Bachelor of Science Business Administration
OVERVIEW
An Online Healthcare Management Degree That Prepares you for a Future Where You Can Make a Difference
Healthcare is a booming career field, and today’s successful healthcare managers combine industry-specific knowledge with current skills in business administration. WGU’s bachelor degree in healthcare management is designed to prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to play a key leadership role in a wide range of environments, including doctors’ offices, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, and government offices that serve the healthcare industry. An online healthcare management degree allows you to stand out from the competition, boosting your résumé and preparing you for raises, promotions, or a step into a new career field.
Compare this degree: The B.S. in Business Administration – Healthcare Management program is not WGU's only undergraduate degree focused on building leadership skills in the business and administration of healthcare, or what many call the health services management field. You may also be interested in our B.S. Health Services Coordination degree program, or our B.S. in Health Information Management degree program.
73% of students finish within
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
Tuition per six-month term is
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps students control the ultimate cost of their healthcare management degree. Finish
faster, pay less!
B.S. healthcare management graduates report an average salary increase of $10,590 after completing their WGU degree.
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Healthcare Management Courses
This online program is composed of the following courses. Some may be waived through transfer from your previous college experience. The rest you will typically complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.
This health care degree program allows students to earn valuable certificates on their path to a degree. You'll earn the business essentials, applied business skills, marketing, and human resource management certificates as part of this degree program. These certificates will help you boost your résumé before you graduate.
Healthcare Management
Healthcare Delivery Systems, Regulation, and Compliance
This course provides an overview of the U.S. healthcare system and focuses on developing an understanding of the various sectors and roles involved in this complex industry. Policy and compliance issues are also addressed to facilitate an appreciation for the highly regulated nature of healthcare delivery.
Technology Applications in Healthcare
This course explores how technology continues to change and influence the healthcare industry. Practical managerial applications are explored as well as the legal, ethical, and practical aspects of access to health and disease information. Ensuring the protection of private health information is also emphasized.
Healthcare Values and Ethics
This course explores ethical standards and considerations common to the healthcare environment such as access to care, confidentiality, the allocation of limited resources, and billing practices. This course also focuses on the distinct value system associated with the healthcare industry, as well as the values of professionalism.
Healthcare Operations Management
This course builds upon basic principles of management, organizational behavior, and leadership. Specific processes and business principles for managing operations in interdependent and multi-disciplinary healthcare organizations are explored. Marketing strategies, communication skills, and the ability to establish and maintain relationships while ensuring productivity that is efficient, safe, and meets the needs of all stakeholders is emphasized.
Healthcare Research and Statistics
This course builds upon an understanding of research methods and quantitative analysis. Concepts of population health, epidemiology, and evidence-based practices provide the foundation for understanding the importance of data for informing healthcare organizational decisions.
Healthcare Quality Improvement and Risk Management
This course emphasizes principles of quality management and risk management in order to ensure safety, maximize patient outcomes, and continuously improve organizational outcomes. This course also examines the broader impact of organizational culture and its influence on productivity, quality, and risk.
Healthcare Management and Strategy
Healthcare Management and Strategy This course builds upon basic principles of strategic management and explores healthcare organizational structures and processes. The importance of the collaborative nature and interrelationships among business functions is emphasized. Creating a healthcare vision and designing business plans within a healthcare environment is also examined.
Financial Resource Management in Healthcare
Financial Resource Management in Healthcare This course examines the financial environment of the healthcare industry including principles involved in managed care. It also explores the revenue and expense structures for different sectors within the industry while emphasizing funding and reimbursement practices of healthcare.
Business Core
Fundamentals for Success in Business
This introductory course provides students with an overview of the field of business and a basic understanding of how management, organizational structure, communication, and leadership styles affect the business environment. It also introduces them to some of the power skills that help make successful business professionals, including time management, problem solving, emotional intelligence and innovation; while also teaching them the importance of ethics. This course gives students an opportunity to begin to explore their own strengths and passions in relation to the field while also acclimating them to the online competency-based environment.
Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting
Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting provides students with an introduction to the discipline of accounting and its context within the business environment. In this course, students will learn to differentiate between financial, cost, and managerial accounting and where these accounting types fit into the business environment. This course will help students gain a fundamental knowledge of the budgeting process, how to analyze basic financial statements, and how to use spreadsheets to analyze data. This course provides students with a business generalist overview of the field of accounting and acts as a preview course for the accounting major.
Finance Skills for Managers
This course provides students with an introductory look at the discipline of finance and its context within the business environment. Students gain the knowledge to differentiate between personal and business finance and how they may overlap in a business environment. Students also gain a fundamental knowledge of financial forecasting and budgeting, statement analysis, and decision making. This course provides the student a business generalist overview of the field of finance and builds on previous acquired competencies related to using spreadsheets.
Concepts in Marketing, Sales, and Customer Contact
Concepts in Marketing, Sales, and Customer Contact introduces students to the discipline of marketing and its role within the strategic and operational environments of a business. This course covers fundamental knowledge in the area of marketing planning, including the marketing mix, while also describing basic concepts of brand management, digital marketing, customer relationship management, and personal selling and negotiating. All of this helps students identify the role of marketing within an organization. This course provides students with a business generalist overview of the field of marketing and an exploration of the marketing major.
Principles of Economics provides students with the knowledge they need to be successful managers, including basic economic theories related to markets and how markets function. This course starts by defining economics, differentiating between microeconomics and macroeconomics, and explaining the fundamental economic principles of each. It then looks at microeconomics and how it is used to make business and public policy decisions, including the principles of supply, demand, and elasticity, market efficiency, cost of production, and different market structures. The course finishes by looking at macroeconomics and how it is used to make business and public policy decisions, including measurement of macroeconomic variables, aggregate supply and demand, the concepts of an open economy, and how trade policies influence domestic and international markets.
Business Environment Applications I: Business Structures and Legal Environment
Business Environment Applications 1 provides students with a generalist overview of the business environment and a deeper look at a number of topics that make up the non-discipline areas of business which are required for a business person to be successful within any business environment. The first part of the course focuses on knowledge about organizations and how people operate within organizations, including the areas of organizational theory, structure, and effectiveness. The course then looks at business from a legal perspective with an overview of the legal environment of business. The course will prepare the student to consider specific legal situations and to make legal and ethical decisions related to those situations.
Managing in a Global Business Environment
Managing in a Global Business Environment provides students with a generalist overview of business from a global perspective, while also developing basic skills and knowledge to help them make strategic decisions, communicate, and develop personal relationships in a global environment. Business today is by its very nature a global environment, and individuals working in business will experience the global nature of business as they progress through their careers. This course builds on previously acquired competencies by providing an overview of U.S. federal laws in relation to doing business in a global environment.
Innovative and Strategic Thinking
This course covers an important part of being a business professional: the knowledge and skills used in building and implementing business strategy. The course helps students build on previously acquired competencies in the areas of management, innovative thinking, and risk management while introducing them to the concepts and theories underpinning business strategy as a general business perspective. The course will help students gain skills in analyzing different business environments and in using quantitative literacy and data analysis in business strategy development and implementation. This course helps to provide students with a generalist overview of the area of business strategy.
Emotional and Cultural Intelligence
Emotional and Cultural Intelligence focuses on key personal awareness skills that businesses request when hiring personnel. Key among those abilities is communication. Students will increase their skills in written, verbal, and nonverbal communication skills. The course then looks at three areas of personal awareness including emotional intelligence (EI), cultural awareness, and ethical self-awareness – building on previously acquired competencies and adding new ones. This course helps start students on a road of self-discovery, cultivating awareness to improve both as a business professional and personally.
Principles of Management provides students with an introductory look at the discipline of management and its context within the business environment. Students of this course build on previously mastered competencies by taking a more in-depth look at management as a discipline and how it differs from leadership while further exploring the importance of communication within business. This course provides students with a business generalist overview in the areas of strategic decision-making and operational planning, managerial budgeting, change management, human capital management, staff development, and conflict management.
This course ties together all the skills and knowledge covered in the business courses and allows the student to prove their mastery of the competencies by applying them in a simulated business environment. This course will help take the student's knowledge and skills from the theoretical to applicable.
