Master's in Healthcare Management Online: Program Breakdown

Expert Advice: Choosing the Master’s in Healthcare Management that Fits Your Career

Our rankings highlight master’s-level healthcare management programs with strong outcomes and professional reputations. But at the graduate level, a program’s concentration options, faculty expertise, and alumni network often matter more than its overall ranking. Our EduMed experts share the questions they’d ask a program before enrolling, and the ones they’d ask themselves.

Check Job Postings Before Deciding

One thing worth knowing about master’s-level healthcare management programs is that many of the highest paying roles in this space often prefer an MBA with a healthcare concentration. Before you commit to a specialized MHA program, do some research on job postings for the actual roles you want and see which credential shows up more often. This might help you avoid an unwelcome surprise down the road.

Cody DeBos, RN, BSN

Choose a Concentration Intentionally

When choosing your concentration, think about how close you want to stay to the clinical side of healthcare. Quality management and patient safety keep you closer to patient care operations, while project management tends to pull you toward consulting and health IT. Neither is better than the other, but the roles they lead to are different.

Maggie Aime, RN, MSN, CPC

Inside an Online Healthcare Management Master’s Program

Online master’s in healthcare management programs help prepare working professionals to lead in a complex healthcare environment. They involve education in strategic planning, financial management, healthcare policy, and organizational leadership beyond what you normally learn in an HCM bachelor’s program.

Factors to consider during your program search include:

• Specialization or concentration tracks: Tailoring your studies in a specialized area of the healthcare management field can be a great benefit to your career.
• Study pace: Programs may be offered full-time, part-time, or in an accelerated format.
• Fully-online vs. hybrid: Program content may be delivered entirely online or through a combination of both online and in-person components.
• Synchronous vs. asynchronous delivery: Online content may be delivered synchronously (requiring logging on and participating in live-streamed sessions at specifically-scheduled times) or asynchronously (allowing you to log on and complete coursework at any time.)
• Program cost: Including the availability of financial aid resources.

The detailed profile below gives you unique insight into what an online master’s in healthcare management entails, and how each of the core elements works together.

Online HCM Master’s Student FAQs

What do you learn in an online master’s program in healthcare management?

Students in a master’s in healthcare management program learn to lead, manage, and improve healthcare facilities, systems, and organizations from a non-clinical perspective. And while specialized learning is emphasized (see the next question), most HM master’s students will complete core coursework in the following areas:

• Communications
• Core business and management skills
• Healthcare technology and data
• Healthcare systems and policy
• Organizational and operations management
• Quality and performance improvement

Additionally, many programs culminate in the completion of a capstone project or applied experience.

What concentrations are available in an online master’s program in healthcare management?

Specialization is a major feature of practically all healthcare master’s programs with healthcare management programs offering specialization or concentration tracks in areas such as:

• Healthcare informatics/analytics
• Healthcare leadership and administration
• Health policy management
• Population health/public health management
• Project and operations management
• Quality and patient safety
• Senior services and long-term care management

How long does it take to earn a master’s degree in healthcare management online?

Program lengths for online master’s in healthcare programs vary from program to program depending primarily on the student’s chosen study pace. Common program lengths are:

• Full-time: One to two years.
• Part-time: Two to three years.
• Accelerated: As few as 12 months, sometimes less.

Are there any licenses or certifications I need to get as a master’s student in healthcare management?

In most cases, you will not need any form of state licensure to work in healthcare management. However, state licensure is required in some states to work as a nursing home or long-term care facility administrator.

And while professional certification is generally not required for healthcare management jobs, it can be to your great benefit — in terms of enhancing your resume and expanding your job opportunities — to obtain one or more anyway.

Examples of popular professional certifications in the HM field include:

• Certified Medical Manager (CMM)
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM)
• Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC)
• Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)

Obtaining professional certification typically requires passing a certification exam and having some professional work experience.

What can I do with a master’s in healthcare management?

A master’s in healthcare management prepares graduates to take on a wide range of administrative and management leadership positions throughout the healthcare field in roles ranging from department manager all the way into the executive suites of major healthcare corporations.

Popular job areas and titles include:

• Executive leadership: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Hospital Administrator
• Departmental and operational management: Clinical Director, Nursing Home Administrator, Health Services Manager
• Specialized administration: Health Policy Analyst, Health Information Manager, Healthcare Consultant

Common job settings include:

• Hospitals and hospital systems
• Doctor’s offices
• Outpatient care centers
• Nursing homes
• Government health agencies

What Can You Do with a Master’s in Healthcare Management?

Obtaining a master’s degree in healthcare management qualifies graduates for leadership roles in healthcare in many areas of practice and work environments. The five popular careers described below offer just a small example of the wide variety of career paths available to HM master’s grads.

Hospital Administrators

Hospital administrators oversee day-to-day activities of a hospital or hospital system. Common job responsibilities include:

• Hiring, training, and supervising medical/hospital staff
• Establishing organizational goals
• Planning and implementing programs to meet those goals
• Overseeing finances and related operations
• Communicating with staff, departments, and board members
• Monitoring resource use and allocation

This career choice can be challenging and involve long hours and stressful working conditions, but the benefits include high earning potential and the ability to make a positive impact on patient health.

Clinic Managers

Clinic managers coordinate the daily activities of medical clinics and doctors’ offices. Job tasks are similar to those of hospital administrators but on a smaller scale, and include:

• Staff supervision
• Budgeting
• Patient scheduling
• Maintaining an efficient workflow across departments

Becoming a clinic manager may be a good choice for those who prefer direct interaction with patients and keeping regular hours (which can help in establishing a quality work-life balance.) Due to high patient volume, however, working as a clinic manager can be stressful and demand a high level of organizational skills.

Health Consultants

Healthcare consultants advise healthcare organizations of all types (hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, public health agencies, etc.) in ways to improve their operations in areas such as:

• Change management
• Financial management
• Market analysis
• Operational improvement
• Regulatory compliance
• Strategic planning
• Technology implementation

Becoming a health consultant may be a good choice for those who prefer to work as independent contractors. Common challenges include inconsistent hours, frequent travel, and effectively addressing the needs of high-demand clients.

Health Policy Analysts

Health policy analysts are employed primarily by government agencies, non-profit organizations, and think tanks to collect, manage, and analyze data to help organizations make informed decisions to improve operational efficiency. Specific responsibilities include:

• Compliance support
• Data collection, management, analysis, and reporting
• Decision consultation
• Performance evaluation
• Predictive analytics

Pharmaceutical Project Manager

Pharmaceutical project managers oversee drug development, testing, and marketing projects for drug manufacturers. Common job duties include:

• Budget and risk management
• Clinical trials coordination
• Cross-functional team leadership
• Timeline management
• Quality assurance
• Regulatory compliance
• Communication with stakeholders

Pharmaceutical project managers often command high salaries, but they also often work in high-pressure environments under stringent regulatory demands.

Top Online Master’s Programs in Healthcare Management