Online Healthcare Degree Programs

Healthcare Management Programs

Employment in medical and health services management,⁶ financial management,⁷ administrative services management, and human resources management^9,10, are growing at a faster rate compared to other occupations, but they tend to require candidates to possess a bachelor’s degree or higher.¹ CTU offers both bachelor’s and master’s in healthcare management online degree programs (with the option to pursue the bachelor’s level general track as an on-campus program in Colorado Springs) for those interested in pursuing these or related career paths within the healthcare industry.

CTU’s Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management program can be pursued online or on-campus as a general track program. Alternatively, you could opt for this bachelor’s degree program’s fully online concentration in health informatics. Lower-level core courses include coverage of medical terminology, IT, accounting, medical terminology, and concepts in healthcare organizations, in addition to other key topics, and upper-level core courses cover areas including (but not limited to) global health systems, healthcare statistics and research, an overview of the healthcare industry, managing population health, and human resources.

For those interested in online master’s in healthcare management programs, our Master of Science in Healthcare Management degree program is conveniently offered as both a general track or with a concentration in health informatics (informatics is the science of how to use data, information, and knowledge to improve both human health and delivery of healthcare services¹¹). Core courses for both online healthcare degree program concentrations include Computer Systems Security Foundations, Database Systems, Healthcare Informatics, Healthcare Informatics Capstone, and Enterprise Data Management. Depending on the focus chosen, students will complete 20 credit-hours in the informatics concentration or select 20 credit-hours’ worth of elective courses for the general track.

(CTU also offers on-campus/online MBA in healthcare management and BBA in healthcare management concentration options through our School of Business and Management.)

Health Administration Services

CTU offers an Associate of Science in Health Administration Services. This online healthcare administration associate degree program examines topics in healthcare finance, healthcare administration, human resources, and reimbursement systems, as well as regulatory, ethical, and legal issues affecting healthcare organizations—providing students with the opportunity to acquire the foundational knowledge generally required to pursue various entry-level careers in the healthcare field. Graduates of this online healthcare administration degree program are encouraged to take the voluntary Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) certification examination offered by the National Healthcare Association (NHA)¹² —taking this exam can signal to potential employers that a candidate is capable of performing the necessary tasks that keep offices and clinics running smoothly. The ASHAS program also lays the groundwork for those who decide to continue their education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management in our online/on-campus program.

Admissions Process Overview

All prospective CTU students must complete an admissions interview with an Admissions Advisor and submit a completed application. No SAT, no GMAT, no GRE, or any other standardized test is required for acceptance into CTU’s traditional or online healthcare degree programs.

For undergraduate healthcare degree programs, proof of high school graduation (diploma, transcripts) or high school equivalency (GED) must be submitted to CTU before the first day of the second quarter or term in the program of study. For the master’s in healthcare management online program, official transcripts verifying completion of an accredited baccalaureate degree must be submitted. See the University Catalog for further information about CTU’s admissions process.

Accreditations and Awards

U.S. News & World Report¹³ has ranked CTU on its Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and Best Online Bachelor’s for Veterans lists in 2020, and Military Times has ranked CTU on its Best for Vets: Colleges 2020 list for online and nontraditional schools. Additionally, Colorado Technical University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org).

Ways to Reduce Time to Graduation

Time to graduation varies based on many factors, but typical program lengths at CTU are as follows:

• Associate degrees can be earned in 24 months
• Bachelor’s degrees can be earned in 48 months
• Master’s degrees can be earned in 18 months

However, CTU offers a number of resources and programs that can help decrease your overall program length:

• CTU Fast Track™: These exams make it possible to test out of classes and complete your healthcare degree program up to 30 percent faster³—four CTU Fast Track™ exams are available for the associate degree in healthcare administration online program, and nine are available in the bachelor’s degree in healthcare management online/on-campus program.
• Experiential Learning Portfolios: An Experiential Learning Portfolio (ELP) is an electronic portfolio that relates to a specific course in your academic program. If your ELP demonstrates that your work experience meets the objectives of a course, you may be able to skip that course and still receive credit for it, which can help you graduate faster.⁵
• Military Education Benefits: Active and former military members may be able to convert military experience into course credit that counts toward completing your degree program.⁵
• Additional Work and Life Credit Options: Professional training/certification programs and certain (optional) standardized assessments (Advanced Placement, CLEP, and DSST examinations) could further reduce the number of classes required for graduation.

Our tuition and graduation date calculator can help give you a better idea of the approximate cost of earning an on-campus/online healthcare degree at CTU as well as your estimated program length, based on the information you provide.

Ways to Save

The same programs that help you graduate faster also help you save on tuition. There are also various types of institutional grants and scholarships available to eligible students, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs. Further, a CTU Admissions Advisor can assist in determining your eligibility for a Corporate Alliances Grant, and your HR manager can assist in determining your company’s tuition reimbursement policies. Additionally, we encourage all students to investigate their eligibility for federal financial aid—you can start by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Why Choose CTU for Your Online Healthcare Degree Program?

Many students who decide to go back to school have busy lives and personal obligations that can’t simply be put on hold while they work toward a degree, and they might even have insecurities that cause them to doubt whether they “have what it takes” to go back to school. But CTU’s large network of current students and alumni who have taken the next step and earned their degrees online are living proof that it can be done, and we’re here to make it more convenient for our students to work toward their goals. At Colorado Technical University, we strive to make it easier for busy adults to achieve their academic objectives by offering flexible, career-oriented online healthcare degree program options, regardless of whether you’re currently working in the healthcare field or would like to break into it. CTU’s faculty, award-winning proprietary platforms,¹³ career-development resources, and programs to reduce out-of-pocket costs and time to graduation are all designed to provide an academic experience that is more accessible to everyone who wants to pursue an education.

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Healthcare Occupations,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm (last visited 2/12/2020). Conditions in your area may vary.
2. The Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management general track is also available at CTU’s Colorado Springs campus.
3. The ability to reduce time in school and/or reduce tuition depends on the number of CTU Fast Track™ exams successfully passed. Fast Track program credits are unlikely to transfer. Not all programs are eligible for possible 30% reduction in time and money. Courses eligible subject to change.
4. intellipath^® is not available for all courses.
5. Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. See the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.
6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Medical and Health Services Managers,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm (last visited 2/12/2020). Conditions in your area may vary.
7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Financial Managers,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm (last visited 12/23/2019).
8. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Administrative Services Managers,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/administrative-services-managers.htm (last visited 2/12/2020). Conditions in your area may vary.
9. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Human Resources Managers,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/human-resources-managers.htm (last visited 12/23/20192/12/2020). Conditions in your area may vary.
10. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Medical and Health Services Managers: Similar Occupations,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-8 (last visited 2/12/2020).
11. AMIA, “What Is Health Informatics?,” available at https://www.amia.org/fact-sheets/what-informatics (last visited 2/12/2020).
12. This program does not lead to additional licensure or certification. CTU cannot guarantee that graduates of this program will be eligible to take third party certification examinations. Certification requirements for taking and passing these exams are controlled by outside entities and are subject to change without notice to CTU.
13. https://www.coloradotech.edu/about/awards
14. University grants or scholarships are based on established criteria as published in the University Catalog and are awarded after verification that the conditions of eligibility have been met. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

CTU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states.
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