Health Care Administration Career Training in Florida

In Florida, most health care administration programs are offered at the bachelor's and master's degree levels. Health care administration can be the major area of study, or it may be offered as a concentration within a more general program in business administration, public health or organizational management. Certificates and degree program minors are also available.

Many programs integrate an internship experience designed to develop students' practical skills in the field. Applicants to a master's degree program need to have a bachelor's degree and may be required to have professional work experience; they may also need to have completed certain prerequisite courses.

Florida Atlantic University

Health administration bachelor's and master's degree programs can be found at Boca Raton's Florida Atlantic University. Offered through the College of Business, the 120-credit-hour bachelor's degree program has courses in health delivery systems, health research methods, health law, health organization planning, and health care financial management. Elective courses can include health care medical terminology, quality management, managed care, health care trends, long-term care administration, and international health care systems. Students need to participate in a health practicum for program completion.

Graduate admission requirements include having a bachelor's degree in education and acceptable graduate aptitude test scores, such as GRE or GMAT scores. Master's degree program students develop skills in health policy, health care research, health care planning, and business communications. A health administration internship helps students meet the 30/31 credit hour minimum requirement. The master's degree programs are available online and on campus.

Florida International University

A 120-credit-hour health services administration bachelor's degree program and a 45-credit-hour health policy and management master's degree program are offered at Miami's Florida International University. To start the bachelor's degree program, students need to hold 60 credit hours or have an associate's degree and meet prerequisite course requirements. Coursework includes health profession management, health economics, health care financial management, human resource management, health care law, and health organizational management. An internship is required before graduation. The program is available online or on campus. A health services administration minor program is also offered through the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

In order to enroll in the hybrid master's degree program, students must finish a bachelor's degree program and have acceptable GRE scores. Core and major courses cover health policy database applications, health statistics, health behavior, health policy analysis, public health economics, and public health management. In addition to coursework, students complete six credits of practicum and culminating experience. This program is a hybrid in that it is delivered online and on campus.

Indian River State College

Located in Fort Pierce, Indian River State College offers a health service management associate's degree program and a bachelor's degree program in health care management.

The 62-credit associate's degree program trains students in medical terminology, health services management, health care delivery, marketing principles and supervision techniques. The 120-credit bachelor's degree program examines health care trends, health science research, health care regulations, quality improvement, human resource management, and management information systems. Associate's seeking students participate in a practicum experience for hands-on training, while bachelor's students fulfill capstone project requirements.

Saint Leo University

Prospective students can find a 122-semester-hour health care management bachelor's degree program and a 36-semester-hour master's degree program at this Saint Leo University's Donald R. Tapia School of Business. Undergraduate and graduate students in health care management programs gain hands-on training through an internship. Required bachelor's program courses include health care organization and management, quality improvement methods, health planning, critical health care issues, and community health evaluation.

Master's students need to meet enrollment requirements by having two years of professional work experience, acceptable GMAT scores, and a bachelor's degree. This school's online-only master's degree program provides courses in marketing, human resource management, health policy evaluation, managed care, health care issues, epidemiology, and health care management.

Saint Petersburg College

Clearwater's Saint Petersburg College offers a health services administration bachelor's degree program through the College of Health Sciences. Along with a capstone requirement, students complete major courses in health care ethics, health science research methods, community health, strategic health management, health care finance and epidemiology. Students also have the chance to concentrate their studies in general health service administration, health information systems, human services, respiratory care or emergency medical services. Applicants must hold a 60-credit associate's degree prior to enrollment.

University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida, located in Orlando, offers a health services administration bachelor's degree program and health management and informatics master's degree program through the College of Health and Public Affairs. The 120-semester-hour bachelor's degree program features courses in health care automation, quality management, community health, health care finance and epidemiology. Prior to graduation, students must participate in an internship.

To enroll in the 51-credit-hour master's degree program, prospective students submit a resume, provide a goal statement and have a bachelor's degree. Prospective students also need to pass prerequisite courses and exams in health care finance, statistical analysis, and health care economics. Coursework explores managerial epidemiology, health law, human resource management, health care quality management and health profession trends. Students need to participate in a capstone course and internship.

The 44-credit-hour health sciences master's degree program requires students to have a bachelor's degree, three years of relevant experience, a resume, and a goal statement. Courses examine health care risk management, ethics, organizational behavior, informatics, statistics, and financial management. In order to finish this program, students must fulfill capstone requirements.

University of Florida

Gainesville-based University of Florida has a health administration master's degree program within the College of Public Health and Health Professions. The health administration program trains students in health services organization management, health economics, health care research, environmental health, and health care financial management. The 63-credit program includes a professional skills seminar, internship and capstone seminar. Students also have the option of earning a dual Master of Business Administration/Master of Health Administration, offered by the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Business Administration.

University of Miami

The University of Miami is located in Coral Gables and has two 120-credit-hour business administration bachelor's degree programs, along with a 48-credit-hour business administration master's degree program with a concentration in health sector management and policy. Offered within the School of Business Administration, the undergraduate programs include coursework in health economics, health sector administration, health care law, health care marketing, health care organization accounting, and health informatics. Health sector management and policy is also available as a minor.

To meet graduate program admission criteria, students need to have full-time employment, six years of full-time work experience and a bachelor's degree. This program has courses in human resource and operations management, public health policy, health administration law, health care administration issues, marketing management, and management information systems.

University of North Florida

The University of North Florida can be found in Jacksonville. The Brooks College of Health offers a health administration bachelor's degree program, in addition to a 54-credit-hour health administration master's degree program. Accounting, statistics, computer applications and microeconomics courses are needed before starting the bachelor's degree program. Topics covered include health care quality management, health information systems, health care human resources, epidemiology, health care finance and health care consumer issues. Participants also need to complete a capstone course and an internship. Students with health care experience can choose to complete a senior project instead of an internship.

Master's degree program coursework examines health economics, delivery systems, information technology, law, human resources, quantitative analysis, and policy. This program also requires a graduate thesis, an internship or practical experience.

University of South Florida

The University of South Florida in Tampa has a health administration master's degree program, as well as a public health master's degree program with concentrations in health care management and public health administration through the College of Public Health. In addition to a special project and field experience, health administration students need to pass courses in managerial decision making, health services management, health care law, health services organizational behavior, health care marketing and health policy. Depending on the concentration, public health students can encounter courses in health policy, health services organizational behavior, health economics, public health law, health care quality management, public health data, and international health care systems. Regardless of the program, participants need to complete a capstone course, field experience, and a special project.