What can you do with an associate degree in healthcare administration?
Healthcare administration is one of the fastest-growing fields in healthcare. Healthcare administrators play a vital role in the function of small, medium, and large healthcare institutions, serving in various support roles for administrative tasks and duties. Healthcare administrators work behind the scenes in various roles throughout healthcare, including finance, human resources, operations, medical records, technology, and patient service roles. Healthcare administrators work with both patients and fellow healthcare workers to better support patient care efforts and help fellow professionals better perform their duties.
While degrees in healthcare administration are offered at the associate, bachelor, and master degree levels – breaking into the healthcare administration field does not require an advanced level of schooling. With a two-year associate degree in healthcare administration, you can start your career faster while preparing yourself for additional academic and vocational growth opportunities.
Start Your Career Faster With An Associate Degree in Healthcare Administration
With an Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration, aspiring healthcare administrators can break into a rewarding career faster than a bachelor’s degree program. An associate degree in healthcare administration is an ideal option for those interested in pursuing a career in healthcare administration but are unsure which discipline or concentration they wish to pursue. A two-year associate degree in healthcare administration prepares students for entry-level healthcare administration roles, while exposing them to many different career paths and opportunities within the discipline. Career paths for someone with an associate degree in healthcare administration can include:
- Office finance and accounting
- Medical billing
- Medical records management
- Health information technicians
- Administrative assistant
Gain Real-World Experience In Healthcare
While most healthcare administration careers require students to earn a formal education, more and more employers are turning toward work experience as a supplement or substitute to formal education. Gaining real-world experience shows employers strong knowledge and commitment to the field, along with real-work experience and integration. In addition to real-world experience, the exposure gained while working an entry-level healthcare administration job will help aspiring administrators prepare for future professional and educational endeavors, including returning to school for advanced degrees. With an associate degree in healthcare administration, students will learn a variety of skills that can be immediately applied to a healthcare administration position, including:
- Healthcare Industry Knowledge
- Critical Thinking
- Relationship Management
- Ethical Judgement
- Communication
- Human Resources for Healthcare
- Legal Issues for Healthcare
- Patient interaction and services
Springboard Into Advanced Degrees
While entry-level positions in healthcare administration may expose administrators to different career paths, many advanced and senior-level positions will require additional education credentials that work experience cannot provide. With an associate degree in healthcare administration, students will be prepared to return to school for a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration – a critical step for obtaining a graduate degree and other additional bachelor-level educational certificates.
An advanced degree in healthcare administration can help administrators climb the ladder to more senior-level and even executive-level positions while opening the door to new and exciting opportunities for academic and professional certificates. For many healthcare administrators, education does not stop when the degree is earned. There is a great benefit to pursuing academic or professional certifications or even doctoral programs that can help to further advance careers in the field.
Become a Healthcare Administrator At The University of Providence
From associate to graduate – The University of Providence can prepare you for all levels of healthcare administration education. With our associate, bachelor, and master’s level programs – UP students are set on a path of continued success throughout all levels and course offerings.
Since courses build upon each other, following UPs healthcare administration track can help ease the burden of worrying about credit transfers, course levels and repeat information. Starting at the associate level – you can return to UP for a bachelor’s and master’s degree knowing you will receive the same mission-focused, quality education designed for working professionals.
Not looking to get another degree? Our academic certificate programs offer a well-rounded, guided approach to specific topics and focus areas that can be used to supplement a healthcare administration degree. For those interested in health information services and storytelling with data – the Applied Health Informatics Certificate can provide a shorter, less-expensive way to climb the informatics and health information technology career ladder. For those who choose to advance to a bachelor’s degree level, academic certificates in Community Health Investment and Health Justice break into emerging healthcare fields that focus on the social drivers of health, social justice, and equity of care.
With a two-year associate degree in healthcare administration, you can enter an entry-level career that can serve as a springboard for new and exciting academic and educational growth opportunities. Explore the University of Providence’s healthcare administration programs to learn more about our degrees, academic certificates, and our program’s mission-focused programs.
