Major: Health Services Administration
The changing state of health care in the United States has had a dramatic effect on the way hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, and insurance companies care for patients. And while the cost of health care and insurance continues to climb, many Americans are living without any health insurance at all. Paying for and improving health care for all Americans is a key issue in the political arena.
If you choose to major in health services administration, you’ll study this issue closely as you prepare to make a difference as a manager in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and other health care organizations.
Students of health services administration learn all aspects of overseeing health care facilities and the services they provide. Instruction includes financial management, human resources, and policy making.
“The most important quality that health care administrators need is good interpersonal skills. ”
Leonard H. Friedman, Associate Professor of Public Health, Oregon State University
Are You Ready To...?
- Learn about laws affecting the health care industry
- Write a paper on health insurance
- Listen to a guest speaker from a drug company discuss career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry
- Join a student chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives or AcademyHealth
- Intern at a children’s hospital, rehabilitation center, nursing home, or university health system
- Consider continuing your studies in grad school
- Visit the Association of University Programs in Health Administration for more information
It Helps to Be...
A strong organized leader who looks forward to working with others to solve problems.
College Checklist
- Is the program based in the business school, focusing more on business and finance, or is it based in the school of public health, focusing more on community health issues?
- If the program is offered by the business school, is that school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business?
- Will the program help you find an internship?
- What types of internships are possible?
- What are recent grads doing now?
Did You Know?
- Some health management experts oversee people while others manage information and computer systems.
Course Spotlight
One of the most important areas of job growth in the health care industry is the care of our growing population of older people. As medicine continues to prolong the lives of Americans, more training is required to meet their needs.
In a course on long-term care and aging, you’ll study the sociology, biology, and psychology of aging, as well as key issues related to public funding such as Medicare and Medicaid.
