30 Best Online PhD in Healthcare Administration Programs [2024 Guide]

Explore Online PhD in Healthcare Administration Programs for 2024. Compare doctorate specializations & career paths.

Hospitals and medical systems need strong leadership from professionals who understand both business and healthcare. Such roles are so important that the field is expected to grow 32% for the next ten years.

Earning your online Doctorate in Healthcare Administration can help you prepare for a career in this growing field.

Universities Offering Online PhD in Healthcare Administration Programs

Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.

1. A.T. Still University

Founded in 1892, A.T. Still University (ATSU) is the world’s very first osteopathic medical school. It operates 2 campuses comprised of 6 schools across 200 acres of land. It has 3,100 students coming from 35 countries on average. ATSU offers both residential and online graduate degrees in the field of healthcare.

• DHA
• EdD in Health Professions

A.T. Still University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

2. Arizona State University

Arizona State University or ASU has 5 campuses all in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It was founded in 1885 as the Territorial Normal School. On average, they have about 80,000 students enrolled at the campuses and 30,000 online.

It’s ranked at the top 1% of the most prestigious schools by the Center for World University Rankings, and it is also considered to have the best graduate schools in the US.

• Doctor of Behavioral Health – Management

ASU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

3. Atlantic International University

The Atlantic International University is a Hawaii-based distance learning university. The university was founded in 1998 and currently operates out of Honolulu. The idea for the university traces its origins in the 1980s when businesses wanted to provide their employees with continuing education.

Students can now enroll in undergraduate and graduate degrees.

• DHA

AIU is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities.

4. Capella University

Capella University is an online university operating out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1993 as The Graduate School of America. Today, there are about 200 full-time faculty members with over 1,300 part-time teachers. On average, about 38,000 students are enrolled.

• DHA – General Health Administration
• DHA – Health Care Leadership
• DHA – Health Care Quality and Analytics
• DHA – Health Policy and Advocacy

Capella is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

5. Central Michigan University

Founded in 1892, Central Michigan University or CMU is one of the largest universities operating in Michigan. It also ranked in the largest publicly run universities in America by U.S. News & World Report.

There are about 20,000 students enrolled at their campus at Mount Pleasant, Michigan. They also have a strong online enrolment with 7,000 students enrolled in their online learning programs from over 60 different areas around the world.

• DHA

CMU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

6. Clarkson College

Clarkson College is a private college with a campus in Omaha, Nebraska that specializes in healthcare. In 1888, Clarkson College started out as a School of Nursing. It was the first nursing school to operate in Nebraska.

More than 130 years later, it has expanded the programs that they offer and now includes online learning programs. At any given time, they have about 1,200 students enrolled.

• EdD in Health Care Education & Leadership

Clarkson College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

7. Colorado Technical University

Colorado Technical University, or CTU, is an accredited university that operates out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1965 as the Colorado Technical College.

Since the beginning, CTU has had a strong connection to the US Military; it was originally established to train former military personnel to prepare them for civilian life. CTU also gets about 95% of its funds from the US Government through the Department of Defense and the GI Bill.

Enrollment is just over 23,000 for undergraduates and about 2,700 for postgraduates.

• Doctor of Management – Healthcare Management and Leadership

CTU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

8. Concordia University – Chicago

Concordia University Chicago is a privately-run liberal arts university with a suburban campus in River Forest, Illinois. CUC was established as Addison Teachers Seminary in 1864. It has since undergone several name changes. The latest was in 2006, which gave the university its current name.

CUC is a part of the Concordia University System that is affiliated with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. On average, there are about 5,700 students, over 4,000 of these are postgrads.

• PhD in Leadership – Health & Human Performance

CU Chicago is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

9. Drexel University

Founded in 1891, Drexel University is a private research university based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanian. Today’s student population at Drexel stands at 24,190. The school is widely known for its unique cooperative education program that makes paid, real-world experience a part of the educational process.

Drexel undergraduate students can choose to pursue more than 70 undergraduate programs. Students seeking master’s and doctoral programs have more than 100 options.

