Healthcare Administration

A Career Making Healthcare Better

So much happens when health care is provided. Before that annual flu shot, for example, someone managed the appointment software, set up insurance coding procedures, and juggled vacation schedules to make sure staff were in the clinic. As a Healthcare Administrator, you can be the glue that keeps everything running smoothly.

Your first job title might be: 

• Administrative Assistant
• Patient Services Representative
• Medical Records Clerk
• Human Resources Assistant
• Intake Coordinator
• Business Development Specialist
• Operations Auditor

With more education and experience, your job title might be:

• Medical Office Administrator
• Human Resources Director
• Database Administrator
• Provider Network Director
• Nursing Home Administrator

If you have the education and credentials in nursing, medicine, or another profession, you may also have career options that include:

• Ambulatory Services Director
• Discharge Coordinator
• Medical Director

Online Courses + An Externship = AAS

All theory courses in this associate of applied science are available online. Many are “asynchronous,” meaning you complete coursework when it fits your schedule and according to the syllabus. You also complete an externship, which is on-site at a local facility. The program coordinator assists in placing you at an externship site that makes sense for your life and your goals.

Your courses include introductions to the core responsibilities in healthcare administration: staffing, law and policy, patients, and business and financial administration. Your externship gives you a structured look inside healthcare administration.

You also study the skills that can be applied more broadly. Your general education includes communication, psychology, and sociology courses. This broader education gives you the needed background to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree.

OCC Helps You Finish

Whichever program you choose, your key moment is finishing it. Sometimes, the many responsibilities you juggle may throw you off course. Or finding the right externship may be a challenge.

Your HCA Program Coordinator—a full-time faculty member at OCC—is committed to helping you find a way to finish your OCC degree. “Done” is the start of everything else you hope for. OCC will also help you plan your transfer if your goals pull you toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Program 

Generally, the associate degree can be finished by full-time students in about two years, using summer terms to complete your general education courses. Speak with a faculty member to plan your course of study and the schedule that works for you.

Associate Degree

We offer an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Healthcare Administration (63-64 credits).

Continuing Education

You may take any of our HCA courses (prerequisites still apply) as needed for personal enrichment or to further your career.

Take the Next Steps

Begin your studies with these steps:

• Apply to OCC. If you’re not already an OCC student, create a profile and complete our online application.
• On the application, select your Health Care Administration option.
• Existing OCC students can update their academic program using the Change of Program Form.

Returning to OCC

If it’s been three years or more since your last OCC class:

• Reapply to OCC  

More to Explore

You might also be interested in these programs.