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If you have leadership aspirations and a passion for healthcare, you might be weighing upgrading your bachelor's degree for a one of several master’s degree options. A healthcare leadership degree will equip you with the skills you need to excel in a healthcare management role, but there are multiple programs to choose from. It’s important to pick the one that best aligns with your specific career goals.
WGU offers three healthcare leadership degrees: MBA Healthcare Management, Master of Health Leadership, and MSN Leadership and Management. While all of these programs focus on leadership in healthcare, their curricula and the career paths they lead to are very different. This guide will break each one down for you.
Prepare for a career leading private or public healthcare...
Prepare for a career leading private or public...
Prepare for a career leading private or public healthcare organizations.
Some careers and jobs this business degree will prepare you for:
Healthcare is big business in today's complex economy. Steer your career with this specialty MBA.
Compare online business degrees
This program is not the only online business degree WGU offers that is designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees by clicking the button below.
College of Business
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care,...
A master's focused on managing comprehensive,...
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly in line with innovations in health and healthcare.
Examples of careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
Your rich experience in a health-related field can mean more when you bring a master's level of understanding to the problems that organizations need to solve.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees by clicking the button below.
College of Health Professions
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap toward becoming a nurse leader.
Some careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
If you're driven to lead, this online nursing degree will provide you everything needed to make that career a reality.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees by clicking the button below.
College of Health Professions
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for greater responsibility:
Sample careers and jobs this degree program will prepare you for:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical and health services managers to grow 17% by 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees by clicking the button below.
College of Health Professions
WGU's MBA in Healthcare Management offers a focused curriculum that prepares you for executive-level positions. Like a general MBA program, your coursework will cover areas such as decision-making, marketing, and financial resource management but will be geared specifically for the healthcare field.
If you’re transitioning into healthcare from a different industry or if you don't have an undergraduate degree in healthcare, this program is ideal for you. The coursework will give you a chance to learn about healthcare and equip you with the specific knowledge to transition into this industry.
Courses focus on healthcare, leadership, and management and include:
An MBA in Healthcare Management can prepare you for a variety of job titles, such as:
Also known as a Master of Healthcare Administration, an MHL program teaches you how to drive innovation and lead effectively within a healthcare organization. It explores the healthcare industry through comparison research, disruptive leadership concepts, and advanced technology applications. You’ll also examine the use of technology to improve patient care outcomes.
That’s great, because this degree program works best if you already have experience in the healthcare industry or a bachelor’s degree in healthcare.
To be considered for this master's degree program, you must be able to demonstrate healthcare experience through one of the following methods:
This program focuses on quality improvement of health care with an emphasis on professionalism, technology, and ethical practice. Some of the specific subjects taught in WGU’s MHL program include:
These are just some of the jobs you’ll be prepared for with a Master of Health Leadership degree from WGU:
If your professional goal is to have a job in nursing administration and management, getting your MSN is a must. WGU offers two pathways to getting your leadership and management MSN—either the BSN to MSN (if you already have a bachelor’s degree) or RN to MSN (if you need both and are already an RN).
If so, this program will help you combine your nursing knowledge with strong leadership and business management skills to position you for a career in nursing administration. In order to pursue an MSN, you need to be a registered nurse or have a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN).
The coursework in this program focuses on helping you build competencies in strategic planning, financial and human resource management, data management, and interprofessional collaboration. Some of specific courses in this program include:
You’ll also earn an important industry certification, the CPHQ (NAHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality) that can help you boost your résumé before you even graduate.
As a graduate of this program, you’ll be prepared for plenty of career options, including:
Whichever degree you choose, there is a wide variety of career opportunities open to students of both degree programs. There are also major benefits associated with pursuing a degree program with WGU, including a flexible schedule, coursework and lessons that are fully accessible online, affordable options for every student, and more. Either the master of science program or the MBA program in IT management from WGU can help you achieve your goals—it just depends on your experience and what you want your future to be.
You can do your coursework at night after working at your full-time job, on weekends, while you're traveling the world or on vacation—it's entirely up to you.
You’re in control of your schedule and your schooling so you can continue with your job and family needs and do your coursework when the timing is right for you.
You advance by demonstrating that you've mastered the course subject matter—whether you learned it through your study at WGU or picked up that knowledge through work experience.
97% of employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.
95% of employers said they would hire another WGU graduate.
98% of employers said WGU graduates met or exceeded expectations.
Source: 2021 Harris Poll survey of 300 employers