• Doctor of Health Science

Drexel University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

10. Franklin University

Franklin University, or FU, is a privately-operated university with more than 25 centers in the Midwest. Its headquarters is located in Columbus, Ohio. It traces its beginnings through a YMCA Sponsorship in 1902 and was originally known as YMCA School of Commerce.

A few years later, in 1933, the name was changed to Franklin University, and a few decades later, in 1964, FU formally discontinued its association with YMCA. FU offers strong online healthcare degrees.

• DHA

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

11. Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University, or GCU, is a privately-operated university with a campus in urban Phoenix, Arizona. In 2018, it was considered as the biggest Christian university in the entire world in terms of enrolment. There were 70,000 online students and over 20,000 attending campus classes at the time.

GCU was founded in 1949 by the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention. In 2000, GCU officially discontinued its association with the Southern Baptist Convention but retains its roots as a Christian university.

• EdD in Organizational Leadership – Health Care Administration

GCU is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

12. Indiana University

Indiana University, or IU, is a publicly run university with 2 main campuses and 7 satellite campuses. It was founded about 200 years ago in 1820. It was one of the first in the region, and today, it is considered as one of the best public universities all over the world by U.S. News & World Report.

Throughout its 9 campus locations, there are approximately 110,000 students enrolled on average, with 21,000 being postgrads.

• DrPH in Global Health Leadership

IU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

13. Liberty University

Liberty University, or LU, is a privately-operated university with a suburban campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. LU was originally named Lynchburg Baptist College when it was founded in 1971.

It is recognized as one of the universities with the most enrolees in 2017. On average, there are about 15,000 on-campus students and a massive 95,000 online students enrolled. This is divided into about a 50/50 split between undergrads and postgrads.

•  DBA in Healthcare Management

Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

14. Medical University of South Carolina

Medical University of South Carolina or (MUSC) is a publicly operated university with a campus in Charleston, South Carolina. MUSC specializes in medical schooling and other related health care sciences, such as Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dentistry.

It traces its origins to 1824 when the Medical College of South Carolina was incorporated. The original purpose of the private college was to train physicians. In 1913, ownership was transferred formally to the state.

• DHA

MUSC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

15. National University

National University is a network of nonprofit education institutions headquartered in San Diego, CA. NU was founded in 1971 and now has over 30,000 students enrolled and more than 220,000 alumni from around the world. It is dedicated to providing flexible, quality education for busy adults.

• DBA – Healthcare Administration
• DHA

National University is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

16. Nebraska Methodist College

Nebraska Methodist College is a privately-operated college that has an urban campus in Omaha, Nebraska. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1891 with only 6 young women as students.

Today, the college has about 640 undergrads and about 65 graduate students enrolled at any given time.

• EdD in Education & Leadership – Healthcare

Nebraska Methodist College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

17. Nova Southeastern University

Nova Southeastern University is a privately-run university that has a suburban 480-acre campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It traces its origins to Nova University of Advanced Technology, which was chartered in 1964.

In 1994, the Nova University of Advanced Technology completed a merger with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to create what was to be known as Nova Southeastern University, or NSU. At present, NSU has about 20,000 students, with more than 15,000 being postgrads.

• DHS – Education in the Health Care Professions
• DHS – Global Health
• DHS – Telehealth

NSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

18. Radford University

Radford University is a publicly-operated university with a 204-acre campus in Radford, Virginia. Radford University was founded in 1910 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford.

In the 1970s, the college started accepting male students to become coed. Its university status was granted in 1979. Today, average enrolment is at about 9,400 students, with postgrads accounting for only 1,100.

• DHS – Healthcare Administration
• DHS – Community and Public Health

Radford University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

19. Regent University

Regent University is a privately-owned and run Christian university that has a suburban campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was founded in 1977, originally as Christian Broadcasting Network University and is affiliated with the Interdenominational Evangelical company.

In 1990, the university changed its name to what it is now. On average, there are about 8,600 students enrolled. About 3,900 of these are postgrads.

• DSL – Healthcare Leadership

Regent University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

20. Rivier University

Rivier University is a privately-owned and operated university with a suburban campus in Nashua, New Hampshire. It is affiliated with the Catholic Church.

