Associate Degree
Healthcare Administration
Online Associate Degree Program
Associate Degree
Healthcare Administration
Online Associate Degree Program
Earn a healthcare administration degree and become possible
Accreditation | Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission |
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Transfer credit | Up to 16 open healthcare credit electives; 45 total approved credits |
Format | 100% online classes you can take right at home |
QuickPaths | Direct pathway to Herzing's bachelor's in healthcare administration degree program; transfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing University |
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Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration
The Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration degree is a 60-credit undergraduate program which prepares you for a career as a healthcare administrator.
The online degree program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in health policy, conflict resolution, US healthcare systems, public and private healthcare delivery, and much more.
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Career-focused curriculum
Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.
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Flexible schedule
You can take classes during the day or in the evening. We strive to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.
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Virtual services
Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.
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Lifelong support
We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.
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Rolling admissions
No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.
Classes Start May 6th
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Curriculum
Healthcare Administration program curriculum & classes
Herzing University's associate in Healthcare Administration program provides students with a solid foundational understanding of the health care environment and knowledge necessary for entry-level administrative positions in healthcare.
Courses within the program provide a solid foundational knowledge unique to the healthcare environment, including basic medical terminology, health policies and procedures, and patient privacy rules.
Program | Monthsi | Credits |
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Associate and Associate of Applied Science in Healthcare Administration | 16 | 60 |
Program availability varies by location.
Required Healthcare Courses
All Courses, 18.00 Semester credit hours, are required.
Open Electives
A minimum of 16.00 semester credit hours of open healthcare or related electives is required. Selection or transfer of courses will be in consultation and with the approval of the student's academic advisor. Any resulting deficiency in the total of 16.00 semester credit hours may be made up with additional healthcare courses. Note: General education transfer credits are applied under general education.
General Education Requirements
Students enrolled in this associate degree must complete a minimum of 24.00 semester credit hours in general education distributed among the following disciplines. Refer to the General Education section of the catalog for specific information about courses within each discipline. 9.00 Semester Credit Hours in Communications 6.00 Semester Credit Hours in Humanities (must include 3 semester credit hours of cultural diversity) 3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics 3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Science 3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Personal and Professional Development
2.00 semester credit hours are required.
Tuition & Cost
Tuition & Cost
When you accept the 10% tuition discount from our Financial Commitment Scholarship, the cost of tuition for the Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration program is $464 per credit.1
You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.
Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.
You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants, both through Herzing University and several national scholarship websites.
Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.
i. Financial Commitment Scholarship eligibility requirements: Recommended that students limit student loan borrowing to only what is needed to cover the cost of tuition and fees. Students may borrow up to $2,000 in student loans in excess of tuition and fees to cover their cost of attendance and retain eligibility for this scholarship. Excess loan eligibility dependent on individual student situation.
Associate degree program enrollment prerequisites
Prerequisites to enroll in the Herzing University Healthcare Administration associate degree program include:
- Completion of a high school diploma, GED or equivalent
- Meet and interview with a Herzing University admissions advisor
- Complete an enrollment application
Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District Of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.
Classes Start May 6th
Waived Enrollment FeeWhat can I do with a healthcare administration degree?
“Health administration” covers many possible roles. Many job openings will require a bachelor’s or master’s degree. However, earning an associate degree will qualify you for many different entry-level administrative positions.
A sampling of job titles for this program include:
- Administrative Support Specialist
- Administrative Coordinator
- Medical Secretary / Administrative Assistant
- Patient Service Representative
- Operations Assistant
How can I advance my career? Our associate degree in healthcare administration offers you a foundation for further career advancement should you decide to follow a pathway to Herzing's Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration program. Beyond this, you may also continue into our MBA in Healthcare Management.
Job outlook
As the demand for skilled healthcare professionals continues to grow, administrative support positions are expected to rise over the next decade.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical secretaries is projected to increase by 7% from 2022-2032, faster than the average across all U.S. occupations.*
Position yourself best to qualify for entry-level positions in the growing field of healthcare administration by earning an associate degree in less than 2 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Herzing health administration associate degree program typically takes 16 months to complete. Program length may vary based on eligible transfer credit.
