7 Things You Should Know About the Rasmussen University Healthcare Management Program
The healthcare field has many opportunities you may by surprised by. While most anyone can conjure up an image of nurses and doctors when trying to think of careers in healthcare, there’s an entire world of administrative and business-focused roles that are flying under the radar for many.
The industry needs trained professionals to manage billing departments, keep clinic operations running smoothly, coordinate pharmaceutical research studies and so much more—and that’s a big part of the appeal of a Healthcare Management Bachelor’s degree. It provides a versatile foundation of business skills while still equipping you with the knowledge to navigate the specific and complex needs of this growing industry.
If you’re seriously considering studying Healthcare Management, there’s plenty you’ll want to know before choosing a degree program. We can’t speak for all schools, but we’ve highlighted seven facts about the Rasmussen University Healthcare Management program so you can determine if it’s right for you.
What you should know about the Healthcare Management degree program at Rasmussen University
Researching different schools can quickly start to feel like a complex scavenger hunt. We’re making it easy by compiling all of the most important info about our program in one place. Here’s what you should know:
1. Well-rounded coursework incorporates realistic scenarios in your learning
It takes a broad base of skills and business know-how to effectively navigate a healthcare management career. In the Healthcare Management degree program, students will take on general business courses, such as:
- Business Project Management
- Risk Management
- Leading Change
- Managing a Diverse Workforce
They’ll also complete healthcare-specific courses like:
- Healthcare Marketing
- Foundations of Managed Care
- Quality Improvement in Healthcare
- Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations
- Regulation and Compliance in Healthcare
- Health Planning and Policy Management
These courses give students an excellent foundation to build a healthcare administration or management career. This curriculum was created with a focus on developing student skills in a practical manner. That means coursework regularly involves inserting students in realistic scenarios to apply what they’ve learned.
For example, in the Quality Improvement in Healthcare course, students are tasked with creating a quality improvement plan for a regional hospital. As they develop this plan, they’ll weigh the impact of a quality improvement change, evaluate the role and importance of patient satisfaction in the decision and apply statistical analysis and quality improvement methods to determine effectiveness. These types of practical learning scenarios will help you confidently hit the ground running in your career.
2. The program features 8 start dates per year and can be completed in as few as 18 months1
Once you confidently decide on your educational path, you don’t want to wait several months before actually starting. At Rasmussen University, Healthcare Management students have the opportunity to start courses on one of 8 start dates throughout the year. Having start time flexibility beyond the traditional fall and spring approach you’ll find at many schools will allow you to get started sooner.
But that’s not the only good news for time-conscious students. If you already possess an Associate’s degree, the Healthcare Management Bachelor’s degree program can be completed in as few as 18 months.1 Don’t have an associate’s degree yet? The School of Business Associate’s degree programs can also be completed in as few as 18 months and will easily transition into this program—bringing your total time in school to as few as 36 months.1
3. Seamless transfer policies are designed to maximize your prior learning experiences2
As a bachelor’s degree completion program, the Healthcare Management program expects to build off of the foundations laid by students who’ve come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. That’s part of why the Rasmussen University credit transfer policy aims to be as hassle-free as possible. If you’ve earned a grade of “C” or higher in a course completed within the last 5 years, you have very good chance of having those credits accepted.
If you’d like to learn more about transfer policies and what to expect from the process, visit our article, “Will My Credits Transfer? Answering 5 Common Transfer Student Questions.”
4. The accelerated Master’s pathway can give you a head start on a graduate degree
While a Master’s degree certainly isn’t a requirement for getting started in this field, it can remove a lot of potential barriers to career advancement further down the line. The Healthcare Management program features an accelerated Master’s degree pathway that allows students to tackle up to four graduate-level courses while completing their bachelor’s degree. That means students can save up to $3,300 and complete a Master of Healthcare Administration degree with as little as one year of additional schooling.3
Even if you’re on the fence about eventually earning a Master’s degree, the potential time savings alone make this option worth a second look. Even under the best circumstances, returning to college can be a life disruptor, so getting it all done in one continuous effort could be an ideal option.
5. The program prepares students to sit for CAPM® and PMP® certification exams
Professional certifications are an excellent way for job seekers to stand out from the crowd. Graduates of the Healthcare Management program may be eligible to sit for two broadly-useful credentials: the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) ® and Project Management Professional (PMP) ® certifications. These professional certifications are awarded by the Project Management Institute® and are a great way to demonstrate that you know how to effectively conduct yourself as a member or leader of a project team.
6. Students can choose to pursue a Public Health specialization
Public health has become an increasingly important topic as our country works to tackle healthcare challenges that require big-picture thinking and solutions that go beyond treating individual patients. Healthcare Management students at Rasmussen University now have the opportunity to focus part of their studies on Public Health coursework like:
- Health Education and Training
- Healthcare Advocacy
- Epidemiology
In these courses, students will develop their skills and knowledge of several important public health topics. This includes how to act as a healthcare advocate for diverse patient populations; how to better understand the patterns, causes and documentation methods of disease in populations; barriers to improving public health; and how well-designed health education programs can help with prevention and wellness in their communities.
7. Empowered Learning™ and self-directed assessments are built with adult learners in mind
Life doesn’t come with a pause button. Our students have bills to pay, work obligations and family demands that aren’t going away just because they’re in school. There’s a lot of responsibilities to keep balanced as a student, and Rasmussen University programs aim to provide as much flexibility as possible in order to make earning a degree a reality.
Students have the opportunity to save by completing self-directed assessments. These $149 online self-directed offerings can be used to fulfill some academic program requirements. By demonstrating mastery with successful completion of these assessment offerings, students are able to ‘test out’ of some courses within this academic program.
Our Empowered Learning™ approach features fully online competency-based education courses that allow students to learn by doing real-world projects, rather than tests and papers. Students tackle coursework at their own pace throughout a term—providing even more flexibility for how busy students structure their education experience.
Start your healthcare management education journey
Now that you know more about what to expect from the Healthcare Management Bachelor’s degree program at Rasmussen University, are you ready to take the next step? If so, you undoubtedly have more questions about the enrollment process and what to expect on the road ahead.
When you’re ready to hear more and get any additional questions answered, request more information to get into contact with a Rasmussen University admissions advisor.
1Time to completion is dependent on number of transfer credits accepted and the number of courses completed each term.
2Rasmussen University reserves the right to accept or deny credits according to policies outlined in the course catalog. Actual time to completion will be based upon transfer evaluation and eligibility.
3Time and cost savings are dependent on the eligible student completing both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at Rasmussen University through the Accelerated Master’s Pathway program. If a student is not eligible or chooses not to continue on to earn their Master’s degree, the cost for the Bachelor’s program is higher than for our standard Bachelor’s degree program. Savings vary based on the student completing courses on a full-time or part-time schedule.
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications are registered trademarks of Project Management Institute®.Top of Form
