University of Wisconsin–Madison

Healthcare Administration

About Healthcare Administration

Healthcare Administrators are organizational leaders and professionals who are on the business side of healthcare. While some Healthcare Administrators hold degrees in Medicine, Nursing, or other fields, many do not. Healthcare Administrators can work as medical staff directors, financial managers, emergency preparedness specialists, and in community health, senior care, and more.

Even though Healthcare Administrators usually do not directly care for patients (unless they hold another specialized degree), their expertise in communication, strategizing, policy, supervision, and finances significantly impact both providers and patients.

Healthcare Administration professionals have a variety of graduate and undergraduate backgrounds. No matter which educational path(s) you choose, it is crucial to intentionally pursue meaningful out-of-classroom experiences to build key knowledge and skills. 

Learn more about the profession at: explorehealthcareers.org (Health Services Administration & Health Administrator), Public Health Online, and Indeed.

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Note: UW-Madison does not offer a specific undergraduate program in Healthcare Administration. The university offers a broad range of undergraduate majors and certificates that will help prepare you to pursue this career path – some examples include Health Promotion & Health Equity, Business Administration,  Life Sciences Communication, and Community and Organizational Development. In fact, combined with meaningful out-of-classroom experiences, you will be able to pursue a career in healthcare administration with any undergraduate major! Most often, progressing as a Healthcare Administrator will require additional education beyond a bachelor’s degree. 

In addition to the resources below, we encourage you to reach out to a Career Advisor in your school/college or the Career Exploration Center for additional assistance. For example, students in the College of Letters & Science can see career & internship specialist Maureen Muldoon at SuccessWorks for more about healthcare administration/management and preparing for graduate school and job applications. While Healthcare Administration graduate programs are not among CPHA’s primary areas of advising expertise, we are here to support you in exploring the career, building helpful experiences, and navigating some aspects of professional program applications. Talk with us if you have questions!

Degree/Certification Paths

There are multiple ways to grow into a career in Healthcare Administration. One of the most straight paths is to pursue a graduate degree such as a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused specifically on Healthcare. There are also specialized graduate programs that emphasize health informatics, such as Duke’s MS in Health Analytics. 

For the most up-to-date salary information, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Note that salary will vary depending on role, education, location, etc. 

Explore Your Interest in Healthcare Administration

Informational Interviews

Informational interviews are an important way to explore professions and better understand the day to day experience of practitioners in the field.

Exploring healthcare organization websites and LinkedIn can be a great starting point for understanding the professional landscape and identifying individuals to contact for an informational interview. Another option is asking your own healthcare providers if they have recommendations for a healthcare administrator to contact. Informational interviews can be a great way to open the door to future shadowing opportunities!

Learn more about Informational Interviews

Jobs & Certifications

Part- or full-time work in a clinical setting is an excellent way to learn about the field, network with other healthcare professionals, and confirm that healthcare administration is a career of interest. Any position in a healthcare environment is great experience, whether you are doing office work, assisting practitioners, or anything else.

Keep an eye out for related positions on the UW Student Job Center and Handshake!

Learn more about Jobs & Certifications
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Read About Leaders in the Field

Listen to a Podcast

  • Health Affairs is a nonpartisan journal of health policy research that has several podcasts on the latest news and research affecting health policy today. You can also sign-up for Health Affairs’ free newsletters to receive updates about new podcast episodes, health policy research, and professional development opportunities for health care industry professionals.

Preparing for a Healthcare Administration Program