Earning your MBA in healthcare can open the door to a variety different career possibilities. After all, healthcare is a rapidly growing field, and top brands are increasingly searching for savvy, well-educated administrative team members. Choosing the right school to complete your MBA means selecting a program with an excellent reputation, a job-friendly and versatile schedule, and a robust teaching team and curriculum.
The right school for you may look totally different than the perfect school for another healthcare MBA candidate. One of the top benefits of earning your MBA online is the ability to choose the program and school that suits you best, without concerns about geography. Consider the school’s primary focus, timeline, cost, and teaching model when you evaluate potential universities for your healthcare MBA.
Healthcare MBA Programs Online
Your MBA in healthcare management will allow you to join the management team of a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or other facility; all of these medical facilities require expert help and prefer MBAs. If you already work, have children, or need a flexible schedule, one of the innovative online programs below may suit your needs particularly well.
Five Online Healthcare MBA Programs to Consider
Each of the below universities offers online programs with the same post-graduation opportunities as brick-and-mortar options, but with the added ability to accommodate your unique schedule.
Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University is known for its intensive focus on medical training; some of the top doctors, nurses, and researchers graduate from the school each year. Johns Hopkins also offers an intensive program focused on business management, leadership, and innovation.
A healthcare MBA from Johns Hopkins is usually completed in two and a half to three years, and studies can be done completely online. Most classes are self-directed and support a truly versatile and flexible schedule. This is a competitive program and applicants need to submit GRE or GMAT scores, recommendation letters, and references to secure their spot.
This convenient online program is fully adaptable to meet the demands of someone who already works in the healthcare field, with niche specialization and customization fully supported.
The tuition for the flexible MBA program at Johns Hopkins University is about $1,370 per credit (plus additional fees). The program requires students have 54 credits to graduate.
University of Delaware
Location: Newark, DE
The University of Delaware offers a healthcare MBA that is fine-tuned and focused on finance, compliance, and law. If you prefer the business side of healthcare, love reconciling budgets and programs, and can’t get enough balance sheets, then this program might be for you. This program is offered by the school’s Lerner Center, and it focuses on policy, healthcare reform, and the business side of healthcare management.
The University of Delaware offers its online students the same opportunities and programs as those taking standard classes on campus. Flexible schedules offer the ability to work at your own pace, as well as to interact with advisors and professors online as needed. This flexible five-semester program can be completed in two and a half years, and graduates are well-positioned for work in healthcare management and healthcare risk management administration.
The University of Delaware offers a diverse mix of MBA programs, and students taking the healthcare program may benefit from insight from professors, speakers, and programs from other verticals. This competitive program requires top test scores and a dedication to completing assigned work efficiently. In return, you get an MBA from a top school that leaves you well-positioned for a job in management, administration, or finance in a healthcare setting.
The online MBA at University of Delaware costs about $900 per credit hour, plus additional student fees. The school boasts the ability to complete the degree in as little as 16 months, with 44 credit hours required for a general MBA or if you choose one concentration (healthcare management). With multiple concentrations, the price can go up.
Capella University
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Capella University offers a comprehensive nursing program and an MBA that focuses on healthcare management. Capella is the school of choice for nurse managers or medical providers making the switch from individual patient care to coordination and management. This school features more clinical and hands-on opportunities and is more patient-focused than some of the other MBA programs on the list.
Capella University offers a balance between patient outcomes and care on one side, and policy and compliance issues on the other. With topics on public health, population health, and treating at-risk patients, there is plenty of room for specialization. For those hoping to influence hospital policy, to ensure compliance with both government and insurance regulations, and even to work in the hiring, training and credentialing of others, Capella offers a flexible schedule designed to help you meet your goals without infringing upon your work time.
While this program is a favorite of nurses moving into more managerial and supervisory roles, you do not have to be a nurse or healthcare provider to apply. However, you do need to have competitive test scores, a well-rounded application, and recommendations from employers or past professors. Capella boasts a high completion and success rate, and it offers the choice between attending virtual sessions with others and working on your own.
The online MBA at Capella University costs between $435 and $805 per credit hour, and the healthcare management specialization requires that students earn a total of 45 credits.
Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
A high graduation rate, coupled with an outstanding job placement history, lands Carnegie Mellon University on most top school lists. It offers MBA programs in both healthcare policy and management via two distinct leadership training grounds. Students can choose from the Tepper School of Business and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy to complete an intensive study in either patient care leadership or a finance-focused healthcare MBA.
The healthcare management MBA offered online features both facility management and population health/services. Most students complete the robust and fast-paced online program in about two and a half years. An intensive focus on compliance, political issues, and community health are included, making CMU a good choice for those interested in compliance and population and community health management.
CMU has a well-established online setup, which features both self-directed learning and live, virtual classroom time. CMU has a lot to offer and admission is competitive; you’ll need great GRE or GMAT scores, as well as references, to apply.
The tuition for the online MBA program in general, which is five semesters (2.5 years) long through the Tepper School of Business, costs $17,000 per semester.
University of Texas
Location: Dallas, TX
The University of Texas at Dallas has a sprawling campus – but the online offerings provide the same mix of classes and opportunities to those working towards an MBA in healthcare management. This program is available through the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the Dallas campus, and it is available online to students located anywhere in the United States.
You have two distinct options as a healthcare MBA student at the University of Texas:
- A flexible program that allows you to work at your own pace and that is ideal for someone with family demands, a full-time job, or other obligations.
- A more stringent program that requires a faster pace and an on-site, in-company internship with a participating institution.
Both options cost the same and cover the same ground; its emphasis on global business, analytics, and prescription management may make this program more appealing to those who enjoy these particular subjects. Most students complete their MBA at the University of Texas in two years; students using the flexible scheduling option may stretch completion to three years.
The tuition for the online MBA program at the University of Texas at Dallas comes in around $50,000 total.
Choosing an Online Healthcare MBA Program
Each of the schools on this list excels at equipping healthcare MBA candidates with everything they need to succeed; the differences lie in the focus of the program, costs, and the level of competition in the application process. If you want to earn your healthcare MBA online, any one of the top schools listed here will leave you well-positioned for a career with a top employer.