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What Can I Do with a Degree in Healthcare Management?
Discover the different types of jobs you can potentially get after earning a healthcare management degree. Your new career path IS possible.
Embark on a new career path
We can help outline your career possibilities whether you have already earned a degree in healthcare management or administration and are considering alternative job possibilities – or you have yet to earn a degree and picture yourself pursuing this growing career path:
I have an HCM degree
Career options for those who have already earned a degree in healthcare management or administration
1. Discover a different type of healthcare job typically requiring the level of education you’ve already earned
If your goal is to pivot your career path without investing further in education, you may start by seeking out other closely related types of jobs in healthcare administration or management. In this case, you just need an idea of the common types of jobs relevant to your prior education and experience.
The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) provides sample job titles for different categories of healthcare occupations. Sample titles for two general types of occupations in healthcare administration are listed below. You can use this as a guide to help you find a different type of job better suited to your skills and personality:
| Job | Related job titles |
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (source)
| Clinic Office Assistant, Front Desk Receptionist, Medical Office Specialist, Medical Receptionist, Medical Secretary, Physician Office Specialist, Secretary, Unit Clerk, Unit Support Representative, Ward Clerk |
| Medical and Health Services Managers (source) | Cancer Center Director, Clinical Director, Health Information Management Director (HIM Director), Health Information Manager (HIM Manager), Healthcare System Director, Medical Records Director, Medical Records Manager, Mental Health Program Manager, Nurse Manager, Nursing Director |
Keep in mind every employer has their own prerequisites and requirements for job applicants. For example, an employer may require applicants for an HIM Director position to have earned HIM-specific education, such as a bachelor’s degree in health information management and/or relevant HIM certification(s).
2. Advance your education to potentially qualify for senior-level positions or uncover new professional opportunities
If you are currently a healthcare professional looking to make the jump from clinical practice to management, you may be required to earn additional education either at the bachelor’s or master’s level.
If you currently hold an associate degree and want to climb the ladder into a position in administration or leadership, a bachelor’s degree education can help you develop those skills and potentially qualify for more job postings, such as:
- Healthcare Department Manager
- Healthcare Finance Manager
- Quality and Improvement Manager
- Healthcare Administrator
- Physician Practice Manager
Bachelor’s degree holders may benefit from pursuing graduate-level education. Earning a master’s degree can qualify you for leadership roles in healthcare management, including:
- Healthcare Administrator
- Healthcare Consultant
- Healthcare Manager
- Program Director
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Operations Officer (COO)
- Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
- Development Director
3. Build upon the education you’ve already earned and take your career in a new direction
Seeking a bigger career shift away from administrative/management roles in healthcare? Qualifying for an altogether new career field with a healthcare management degree may be a challenge unless you know the right people or have very specific skills and experience relevant to the new opportunity.
If you’re open to the idea of advancing your education, you have many potential options. You can potentially transfer a substantial amount of prior college credit earned into a new degree pathway and decrease the cost and time to complete.
You may consider nursing if you’re looking to take a more direct patient care role in healthcare. Our Accelerated BSN option and MSN – Direct Entry programs are designed for current bachelor’s degree holders.
We also offer several programs in behavioral health, business, technology, and legal studies for those seeking a bigger step away from healthcare.
Our purpose is to help you determine what career path is right for you and take the educational steps needed to reach your highest goals. Contact our admissions team and we can help you get started.
I don't have an HCM degree
Starting your new career path in the field of healthcare administration/management
There are many jobs in the healthcare field for which earning formal education can be either extremely beneficial or outright required depending on the employer and state in which you are employed.
If you have already earned a degree in another field, keep in mind you can potentially transfer credit from prior college coursework to decrease the time/cost of a healthcare administration degree program. This can vary significantly by degree level.
1. Get a fast start in healthcare in an associate degree program
You can potentially earn a degree and start a new career in the field in less than two years by enrolling in an associate degree program. Start quickly, get a job in the field, and strongly position yourself for educational advancement in the future.
Potential job titles for graduates of our associate degree program include:
- Administrative clerk, coordinator, or support specialist
- Department administrative assistant
- Health services administrator
- Medical secretary
- Operations assistant
- Patient service representative
2. Pursue the leadership track from the beginning in a bachelor’s degree program
Take your first step into a bachelor’s degree program and you can prepare for administrative and management positions in healthcare right from the start.
A bachelor’s degree program can position you to apply for jobs such as:
- Healthcare Department Manager
- Healthcare Finance Manager
- Quality and Improvement Manager
- Healthcare Administrator
- Physician Practice Manager
Many employers will be expecting a bachelor’s degree education for these kinds of roles, and a healthcare management-specific degree can help you stand out from the rest.
3. Look ahead to senior-level leadership positions associated with a master’s-level education
Current bachelor’s degree holders in another field may consider advancing to a graduate-level education.
Earning a master’s degree can qualify you for leadership roles in healthcare management, including:
- Healthcare Administrator
- Healthcare Consultant
- Healthcare Manager
- Program Director
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Operations Officer (COO)
- Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
- Development Director
Our Master of Science in Healthcare Administration program is designed to help you build the knowledge and skills to qualify for these kinds of jobs.
You may also consider a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, which may be appropriate for some types of leadership roles in healthcare. An undergraduate education in healthcare administration combined with an MBA can be a powerful combination equipping you for success at the highest levels.
Herzing University degree pathways in healthcare administration and management
Our goal is to provide you with the most time- and cost-efficient pathway to the career you really want. The admissions team can help you determine the right pace for you to complete courses so you can continue to work and achieve a healthy work-school-life balance.
You can potentially transfer in a significant amount of prior college credit and decrease the average time estimates listed for our multiple degree options:
- Associate Degree in Healthcare Administration. The program can be completed online in as little as 16 months.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration. The program can be completed in as little as 32 months.
- Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. The program can be completed in as few as 16 months.
Learn more about the Herzing University Healthcare Administration program
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.