Healthcare Administration programs at the University of Providence (UP) offer more than an education – but a pathway to a rewarding career. Whether considering a new career in healthcare administration, looking to change careers to healthcare administration, or building onto an existing degree in healthcare administration, UP provides comprehensive educational programs across multiple degree levels to shape future career prospects and opportunities.
UP offers an array of healthcare administration programs – including degrees at the associate (ASHA), bachelor (BSHA), and master (MHA) levels. Each program provides students with a dynamic curriculum focused of building foundational competencies across a variety of disciplines within the healthcare administration scope of practice.
Some programs, such as UPs widely popular MHA program, provides additional degree enhancement with three available concentrations for students to choose from. UP also offers optional post-bachelor certificates for currently enrolled students or previous degree holders. These certificates are designed to enhance a bachelor’s or master’s degree with ready to apply skills in a shorter time than a traditional degree program.
Faculty in UPs healthcare administration programs bring industry experience into the classroom as they educate students in the core competencies and fundamentals of healthcare administration, health systems technology, healthcare organizational leadership, and ethical management. Graduates of UPs healthcare administration programs enter the workforce with a strong command of the U.S. health systems operations, and how to apply leading, specialized skills.
Continue reading to learn more about how UPs healthcare administration programs are laying the groundwork for the future of healthcare administration education and practice.
Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration
Success in the healthcare administration field requires a firm understanding of health system operations. Since healthcare administrators work across many disciplines of administrative health and engage with various healthcare professionals, knowledge of key components and methods in healthcare is vital to ensuring smooth day to day operations. To achieve this seamlessness, incoming administrators must understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the U.S. healthcare system and its subsidiaries. With an associates level healthcare administration program, aspiring administrators will be exposed to important details in daily operations of healthcare.
Why does an associate degree in healthcare administration matter?
With an associates level healthcare administration program, administrators will be prepared for basic, entry-level tasks across a variety of healthcare administration careers. UPs associate degree will help set a strong foundation of industry knowledge – providing students with a dynamic understanding of the U.S. healthcare system. In addition, students will grasp tangible skills in health informatics, finances, communication, and technology management. UPs associate level healthcare administration program will also sets forth a path into leadership by teaching the value of sociocultural awareness when interacting with patients.
What skills will be learned in an associate level program?
UPs associate level healthcare administration program students to meet the growing needs of the healthcare administration workforce. Those who enroll in UPs associate degree program can expect to graduate with foundational skills in healthcare leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving, relationship management skills between employees, patients, management and leadership, enhanced ethical judgment, and communication. These skills will lay critical groundwork for a multitude of entry-level healthcare administration roles.
Will this degree be competitive in the job market?
Since healthcare administration careers are growing at such a rapid rate, an associate’s degree will help any aspiring administrator enter the workforce faster while building real-world skills that can applied throughout future career positions. UPs associate level healthcare administration program is a perfect step toward exploring the healthcare field while preparing to continue an education with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or additional academic certificate. After graduating from UPs program, graduates will be able to find employment in office administration, medical informatics, medical coding, customer support, and more.
Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
Leadership is a core component of any successful business venture or operations. Having a strong, decisive, and effective leader can often mean the difference between a health, well-functioning team or organization and a dysfunctional and out of place one. While leadership is often considered to be a natural trait among some individuals, many skills can be taught and cultivated over time. Through UPs bachelors level healthcare administration program, students will build off the foundational concepts of an associate’s degree by developing skills and competencies required to take on managerial and supervisory roles within a healthcare administration capacity.
Students who earn a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from UP will graduate with skills in effective healthcare organization management, team and organizational leadership, and team supervision across mid-level and select senior level management roles.
Why does a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration matter?
A healthcare administration career can open doors to various advancement opportunities, including supervisory or managerial positions. While part of being a leader comes naturally, many of today’s skills in leadership and management can be learned and adopted through academic programs. With a bachelor’s level healthcare administration program, students will learn the skills needed to become a manager in healthcare – cultivating structural and ethical insight into effective management styles, tactics, and applications. These skills can help professionals climb the ranks of their respective organizations into mid and even senior level management while laying the groundwork for academic advancement.
What skills will be learned in a bachelor level program?
A bachelor degree in healthcare administration builds off the foundations of an associate degree by infusing valuable competencies in advanced practical applications and leadership. Completion of a bachelor’s level healthcare administration program prepares students to take on leadership roles in multiple aspects of healthcare administration and management, including human resources, financial management, medical billing and accounting, account management, and health information management. A bachelor’s level healthcare administration program also opens the door to additional opportunities that can further advance any healthcare administration career, including graduate-level programs.
