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Courses to Completing an Online Doctorate in Healthcare Administration Program
Research Methods and Design
This course provides an overview of the research and design methods most commonly used in the healthcare industry. Students explore quantitative and qualitative methods, read and analyze existing scholarship in the field, and design their own research studies in healthcare administration.
Applied Statistics
Students often take this course alongside a research methods course. Coursework examines the statistical methods most often utilized in quantitative research. Students gain a better understanding of how these methods function and apply that knowledge to evaluate research in the field.
Community and Global Health
This course explores studies in epidemiology, particularly in their relation to community and global health trends and issues. Students examine the use of epidemiologic studies on healthcare decision-making. The course often requires students to create their own strategies and plans for managing and addressing community health issues.
Healthcare Regulations and Policy
This course looks at existing healthcare policies at the local and federal levels and asks students to examine the impact of these policies on healthcare. Students explore the policy-making processes for healthcare organizations and often create their own proposals for new policies.
Economics and Finance in Healthcare
This course explores finance and resource management in the healthcare industry, as well as the various factors that impact economics in healthcare. Students often create their own financial plan for a healthcare organization and evaluate existing plans in place in major healthcare corporations.
Admission Requirements for an Online Doctorate in Healthcare Administration Program
Admission requirements for an online doctorate in healthcare administration programs vary based on individual institutions, making it important for prospective students to consider several different schools to find one that best matches their financial, academic, and professional needs.
While admission requirements change by program, the following section reviews some of the most common requirements for a doctorate in healthcare administration programs.
Application
Every online doctorate in healthcare administration requires prospective degree-seekers to complete an online or paper application. At the doctorate level, no type of common application exists, so students will need to apply individually to each program. These typically ask for information such as name, address, and other relevant personal information.
Test Scores
Some schools may require learners to submit test scores, depending on their previous education. Students who already took the GRE or other college entrance exam for a master's degree can sometimes bypass this step; other schools no longer require these types of test scores.
Letters of Recommendation
Graduate programs typically ask applicants to provide multiple letters of recommendation. These typically come from people who can speak to a learner's preparedness for doctorate-level study, including previous colleagues, supervisors, professors, and mentors.
Resume and Work Experience
Most doctorate in healthcare administration programs expect applicants to possess some relevant work experience before applying, often between 2-8 years of experience. Executive programs may require a bit more professional experience. Make sure to provide an up-to-date resume and cover letter with your application packet.
Essays
Writing a standout essay or statement of purpose for a doctorate in healthcare administration can make the difference in whether a student gets selected for admission. Essays provide the opportunity for prospective degree-seekers to personalize their application and give admission officials concrete reasons why their application deserves a close look.
Official Transcripts
Every program requires applicants to supply official transcripts from any post-secondary institutions previously attended. This includes both undergraduate and graduate studies. In addition to ensuring prospective students meet GPA requirements, these documents also offer insight into whether the learner has taken all prerequisite courses.
Career Outlook With an Online Doctorate in Healthcare Administration Degree
Individuals seeking a secure job with a bright future find that healthcare administration roles typically meet their needs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that jobs for medical and health services managers will grow by an impressive 32% between 2020-2030, far faster than the national average for all occupations. As a result, nearly 140,000 new positions are projected to be added by the end of the decade.
Median 2020 pay for these professionals reached $104,280, according to the BLS. Those in the top 10% of earners received more than $195,630, while those in the bottom 10% received less than $59,980.
Graduates often work in hospitals, outpatient care facilities, physicians' offices, and residential care facilities. They may also work in local, state, and federal government or fill teaching and research roles in academia.
Career Paths
Graduates of doctorate in healthcare administration programs can choose from several different career paths. We look at a few below.
Medical and Health Services Managers
These professionals serve in high-level roles at hospitals, long-term care facilities, physicians' offices, and other healthcare settings to oversee administrative functions. They look for ways to improve healthcare delivery processes, manage staff and scheduling, oversee administrative budgets, and organize ongoing continuing education and training programs.
Median Annual Salary: $104,280
Healthcare Administration Professor
Healthcare administration professors focus on training the next generation of healthcare administration professionals. Professors select reading materials, lead lectures and discussions, set assignments and projects, and provide feedback on student work. They may also function as a dissertation supervisor, project overseer, or mentor.
Median Annual Salary: $80,560
Hospital Human Resource Manager
Human resources departments in hospitals and healthcare facilities help ensure that hospital staff receive adequate management and representation. Working in this role can involve overseeing training, creating benefits packages, handling the employee lifecycle from hiring onwards, and addressing complex regulatory issues.
Median Annual Salary: $121,220
Healthcare Administration Financial Manager
Financial managers in healthcare facilities make sure their organizations stay financially viable and follow all state, federal, and industry requirements. They create financial reports, seek ways of reducing costs and maximizing profit, consult on expansion opportunities from a financial perspective, and consult with C-level executives on significant business decisions.
Median Annual Salary: $134,180
Research Director
Some graduates decide they want to use their advanced education to better understand the health administration field. Working on the research side involves collecting and tabulating quantitative and qualitative data and drawing conclusions. These conclusions can then help shape the future of the field and make healthcare administrators more effective.
Median Annual Salary: $102,900
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Continuing Education
A doctorate in healthcare administration serves as a terminal degree, meaning no higher degrees exist beyond it. While students could decide to complete an additional doctorate or even master's degree in a related subject to supplement their knowledge, they cannot pursue a degree higher than a doctorate.
That said, there are plenty of postgraduate certificates offered by universities, as well as professional certifications offered by various professional organizations. Postgraduate certificates often cover individual topics, including public health administration, medical records, or financial management. The Association for Healthcare Administrative Professionals also provides continuing education opportunities.