Human Resources
Introduction to Human Resource Management
This course provides an introduction to the management of human resources, the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management, and direction for the people who work in the organization. Students will be introduced to topics such as strategic workforce planning and employment; compensation and benefits; training and development; employee and labor relations; and occupational health, safety, and security.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation and Benefits develops competence in the design and implementation of compensation and benefits systems in an organization. The total rewards perspective integrates tangible rewards (e.g., salary, bonuses) with employee benefits (e.g., health insurance, retirement plan) and intangible rewards (e.g., location, work environment). This perspective allows students to use all forms of rewards fairly and effectively to enable job satisfaction and organizational performance. There are no prerequisites.
Business Management
Organizational Behavior and Leadership explores how to lead and manage effectively in diverse business environments. Students are asked to demonstrate the ability to apply organizational leadership theories and management strategies in a series of scenario-based problems.
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Operations and Supply Chain Management provides a streamlined introduction to how organizations efficiently produce goods and services, determine supply chain management strategies, and measure performance. Emphasis is placed on integrative topics essential for managers in all disciplines, such as supply chain management, product development, and capacity planning. This course will guide students in analyzing processes, managing quality for both services and products, and measuring performance while creating value along the supply chain in a global environment. Topics include forecasting, product and service design, process design and location analysis, capacity planning, management of quality and quality control, inventory management, scheduling, supply chain management, and performance measurement.
Project Management prepares students to manage projects from start to finish within any organizational structure. The course presents a view into different project management methods and delves into topics such as project profiling and phases, constraints, building the project team, scheduling, and risk. This course helps students grasp the full scope of future projects and apply the proper management approaches to complete a project. This course features practice in each of the project phases as students learn to strategically apply project management tools and techniques to help organizations achieve their goals.
Quantitative Analysis For Business
Quantitative Analysis for Business explores various decision-making models, including expected value models, linear programming models, and inventory models. This course helps student learn to analyze data by using a variety of analytic tools and techniques to make better business decisions. In addition, it covers developing project schedules using the Critical Path Method. Other topics include calculating and evaluating formulas, measures of uncertainty, crash costs, and visual representation of decision-making models using electronic spreadsheets and graphs. This course has no prerequisites.
Values-Based Leadership guides students to learn by reflection, design, and scenario planning. Through a combination of theory, reflection, value alignment, and practice, the course helps students examine and understand values-based leadership and explore foundations in creating a culture of care. In this course, students are given the opportunity to identify and define their personal values through an assessment and reflection process. Students then evaluate business cases to practice mapping the influence of values on their own leadership. In this course, students also participate in scenario planning, where they can practice implementing their values in their daily routine (i.e., behaviors) and then in a leadership setting. The course illustrates how values-driven leadership is used in goal setting as well as problem-solving at an organizational level. There are no prerequisites for this course.
Change Management provides an understanding of change and an overview of successfully managing change using various methods and tools. Emphasizing change theories and various best practices, this course covers how to recognize and implement change using an array of other effective strategies, including those related to innovation and leadership. Other topics include approaches to change, diagnosing and planning for change, implementing change, and sustaining change.
Business Communication is a survey course of communication skills needed in the business environment. Course content includes writing messages, reports, and résumés and delivering oral presentations. The course emphasizes communication processes, writing skills, message types, and presentation of data. The development of these skills is integrated with the use of technology.
General Education
Applied Probability and Statistics
Applied Probability and Statistics is designed to help students develop competence in the fundamental concepts of basic statistics including: introductory algebra and graphing; descriptive statistics; regression and correlation; and probability. Statistical data and probability are often used in everyday life, science, business, information technology, and educational settings to make informed decisions about the validity of studies and the effect of data on decisions. This course discusses what constitutes sound research design and how to appropriately model phenomena using statistical data. Additionally, the content covers simple probability calculations, based on events that occur in the business and IT industries. No prerequisites are required for this course.
English Composition I introduces candidates to the types of writing and thinking that are valued in college and beyond. Candidates will practice writing in several genres with emphasis placed on writing and revising academic arguments. Instruction and exercises in grammar, mechanics, research documentation, and style are paired with each module so that writers can practice these skills as necessary. Composition I is a foundational course designed to help candidates prepare for success at the college level. There are no prerequisites for English Composition I.
