Getting Started

Is a career in healthcare management the right choice for you? As you decide, follow this career-planning checklist:

  • Research a variety of educational programs. Discuss your interest in a healthcare management career with a guidance counselor and ask for help in identifying appropriate undergraduate and graduate programs. Remember to look into scholarships and other options for financing your education.
  • Read. Stay current on healthcare issues by reading local newspapers, magazines such as Newsweek and Time, and trade publications such as Healthcare Executive, Frontiers of Health Service Management, Journal of Healthcare Management or Modern Healthcare.
  • Follow healthcare-related social media sites on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay informed and learn more about the issues impacting healthcare.
  • Learn from local healthcare leaders. Talk to local professionals in the field, participate in a healthcare-focused volunteer program or tour a nearby hospital or other healthcare facility.
  • Become a member of a professional association. Joining a professional association can help give you a head start in the field and provide you with resources to help you throughout your career. ACHE is the professional home of more than 49,000 healthcare executives who are committed to integrity, lifelong learning, leadership, and diversity and inclusion. Learn more about how to be a member of ACHE.

Bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree is enough for some entry-level positions in healthcare management, a few senior-level positions in smaller operations and for some middle management jobs in larger organizations. Many schools and colleges offer undergraduate degrees in healthcare management. The Association of University Programs in Health Administration provides a list of undergraduate programs that are certified to provide undergraduate health administration education. However, an undergraduate degree in healthcare management is not required to become a manager or enroll into a healthcare management graduate program. Degrees in other areas, such as business, nursing or liberal arts, may also qualify you.

Master’s degree: A master’s degree may be required to advance to executive and senior executive levels in the healthcare management field. The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education provides a list of accredited graduate healthcare management programs. In the past, most students earned a master’s degree in healthcare management, healthcare administration, or public health. Now, students are pursuing graduate degrees in business or public health administration, with a concentration in healthcare management. Some schools offer a joint degree, such as a master’s degree in business administration and public health, or in healthcare management and law, for example. Programs include course work in healthcare policy and law, marketing, organizational behavior, healthcare financing, human resources and other healthcare management topics. This program may also include a supervised internship, residency or fellowship.

Professional Association
If you decide on a career in healthcare management, consider joining ACHE as a Student Associate. As a Student Associate, you will explore and understand the real world of healthcare management. ACHE offers: