of science program in clinical leadership in healthcare management ideal for those who wish to pursue clinically-related leadership roles. Providing students with a better understanding of the healthcare industry and the environment in which it exists, this 36-credit online program requires eleven required courses and one elective course.
Applicants to the program must provide a completed application, transcripts from all institutions attended, a current resume, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and GRE or GMAT scores (waivers available).
The curriculum includes courses such as health economics; healthcare operations management; introduction to health systems; statistical methods for healthcare management; healthcare finance; health economics; legal aspects of healthcare; and health policy and managerial epidemiology.
Clarkson also offers a 48-credit online MBA in healthcare management. The curriculum includes courses such as health systems management; healthcare marketing; health operations; statistical methods for data analytics; healthcare finance; financial and managerial accounting for decision-making; health informatics; and legal aspects of healthcare.
- Location: Potsdam, New York
- Accreditation: MBA in healthcare management (AACSB and CAHME); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: One to three years
- Estimated Tuition: $995 per credit
The University of Michigan offers an online master of science program in healthcare management preparing students for executive leadership roles in the field of healthcare. This online degree innovatively incorporates healthcare administration knowledge with business management skills, offered collaboratively through the University of Michigan’s Department of Public Health & Health Sciences (PHHS) and the School of Management (SOM).
With both part-time and full-time options, this 30-credit online master’s degree can be completed in as few as 22 months. The curriculum includes courses such as applications of strategic management in healthcare systems; healthcare marketing strategies; applications of financial management in healthcare; performance management in healthcare organizations; legal issues in healthcare; and health information management for administrators.
Admission requirements to the program include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0, two years of post-baccalaureate, professional work experience, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and TOEFL or IELTS scores for international students. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for admission.
- Location: Flint, Michigan
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 30 months
- Estimated Tuition: In-state ($868.75 per credit); out-state ($1,083 per credit)
Professors to Know in Clinical & Healthcare Operations Management
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Leslie Davidson, PhD, MA, BA, MSe The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Dr. Leslie F. Davidson is the chair of the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership and associate professor of clinical research and leadership at George Washington University. She teaches courses in the occupational therapy and translational health sciences programs. Before she joined George Washington University, she taught at Shenandoah University.
Dr. Davidson is a member of professional organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has published her work in top journals such as the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. She earned her PhD from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, her MSe from John Hopkins University, her MA from New York University, and her BA from Indiana University.
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S. Kingsley Gnanendran, PhD, BS, MEng The University of Scranton
Dr. S. Kingsley Gnanendran is a professor of operations management and director of the online MBA program at the University of Scranton. He teaches or has taught courses in the areas of inventory and production planning, management science, database applications development, and supply chain and logistics management. Presently, his research revolves around the application of optimization modeling to supply chains.
Dr. Gnanendran is a member of professional organizations such as INFORMS (The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) and APICS (The Association for Operations Management). Professor Gnanendaran's work has been featured in respected journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, the SIAM Journal of Discrete Mathematics, and the International Journal of Production Economics. He completed his PhD at the University of Tennessee, his MEng at The Asian Institute of Technology, and his BS at the University of Sri Lanka.
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Christopher Myers, PhD, BS Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
Dr. Christopher Myers is an associate professor in the management and organization discipline and the faculty director of the Center for Innovative Leadership at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Some of the courses he teaches or has taught include foundations of leadership and management, leadership development expedition, and high-reliability leadership, among others. Before joining Johns Hopkins University, he worked at Harvard University and the University of Michigan. His research focuses on leadership development, healthcare organizations, learning & knowledge management, and organizational behavior.
Dr. Myers’s work has been featured in prominent journals such as the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and Academic Medicine. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan and a BS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
