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Online health administration degree

Bachelor of Science in Health Administration

Build a career in the business of health 

A bachelor’s degree in health administration can help you gain skills for a variety of healthcare career paths. Learn all aspects of health management including finance, healthcare information systems and marketing to healthcare consumers. And with a unique storytelling approach from practitioner faculty, you’ll learn how to nurture a culture of empathy in medical settings. Get into the business side of patient care and help healthcare organizations improve patient outcomes.

  • An advisory council made up of leaders in their fields review healthcare industry needs and trends, providing valuable insights that help keep the health program relevant.
  • Elective track options allow you to focus your broad healthcare administration education on a specialty that fits your career goals.
  • Gain hands-on experience with real-world deliverables that you would encounter as a healthcare administrator.

Transfer credits

Save time and money on your bachelor's degree with eligible transfer credits.

Ways to save

Your work, life, and school experiences may give you a head start on your degree.

Apply free

No application fee
No SAT/ACT
No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online healthcare admin degree 

The Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) courses align with skills you’ll need in the diverse healthcare arena. Coursework includes public and community health, healthcare finance and ethics and responsibility in the healthcare industry. While completing the core curriculum, you can select an area of focus that is designed to expand your professional opportunity in a specialized area of health management.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 120 credits

You’ll need 120 credits to complete this Bachelor of Science in Health Administration degree. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through the University’s Prior Learning Assessment.

Core courses build your knowledge of all aspects of health administration including the management of health records, human resources, budgets and healthcare quality and management and outcome analysis.

Elective courses allow you to focus on specific areas of health administration that are of interest to you. Explore legal issues in healthcare, facility planning, risk management and more. 

General education courses provide a solid foundation in soft skills essential for healthcare administration including effective communication and critical thinking. Your general education courses round out your healthcare admin degree with teamwork and collaboration development and a broader understanding of social and cultural differences you may encounter as a healthcare professional. 

Once your core courses are complete, you’ll focus on your healthcare interests by selecting an elective track in Health Administration, Lifespan Management or Health Information Systems.[1]

 [1] The Health Information Systems elective track educationally prepares you to sit for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) exam.

Health admin degree career pathways 

Specialize your BSHA degree with three elective track options

Health Administration Track

Study management, finance, legal and ethical parameters, risk and quality management, human resources and information systems.

Lifespan Management Track

Gain fundamental knowledge and skills to help manage programs, employ effective strategies to market services and to maintain regulatory compliance, financial viability and quality management.

Health Information Systems Track

Focus on database concepts, information networking and telecommunications, system design and the project management of health information systems.

Following high standards in healthcare education

As an Approved Education Partner (AEP), coursework in our BSHA degree, and its three elective track options, align with the rigorous standards for quality health information technology or healthcare education set by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Schedule

Both the on-campus and online healthcare administration degrees feature the same courses, and your academic advisor will help you schedule them.

If you are located in Phoenix, this program may be offered as Blended. This means you’ll start at the Phoenix campus to complete your general education courses, and then transition to online learning for your core program courses.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Transfer credits

Your prior eligible college credits can save you time and money, helping you graduate faster. That’s why we’ve accepted transcripts from 5,000+ institutions. Check to see if you can apply eligible transfer credits from an institutionally accredited university or college toward your health administration degree.

Save time and money when you transfer eligible credits toward your bachelor's in health administration.

Affordable, fixed tuition

Lock in the peace of mind that comes with fixed, affordable tuition. You’ll enjoy one flat rate from the moment you enroll until the day you graduate from your program. That’s your Tuition Guarantee.

Tuition Guarantee Emblem

University of Phoenix health admin bachelor's degree vs other universities

Phoenix ASU Online (BAB) Capella DeVry GCU Purdue Global SNHU Strayer
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
$398
Cost per credit
$563
Cost per credit
$365/415[1]
Cost per credit
$514
Cost per credit
$485
Cost per credit
$371
Cost per credit
$330
Cost per credit
$328.89
Credits per course
Credits per course
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3-6
Credits per course
2-4
Credits per course
4
Credits per course
5-6
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
4.5
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
$1,194
Tuition per course
$1,698
Tuition per course
$1,095-
$2,490
Tuition per course
$1,028-
$2,056
Tuition per course
$1,940
Tuition per course
$1,855-
$2,226
Tuition per course
$990
Tuition per course
$1,480
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
124
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
5
Length of course in weeks
7.5
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
7-8
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
11
Fees
Fees
Fees
One fee per course
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
YES
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO

Data pulled on December 26, 2023

[1] $365 per 1000-2000 level credit; $415 per 3000-4000 level credit

Source of data: For each institution, the data are publicly available in multiple locations, including Academic Catalogs, Program pages, Tuition and fees pages, and syllabi. All data are publicly available on the websites. 