Rivier University was established in 1933 by the congregation, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary as an all-female college. Their first location was in Hudson but was then moved to Nashua where it is now. It was only in 1991 that the college started accepting male undergrads.

Today, there are over 2,200 students enrolled, of which are 850 postgrads.

• DNP – Systems Leadership

Rivier University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

21. Rosalind Franklin University

Rosalind Franklin University, or RFU, is a privately-operated graduate school with a 97-acre urban campus in North Chicago, Illinois. It traces its origins to the establishment of the Chicago Hospital – College of Medicine, its predecessor.

The university was only christened its present name in 2004 after a series of name changes throughout the years. RFU has around 2,100 students enrolled.

• PhD in Interprofessional Healthcare Studies

RFU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

22. Rush University

Rush University is a privately-operated university with an 8-acre urban campus in Chicago, Illinois. Rush University traces its beginnings to 1837 when the Rush Medical College was chartered by Illinois. However, it was only in 1843 that the college was officially opened to 22 students in a 4-month course.

Today, after 175 years, there are now, on average, about 2,000 students enrolled.

• PhD in Health Sciences

Rush University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

23. Trident University

Trident University International is a privately-owned and run online university operating out of Cypress, California. It was established in 1998 as the Touro University International, a member of the Touro College and University System. In 2007, the university was acquired by Summit Partners and split from the Touro College and University Systems to stand as an independent institution.

TUI offers superior online education because it is accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges. On average, TUI has about 6,100 students enrolled.

• PhD in Health Sciences – Global Health
• PhD in Health Sciences – Health Policy and Administration

Trident University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission.

24. University of Alabama – Birmingham

The University of Alabama – Birmingham is a public research university run by the state of Alabama. UAB, as it is fondly called by its students, has a sprawling campus in the downtown Birmingham area that spans over 100 blocks. It was founded in 1969.

On average, it has about 22,000 students, about 8,000 of which are postgrads.

Their DSc program is offered through an interdisciplinary approach that includes the school of Health Professions, the School of Business, Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing.

• Executive DSc in Healthcare Leadership

UAB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

25. University of Bridgeport

The University of Bridgeport is a private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with an annual enrollment nearing 5,500. UB offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies to a student population consisting of learners from 80 countries and 46 states.

Founded in 1927, University of Bridgeport maintains a campus featuring Victorian homes built by historic business owners like P. T. Barnum.

• Doctor of Health Science

The University of Bridgeport is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

26. University of Illinois – Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago is a public research university run by the state of Illinois. UIC has a 244-acre urban campus in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1982, but its origins date about a hundred years back to several privately-run health science colleges.

On average, there are 33,000 students, 11,000 which are postgrads.

• Doctor in Public Health Leadership

The University of Illinois at Chicago is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

27. University of Mississippi Medical Center

Founded in 1995, The University of Mississippi Medical Center is the 164-acre campus of the University of Mississippi that houses all colleges in the health sciences. These include, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacology. It’s also a hospital that has over 700 beds and has a Level 1 Emergency Room.

• DHA

UMMC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

28. University of North Carolina

The University of North Carolina, or simply UNC, is a public university system that operates multiple campuses sprawled across 17 locations in the state of North Carolina. UNC also offers fully online programs for students. Its origins date back to 1789 with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Throughout its 17 campuses and online, average enrolment is at about 220,000 students, 46,000 of which are postgrads.

• Executive DrPH in Health Leadership

UNC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

29. University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix is a privately-owned university that operates out of Phoenix, Arizona. It serves its students through fully online programs and therefore has no physical campus. It was founded in 1976 with only 8 students.

Today, enrolment numbers are over 100,000. The mission of the University of Phoenix is to provide students with easy access to opportunities in education to develop academic and professional knowledge to help them achieve their career goals.

• DHA

UOPX is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

30. Walden University

Walden University is a privately-owned university that is classified as a Public Benefit Corporation as authorized by Minnesota. It is an online university that was founded in 1970 for adult learners and teachers who want to pursue their doctorates.