Will this degree be competitive in the job market?
Beyond the entry-level, most healthcare administration positions require a bachelor’s degree or higher, with the bureau of labor statistics reporting that most employers prefer those with a bachelor’s degree or higher for most roles. Those who complete a bachelors level healthcare administration program will be advantage pursue a variety of opportunities beyond the entry-level, such as medical and health service management, medical records management, nursing home administration, health information man management, and more.
Masters in Healthcare Administration
Beyond managerial and director-level positions are senior and executive positions in healthcare administration. Responsible for the operations and function of entire organizations or health systems across one or more states, senior and executive leaders require a discipline, commitment, and knowledge beyond rudimentary – with many having gained many years of experience in academic and vocational capacities. A masters level healthcare administration program aims to educate students in advanced healthcare administration applications and leadership skills – preparing them to take on senior and executive-level leadership roles within an organization.
UPs MHA program specifically, is carefully designed to provide students with the opportunity to build upon the academic and vocational experience they already have while guiding students down new and exciting paths. Those who enroll in UPs graduate healthcare administration programs can choose from concentrations in leadership, community health, or health justice – infusing a foundational or emerging competency into the curriculum.
Why does a master’s degree in healthcare administration matter?
A masters level healthcare administration program shows employers there is an understanding of advanced knowledge in the subject matter required to function in higher-level healthcare leadership roles. Earned after a bachelor’s degree, a graduate healthcare administration program positions students to serve senior levels of healthcare, where they will lead with a transformative, innovative, and inspirational style. While graduate healthcare administration program graduates are common among members of senior and executive leadership, and although some roles may not require one, it is often preferred by employers because it shows a mastery of subject matter and commitment to the field beyond the basic understanding.
What skills will be learned in a master’s level program?
During a masters in healthcare administration program, students enhance existing healthcare administration and management skills while building new skills in leadership. Attendees learn how to assess and implement new, transformative leadership applications to existing functionalities and core administrative responsibilities, engage in meaningful team building and delegation, and perform operational assessments focused on identifying areas of improvement and developing action plans around them. UPs graduate healthcare administration program focuses on developing leadership skills around communication, information technology, financial proficiency, organizational leadership, and more.
Will this degree be competitive in the job market?
Earning a graduate degree in healthcare administration can greatly expand the number and type of opportunities available to administrations, as well as provide new and emerging pathways within the field not available to those in lower levels of an organization. Those who graduate from a graduate level healthcare administration program can expect to receive higher annual salaries, greater opportunities to network inside and outside of senior leadership, and access to more advanced degree levels such as doctorate programs, post-master certificates, and more – all of which can be leveraged in pursuant of career advancement and development. Specific roles for MHA recipients can include chief operations, senior informatics manager, director of claims, senior policy advisor, and more.
Academic Certificate Opportunities
Outlined in UPs core mission and values is principal that all students should work towards better helping and serving their communities. Not only is this a core tenant of the UP mission, but it is also at the heart of why so many people decide to forge a career in healthcare. Whether it’s through a healthcare administration career, clinical nursing career, or other focus, healthcare administration offers a path that can provide both personal and professional growth opportunities. Those who wish to expand these opportunities can take advantage of academic certificates. Offered at the post-baccalaureate level, these in-demand certificates provide specialized skills and understanding in advancing leading disciplines that boost any healthcare administration program degree.
Health Justice Certificate
The health justice certificate, offered exclusively at UP, is a post-bachelor certificate that builds off the skills students learn in the bachelor’s in healthcare administration program. The certificate prepares graduates to identify, investigate, and address medical issues that have a legal cause. The health justice certificate’s core functionalities include processes and applications to identify and address medical issues stemming from income inequality, housing concerns, educational and employment hurdles, and problems involving immigration, guardianship, and veteran status. While ideally suited for those in or graduated from a healthcare administration program, the certificate can be paired with a clinical nursing or clinical mental health counseling degree as well.
Community Health Investment
The community health investment certificate is a post-bachelor certificate that builds off the skills students learn in the bachelor’s in healthcare administration program. The certificate prepares students to identify, develop and address policies concerning health equity across the community’s healthcare organizations serve. The community health investment certificate centers around the social determinants of health, community health, health-based partnerships, and community collaboration as a path to better serving broader communities.
Healthcare administration programs at the University of Providence provide students with skills from start to finish of the healthcare administration educational journey. Learn core competencies in the foundations, application, and leadership of today’s healthcare administrators through our enhanced degree track. Explore all of UPs healthcare administration programs on the healthcare administration program page or visit the admissions page to learn about how to apply.
