Master of Health Administration Degrees in Kentucky
People working in healthcare administration are responsible for managing entire facilities or departments within facilities. Common job duties include supervising personnel, recruiting and hiring personnel, administering programs, attending board meetings, managing fiscal operations of their facility, and monitoring equipment usage within the facility.
If you would like to learn more about health administration graduate programs in Kentucky, simply contact the schools on this page to learn more. There are different career specialties that you can pursue, so investigate as many master’s programs as you need to find the right one!
Earning Your Master’s in Health Administration in Kentucky
A master’s degree in healthcare administration is more business-focused than a Master of Public Health degree but is focused more on healthcare than a typical Master of Business Administration degree. Some universities offer dual degrees for individuals interested in pursuing a graduate degree in public health or business administration at the same time as a healthcare administration degree.
In order to be admitted to a graduate healthcare administration program, an applicant should have already completed a bachelor’s degree. Some graduate programs may have additional requirements such as letters of recommendation, work experience, undergraduate GPA, or test scores.
Because many universities also offer online degree programs in healthcare administration, a prospective graduate student who is also a working professional may be able to obtain a degree entirely online.
Currently, two universities located in the state of Kentucky offer a master’s degree in healthcare administration: the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University. Both programs require the applicant to submit scores from either the GRE or GMAT exam.
The University of Kentucky has the only healthcare administration degree program in the state that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, and the university is ranked 124th by U.S. News and World Report. The Master of Health Administration program is designed to be completed by a full-time student in 21 months and requires students to already hold a bachelor’s degree in addition to completely prerequisite courses in economics and accounting.
The University of Kentucky also offers a dual degree program for students interested in earning a Juris Doctorate degree concurrently. The dual degree program takes four years to complete, and students are admitted after the end of their first year in either the Master of Health Administration or Juris Doctorate program.
Western Kentucky University’s Master of Health Administration degree program is accredited by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and is affiliated with the American College of Healthcare Executives. Western Kentucky University also offers an executive Master of Health Administration degree program that is completed primarily via distance learning and requires students to visit the classroom only three times per semester while allowing them to earn their degrees in the same two-year time frame as a traditional Master of Health Administration program.
Because the healthcare field is ever-changing, medical and health services managers should be able to keep up with medical and technological advancements as well as industry changes such as government regulations or changes to insurance policies. It is helpful to join a professional organization as a professional resource, to keep up with industry news as well as network with other healthcare professional in your area. A few options include the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, which is for long-term care professionals, or the Kentucky chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Career Outlook for Health Admin Graduates in Kentucky
Healthcare administration can be a rewarding career, and job opportunities are excellent. Job growth for medical and health services managers is projected to see a 16 percent growth rate between 2018 and 2028. That’s approximately 540 job openings throughout the state annually that will ultimately amount to a total of 6,190 professionals.
The most common employers of medical and health services managers are general hospitals, private practices, and skilled nursing facilities. However, medical and health services managers may also work in other environments such as specialty hospitals or laboratories.
Currently there are a total of 5,710 medical and health services managers employed in the state of Kentucky. Their median wage is $84,390.
Take the next step today, and contact the MHA programs in Kentucky that could help you become a leader in the healthcare industry!
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers.
Job growth projections sourced from the Kentucky Center for Statistics and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028) database. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expressly refers users to this source for state-specific job market data. Salary figures and job market projections reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2021.
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