Virginia Health Administration Degree Programs
(found 163 schools)

If you have a background in healthcare or management, a career in healthcare administration is within reach with a degree from one of Virginia's schools. Healthcare managers are employed by many key organizations in Virginia, including Inova Fairfax Hospital, Winchester Medical Center, and Martha Jefferson Hospital.

To find a school that will help you reach your professional goals, think about what is important to you. Look into the faculty that work at each school in your area to make sure they have real-world success. Schools that offer online courses may be what you're looking for if you don't live near any universities. In fact, as more working professionals continue their education, online learning has gained considerable credibility in recent years. Most all major universities offer online courses and programs, which can be just as challenging as classroom learning. You can also look at how much a school costs and what financial aid they offer. Most importantly, look at the goals of each program you compare to make sure you will be prepared for the role you want after graduation.

When you are ready to begin your education, there are 14 health administration schools you can attend. Master's programs are the most common degree programs in Virginia, but there are Associate's, Bachelor's, and doctoral programs that you can compare as well. Three of these schools are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.

Like in many other industries, healthcare professionals rely heavily on networking and professional resources to stay on top of their field. Even as a student, you can begin networking and learning about the healthcare culture in your area of Virginia. These are some of the largest healthcare organizations in Virginia:

• Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association
• Virginia Association for Healthcare Quality
• Virginia Health Care Association
• Virginia Community Healthcare Association

This field blends healthcare and management together seamlessly, so your classes will tackle management ideas from a healthcare perspective. You may learn how to handle the finances of a large, multi-faceted organization. This includes budgeting for multiple departments at once and coming up with budget-friendly solutions. For example, ABC13 reports that one Virginia hospital recently began the practice of keeping newborns in with their mothers, thereby improving breastfeeding rates and saving money. Your classes may teach you how to read the newest medical research and put it to work in your organization's policies. In addition, you can plan on tackling Virginia healthcare law to ensure that your organization always runs safely and legally.

The healthcare industry is undergoing the most massive change that it has seen in its entire history. This could be a time of great confusion and slip-ups in this field, but thanks to the expertise of healthcare administrators and executives, Virginia healthcare institutions are carefully navigating these changes in statutes, laws, and regulations. The skills of healthcare administrators are put to use in mid-level and high-level managerial positions, including department-wide management and organizational management.

In Virginia, the future appears to be great for healthcare managers. According to O*Net, medical managers in Virginia may enjoy a 20% boost in demand through the year 2022. The average salary for a professional in this field is $92,500 per year, which is in line with national averages (O*Net, 2015).

Are you ready to commit yourself to the healthcare industry? If you are, healthcare administration programs in Virginia are ready to help you get there.

2020 Medical and Health Services Manager Estimated Job Openings Data Source