A Guide to MBAs in Healthcare Management

Depending on where you choose to study, you may be able to specialise throughout your degree. This specialisation can have an influence on the way in which your career progresses after you have graduated. Common specialisations might include:

• Leadership in Healthcare
• Information Technologies in Healthcare
• Finance and Accounting
• Operations Management
• Entrepreneurship and Creativity
• Sustainable Decisions

If your degree requires you to write a dissertation or submit a major research project, this will give you the opportunity to further explore a favoured area of healthcare management.

The accreditation of an MBA is internationally standardised. This means that no matter where you choose to study, you will be awarded a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management. The only element of your award that may differ is the specific title.

Some degrees may be accredited or approved by professional bodies of business and management. These might include the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), or the Association of MBAs (AMBA).

The duration of an MBA in healthcare management will depend on where you choose to study. It will also depend on the country in which your institution is located. Generally, an MBA can take up to three years when studied full-time, and can take up to eight years if studied part-time.

An MBA is generally studied as a final degree, so further study does not tend to be common. However, if you do wish to continue your studies, this could be in the form of a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), a different masters degree, or a graduate diploma or certificate.

Some universities may prefer you to have studied certain subjects, such as business or finance and accounting, and others might require you to have a certain amount of work experience. It is also possible that institutions in certain countries could require you to provide results from a GMAT/GRE test. Your institution will be able to provide you with more information about this, as not all universities require all of these things.

You should check each institution to see what entry requirements they have for their MBA in healthcare management programmes.

• UK – 7.0 IELTS, 2:1 undergraduate degree, work experience may be required
• US – 3.0 GPA, GRE/GMAT may be required

Tuition fees for international students are not fixed. This means that they can vary greatly from institution to institution. You should make sure that you are aware of how much your course will cost you.

Sometimes students on MBA courses will have financial help from their workplace to complete their degree. Speak to your employer about this if you think that an MBA would lead to company progression, as well as personal progression.

You may be eligible for a scholarship or funding. This could be awarded by your institution, or by a separate funding body. For more information, visit our scholarships and funding section.

MBA in healthcare management graduates will usually have some idea of their career path once they have graduated. You might wish to progress in your current career, for example moving from middle management to senior management. You might also wish to change your career completely, and an MBA degree can help you to make this transition. Gaining an MBA in healthcare management is a great way to display to potential employers that you have an advanced expertise in the field, as it is an internationally recognised award.