Health Care Managers

High School

Prepare for a career in health management by taking college preparatory classes. Communication skills are important, so be sure to take as many speech and writing classes as possible. Courses in health, business, mathematics, and computer science are also excellent choices.

Postsecondary Training

The training required to qualify for this work depends, to a large extent, on the qualifications established by the individual employer or a facility's governing board. Most prefer people with a graduate degree in health services administration. A few require that their chief executives be physicians, while others look for people with formal training in law or general business administration as well as experience in the health care field. The future health care administrator may have a liberal arts foundation with a strong background in the social sciences or business economics.

Specialized training in health services administration is offered at both graduate and undergraduate levels. The graduate program generally takes two years to complete. Graduate students split their time between studying in the classroom and working as an administrative resident in a program-approved health care facility. Successful completion of the course work, the residency, and perhaps a thesis is required to earn the master's degree. An optional third-year fellowship provides additional work experience supervised by a mentor. During this period, the individual may work in various hospital departments as an assistant to department heads.

There are numerous bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in health service administration and health care administration. A listing of these programs can be found on the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration's Web site, https://network.aupha.org/members/findaprogram.

Certification

Some colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in health care management. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The completion of continuing education (CE) credits is required to become certified and renew one's certification. Taking these classes and webinars is also a good way to keep improving your skills and stay up to date on industry trends. Many professional associations—including the American College of Healthcare Executives—provide CE opportunities.