You can study online for a masters degree or other postgraduate qualification in health administration. Online courses give you an opportunity to move into the field or be promoted to senior management.
- Health administrators plan, manage, monitor and coordinate systems of health care delivery. They work in hospitals and other health service facilities.
- Studying health admin prepares you for senior administration, management and planning roles.
Australian universities now offer 100% online masters degrees in health administration. Leadership qualifications are available without ever having to attend classes on campus.
Health administration positions are found at nursing homes, large hospital systems, home health agencies, and even smaller clinics and facilities. The responsibilities of an administrator are varied. Most health administration professionals work in an office environment, even when they are housed in a hospital or clinic.
What is Health Administration?
Health service managers and administrators plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the delivery of health and related services.
- Managers and administrators may be clinical specialists in charge of a niche department or service.
- They might also be generalists who manage projects, multi-purpose facilities or health systems.
A good health administration course gives you essential knowledge and skills for management roles in health services. It develops you as a leader, imparting skills in strategic planning, managing service quality and safety, and making policy decisions.
- You come away equipped and qualified to work as a manager in different healthcare settings.
- Graduates and employed in hospital and community healthcare centres, aged care facilities, health departments, government and community organisations, and in primary care and general practice.
Some of the complex tasks carried out by health administrators are: integrating health care delivery systems, introducing technological innovations, reorganising work structures, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Study Health Admin Online
You can study online for a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or masters degree in health administration (or health management).
- Graduate certificate (4-unit) and graduate diploma (8-unit) courses count as credit towards a masters degree.
- Courses may include foundation units of a general nature and advanced specialist units.
- A full masters programs is 12-16 units (3-4 semesters) of study.
Distance learning programs can be fully online or require occasional attendance. They're ideal if you have significant work or family commitments – i.e. if you don't have time to attend campus classes.
Best Healthcare Masters Degrees
The best online health administration programs allow you to study useful topics in a convenient way. The courses we've chosen can all be completed without having to attend university campuses. They are also offered by health schools that are highly rated and/or which provide good value for money.
Masters programs in healthcare often embed graduate certificate and graduate diploma courses. That means you can potentially exit the program with a qualification after 1 or 2 semesters of study.
To apply, you generally need a degree (preferably in a health-related or public health discipline) and/or 2-5 years of relevant professional experience (e.g. in counselling).
Monash Online Master of Health Administration
Monash Online offers a 12-unit health admin masters which can be completed over 2 years of part-time study. You can enroll any time of year (with 6 intakes annually), do 1 unit at a time, and never have to sit a long exam. The program is accredited by the Australasian College of Health Services Management, and meets the Fellowship Training Program requirements of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administration. Subjects include accounting for managers, health economics, biostatistics, developing health systems, and managing patient care.
JCU Online Master of Nursing
James Cook University Online has a masters program for nurses who want to take on leadership or education roles. You have the choice to major in (i) Leadership (team management in a clinical setting, including business skills) or (ii) Education (being an educator in a clinical environment). The 12-unit program is 100% online and gives you the option to start with a graduate certificate (4 units) or graduate diploma (8 units). The program is designed to be studied part-time and is available year-round.
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