The medical field is one of the fastest changing fields. As medical advancements and back-end technology evolve, along with the laws regarding patient privacy rights and the ethics of patient care, healthcare practices need trained professionals to lead their clinics and practices through these changes. Often, doctors are more focused on patients, and they need someone in the office who can serve to lead the practice forward. A degree in healthcare management can open the door to these career opportunities. The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP) has two degree tracks that can help you access the skills and knowledge you need to improve your healthcare management abilities and tap into the career potential in this field.

Why Earn a Degree in Healthcare Management?

Many people who have an interest in healthcare find that they do not have the desire to work directly with patients and handle actual medical care tasks. A degree in healthcare management allows you to work in the world of healthcare without working directly with patients. Instead, healthcare managers work in the office or out front in a client-facing administration role, leaving the medical care tasks to trained medical professionals. A degree in healthcare management also allows you to put your leadership and organizational skills to use in your career while working in a traditional office setting.

This particular field also has good income and career potential. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates a 28% increase in demand for medical and health services managers from 2021 to 2031. Potential pay and job growth potential make this career path a strong option to consider.

Degrees in Healthcare Management and Healthcare Administration

As you pursue training to work in healthcare management, you have two basic degree paths to consider. An associate degree in healthcare management is a two-year program designed to  help you prepare for an entry-level position in the field. A bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration is a more comprehensive program.

Regardless of whether a student earns an associate or bachelor’s degree, these degrees will focus on the healthcare, general business, and leadership skills someone needs to pursue a career in healthcare management. The courses are designed to teach students how to develop, manage, and plan healthcare services and operations within healthcare facilities. Training in financial management and overall business management is paired with healthcare instruction and communication and leadership skills for a well-rounded degree program.

Associate Degree in Healthcare Management

The associate degree in healthcare management is designed to help provide a basic education on the inner workings of the healthcare system and the best practices for leading within it. It focuses on project management and leadership skills that can help improve the function and operations of clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other healthcare facilities.

CHCP offers a fully online AAS in Health Care Management. This flexible 80-hour program includes management and communication education as well as technology training and healthcare instruction. It provides education on how to handle change, which is inevitable in healthcare settings. While many healthcare management jobs do require a bachelor's degree, an associate degree can allow a student to start a career while pursuing additional training to make career advancement possible. The flexibility of the online degree program allows for college-level studies even while working.

Healthcare Management Careers

The healthcare management field continues to grow, and an associate degree opens the door to entry-level career options. Some of the jobs available in this field include:

  • Healthcare or medical office manager
  • Medical services manager
  • Physician practice manager
  • Healthcare administrator
  • Managerial assistant in a medical facility
  • Medical records manager
  • Patient finance manager
  • Program manager or director
  • Health department manager
  • Health insurance manager


Anywhere that leadership skills and healthcare industry knowledge are both needed provides a good opportunity to put this degree into practice. These professionals often find employment in hospitals, doctor’s offices, group medical practices, long-term care facilities, and medical labs.

Healthcare Administration Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program

A bachelor of science in healthcare administration focuses on helping a student learn the skills required to take on higher roles in leadership within the healthcare industry. People who graduate with this degree should have a detailed knowledge of how the healthcare system works and the ability to help healthcare facilities navigate a changing world. The bachelor’s degree program includes instruction in all the skills emphasized in the associate degree, along with additional medical and administrative skills.

CHCP has a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration, which is a degree completion program that covers approximately 96 weeks of training and is completely online. It covers communication and public speaking, risk management, finances within the healthcare world, statistics and data, and basic managerial skills. The flexibility of the online platform combined with the comprehensive nature of this training makes it a good option for those who already have an associate degree and are ready to take the next step toward a fulfilling career in healthcare management.

Graduating with a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration means a greater number of potential career paths. Many of the careers available to those with an associate degree are also available to those with a bachelor’s degree, in addition to others. These graduates are often able to pursue upper-level healthcare manager roles instead of entry-level options. Some careers where you will see these individuals include:

  • Healthcare administrator or manager
  • Healthcare office manager
  • Patient information coordinator
  • Nursing home manager
  • Clinical documentation specialist
  • Physician coder
  • ROI clerk
  • Medical records clerk
  • Managed care manager or representative
  • Health insurance manager
  • Population health manager
  • Health department manager
  • Program director in a medical practice or field


In each of these fields and others, the person who has a bachelor’s degree is more likely to be the head of the managerial team or in a position to take this main leadership role, rather than an assistant manager.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the growing field of healthcare management, CHCP offers both an associate and a bachelor’s degree training program entirely online. The flexibility of these programs could make CHCP a logical choice for you to begin or advance your career. Reach out to an admissions representative today to learn more about the CHCP healthcare administration degrees and how you can begin educational training for your career.