Introduction to Communication
This introductory communication course allows candidates to become familiar with the fundamental communication theories and practices necessary to engage in healthy professional and personal relationships. Candidates will survey human communication on multiple levels and critically apply the theoretical grounding of the course to interpersonal, intercultural, small group, and public presentational contexts. The course also encourages candidates to consider the influence of language, perception, culture, and media on their daily communicative interactions. In addition to theory, candidates will engage in the application of effective communication skills through systematically preparing and delivering an oral presentation. By practicing these fundamental skills in human communication, candidates become more competent communicators as they develop more flexible, useful, and discriminatory communicative practices in a variety of contexts. Note: There are references within this video to Taskstream. If Taskstream is not part of your student experience, please disregard, and locate your task(s) within your course.
Critical Thinking and Logic
Reasoning and Problem Solving helps candidates internalize a systematic process for exploring issues that takes them beyond an unexamined point of view and encourages them to become more self-aware thinkers by applying principles of problem identification and clarification, planning and information gathering, identifying assumptions and values, analyzing and interpreting information and data, reaching well-founded conclusions, and identifying the role of critical thinking in disciplines and professions.
Applied Algebra is designed to help you develop competence in working with functions, the algebra of functions, and using some applied properties of functions. You will start learning about how we can apply different kinds of functions to relevant, real-life examples. From there, the algebra of several families of functions will be explored, including linear, polynomial, exponential, and logistic functions. You will also learn about relevant, applicable mathematical properties of each family of functions, including rate of change, concavity, maximizing/minimizing, and asymptotes. These properties will be used to solve problems related to your major and make sense of everyday living problems. Students should complete Applied Probability and Statistics or its equivalent prior to engaging in Applied Algebra.
Integrated Physical Sciences
This course provides students with an overview of the basic principles and unifying ideas of the physical sciences: physics, chemistry, and earth sciences. Course materials focus on scientific reasoning and practical, everyday applications of physical science concepts to help students integrate conceptual knowledge with practical skills.
English Composition II introduces candidates to the types of research and writing that are valued in college and beyond. Candidates will practice writing, with emphasis placed on research, writing, and revising an academic argument. Instruction and exercises in grammar, mechanics, research documentation, and style are paired with each module so that writers can practice these skills as necessary. Composition II is a foundational course designed to help candidates prepare for success at the college level. Composition I is the prerequisite for Composition II.
Survey of United States History
This course presents a broad and thematic survey of U.S. history from European colonization to the mid-twentieth century. Students will explore how historical events and major themes in American history have affected a diverse population.
Introduction to Humanities
This introductory humanities course allows candidates to practice essential writing, communication, and critical thinking skills necessary to engage in civic and professional interactions as mature, informed adults. Whether through studying literature, visual and performing arts, or philosophy, all humanities courses stress the need to form reasoned, analytical, and articulate responses to cultural and creative works. Studying a wide variety of creative works allows candidates to more effectively enter the global community with a broad and enlightened perspective.
Introduction to Sociology
This course teaches students to think like sociologists, or, in other words, to see and understand the hidden rules, or norms, by which people live, and how they free or restrain behavior. Students will learn about socializing institutions, such as schools and families, as well as workplace organizations and governments. Participants will also learn how people deviate from the rules by challenging norms and how such behavior may result in social change, either on a large scale or within small groups.
IT Fundamentals
Introduction to Spreadsheets
The Introduction to Spreadsheets course will help students become proficient in using spreadsheets to analyze business problems. Students will demonstrate competency in spreadsheet development and analysis for business applications (e.g., using essential spreadsheet functions, formulas, tables, charts, etc.). Introduction to Spreadsheets has no prerequisites.
Capstone
Healthcare Management Capstone
This course is the culminating experience and assessment of healthcare business administration. This course requires the student to integrate and synthesize managerial skills with healthcare knowledge, resulting in a high quality final project that demonstrates professional managerial proficiency.
Program consists of 40 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff.
Special requirements for this program
At the end of your program, you will complete a capstone project that represents the culmination of all your hard work—a project that allows you to take what you’ve learned and apply it to a real-world situation, proposing a solution to an actual issue you face in your place of business.
