For people hoping to enter the field of Healthcare Management and Administration there are a number of Master’s Degree options available. It is important to understand the differences between the degree programs so that you can better decide which is the degree for you. There are multiple types of Master’s Degree available in Healthcare Management that can help open the doors in many settings and levels of employment.
Some of those include:
Master of Health Administration/ Master of Healthcare Administration
The Master of Health Administration or Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) is a professional degree granted to students that places an emphasis on management of hospitals and other health service organizations. Forbes ranked this specific degree the #8 best Master’s Degree for jobs in 2012. Areas of curriculum may include health policy, healthcare economics and marketing, organizational behavior, management within healthcare organizations, human resources management, financial analysis and application, population health, management of information systems, statistical formulation and implementing strategies. The degree is designed to provide students with a better understanding of management within the healthcare industry and prepare them for senior management jobs.
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management is a degree that provides graduates with a wealth of information, opportunity and benefits. This degree program provides students the required training to work in the field of healthcare in many areas of executive and professional service. With the healthcare market one of the fastest growing segments of the job market, a degree in Business Management prepares the student to help streamline the Healthcare System.
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration Degree (MPA) is designed to provide students with the knowledge they need to become senior managers in the health services and systems marketplace. The MPA degree objective is to develop competent financial and general managers who are educated in the public health system as well as financing and organization of healthcare systems.
Master of Science Healthcare Management
The Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHM) degree will equip students with the tools to apply the most relevant business skills in making decision that affect healthcare management including technology, staffing, policy, regulation, finance and many other areas of expertise. This program will give students an in-depth understanding of complex Healthcare issues to make a positive impact on their working environment.
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree is a multi-disciplinary professional degree and is awarded to students in areas related to public health. With a focus in public health practice as opposed to research or teaching, these programs are available in Programs of Public Health, Schools of Public Health and Schools of Public Affairs. Anyone in the United States with an accredited undergraduate degree may pursue an MPH.
Master of Science in Public Service
The Master of Science in Public Service Management gives students a broad-based education to pursue careers in fund raising and philanthropy, health care administration, higher education administration, metropolitan planning and urban affairs, nonprofit administration, association management, and public policy. The degree generally offers concentrations in specific areas such as health administration, higher education administration, heath care administration and planning and urban affairs to name a few.
Masters of Science in Public Health
The Masters of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree is an academic public health degree rather than a professional public health degree. The MSPH is a more research-oriented degree, requiring additional research coursework for degree completion. Also, MSPH students must complete a research thesis or project of publishable quality. The extra coursework requires roughly one additional year of study in relation to what is required for the MPH degree experience in the health system. The curriculum, however, varies between universities.
While there are distinctions among academic programs and degrees, a Master’s Degree in a Healthcare related area could be the pathway to an executive position in many different healthcare settings. With an increase in healthcare management and administration jobs at an all time high, it is an ideal time to pursue a degree that will allow advancement in a healthcare career.