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WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY Comparing Health Leadership Degrees
Ready to Level Up In Your Career?
Get started on a healthcare leadership program of your choice from WGU.
View DegreesGet a degree from a respected and affordable university. WGU is a University Research and Review Best Value School.
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.
MBA Healthcare Management
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.
- Time: Graduates can finish within 12 months.
- Tuition and fees: $4,675 per 6-month term.
Some careers and jobs this business degree will prepare you for:
- President and CEO
- Vice president
- Administrative director
- Chief financial officer
- Other executive-level roles
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
Master of Health Leadership
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.
- Time: 78% of grads finish within 24 months.
- Tuition and fees: $4,385 per 6-month term.
Examples of careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
- Managed care executive
- Director of integrated care management
- Health center manager/clinic manager
- Director of integrated facilities
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
Nursing – Leadership and Management (RN-to-MSN) – M.S.
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.
- Time: 75% of RN-to-MSN grads finish within 42 months.
- Tuition and fees: $3,795 per 6-month term during undergraduate portion, $4,385 per 6-month term during graduate portion, plus a Health Professions Student Fee of $350.
Some careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
- Director of Nursing
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Quality Director
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Project Manager
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
Nursing – Leadership and Management (BSN-to-MSN) – M.S.
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:
- Time: 82% of grads finish within 24 months.
- Tuition and fees: $4,385 per 6-month term, plus a Health Professions Student Fee of $350.
Sample careers and jobs this degree program will prepare you for:
- Director of Nursing
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Quality Director
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Project Manager
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
MBA in Healthcare Management
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.
Is Your Background Not in Healthcare?
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.
What Will I Learn in an MBA in Healthcare Management?
Courses focus on healthcare, leadership, and management and include:
- Marketing
- Managing organizations and leading people
- Operations management
- Accreditation audit
- Service line development
- Accounting
- Ethical leadership
- Financial management
- Data-driven decision-making
- Global economics
What Careers Can I Pursue with an MBA in Healthcare Management?
An MBA in Healthcare Management can prepare you for a variety of job titles, such as:
Master of Health Leadership
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.
Is Your Background in Healthcare?
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:
- Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and experience in healthcare or healthcare-related industry.
- Or, possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and obtain Master of Health Leadership program chair approval. Clinical experience is not required to be successful in this program.
What Will I Learn in a Master of Health Leadership Degree Program?
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:
- Leadership, innovation, and management
- Healthcare systems
- Healthcare quality
- Financial management
- Healthcare analysis
- Risk management
- Health information technology
- Community health
- Quality improvement
What Careers Can I Pursue with a Master of Health Leadership Degree?
These are just some of the jobs you’ll be prepared for with a Master of Health Leadership degree from WGU:
- Hospital CEO
- Clinic Manager
- Health Department Director
- Care Case Manager
- Healthcare Manager
- Hospital COO
- Patient Experience Manager
- Community Health Manager
- Healthcare Program Manager
- Managed Care Analyst
- Ambulatory Services Director
MSN in Leadership and Management
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).
Are You a Registered Nurse?
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).
What Will I Learn in an MSN in Leadership and Management Degree Program?
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:
- Leadership and management
- Nursing core
- Foundations of success
- Health sciences
- Chemistry
- Nursing theory and practice
- MSN core
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.
What Careers Can I Pursue with an MSN in Leadership and Management Degree?
As a graduate of this program, you’ll be prepared for plenty of career options, including:
- Director of Nursing
- VP of Nursing
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Quality Director
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Nurse Auditor
- Project Manager
What Do WGU's Programs Have in Common?
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.
Online Classes
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.
Flexibility
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.
Competency-Based Education
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.
WGU Alumni Shine on the Job
They're Prepared
97% of employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.
They're Top Candidates
95% of employers said they would hire another WGU graduate.
They Wow
98% of employers said WGU graduates met or exceeded expectations.
Source: 2021 Harris Poll survey of 300 employers