A low GMAT score — or no GMAT at all — shouldn’t hold you back from pursuing a rewarding new career as a healthcare department manager, finance manager, physician practice manager, or related job role. Now you can earn an MBA in healthcare management over the internet with no GMAT required.
Online MBA in healthcare management programs teach you specific skills like administration, billing, budgeting, quality assurance, and staff management in a digital learning environment. You don’t need to attend a physical college, and you can kick-start your career from the comfort of your home.
Discover more about no-GMAT healthcare management MBAs below and the exciting learning and career possibilities these programs could provide.
What Is an Online MBA in Healthcare Management?
Online MBA in healthcare management degrees are graduate-level programs for those who want to start a new career as a healthcare manager, healthcare administrator, medical billing manager, or related job role.
Traditionally you had to attend college to earn an MBA in healthcare management, but now you can take classes online from any location in the world. All you need is a computer and a broadband connection.
Many online schools overlook your GMAT score (or lack of one) during the admissions process so you can earn a healthcare management MBA despite your previous academic history.
You might learn these skills on your no-GMAT healthcare management MBA:
- Healthcare administration
- Healthcare practice management
- Medical billing
- Quality assurance
- Staff management
- How to use healthcare management systems
After graduating from your online MBA in healthcare management, you could get a job as a:
- Healthcare manager
- Healthcare administrator
- Healthcare financial manager
- Physician practice manager
- Dental practice manager
In all these roles, you will administer medical services and resources to patients and healthcare staff. You will work closely with a healthcare management team and implement changes that promote better administrative and financial outcomes in a hospital, medical facility, doctor’s practice, dental practice, or similar environment.
Online MBA in healthcare management programs typically comprise webinars, digital lectures, video tutorials, and one-on-one communication with tutors. You will access content through a learning management system (LMS) and communicate with tutors, academic support staff, and other students over the internet. That means you don’t have to travel to a physical training location or live on a college campus. Studying online, therefore, lets you balance any existing work, travel, or family commitments while you develop skills for a new career in healthcare management.
Applying for a master’s like an MBA in healthcare management differs from applying for a bachelor’s degree program. You submit an application directly with the school. There is no limit on the number of applications you can make for these programs, and you can apply to two or three schools before making your final decision. The application process can several weeks or even months, depending on the school. Once you have applied, the school’s program director might want to interview you online or in person. Each school has a specific application process with different admissions criteria. The school should list these requirements on its website.
You will typically need to provide the following when applying for an MBA in healthcare management:
- Evidence of previous academic experience. You will provide an academic transcript from a previous program to demonstrate your academic experience. Most schools consider other elements than academic success, so you can apply for a healthcare management MBA even if you have a low GMAT score or no GMAT score at all. The school might also ask you to include a reference from a tutor or another member of staff. Your transcript includes grades from any completed courses on a program.
- Evidence of an internship/work experience. You might need to include evidence of any internships or work experience programs you have undertaken in the past. Doing so demonstrates the skills you learned in a real-world healthcare management role. If you have no experience in a healthcare setting, you can include evidence of other internships or work roles that might apply to an MBA in healthcare management degree program. You might also want to include a reference from an internship or work experience coordinator or previous manager.
- Personal statement. Your personal statement tells the school about your ambitions and career goals. Why do you want to study for an MBA in healthcare management? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? What skills do you want to develop?
How Much Does an MBA in Healthcare Management Cost?
An MBA in healthcare management can cost as much as $40,000 in tuition fees, according to Investopedia. Expect to pay an additional $20,000 for boarding and program supplies. Also, consider any exam fees, registration fees, and commuting costs.
Online MBA in healthcare management degree programs come with more cost flexibility than regular classroom-based college degrees. That’s because you can study from home or in a lower-cost area of a city. If you have travel commitments, you can study for this program from any location in the world. You won’t have to pay the boarding or meal costs associated with living on campus.
You can also reduce the cost associated with your no-GMAT MBA in healthcare management with a grant, scholarship, or another type of financial aid. Many organizations provide financial aid to those who want to enter healthcare management, and a scholarship or grant can reduce the costs associated with tuition and other expenses. Many scholarships provide those from low-income households with the financial resources they require for completing one of these programs. There are no limits on the number of scholarships you can apply for during the academic year, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. You can search for scholarships online or contact a school directly to learn more.
Average Salary for an MBA in Healthcare Management
The median annual salary for someone with an MBA in healthcare management is around $83,000, according to PayScale. (Data correct as of July 10, 2021.)
The mean annual wage for general and operations managers (such as healthcare managers) is $125,740, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (Data correct as of May 2020.) That’s a mean hourly wage of $60.45.
The top-paying states for general and operations managers are:
- New Jersey: $172,790 (mean annual wage)
- Connecticut: $161,460
- New York: $159,050
- District of Columbia: $159,000
- Delaware: $155,860
The top-paying metropolitan areas for general and operations managers are:
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT: $183,170 (mean annual wage)
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $175,990
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA: $172,370
- Trenton, NJ: $169,450
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $162,320
MBA healthcare management graduates with specific skills like data governance might earn higher salaries than the averages quoted above. Those with several years of experience in a management role might also earn higher salaries.