Interested in continuing down the healthcare administration career path?
- Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration. Typical program length: 36 months.
- MBA in Healthcare Management (bachelor’s degree required). Typical program length: as few as 12 months.
As a healthcare administrator, your day-to-day tasks may vary. They could include meetings, communications (either written or verbal), and working with medical personnel from your own or different departments.
Your role may also involve day-to-day operations that keep things running smoothly. This may include staffing, patient relations, scheduling and inventory control.
Healthcare administrators must be skilled communicators and work cohesively with medical personnel to smooth the day-to-day operation of a healthcare facility. Pivotal skills shared by administrative healthcare workers include:
- Comfort with computers
- Budgeting & billing
- Data analysis
- Business acumen
- Medical terminology
Soft skills include critical thinking, problem-solving, multi-tasking and communication.
There is a lot of overlap in terminology between roles in healthcare management vs. healthcare administration. However, they are unique career paths requiring distinct sets of skills:
- Healthcare management. Healthcare managers deal in the overall operation of an organization. Their primary role is in leadership and the business side of healthcare. Healthcare managers interact with stakeholders and other board members for organizational direction and planning, usually involves managing more than one department—or an entire clinic.
- Healthcare administration. Healthcare administrators are more concerned with day-to-day operations. An administrator’s focus is on daily staff management and administrative procedures within a department. Healthcare administrators usually report to healthcare managers, and work within individual departments as supervisors or manager support. They may be found in smaller, rural areas as office managers or other similar job titles depending on area, experience and availability.
Smaller healthcare institutions may merge the roles into single positions and use each term interchangeably, but bigger facilities will often specialize into unique roles and differentiate them more clearly in terms of management or administration.
Healthcare administrative work settings include hospitals, physician offices, nursing and residential care facilities, outpatient care centers, insurance companies and government agencies. Administrators typically work alongside medical personal in an office environment.
The benefits of working in health administration include:
- You can work in many different settings, including hospitals, healthcare clinic, long-term care facility, doctor’s offices, insurance companies and government agencies.
- Career mobility is high, as your versatile skillset is applicable in many different environments and gives you more choice in pursuing your career path.
- The field is growing, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a 28% increase in employment for medical and health services managers from 2022-2032.*
- You can help people get better, but you don’t necessarily need to be directly involved in patient care and treatment.
No, you will need more than an associate degree in healthcare administration to apply for certification.
To become eligible for certifications you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. After obtaining your bachelor’s degree, these certifications include:
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (LSSYB) from GoLeanSixSigma
- Certified Specialist in Managed Care (CSMC) through Healthcare Financial Mgmt Associations (HFMA)
Yes, and it’s projected to rise. The BLS projects employment of medical secretaries/administrative assistants to rise 7% from 2022-2032.*
Now is a good time to get the education you need to start a career in healthcare administration & management.
Yes! Given the expected increase in job opportunities now is a great time to go back to school and begin earning the education you need to compete for those positions. We exist to help you reach your highest career goals – and earning an undergraduate degree is a huge first step!
Health administration covers a wide variety of different positions, from entry level roles to management-oriented roles, titles including “Hospital Administrator” or “Practice Administrator.” Because of this, pay can vary widely.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical secretaries/administrative assistants earn an average salary of $41,260 per year ($19.84 per hour). This estimate does not represent entry-level/starting pay. Average pay varies based on level of experience, education and state of employment.*
Program Finder
Associate of Science in Healthcare Administration Degree Programs
Showing 1 program for the Online campus
This program provides students with a solid foundational understanding of the health care environment and knowledge necessary for entry-level administrative positions in healthcare. Many students enter into this associate degree program after having completed a certificate or diploma program in a healthcare discipline. Students who have not completed all the requirements of a healthcare program may complete coursework by taking individual healthcare courses drawn from Herzing University's healthcare programs.
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Accreditations
Accreditations & Disclosures
Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.