Healthcare Growth Should Enhance Value of Administration Master's Degree

There are over half a million healthcare establishments in the United States, and as the average lifespan increases, there is little doubt that that number will grow to meet the health demands of an older population. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 27 percent increase in employment through 2014, which could mean that now is a great time to earn a health administration degree.

Healthcare Administration Dedication

Doctors and dentists provide very important services, but the assistants, receptionists, and office managers are crucial to making sure things flow smoothly for patients. A health administration degree can give you the training to ensure that staffing is taken care of, filing appropriately performed, or insurance billing properly managed. A master's degree in health administration can help you become a medical or health services manager--a position expected to boom in the coming years.

Finding the Right Health Establishment

While hospitals are not even 2 percent of the total number of establishments to work at in healthcare, they employ over 40% of all people in the health industry. Nursing and residential care facilities employ more than 20 percent of health workers, and physicians' offices employ almost 16 percent. There are many more work opportunities in addition to these, so you'll have plenty of choices to find the right work environment for you.

Let's Get Digital: Healthcare and an Online Degree

Online degrees give people greater schedule flexibility than more traditional campus degrees, so you may want to look into getting a health administration online degree. There are associate's and bachelor's degrees available, but if you're looking for a higher level job, a master's degree can help position you for a management role. Regardless of the degree type, an online degree in health administration seems to be a safe career bet if you like helping people get the care they need.

Sources

• Health Care Outlook, Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author
James Tolles is a freelance writer and holds two B.A. degrees, one in Creative Writing and the other in History.