So you’ve decided to earn a degree in Healthcare Management, but aren’t sure what to minor in. The fact of the matter is, a lot of minors can pair well with a Healthcare Management degree, because the role of a healthcare administrator is varied and requires skill sets in many different areas. Choosing your minor correctly is critically important, as a minor is near-useless if it does not help specialize and complement your major. But here are some of the top five choices: minors that will pair well with a Healthcare Management degree.
1. Business
Because healthcare administration is, at its heart, a management role, minoring in Business will prepare you well for your role in managing a healthcare facility. A minor in business will provide you with a basic foundation of knowledge in administration and finance, two things you will be responsible for as a healthcare administrator. You will also learn leadership, problem solving and critical thinking skills that will all come in handy when managing a healthcare facility. Having a thorough understanding of ethics, which is taught in most business programs, also crosses over well into the medical field, which also places a high value on ethics.
2. Accounting
Tending to and understanding the finances that go into healthcare administration is a major component of being a healthcare administrator, so a background in accounting and finance will be helpful to you. A background in accounting will help you make the best financial decisions for the facility you manage, which will be instrumental in keeping your center’s finances in the black. Knowledge of common accounting practices can help prevent lawsuits, audits or the loss of money through honest or dishonest means.
3. Communications
Because healthcare administration jobs involve lots of dealing with people, a minor in communications would be a good complement. Communications minors study communication among people and entities in all their forms, from public administration to journalism to inter-business relations to marketing and public relations. They help students develop comprehension, writing, speaking, and interpretation skills. With that wide array of applicability, it should be no surprise that a minor in Communications pairs well with a Healthcare Management degree.
4. Biology
Being in the medical field, a minor in Biology would be a great complement to a Healthcare Management degree. A Biology minor will equip you with the understanding of how the human body works, research skills and awareness of common technologies in use today. Having access to this knowledge will make it much easier to communicate with your clientele and staff on a day-to-day basis and afford you a more professional image due to your knowledge of the relevant subject matter. Because you will be familiar with medical and biological terms and concepts, it will make it much easier to manage a staff that knows these subjects inside and out. Additionally, other science-related minors also pair well with a healthcare management degree, such as Chemistry or Health Services.
5. Foreign Language
A foreign language is a good minor to have alongside a Healthcare Management major, especially if you plan to work in an area that has a large population of citizens who don’t speak English as their first language. Since healthcare management is largely dealing with people, if those people don’t speak English, it can make communication difficult or, in the worst case, even cause severe misunderstandings. Minoring in a foreign language and being exposed to another culture will also give you a wider world view and better understanding of other points of view, which will be invaluable as an administrator of a healthcare facility.
A Healthcare Management degree is somewhat broad because those working in healthcare management have to be proficient in many different areas, therefore, many different minors complement a Healthcare Management degree well. It’s as simple as deciding what area of Healthcare Management you wish to be most proficient in. So consider carefully, and pick the one that seems the best fit for you!
Related resource:
Top 20 Graduate Programs in Health Care Management in the West