An MBA in Healthcare Management: Where Business Management and Healthcare Management Meet |
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March 6, 2006
By Charity Shumway
charity.shumway@healthcare-programs.com
Healthcare Programs Columnist
Healthcare is a business. But it's also more than a business – it's a field that's wrapped up with social, ethical, and public policy concerns. On a fundamental level healthcare management decisions matter in a way that management decisions related to things like, say, artificial cheese manufacturing and distribution just don't. Because the healthcare field is such a complex one, succeeding as a healthcare manager requires special skills and specific kinds of knowledge. One of the best ways to gain the requisite skills and knowledge is to earn an MBA in healthcare management.
What Goes into Earning an MBA in Healthcare Management?
MBA programs that focus on healthcare management operate their traditional MBA cousins in lots of ways. Healthcare MBAs typically take the same two-years to earn that standard MBAs do, and many of the courses required to earn an MBA in healthcare management will be identical to those required to earn a traditional MBA. For instance, you're likely to find yourself taking courses like organizational behavior and marketing in order to graduate. What's different, though, is that in a healthcare management MBA, you'll also take courses in targeted areas like health systems and technology, health policy, and healthcare management strategies.
What Can I Do with an MBA in Healthcare Management?
An MBA in healthcare management will prepare you for careers ranging from hospital administration and HMO management to healthcare consulting and health policy advocacy. Individuals who have the training to effectively manage healthcare organizations and to evaluate and improve healthcare systems are in increasing in demand. Earning an MBA with a healthcare management focus can give you the expertise you need to become a leader in this important field.
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