Today, there are about 50,000 students enrolled in the Walden University system.

• DHA
• PsyD in Behavioral Health Leadership

Walden is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

Online Doctoral Programs in Healthcare Administration

Click on the specialization that most interests you to jump to that section:

• Analytics and Improvement
• Business Leadership
• Healthcare Administration
• Healthcare Education
• Healthcare Operations
• Policies and Regulations
• Public Health

As a doctoral student, you have the option to tailor your studies toward one particular aspect of healthcare administration by choosing a concentration and taking a set of classes designed to refine your knowledge of that field.

Specializations & Career Paths

Depending on your interests, you can choose to pursue any of the following 7 areas of study for your healthcare administration degree online.

Analytics and Improvement

Choosing to study data analysis can help you make your healthcare system the best it. This concentration can help you gain skills need to gather data and put it to work for your organization. Data analytics can help you improve care quality, health outcomes, and resource management.

This field is suited for professionals who enjoy looking at the big picture of an organization from behind the scenes. Common duties for careers in this field include being able to see what’s working and what isn’t based on empirical data and making the proper recommendations for change. You may also design the methodology of how to gather the appropriate data most accurately.

Business Leadership

If you want to hold an executive position in a hospital system, then this concentration can help you learn the skills that you need. It can be a good alternative to pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) with a healthcare administration specialty.

Coursework in this concentration typically covers topics such as finance, strategic planning, marketing, and data analytics. This specialization may be ideal for people who want a hands-on experience steering their organization to success.

General Healthcare Administration

For a degree program that gives you an overview of many aspects of administration, consider selecting a generalist concentration. It may be an ideal approach for professionals who bear a wide assortment of responsibilities and would prefer not to limit themselves to one specialization. You may have the option to take electives.

This area of stud can help prepare you to step into a wide variety of roles in a large organization or to manage a smaller practice singlehandedly.

Healthcare Education

Knowledge can help to improve healthcare outcomes. With a specialization in education, you may become a patient educator or care coordinator who helps people learn to improve their own well-being. You might also hold a teaching position in which you help healthcare students or continuing-education professionals gain new skills.

This specialization is suited for those who enjoy communicating with and mentoring others.

Healthcare Operations

If you excel at balancing today’s details with the long-term vision for your organization’s success, then you might want to consider this concentration. Operations students discuss ways to manage the daily business of a healthcare system, and they study what is involved in setting and reaching organizational goals.

Like Analytics, you’ll probably be mostly behind the scenes vision casting how to best move your organization from where it is to where it could be.

Policies and Regulations

Rather than managing healthcare systems, some administration students desire to work at the state or federal level to influence healthcare policy. This concentration focuses on the politics and laws behind healthcare. It can help equip you with strategies for crafting policies and working to change current rules and regulations as needed.

Even if you’re not interested in working in a regulatory capacity, you might want to consider this career path if you’re interested in helping your organization remain in compliance with the applicable laws.

Public Health

Focusing on public health can help you affect health outcomes on a community-wide level by focusing on public health. Your studies can help you learn how to evaluate the needs of a population, implement programs, improve health education, and analyze the results of your initiatives. You may also learn about healthcare advocacy for disadvantaged or underrepresented people groups.

Out of all the specializations, this one may be the best one suited for professionals who enjoy working with people at the grassroots level. It can help you become an agent of change from the perspective of the patient.

Online PhD in Healthcare Programs

Hospitals and other healthcare systems are businesses, but they have a unique focus: caring for people’s bodies and minds. So, serving in a leadership capacity within a medical system requires a specific set of skills and knowledge. A Doctorate in Healthcare Administration is a degree that can help prepare you for those high-level positions.

Administrative healthcare professionals are responsible for the operations and business success of the organizations for which they work. Big decisions often rest on their shoulders, so they need to have strong critical-thinking skills.

It helps if they’re good at visualizing the big picture while also keeping an eye on the details. These are skills and abilities that a doctoral program can help refine.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Healthcare field is expected to grow by 32% over the next 10 years.

