Online Masters Degree in Health Care

A master's degree in health care can lead to a lucrative career as a health services administrator. Health services administrators direct the delivery of effective health care for medical facilities. A master's degree program traditionally takes 2 years to complete and with online master's degree in health programs students can set their own pace and adjust coursework as needed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), typical coursework could include hospital management, marketing, budgeting, human resources administration, strategic planning, law and ethics, statistics, health economics, and health information systems.

Online Master's Degree in Health Care: Three Career Paths

According to the BLS, the health services administration field can be divided into 3 specializations:

1. Clinical Manager, Generalist. General clinical managers are responsible for an entire hospital or medical facility. In larger facilities, managers focus more on implementing policies, managing personnel, setting budgets, and coordinating daily operations. However, many managers of smaller outpatient facilities or nursing homes balance these managerial duties with actual patient care. A few managers are responsible for multiple facilities within a health system.
2. Clinical Manager, Specialist. Specialized clinical managers are responsible for setting policies, developing budgets, and evaluating personnel within a single department in a hospital. They usually have significant experience as a professional in their specialization.
3. Health Information Manager. Health information managers are responsible for maintaining secure electronic patient records.

Potential Salaries With An Online Master's Degree In Health Care

A May 2009 BLS study reports the following annual mean salaries for health services administrators:

• Hospital managers $96,660
• Physician's office managers $88,650
• Outpatient care center managers $84,980
• Home health care managers $83,160
• Nursing home managers $77,560

By earning an online master's degree in health, today's working professional can position themselves for success in one of the country's biggest and fastest growing industries.