“I not only want to become a leader in healthcare, but I want to change the ways of healthcare for the better. My undergraduate and graduate degrees will help me accomplish this.”
—Alicia Lloyd
B.S. Healthcare Management
Earning Potential
A degree can dramatically impact your earning potential. After graduation WGU healthcare management students report earning $10,590 more per year.
On Your Schedule
Competency-based education means you can move as quickly through your degree as you can master the material. You don't have to
log in to classes at a certain time—you are truly in the driver's seat of your education
Entirely Online
This at WGU is 100% online, which means it works wherever you are. 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.
Accredited, Respected,
Recognized
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
COST & TIME
A Healthcare Management Degree That's Affordable
By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay for your degree.
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Pay less by completing your program faster
YEARS
A College Degree Within Reach
There is help available to make paying for school possible for you:
The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2019 (among those who borrowed) was less than half* the national average.
Most WGU students qualify for financial aid, and WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.
Many scholarship opportunities are available. Find out what you might be eligible for.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
What Makes Us Different: Learning Designed to Fit Today’s Busy Lifestyles
Professional responsibilities. Family obligations. Personal commitments. At WGU, we understand schedules are tight and oftentimes unpredictable for today’s business professionals. That’s why we offer a flexible, personalized approach to how online education should be in today’s world. No interrupting your work or family obligations. No rigid class schedules. No barriers to earning your degree on your own terms. Just a solid, career-focused education that dovetails seamlessly with your current lifestyle.
This online B.S. in Business Administration – Healthcare Management degree program is designed for working professionals, so you don't have to quit your job or leave your other responsibilities behind to get an online healthcare management degree. You don't have to log in to classes, your assignments don't have due-dates—you're in charge of your education.
“WGU ... allowed me to earn my degree online with a schedule that worked for me and at a price I could afford. My education will help me advance my career and create a better life for myself.”
—Chris Travis
B.S. Healthcare Management
CAREER OUTLOOK
Earn your Healthcare Management Degree Online and Prepare for Leadership Roles
Healthcare is a business, and the field needs top business leaders to help it run smoothly and efficiently. A healthcare management degree is crucial in helping you gain the skills you need to be an effective leader in healthcare. Stand out from the competition with knowledge in accounting, communications, regulation, financial resource management, and more. You'll be prepared to earn more money, get promotions, and truly make a difference in healthcare. Earning your healthcare management degree online the first step to an exciting future.
Maybe you’re looking for a smart way to advance your career in the healthcare industry. Or perhaps you’re a business professional ready to add healthcare-specific credentials. Either way, a WGU bachelor’s degree in healthcare management is a great way to prepare for your next career move.
Return on Your Investment
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates very strong demand for health services managers through 2029, with an impressive 32% projected growth rate, which is much higher than the 4% average for all occupations.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Learn About All the Job Opportunities in Healthcare Management
The healthcare industry is extensive and complex, requiring leaders with specialized knowledge and credentials. The right education and training can prepare you for a broad range of rewarding positions, such as:
- Nursing home administrators
- Clinic Managers
- Healthcare Consultants
- Hospital administrators
- Health services managers
- Web-based health education firm managers
- Pharmaceutical firm managers
- Community health center managers
- Insurance company specialists
WGU Grads Hold Positions With Top Employers
ADMISSIONS
Healthcare Management Admissions Requirements
For undergraduate business programs, there are currently no additional admission requirements beyond the general admission requirements.
NOTE: Students will not have the option or ability to waive or remove transfer credit in order to earn a certificate. Their coursework is counted towards their degree, but they will not earn the certificate if they have brought in more than 50% of the transfer credit for that intended certificate.
NOTE: You do not need to take the ACT or SAT to
be admitted to this program. Learn why we don't require these tests.
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Download your step-by-step guide to enrollment.
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Talk to an WGU Enrollment Counselor.
MORE DETAILS
WGU Certificates in Healthcare Management
The Healthcare Management bachelor's degree program allows students to earn valuable credentials on their path to a degree, including the healthcare, strategic thinking and innovation, and leadership certificates. These certificates allow you to demonstrate mastery and add credentials to your résumé before you even graduate with your degree.
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare Management at WGU
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