The American healthcare system can be complicated. Politics, insurance matters, and other issues add complexity to caring for people in sickness and in health. A doctoral program can help you gain the knowledge and insight needed to navigate this system. Your expertise can help doctors take care of patients while you handle the business side of healthcare.

You may already have firsthand insight into healthcare leadership. If you’ve been working in this field for years, then you probably know how important qualified leaders and administrators are to a health system. You’ll probably draw on your professional experience time and again as you go through your doctoral program.

Many universities require you to have several years of experience working in the field before you’ll be admitted to their programs.

Most online doctoral programs offer the same sort of rigorous educational experience that you would get from on-campus classes. However, they usually feature more flexible schedules and are designed with working professionals in mind. If your goal is to juggle your job, your family and your schooling, then an online healthcare administration program may be ideal.

Types of Doctoral Healthcare Administration Programs

Once you decide that a doctoral degree in healthcare administration is for you, the next step is to choose the type of doctoral program that best fits your plans and interests.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

If you decide to go the DBA route, then you can earn a business degree with a healthcare specialization. This concentration typically requires an assortment of core classes that apply to students in many business settings and then a few additional healthcare-specific courses.

If you already have an MHA, this may be a good option because it can help you obtain a broader knowledge base. Some DBA programs require dissertations, but not all do.

Doctor of Health Administration (DHA)

Unlike in a DBA program, nearly all of the classes that you take in a DHA program will likely be directly related to health sciences and healthcare. If you pursue a DHA, you may be able to earn a generalist degree or work toward a particular specialization to further refine your healthcare leadership skills. As with DBA programs, not all schools require a dissertation for a DHA.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

People who earn DHA or DBA degrees often work directly in the field; for example, they may serve as leaders in hospital systems. PhD holders often have a different goal in mind: working in academia.

If you are interested in teaching in a university setting or creating original research related to healthcare administration, then a PhD in Healthcare Administration may be a good choice. Be prepared to complete a dissertation as part of your program.

For a number of students, the dissertation requirement is a deciding factor as it is such a lengthy, intensive process. Professional doctorates do not require dissertations in all cases. In fact, a capstone project is becoming more common.

Curriculum

Your doctoral curriculum can help you obtain advanced knowledge of healthcare systems and business leadership. Programs vary from school to school, but your coursework may include classes like the ones below.

As you can see, a doctorate in Health Admin is a robust course of study. If these classes pique your interest, you may be looking at the right degree for you.

Healthcare Administration Careers & Employment Outlook

Many people who graduate with a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration desire to work in a managerial, administrative, or executive role in a hospital or other healthcare organization.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of management positions in the field of medical and health services is predicted to increase by 32% for the next ten years. That is is significantly higher than the national average for job growth.

Medical and health services managers earn an average of $104,280 annually. It’s important to note that this average includes employees who hold only bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

Earning your professional doctorate or PhD in this field can help open the doors for some of the top-paying executive positions in hospitals or healthcare systems. Applicable titles may include Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief Operating Officer.

Other graduates become presidents or vice presidents of healthcare organizations. Throughout all fields, top executives make an average annual salary of $107,680, and chief executives earn an average salary of about $160,950 each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Serving as a top-level hospital executive is just one of the many positions that you could pursue after earning your doctoral degree. You should find many career paths open to you after completing your schooling. Your options, with average salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, include:

• Compliance officer: Ensure that healthcare organizations are abiding by applicable laws and regulations. The average annual salary is $71,100.
• Health educator: Help people learn to take charge of their own health. The average salary is around $56,500 per year.
• Management analyst: Suggest ways that healthcare organizations could improve their efficiency and effectiveness. You might make an annual salary of $87,660.
• Pharmaceutical executive: Hold a top-level position in a company that manufactures prescription drugs. Managers in this field make an average of $145,000, and chief executives make $208,000.
• University faculty: Change the face of healthcare by empowering students to make a difference in their communities. Postsecondary teachers make an average of $80,560 each year. Those who teach health specialties may make $99,090 annually.

Your new job title and earnings potential start with earning your new degree.