Certain licensure programs and coursework in other degree programs may have additional fees. Please check with your advisor or course catalog for additional info.

The Savings Explorer tool can help you find ways to save on your education

Try our Savings Explorer™ tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.

Try our Savings Explorer™ tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration degree?

Employers in the health administration field include hospitals, nursing homes and group medical practices. About 56,600 openings for medical and health services managers are projected each year.

Woman working on a tablet

When you earn your Bachelor of Science in Health Administration degree, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:

  • Evaluate a health care organization from a market-based perspective.
  • Evaluate financial and economic issues in the health care industry.
  • Evaluate the application of risk and quality management concepts in the health care industry.
  • Analyze the utilization and application of technology within a health care organization.
  • Evaluate management and adaptable leadership skills in the health care industry.
  • Evaluate the impact of legal and regulatory requirements on the delivery of health care.
Business man at working on a laptop in a park

 Top skills learned in this program:

  • Compliance

  • Information Management

  • Quality Management

  • Leadership

  • Management

Business man presenting

 A BSHA can prepare you to be a:

  • Health Manager
  • Practice Manager

28% growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for medical and health services managers is projected to be much faster than average between 2022 and 2032.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2022-2032 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your BSHA degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No SAT/ACT required 
  • No essay required 
  • We’ll request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1] Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your health administration degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Health admin courses include engaging video content to help reinforce the importance of the skills being covered. These videos lend a human touch to the courses and provide you with insights from practitioner faculty who are working within the field.

Around-the-clock support and resources

As a health admin student, you don’t have to go it alone. We have a support team available for up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week. 

Network with fellow healthcare professionals through student organizations

Meet other health administration students while you study. You can even join one of the largest honor societies — Upsilon Phi Delta

Meet and connect with other healthcare professionals

Faculty Spotlight

Healthcare professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 28+ years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge. As practitioner faculty who work within the field, they share real-world examples directly from the workplace that helps you gain better insight into health administration.

Christopher Wilson

Faculty Spotlight

I’m the grittiest person. And so are our students.

Christopher Wilson
Faculty of the Year 2020, College of Health Professions

I’m the grittiest person. And so are our students.

Classroom skills for real-world experience

Infusing empathy through storytelling into the healthcare experience

Our health admin faculty at University of Phoenix use storytelling techniques to engage you with their first-hand experiences in the healthcare industry as administrators and health managers. Through these storytelling methods, our instructors help to cultivate the empathy that is so important for the best patient care outcomes. The Bachelor of Science in Health Administration prepares you with the skills to create and nurture a culture of empathy in any healthcare setting. 

Industry Spotlight

The state of healthcare

The healthcare industry is much broader than hospitals. Healthcare includes rural clinics, retail health locations and at-home services. The diversity and range of opportunity has made healthcare administrators essential for organizing and managing facilities effectively across this wide spectrum. 

What healthcare professionals need to know

The healthcare industry is constantly changing. New laws and regulatory requirements require healthcare administrators to adapt policy and procedure without compromising patient care.  

Your BSHA degree

Real-time coursework structured by an Advisory Council of industry professionals ensures you learn health administration protocol. Made up of leaders in their fields, the Advisory Council meets periodically to review industry needs and trends, providing valuable insights that help keep our health programs relevant. The Bachelor of Science in Health Administration also prepares you with adaptable leaderships skills to manage change as the industry changes. 

Accreditation

Count on the quality of your education

University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.

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Frequently asked questions about the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration degree

A Bachelor of Science in Health Administration degree can prepare you for administrative roles in various industries related to healthcare. This includes pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, hospitals, clinics and doctor’s and dental offices.

The job potential with your Bachelor of Science in Health Administration includes Medical and Health Services Managers – a role experiencing a 32% growth, much faster than average.

Learn more about Bachelor of Science in Health Administration

A Bachelor of Science in Health Administration prepares you for careers such as medical and health service managers, which have an estimated salary range of $79-143k. Salary ranges for medical and health services managers reflect the 25th-75th percentile for the occupation in Arizona, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Get the details on health admin career choices.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2021-2031 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

A BHSA degree prepares you for managing or directing at medical facilities to improve overall efficiency. The demand for healthcare administrators is high. The BLS projects 32% job growth through 2029. According to BLS, the median annual wage for medical and health services managers is $104,000 as of May 2020.

Get the details on BSHA careers.

A BHSA degree takes approximately 4 years to complete. However, you may be able to complete your degree sooner if you transfer credits from another institution or earn credits for your work or life experience

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.