What Can I Do with a Bachelor's Degree in Health Services?
As the health care industry continues to grow and expand, individuals with strong business skills will be needed to manage the quality and efficiency of the services provided. A bachelor's degree in health services will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the many intricacies of health care systems. Keep reading for more details on how you can put your degree in health services to work for you. Schools offering Health Care Administration degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Health Care Management
With a bachelor's degree in health services, sometimes referred to as health services management, you can become a manager, supervisor or administrator in a health care setting. Employers of entry-level health services managers include nursing homes, insurance companies, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, physician practices and public health agencies. As a health care manager, you may oversee entire health care organizations, specific departments or individual services within an organization. Common job duties include the management of finances, program planning, personnel, compliance issues and budgets.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical and health services managers earned a median annual income of $84,270, as of May 2010 (www.bls.gov). The lowest ten percent of managers earned less than $51,280, and the highest ten percent earned more than $144,880.
Health Care Administration
Although most positions in health care administration typically require master's degrees, a bachelor's degree in health services can prepare you for entry-level positions within this field. While small health care organizations usually have a top administrator that oversees all daily business operations, larger organizations often have assistant administrators who assist the top administrator in handling the daily decisions associated with specific departments or services, such as health information, medical records, therapy and admissions.
Graduate Study
Once you've earned a bachelor's degree in health services, you may consider going on to earn a graduate-level degree in the field. Master's degree and Ph.D. programs are available in this discipline, and they can further assist you with career advancement opportunities. A Master of Science degree in health services usually requires two years to complete and requires approximately 45-50 credit hours. A Ph.D. program often requires at least four years of study and requires a dissertation. Earning such a degree can prepare you for careers in academia and research.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
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