Study healthcare management abroad

Healthcare managers are responsible for keeping clinical settings running smoothly. As such, healthcare management programs provide students with the leadership competencies and specialist knowledge needed to successfully organize international healthcare systems.

As the global population continues to grow, and many countries face the challenges of an aging population, the efficient management of healthcare services is more important than ever. You’ll learn all about the inner workings of healthcare systems, from human resources, laws, and ethics, to administration, technology, and finance.

Studying overseas will allow you to identify similarities and differences in the operations of healthcare systems across the globe. By gaining this international perspective, you’ll be equipped to launch your career in almost any part of the world.

Bachelor’s degrees in healthcare management are usually taught over three years, or four years if you study in the US. American institutions follow the liberal arts model of education. This means you’ll take general education classes for the first half of your degree before majoring in healthcare management for the final two years.

Most healthcare providers prefer graduates to have a master’s degree in the field, so postgraduate programs are popular. Master’s degrees usually require one year of full-time study, or two years if you learn on a part-time basis.

If you’re still eager to learn more, research-based MPhil and PhD programs are available at some institutions. These can add another three to seven years to your studies.

Healthcare management programs are generally delivered through a range of traditional teaching methods, like lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials. However, some programs contain compulsory clinical placements where you’ll observe the operations and functions of healthcare environments.

Each university will offer a different set of elective modules for students to choose from. That said, most programs feature mandatory units in the following fundamentals:

• Introduction to healthcare management
• Business and management skills
• Financial management of healthcare settings
• Human resource management in healthcare
• Health, society and public policy
• Contemporary issues in healthcare management

Since healthcare is one of the fastest-growing global industries, you’ll have an array of exciting and fulfilling career opportunities. You’ll be excellently placed to oversee operations in a variety of settings, including hospitals, dental practices, nursing homes, public health departments, and pharmaceutical companies.

The list below gives you an idea of common graduate destinations:

• Healthcare administrator
• Healthcare manager
• Chief executive officer
• Chief operations officer
• Chief compliance officer
• Human resource manager
• Patient finance manager
• Medical secretary

If you’re unsure of what employment opportunities are available to you, or how to pursue them, talk to your university’s careers office. They provide invaluable, free, and impartial advice to help you kickstart your career.