What are some of the specializations within this degree program?

• Diagnosis and Treatment: This area is made up of professionals like physicians, optometrists, and registered nurses, who find the causes of diseases and illness and administer therapies patients.
• Management: Individuals in healthcare management oversee the day-to-day operations of healthcare facilities; they supervise staff, make financial decisions, and oversee quality control.
• Health Technologists and Technicians: Health technologists and technicians are skilled workers who aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a disease. They may operate a piece of technology, like an X-ray machine, or occupy other support roles in disease diagnosis.
• Healthcare Support: These workers do not aid in disease diagnosis or treatment, but they do provide services which help ensure the running of the healthcare system, such as medical office management and medical transcription.

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What degree levels are available?

• Certificate: 1 year to complete
• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree: 2-3 years to complete
• Doctoral Degree: 3-5 years to complete
• Medical Degree: 4 years to complete

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What are the educational and certification requirements?

The healthcare industry includes a huge range in the type of workers it employees; likewise, the degrees available to enter a healthcare career are very wide ranging. Certificate programs last one year, and are usually designed to allow individuals to enter a career in healthcare support. Nursing aides, medical assistants, and massage therapists, for example, can begin their careers through a certificate program. The curriculum in these programs tends to be career-oriented, and does not include many general liberal arts requirements.

Two-year associate degrees in a healthcare area can prepare graduates for many types of health technician or technologist positions. Pharmacy technicians, X-ray techs, ultrasound technicians, and dental hygienists can all get their start in associate programs. Offered by allied health organizations, community colleges, and vocational schools, associate degrees in healthcare include some general education courses, along with classes in anatomy, physiology, and medical techniques. Bachelor's programs in natural science or a health technology area can prepare graduates for more advanced healthcare technologist positions, or they can act as a prerequisite to master's or medical degrees. Clinical laboratory technicians and occupational health technicians are generally required to have bachelor's degree, and some programs offered at the associate level, such as veterinary technology, also have a more advanced four-year options.

A master's program is the most common way to enter some diagnostic positions, such as physician assisting, physical therapy, and nutrition, and it is also the common path for becoming a healthcare administrator. Doctoral degrees are available in diagnostic areas like nursing or physical therapy, and they prepare graduates to teach at the post-secondary level or to enter advanced practice. Medical degrees are the requirement for beginning a career as a medical doctor. These degrees last four years and require coursework in natural science, psychology, physiology, and medical ethics. Students spend several years completing clinicals, where they receive instruction in the actual practice of medical diagnosis and treatment.

Licenses are required for healthcare workers who diagnose and treat disease, such as doctors, dentists, nurses, and nutritionists. These licenses are issued on a state-by-state basis; licensing requirements for most traditional positions, such as physicians, are fairly uniform across states, and require applicants to have a certain degree level and amount of professional training, as well as a passing score on a licensing exam. Some healthcare technicians and technologists will need state licensure as well; the licensing varies widely by state, however, and individuals will need to check with their own state for specific details. Healthcare managers, support professionals, and technologists may apply for voluntary certification with trade organizations and professional groups.

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What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?

Accredited healthcare degree programs come with varying titles, with the most common being healthcare administration and healthcare management. Most of these degrees have similar requirements, however. They all require general education courses in the liberal arts, along with the core coursework in healthcare administration. This core consists of classes covering company management and financial planning, specifically for health and medical facilities. Most programs have a required course in health information, since computer technology is becoming more and more important in the medical setting. Students learn about the importance of privacy management, along with the specific software programs that are used to maintain health records. In organization and management classes, topics like healthcare facility licensing and clinical classification systems are covered, as well as the basic management techniques for healthcare facilities.

Other classes focus on the skills needed to effectively manage the money and employees in a healthcare office. In finance for healthcare, the curriculum discusses the healthcare payment system, reimbursements and insurance, and budgeting techniques. A human resources class geared toward healthcare managers discusses employment law and how to recruit and retain excellent staff.  Since the healthcare setting is more sensitive than the general business environment, many degree programs require an ethics in healthcare seminar as well. This course discusses the tools for ethical decision making and the moral issues that can arise in the medical sector.

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If I pursue this program online, will I be required to complete any on-site training?

While hands-on training is not required for the bachelor's degree, gaining some real-world experience in healthcare administration can be a good idea for anyone pursuing a degree in healthcare, online or not. Many healthcare administrators have a master's degree in the field, and bachelor's program graduates without any hands-on experience will be at a disadvantage, even when applying for entry-level positions. Because of this, it may make sense to seek out a program that helps place students in internships or apprenticeships in the field.

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What are some other degrees that are related to this program?

A few other degrees also contain some of the same key coursework as a degree in healthcare. A degree in business administration would also have courses in organization, finance, and strategic planning, although they would not be aimed specifically at the healthcare industry. On the other end of the spectrum, the degree in healthcare information systems provides extensive coursework in one specific area of healthcare management. Health information management students learn the nitty gritty of medical coding, medical transcription, and medical software.

Students who would like to understand the healthcare system in the context of society could pursue a degree in public health. Public health degrees cover the legislation that affects the nation's healthcare and citizens' ability to access it. A broader introduction to managing and administrating can be found in the bachelor's in human services degree, which teaches students about organizational planning, fundraising, and human resources in a number of different settings, including nonprofits, healthcare facilities, and public sector services. More distantly related, the social work degree also puts graduates in a position to help individuals obtain the healthcare and other services they need. Social work relies more on psychology and sociology training than business principles, however.

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