Admissions & Prerequisites

Doctoral programs in this field can be quite rigorous, so admissions committees can be rather selective about whom they allow into their doctoral tracks. Understanding the admissions requirements ahead of time can help you determine whether this is the right season for you to apply for these programs.

Most schools expect you to have experience in the field before pursuing your healthcare administration doctoral degree. Often, the admissions requirements stipulate that you must have already held a healthcare leadership position for three to five years.

Others expect several years of professional experience, but that experience does not have to be limited to work in the healthcare field.

Your previous education plays a role in whether you will be admitted to a doctoral program. Most schools expect to see a previous GPA of at least 2.5 or 3.0. Some will make exceptions for lower grades if you have a compelling, well-crafted essay to go along with your application.

Holding a master’s degree in health administration online can prove beneficial. In fact, some schools may waive some of their admissions requirements for students who have already demonstrated their competence at the graduate level. For example, a school may allow a master’s holder into its doctoral program even if the student doesn’t have the required number of years of work experience.

Having a master’s degree may also exempt you from minimum GPA requirements.

GRE test scores are required for some Doctorate in Healthcare Administration programs. However, there are a number of schools that don’t ask students to take this test, or they offer waivers for qualifying students. Work experience, previous graduate degrees, professional certifications, or high GPAs are commonly used as the basis for GRE waivers.

Whether or not a school requires GRE testing before admission, it’s likely that you’ll need to provide test scores that prove your English proficiency if this is your second language.

When applying for a doctoral program, you may need to submit an application, an essay or personal statement, your school transcripts, and proof of your professional experience. Most schools will ask for a set number of letters of recommendation; in general, these should come from professional colleagues or associates.

If the GRE or other testing is required, you’ll need to submit your scores or proof that you qualify for a waiver.

Accreditation

In order for your Doctorate in Healthcare Administration to help you reach your career goals, you must earn your degree from an accredited school. Accreditation shows that a university is reputable and that its graduates possess a sufficient body of knowledge and competence.

Consider the following types of accreditation as you decide on a university:

Regional Accreditation

• All universities should hold accreditation from a regional accrediting body that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Industry-Specific Accreditation

• Although this certification is not completely essential for a doctoral program in healthcare administration, many of the schools in this field have received accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). To receive this distinction, a school’s curriculum must meet rigorous standards.

Additional Accreditation

• If you are earning an online degree, consider enrolling in a school that has been recognized by the Distance Education and Training Council Accrediting Commission.

Before enrolling in a graduate program, ensure that the school is properly accredited and that it maintains its accreditation throughout your course of study.

Financial Aid

Grants and loans can help you afford a doctoral program. The federal government offers both of these types of financial aid. To see what type of help you qualify for, start by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

In addition, your state may offer grants and loans for doctoral students. Scholarships are sometimes available through schools or independent organizations, and your university may be able to set up a payment plan.

What are the Advantages of Earning My Healthcare Admin Degree Online?

When you enroll in an online program, school administrators usually assume that you’re also working full time. Courses tend to be designed to accommodate adult schedules and workloads. Most schools allow students to listen or view lectures at any time. Schools that require logging in to watch live lectures usually schedule them on the weekends rather than during peak work hours.

You may also enjoy the ability to receive education from a myriad of schools nationwide without having to move closer to any particular campus. And because online programs don’t require as much in-person attendance, your tuition is often lower.

How Long Will it Take to Earn My PhD in Healthcare Administration?

The normal range is between 4 and 7 years, but if you have the time, you can enroll in accelerated healthcare administration programs.

You may also earn credit toward your degree based on your prior education and work experience, which could significantly reduce your course load and total time spent earning your degree. Some students can graduate after 2.5 or 3 years, especially when they take advantage of online programs.

Ready to Get Started?

A Doctorate in Healthcare Administration can help you obtain the skills and knowledge needed to serve in healthcare organizations’ top-level positions. Your work can lead to a satisfying career because it can open the door to opportunities to help hospitals and clinics make a difference in people’s lives. In addition, it will let you pursue jobs in a typically well-paying field with continual job growth.