Healthcare services continue to be in strong demand all across the country, and those who provide care to patients need strong leaders to help manage workloads and reinforce quality services to the people they serve. This is why there are many advantages to obtaining a healthcare management or administration certificate online.
These leadership programs have the added benefit of flexibility and affordability, allowing you to keep working at any level of healthcare while simultaneously taking steps to advance your career. With hundreds of specialties in healthcare available to those who want to lead, you can choose the best career path and open the door to new opportunities with this certification.
A person with natural management skills would be ideal for a healthcare administration or management role. They are executive-level professionals who provide direction, policy oversight, cost analysis, and oversight of quality care initiatives. Consider a health administration certificate if you thrive on solving challenges and have a desire to propel effective healthcare forward.
When considering the plethora of options available online for healthcare administration, it is important to find the best fit based on your learning needs, background, and personal situation. This guide is designed to help streamline your search by covering some of the most crucial questions, such as cost and overall school rankings. Before applying, it’s important to have all the information you need to make a wise and confident decision for your career, so read on for more information to help guide your decision.
College Spotlights: Online Healthcare Administration Certificate Programs
We’ve identified three of the top healthcare administration online programs that offer certificate programs for those who already have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and want to become health administrators. Degree options are also available online through these programs for those who wish to pursue a related leadership degree, such as healthcare management.
University of Cincinnati
This university’s online healthcare administration graduate certificate program helps active healthcare professionals grow their skills to prepare for the distinctive challenges of modern healthcare. As a nationally recognized and ranked research university, it provides a quality student-centered experience that helps you reach your career goals. It offers 100% online graduate certificates in healthcare administration, finance, operations, and policy.
The program is affordable, with $9,324 as the estimated cost to complete your graduate certificate. In addition, it offers easy online tools to help you with financial aid, receiving tuition assistance, and taking advantage of benefits for military personnel. Once accepted into the program, the University of Cincinnati will also assign you a student success coordinator to assist you in finishing your degree in a timely manner. A majority of its students take one to two classes per semester and continue to work while completing their certificate online. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the University of Cincinnati.
Liberty University
A healthcare management certificate through Liberty University is earned completely online and can be completed in as little as a year. This nonprofit university offers condensed classes lasting eight weeks, with start dates taking place throughout the year. The credits you earn can be transferred into a master’s degree program if you decide to advance your education in the future. The courses are offered with no set log-in times, so you have the flexibility to complete coursework on your schedule.
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has committed to keeping student costs down by implementing a price freeze on tuition for the past seven years. It also helps students earn financial aid, tuition assistance, and the maximum military education benefits for those who qualify.
Ohio University
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Ohio University offers a completely online healthcare management certificate. The program consists of four courses, totaling 12 credit hours, and costs $9,948 to complete. Learning is asynchronous, and each course is seven weeks long. Most students complete the program part-time, allowing them to balance work and life obligations while furthering their education.
While three of the courses have set curricula, the fourth gives students the opportunity to customize their learning experience with an elective that aligns with their interests. Ohio University also will apply up to nine credits towards an Ohio MBA or MSM degree for students who want to pursue further education. By the end, you gain a solid understanding of analytics, managing teams, and effective communication needed to lead a healthcare organization effectively.
Top Reasons to Earn an Online Healthcare Graduate Certificate
The demand for healthcare leaders is growing at a rapid pace. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics is projecting 28% employment growth for medical and health services managers through 2032, which is considered much faster than average.
Benefit #1: Affordability
Earning an online graduate certificate in healthcare administration doesn’t have to break the bank. Most of these certificates can be earned for less than $15,000 and can be received in about a year. Many schools are dedicated to making their programs affordable. They will work with you to secure financial aid, tuition assistance, scholarships, or military benefits to make your educational goals a reality. There are even affordable master of healthcare administration (MHA) programs for those who are interested.
Benefit #2: Salary Boost
Considering the long-term job sector growth and high demand for services, obtaining an online healthcare management graduate certificate is a well-founded future investment that can have excellent returns. In 2022, the median salary for medical and health services managers in the U.S. was $104,830 per year. Completing a graduate certificate in healthcare management can help you leverage your experience and education to maximize your earning potential.
What You’ll Learn in Online Graduate Certificate Programs in Health Administration
People who study healthcare administration are required to solve complex problems while effectively managing care in a wide range of settings. Completing a graduate certificate in healthcare administration will help students hone business and leadership skills that are essential for effective healthcare delivery. These programs are often completed 100% online and often include a final project before the certificate is earned.
The programs are designed to flex around the work schedules of busy professionals who already have some level of healthcare experience. Combining this existing knowledge with skills and competencies taught in an online healthcare administration program will prepare students to face the challenges of an ever-changing healthcare environment.
