Health Services Administration

Overview

Programs in health services administration prepare people to plan and manage health services organizations.

Health services administration programs include topics such as:

Business management
Health care systems
Public policy
Health care laws
Human resources
Statistics and research methodology

Concentrations

In health services administration programs, students may be able to specialize in:

Hospital administration
Health care management

Schools

Many community colleges offer associate degree programs in health services administration. An associate degree program usually takes two years of full-time study to complete. An associate degree prepares students to work as an assistant in health services administration.

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's degree programs in health services administration. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Many universities offer graduate degrees in health services administration. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Health Services Administrators

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Anatomy and Physiology
Business and Applied English
Business Computer Applications
Business Law
Business Management
Business Math
Community Health
Health Education
Healthcare Occupations
Healthcare Sciences Work Experience
Introduction to Business
Organization Studies
Psychology
Public Speaking
Public, Protective, and Social Services Work Experience
School Governance
Sociology

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree and good grades. You also need to submit letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

Your bachelor's degree should be in one of the following fields:

Business Administration
Finance
Health Administration
Nursing (or some other allied health profession)

It may also be helpful to have some work experience related to this program of study. Examples of relevant experience include jobs as a health care provider or a business administrator.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
Academic writing sample
Personal interview

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

In this undergraduate program, you typically take courses such as the following:

Business Finance
Comparative Health Services Delivery Systems
Environmental and Occupational Health
Health Economics
Health Information Systems
Health Services Management and Operations
Health Systems Policy and Decision Making
Healthcare Organizations
Healthcare Planning and Marketing
Human Resources Management
Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare
Managed Care
Managerial Accounting
Managerial Epidemiology
Marketing
Medical Terminology
Physician Group Practice Management
Planning, Evaluation, and Quality Management
Statistics and Research Methods
Written Business Communication

Graduate Program Courses

Course work in graduate programs varies. However, the outline of a typical graduate curriculum looks like the following:

Required core courses
Comprehensive oral and written exams
Thesis and thesis defense (master's degree only)
Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree only)

The core courses are typically more thorough or more focused studies of topics introduced in the undergraduate program.

Some graduate programs require you to focus on one aspect of health services administration. Examples include policy analysis and health systems management.

In addition, many programs, both undergraduate and graduate, include clinical practicums in their curriculum. A practicum gives you valuable real-world experience in a health services organization by applying your knowledge and skills to administrative problems. You also benefit from the guidance and direct supervision of an experienced health services administrator. Practicums can last anywhere between three months to a year.

You could work in any setting related to health care. Possibilities include a hospital, a health maintenance organization (HMO), or an insurance company. Whatever the setting, you benefit from the guidance and direct supervision of an experienced health care administrator.

Things to Know

Consider pursuing the health care administration program of study if you're interested in applying health services administration-related issues to specific health care organizations such as hospitals or nursing homes.

Getting an associate or bachelor's degree in health services administration typically qualifies you to start out as an administrative assistant and work your way up. If you want to start out at a higher position, you should pursue a graduate degree in this program.

If you want to be a health care administrator in a nursing home, you need to be licensed. To get licensed, you need to have a bachelor's degree, pass an exam, and complete a certain amount of supervised practice. You also usually need to take continuing education courses to renew your license.