Ultimately, what you earn with your online MBA in healthcare management depends on the career you want to pursue and the organization that offers the job. Location can influence your future salary, with higher-paying jobs typically found in larger metropolitan areas with extensive hospital systems. However, your salary can also depend on specific job requirements, your employment history, previous academic success, and the skills considered valuable by a particular employer. You might also earn more money if you work during the weekend or in the evenings.
What Is the Job Outlook for Healthcare Management MBA Holders?
The job outlook is positive for those with a healthcare management MBA. There will be a 6.9% increase in employment opportunities for general and operations managers (such as healthcare managers) from 2018 to 2028, according to the Department of Labor and Projections Central. This increase is higher than the average for all job types (around 5%).
Courses in a Healthcare Management MBA
Healthcare management programs cover a broad range of courses on administration, billing, human resources, and staff management. You might get to specialize in a particular branch of healthcare management, such as sales or consulting. Here are some popular classes you might come across when looking for healthcare management MBAs.
- Strategic healthcare management
- Healthcare recruitment and onboarding processes
- Medical billing administration
- Improving healthcare outcomes through effective leadership
- Healthcare marketing and sales
- How to comply with industry-specific data governance frameworks like HIPAA
- How to use healthcare management programs
You will also learn transferrable soft skills that could prove valuable to future healthcare employers. These skills include communication, time management, and problem-solving.
An MBA in healthcare management, whether it’s online or at a physical college, usually involves essays and other writing assessments. The learning provider might require you to submit coursework after completing each individual course or at the end of the program. The frequency of this coursework depends on the provider, but expect to complete more projects than on a bachelor’s degree.
Most MBA in healthcare management programs often require the completion of a dissertation, where you research a topic of your choice over several weeks or months. You will engage with tutors and other academic staff during this timeframe. Your dissertation might be the most important component of an MBA in healthcare management.
You might also need to complete an exam after each class or sit an exam toward the end of your program. These exams will test you on the skills you have developed during the program so you can get a job at a hospital, medical facility, rehab center, public health agency, or other related organization.
You might also receive college credit for the completion of group projects and presentations or for taking part in an internship or other work-related program with a local healthcare provider. These real-world work experiences provide you with specific skills you can list on your resume, such as working in a team and liaising with various healthcare departments.
During an online MBA in healthcare management, you will typically submit coursework and take exams via an LMS.
At the end of your no-GMAT MBA in healthcare management, the learning provider might convert the markets you receive for all completed coursework and examinations into a Grade Point Average (GPA). Online and traditional MBA in healthcare management programs share a similar grading system. These are the typical grades:
- Fail
- Pass
- Merit/credit
- Distinction
Learning providers use the following grading boundaries:
- 50% for a pass
- 60% for a merit/credit
- 70% for a distinction
Employers will look at these grades when considering you for job roles.
The number of MBA in healthcare management programs (with no GMAT required) is increasing with every academic year. As online education becomes more popular, schools are offering these programs as an alternative to traditional classroom-based college programs. Each program, however, has different course content, academic requirements, and admissions criteria. When choosing between online programs, consider the ones that offer the best learning and career opportunities. You will want to enroll in a program that prepares you for a lucrative career in healthcare management and increases earning potential over time.
Contact schools and ask about course content and the opportunities that might be available to you when you graduate. Some schools partner with local healthcare providers that offer graduates high-paying jobs after completing one of these programs. Other schools might not have these connections but provide incredible learning opportunities that develop your skillset. You can learn more about specific online healthcare management programs by reading through the school’s prospectus, website pages, and marketing materials.
If you are still not sure about enrolling in an online healthcare management MBA program, it’s important to note that online programs share the same academic ‘weight’ as regular college-based ones. The stigma that used to surround online education no longer exists, and most employers consider online degrees to be just as valuable as those from physical colleges. Some of the most successful people in healthcare management studied for a degree online, and the COVID-19 pandemic, where most college students learned from home at some point, has further removed any ‘snobbery’ associated with online education. Today, an online degree is just as prestigious as a degree from a traditional college.
Most employers don’t care whether you got your healthcare management MBA online or from a physical institution. Recruiters consider elements such as your final grade, GPA, skills learned during your program, and how you apply these skills to a future job role in healthcare management.
FAQs About an MBA in Healthcare Management
Summary Information
- You can now get an MBA in healthcare management even if you have a low GMAT score or no score at all.
- It takes around two years to earn a healthcare management MBA.
- You can study for an MBA online or at a physical college.
Advantages of an online healthcare management MBA include:
- The opportunity to study from home and balance any work and family commitments with your education.
- No GMAT required for many online programs.
- The possibility to take classes at any time of the day or night.
- An MBA in healthcare management could cost as much as $40,000 in tuition and $20,000 in boarding and program supply costs.
- An online MBA in healthcare management could work out cheaper than a normal college degree because you won’t have travel or boarding expenses.
- You can apply for a scholarship, grant, or other financial aid to support your education.