A number of factors go into deciding if and when to begin pursuing a graduate degree. Often, prospective graduate students consider this option in order to enter into a new career field or to advance their current positions. In many cases, choosing an online degree for a master’s program is convenient because of the ability to have flexibility in scheduling and the number of courses that are taken at a time. The flexibility in earning a master’s degree in health administration also means varying times of completion depending on the number of courses taken and the institution.
Master’s in Health Administration Curriculum
The number of courses that are required for graduation is largely dependent on which university a prospective graduate student chooses for a master’s degree in health administration. On average, students will take between 10 and 12 courses, typically at 3 credits each, in order to satisfy the graduation requirements.
The majority of programs are focused on courses within the health administration core classes. Graduate students choose from courses such as organizational behavior in health care, human resource management, health care systems, health care economics and finance, health care policy, health care strategic management, marketing for health care, health care law and ethics, and health care informatics.
Health administration graduate students will also often be required to take courses in foundations of business. Some examples of possible additional courses include professional business communications and accounting. For additional information on recommended coursework for health administration professionals, visit the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.
Part-time or Full-time
Students have several options for which health administration online master’s program is best suited to their needs. Often, this choice is partially dependent on whether or not a student chooses to enroll in a health administration master’s program as a part-time or a full-time student. Some universities with fully online programs, for instance, only offer a part-time option. For the most part, however, students can choose to take a full or partial load of credits completely depending on their preference.
Unlike an undergraduate program, master’s students are usually considered to be full-time students if they are enrolled in 9 credit hours per semester. If taking a full load of credits, a graduate student could potentially finish the program in as few as four semesters, or just over one year.
For students choosing a part-time option, most programs are designed to be taken year round. At six credits, or two classes, per semester, master’s programs can typically be completed in six semesters or two years when attending fall, winter, and spring/summer semesters. By taking only one course per semester or quarter, it could take up to four years to complete a program.
Time on the Health Administration Education Path
How much time an individual student may have to devote to courses per semester or quarter is sometimes dependent on various circumstances from work to managing the home. Whether taking courses full-time or part-time in a master’s degree program for health care administration, graduate students have a number of options for what online program is best suited to their needs, including the amount of time it will take to complete the degree.
