Whether you are already working in healthcare, or are in another management field and would like to move into health and medicine, you are probably wondering what is the fastest I can complete a Master’s in Health Care Management? Depending upon your work experience and prior level of education, you can complete a health care master degree in management, business, healthcare information systems, nurse management and many other specialties. The U.S. Department of Labor projects much faster than average growth for medical and health services managers between 2014 and 2024, with median pay of over $45 an hour in 2015.
Online Health Care Master Degrees
Most health management occupations require a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree with an area of specialty is preferred for most higher-paying positions. Many different colleges and universities offer online health management master’s degrees. More than 300 such degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Other similar programs, such as Master of Business Administration (MBA) in healthcare, are accredited by business program educational organizations, including the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Some online programs that do not have accreditation can be completed in as l5 months. The shortest amount of time to complete an accredited online education master’s program in healthcare administration is 20 to 22 months. Most programs of this type also ask students to meet on-campus at least two or three times per semester. Another way to speed up your online master’s program in health management is to investigate programs that offer credit for work experience, or that will consider credits in another, related management or business program.
In-Person Health Management Master’s Degrees
A number of colleges and universities offer accelerated or combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in healthcare management and related fields. If you are interested in nursing management, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) maintains a list of over 60 different accelerated nursing master’s programs. These programs can be completed in 18 to 24 months of study, according to the AACN. The amount of time required to complete other types of healthcare management master’s degrees varies. Some very short-term, highly specialized programs can be completed in as little as 16 months, but most are 24 to 36 month programs. Shorter-term health management master’s programs require 36 to 42 class credits, with longer-term, more traditional programs requiring 60 credits to complete.
You may have many different reasons for wanting an answer to the question, “What is the fastest I can complete a Master’s in Health Care Management?” The field itself is growing much faster than many other job categories in North America. If you are already working in healthcare, you may be able to increase your pay and obtain a more challenging position by getting a master’s degree in managing a variety of healthcare functions, from informations management to hospital operations to medical clinic and physician and nurse management. Getting a health care master degree online or in-person, or through a hybrid program is unlikely to take less than 20 months, but you can accelerate many different programs by researching your options and applying your prior education and experience to the degree.
Related resource:
Top 20 Graduate Programs in Health Care Management in the West