The Best Online Associate in Healthcare Management Programs
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An online associate in healthcare management can help you enter a specialized labor market with promising growth. In April 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) ranked medical and health services managers in sixth place in its profile of the 20 fastest-growing occupations for 2022-32.
This guide profiles what to expect from online associate programs in healthcare management and how to choose the best one for you. Before making a decision, research study options, compare schools, and connect with a ranked list of top study opportunities in this important and flourishing field.
Popular Online Healthcare Management Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Healthcare Management
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Mequon, WI- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$30,060
- Out-of-state$30,060
- In-State$11,052
- Out-of-state$11,052
- Retention Rate81%
- Acceptance Rate64%
- Students Enrolled5,777
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment39%
- AccreditationYes
Community Care College
- Tulsa, OK
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate91%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled542
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment57%
- AccreditationYes
Florida Institute of Technology-Online
- Melbourne, FL
- 4 year
- Online
- In-State$12,240
- Out-of-state$12,240
- In-State$16,128
- Out-of-state$16,128
- Retention RateN/A
- Acceptance Rate99%
- Students Enrolled1,841
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
- AccreditationYes
Colorado Christian University
- Lakewood, CO
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$23,502
- Out-of-state$23,502
- In-State$13,045
- Out-of-state$13,045
- Retention Rate83%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled7,587
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment55%
- AccreditationYes
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
- Granite Falls, MN
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$5,300
- Out-of-state$10,600
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate59%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled3,421
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment49%
- AccreditationYes
Choosing an Online Associate Degree in Healthcare Management Program
To get the most from your online associate in healthcare management, consider these factors and metrics when comparing schools:
- Curriculum Details: Look for courses that reflect your learning interests and teach concepts and skills with direct applications.
- Student Satisfaction Metrics: Data points like year-over-year retention rates and graduation rates offer helpful clues about student satisfaction. Unusually low rates in either area may indicate substandard academic quality.
- Post-Graduation Placement Rates: Look into the percentage of graduates who land in-field jobs or enroll in higher-level degree programs. If a school does not make this data publicly available, contact the academic department that manages the program and request it.
In general, you get the most out of your comparisons by analyzing schools against peers with similar characteristics. Evaluating a local community college against an Ivy League heavyweight probably won’t yield useful insights.
Program Accreditation
Institutional accreditation means an authorized outside agency has evaluated the school’s academic programs and found that they meet or exceed acceptable quality standards. You’ll need to earn your degree at an accredited institution for your credits to transfer to other accredited schools. Employers also only recognize degrees issued by accredited schools.
All the online associate in healthcare management programs featured in this ranking are properly accredited.
What To Expect from an Online Associate Degree in Healthcare Management Program
Associate in healthcare management programs prepare students for entry-level roles on the business side of health services delivery. Accredited associate degrees may also transfer into four-year bachelor’s programs, making them a great base for future educational upgrades.
Programs usually comprise 60 credit hours. By studying full time, you could graduate in about two years.
Subjects your program may cover include:
- Budgeting practices and processes
- Medical coding and billing systems
- Office and records management
- Accounting basics
Associate degrees can also help you meet the educational requirements for pursuing nationally recognized professional certifications, such as the Certified Medical Manager designation.
Example Online Associate Degree in Healthcare Management Program Courses
Associate in healthcare management programs feature varied curricula, but many cover similar core topics. Some courses you may encounter include:
Introduction to Medical Terminology
As a healthcare management professional, you need to be familiar with specialized medical terms. This course introduces the technical vocabulary you may encounter in your future employment. It may emphasize human anatomy, health administration terminology, or both.
Coursework may also include common diagnostic tests, lab procedures, and medical imaging methods and equipment. It could cover terms related to the symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatments for common physical and/or mental disorders.
Healthcare Office Management
In the healthcare field, office management requires unique and targeted skills. This course covers topics, such as health and safety standards, insurance administration, appointment scheduling, compliance standards, and patient communication.
Programs may offer this course in multiple modules, or through a sequence of classes extending across multiple semesters or academic years. At more advanced levels, you may learn the basics of healthcare specializations, such as triage, medical emergency assessments, and infection prevention.
Finance in Healthcare Institutions
Healthcare institution managers and administrators draw on specialized concepts, processes, and reporting needs with respect to organizational finance. This introductory course provides a broad survey of essential financing topics for hospitals, clinics, care centers, and medical offices.
While professionals in entry-level roles usually have limited direct contact with financing issues, associate degree-holders may elect to pursue relevant courses. This course establishes a sound foundation for future learning while equipping students with helpful financial vocabulary.
Management of Health Records
Compliance standards and privacy laws require patient records to be handled with special care and confidentiality. This course teaches best practices for managing and safeguarding the integrity of patients’ healthcare records.
With digital health records rapidly replacing traditional paper documents, the course may also cover computerized record management systems. Beyond learning to use specialized record management software, you explore the basic elements of information security and access control.
Medical Coding and Billing
An associate in healthcare management most directly prepares you for entry-level positions in supporting roles. Such roles may prefer or require job candidates with expertise in the medical coding and billing techniques used in maintaining patient records and processing health insurance claims.
As such, some associate degrees built medical coding and billing programs into their curricula. BLS data indicates strong labor market demand for coding and billing skills, making them a valuable proficiency to acquire.
Healthcare Management Jobs
Overall, healthcare management professionals are on track to benefit from a surge in labor market demand. According to BLS projections, medical and health services manager positions are expected to grow by 28% from 2022-32.
With an associate in healthcare management, you could qualify for entry-level roles in career tracks, including:
Medical Records Specialist
Medical records specialists focus on processing, updating, maintaining, and securely filing patient records. In addition to health and treatment documentation, records specialists may also process insurance claims, perform data analysis, and track diagnostic procedures and treatments to aid in the continuity of patient care.
You can also specialize in medical coding and billing. These professionals assign a standardized set of diagnostic and procedural codes to patient files and insurance forms for processing purposes.
Administrative Assistant
Administrative assistants perform various clerical and support duties. In healthcare offices and institutions, they may also schedule appointments, interface with patients and other points of contact, order supplies, and track inventories. Some participate in patient charting, insurance claim and payment processing, and medical record keeping.
The BLS projects a labor market contraction for administrative assistants from 2022-32. However, an exception applies to healthcare administration specialists, who are expected to benefit from strong near-term growth.
Patient Services Representative
Patient services representatives check patients in for appointments, schedule diagnostic tests and medical procedures, prepare patients for medical exams, and manage patient referrals to and from other healthcare providers. They require a strong working knowledge of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act standards.
Labor market demand for service representatives is predicted to decline from 2022-32. However, given the aging U.S. population and the healthcare system growth expected to accompany it, patient services representatives may alter this trend.
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Associate Degrees in Healthcare Management
Broadly speaking, an associate in healthcare management could generate positive returns on your educational investment. Job growth projections for multiple career paths available to associate degree-holders are strong, while typical pay rates match or exceed average earnings for college-educated professionals who did not complete a degree.
Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by TheBestSchools. Page last reviewed June 13, 2024.
