Health Services Administration Degree Program Information

Individuals who are interested in managing and overseeing the operations of healthcare facilities might consider enrolling in a degree program in health services administration. A few popular degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration, a Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) and a Ph.D. in Health Administration.

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Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration

Bachelor's degree programs related to health services administration are interdisciplinary, taking the basic concepts found within a business administration or management degree program and tailoring them to the healthcare field. Students enrolled in such programs learn about human resources management and organizational theory while also studying healthcare policy and regulations.

Educational Prerequisites

In order to declare a major in health services administration, high school graduates must first gain admission into a 4-year college or university. They are then required to take college-level courses in mathematics, health sciences, natural sciences and social sciences.

Program Coursework

The courses most typically found within a bachelor's degree program in health services administration provide students with a strong background in public health, business and general studies. Some such courses include:

Business administration
Economics
Healthcare organization
Social work
Aging and health
Information systems management
Human resource management

Popular Career Options

Bachelor's degrees in health services administration suffice for entry-level positions in the field. While most health services administration jobs require graduate degrees, the following positions can be obtained with a B.S. in Health Services Administration:

Health information manager
Physician's office manager
Health maintenance organization administrator
Health insurance agent

Master of Health Services Administration

Master's degrees in health services administration are often offered through the public health or health sciences departments of 4-year universities and colleges. Such programs are designed to provide graduate students with the knowledge of business administration, organizational management, finance and marketing necessary to oversee entire staffs of hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory agencies and more. Many health services administration degrees offered at the graduate level require students to complete a thesis project or paper exploring one particular theory of the field.

Educational Prerequisites

Some appropriate bachelor's degree programs that might serve as prerequisites for master's degrees in health services administration include those related to health sciences, business administration, biostatistics or public health. Many schools also require that students submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, letters of recommendation and grade transcripts.

Program Coursework

The courses most often found within a graduate program in health services administration cover particular policies related to healthcare as well as basic management theories and principles. Courses commonly address these topics:

Healthcare policy
Health services systems
Managerial accounting
Biostatistics
Health economics
Epidemiology
Project management
Health care finance
Health and law
Health policy development

Employment Outlook and Salary Info

Approximately 271,700 health services managers worked in the United States in 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported (www.bls.gov). The majority of these individuals worked for general and surgical hospitals, while others worked for physicians' offices, nursing homes and home health care services. The median annual wage for the profession in 2009 was about $81,850, and those working in the District of Columbia earned more than those working in any state.

Certification

While all states require licensure for the directors of long-term nursing home facilities, they do not require other health services administrators to gain licensure. Certification in the field is available through organizations such as the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) and the American Hospital Association.

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Administration

A Ph.D. program in health administration primarily prepares students to conduct research into the field of healthcare administration or teach the subject at the collegiate level. At the doctoral level, students choose a subspecialty or emphasis in the field that most interests them. Although all doctoral students in a health administration program study research methods and statistics, some might choose to explore certain areas, such as biostatistics or aging and health. Each doctoral student must complete a dissertation before graduation.

Educational Prerequisites

A bachelor's and master's degree in such fields as health administration, public health or healthcare management are appropriate educational prerequisites for entering into a Ph.D. program in health administration. Students will need to have a solid understanding of both administration policies and the healthcare industry before they embark upon a research-heavy program in the field.

Program Coursework

The main seminar courses often included in a Ph.D. program in healthcare administration focus on advanced topics and contemporary issues in the subject. Some of these seminars might include:

Public health history
Healthcare politics
Advanced topics in health administration
Research methods
Statistics
Dissertation research

Popular Career Options

One of the most common career paths for a graduate of a Ph.D. program in health administration is to become a professor or associate professor in health science and administration at a 4-year college or university. Another common career path is to gain a position in the research sector or accept a leadership position at an organization such as the AAHAM.

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