About Healthcare Administration
Healthcare Administrators are organizational leaders and professionals who are on the business side of healthcare. While some Healthcare Administrators hold degrees in Medicine, Nursing, or other fields, many do not. Healthcare Administrators can work as medical staff directors, financial managers, emergency preparedness specialists, and in community health, senior care, and more.
Learn more about the profession at:
Even though Healthcare Administrators usually do not directly care for patients (unless they hold another specialized degree), their expertise in communication, strategizing, policy, supervision, and finances significantly impact both providers and patients.
Healthcare Administration professionals have a variety of graduate and undergraduate backgrounds. No matter which educational path(s) you choose, it is crucial to intentionally pursue meaningful out-of-classroom experiences to build key knowledge and skills.
Degree/Certification Paths
There are multiple ways to grow into a career in Healthcare Administration. One of the most straight paths is to pursue a graduate degree such as a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused specifically on Healthcare. There are also specialized graduate programs that emphasize health informatics, such as Duke’s MS in Health Analytics.
For the most up-to-date salary information, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Note that salary will vary depending on role, education, location, etc.
Note: UW-Madison does not offer a specific undergraduate program in Healthcare Administration. The university offers a broad range of undergraduate majors and certificates that will help prepare you to pursue this career path – some examples include Health Promotion & Health Equity, Business Administration, Life Sciences Communication, and Community and Organizational Development. In fact, combined with meaningful out-of-classroom experiences, you will be able to pursue a career in healthcare administration with any undergraduate major! Most often, progressing as a Healthcare Administrator will require additional education beyond a bachelor’s degree.
In addition to the resources below, we encourage you to reach out to a Career Advisor in your school/college or the Career Exploration Center for additional assistance. For example, students in the College of Letters & Science can see career & internship specialist Maureen Muldoon at SuccessWorks for more about healthcare administration/management and preparing for graduate school and job applications. While Healthcare Administration graduate programs are not among CPHA’s primary areas of advising expertise, we are here to support you in exploring the career, building helpful experiences, and navigating some aspects of professional program applications. Talk with us if you have questions!
Explore Your Interest in Healthcare Administration
Informational Interviews
Informational interviews are an important way to explore professions and better understand the day to day experience of practitioners in the field.
Exploring healthcare organization websites and LinkedIn can be a great starting point for understanding the professional landscape and identifying individuals to contact for an informational interview. Another option is asking your own healthcare providers if they have recommendations for a healthcare administrator to contact. Informational interviews can be a great way to open the door to future shadowing opportunities!
Jobs
Part- or full-time work in a clinical setting is an excellent way to learn about the field, network with other healthcare professionals, and confirm that healthcare administration is a career of interest. Any position in a healthcare environment is great experience, whether you are doing office work, assisting practitioners, or anything else.
Keep an eye out for related positions on the UW Student Job Center and Handshake!
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Additional Exploratory Resources
Read About Leaders in the Field
- University of Wisconsin Executive MBA spotlight: Elsa Jacobson, MBA
- University of Pennsylvania Wharton MBA in Healthcare Management: Alumni spotlights (view alumni profiles via the Resume Booklets)
- Harvard Commonwealth Fund alumni spotlight: Shairi Turner, MD, MPH
- University of Minnesota Executive Master of Healthcare Administration: Rafael Andrade, MD, MHA
Listen to a Podcast
- Health Affairs is a nonpartisan journal of health policy research that has several podcasts on the latest news and research affecting health policy today. You can also sign-up for Health Affairs’ free newsletters to receive updates about new podcast episodes, health policy research, and professional development opportunities for health care industry professionals.
Finding a Program
Some graduate degree programs are specifically accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Find a list of CAHME-accredited Healthcare Management programs.
Learn more about the Rush University Master of Science in Health Systems Management program here.
Educational Association
The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accredits 150 academic programs in healthcare management covering areas such as healthcare leadership, quality and safety, and population health. CAHME seeks to ensure that graduates possess the necessary competencies and practical experiences to excel in the healthcare field adding value to organization and growing into future leaders.
CAHME is the only organization recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation to grant accreditation to graduate programs in healthcare management.
Programs not listed by CAHME may still be great options for you to consider. We highly encourage you to contact programs of interest to further discuss your goals and how their program might contribute to your career success.
Professional Associations
Healthcare is complex, and so is the administration of healthcare systems. There are a range of professional associations to help Healthcare Administration professionals connect, learn from one another, and grow in their careers. We list a few below.
- The American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM)
- American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
- The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
- The National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM)
- Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA)
Required Coursework
Requirements vary from program to program, so it’s always necessary to consult program websites. As an example, here is a website sharing information about the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Pre-requisite courses will vary based on program focus. A background in STEM, biological sciences, or health sciences is not required to pursue many programs!