Popular Courses
Analytics
Learning the best ways to analyze and sift through healthcare data and information is essential to success in healthcare administration. This data is organized to help create projections and show trends that are necessary for executive-level decision-making.
Finance and Cost Management
Administrators manage the business side of healthcare. It will be necessary to understand how healthcare is funded, including how to acquire grants and manage organizational costs. As a healthcare administrator, sound financial decisions will keep organizations running smoothly and progressively.
Managing People and Teams
The primary duty of healthcare administrators and managers is to lead teams and organizations. Healthcare administration certificate programs teach students the skills and strategies to make them effective leaders as they manage people, systems, organizations, and logistics to keep the cogs of healthcare moving and ensure proper care delivery to patients.
What are Some Specializations in Healthcare Administration Certificates That I Can Earn?
While the most common healthcare certificates focus on administration or management, many programs allow you to select a specialized elective based on your background and interests. Here, we will discuss some of these specialized electives to help you decide what may be best for you during your educational experience.
Business
Students interested in business or wanting to pursue a master’s degree in business administration can benefit from selecting a business component as their elective while completing a healthcare administration or management certificate online.
Law and Ethics
Healthcare administrators are responsible for developing and implementing policies centered around legal and ethical concerns. Many programs either require or allow students to choose an elective on law and ethics.
Healthcare Informatics
As a growing sector of healthcare, informatics focuses on current and prospective information technology. While stand-alone programs are available for healthcare informatics, it can be beneficial for future administrators to take a specialty course to better understand emerging technology and data synthesis impacting healthcare.
What Can You Do with a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Administration or Management?
You can expect to manage medical facilities and personnel with this type of certification, leading to excellent job growth and career opportunities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates annual job openings for healthcare managers to be around 54,700 through 2032.
A majority of graduates with a healthcare administration or management certificate will work in healthcare facilities, nursing homes, or medical practices. The career can be segmented into areas such as budgeting and finance, personnel management, data analysis, and executive administration. Physicians who choose to complete a healthcare administration certificate have some of the highest-paying salaries in that sector, averaging $152,605 per year.
Accreditation for Health Administration Graduate Certificate Programs
Accreditation for graduate healthcare administration or management certificates primarily occurs at the regional level. It lends additional credence to the program and its offerings, increasing the likelihood that credits will be transferable to other programs should you choose to further your education in the future.
Most programs will clearly identify on their website any accreditations they have earned. If it is not listed, you can always reach out via email or chat to ask the college or university about accreditation or any other questions you may have regarding the application process.
Costs and Financial Aid for Healthcare Administration Grad Certificates
Prospective students should create a plan for paying for their education before enrollment, working to line up financial aid through a variety of means if possible. Private and school scholarships, work-study programs, fellowships, and employer tuition assistance are just some of the opportunities that are available. We offer a comprehensive financial aid page that can help you with ideas for payment for your continuing education.
What Your Online Health Administration Graduate Certificate Could Cost
| School | No. of Credits | Cost/Credit | Est. Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
9 | $436 | $3,924 | |
18 | $524 | $10,998 | |
15 | $460 | $6,900 |
FAQs: Online Healthcare Administration Graduate Certificates
What is the difference between a graduate certificate in healthcare administration, MHA, and a master’s degree in healthcare management?
Graduate certificates in healthcare administration are designed for people who already have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and want to gain additional knowledge that will help them secure a role in healthcare leadership. Another benefit to the certificate program is that it allows students to obtain some credits that are often transferable to higher-level degree programs they may pursue at a later time. A master’s degree in healthcare management allows students to focus on leadership practices in advanced study. In contrast, a master’s degree in health administration focuses on the needs of healthcare organizations for advanced management and leadership.
What are the admissions requirements for online graduate certificate programs in healthcare administration?
Admission requirements for online graduate certificate programs in healthcare administration vary between institutions but still have many similarities. Consider these common requirements before applying online for your graduate certificate in healthcare administration.
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Official undergraduate transcripts
- Completed application
- Payment of any application or enrollment fees
How long will it take to finish my healthcare management graduate certificate online?
The average online graduate certificate in healthcare administration can be completed in about one year. Some programs are a bit more credit-heavy and may take an estimated 18 months to complete, such as the University of North Texas. In contrast, Fitchburg State University offers a graduate certificate in healthcare management that is completed in as little as five months if pursued full-time or 10 months through the part-time option. Reviewing the course offerings and considering your long-term educational and career goals plays a large factor in choosing the right program and time period for your individual needs.
Can I earn my graduate health administration certificate 100% online, or do I need to take classes on campus?
Students can typically complete this program 100% online with asynchronous learning. Being self-motivated and driven are beneficial to the exclusive online learning format that is common with graduate healthcare administration certificate programs. Most certificate programs offer classes that are primarily online with little to no required campus time.