Healthcare administration is a field driven by a passion for improving patient care, streamlining operations, and leading meaningful change. Yet many driven professionals find themselves constrained by the limits of their current roles, unable to make the broader impact they aspire to achieve.
With the growing demand for skilled and qualified leaders in healthcare, breaking through career barriers often requires specialized training. Whether it’s mastering healthcare regulations, financial management, or leadership strategies, professional development is essential for advancing into roles where you can drive lasting change.
Investing in the right training opportunities equips you with the tools to lead with confidence, expand your influence, and take your career in healthcare administration to the next level.
Why is training important in healthcare administration?
Healthcare administration is often seen as the backbone of the healthcare system. Professionals in the field ensure facilities like hospitals and clinics operate smoothly and efficiently. Administrators juggle responsibilities such as:
- Managing budgets
- Supervising staff
- Ensuring regulatory compliance
At its core, healthcare administration combines leadership and operational management to keep healthcare organizations functioning effectively. Given the critical role healthcare administrators play in maintaining positive patient care outcomes, training and education are essential to ensuring your long-term success in the field.
“In some jobs, you don’t need a degree or continued education training,” says Stephen Shore, a professor in the online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration program at Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies. “But when you’re dealing with healthcare—whether on the administrative side or clinical side—most people need a more formalized background to advance.”
This is particularly true in healthcare, where decisions can have far-reaching consequences for patients, staff, and organizational success. Training in healthcare administration can equip professionals with the expertise needed to address these challenges head-on. And if you’re feeling stuck in your current role in healthcare administration, training can be a powerful way to break through career ceilings.
Here’s an overview of training options that can help you advance your career in healthcare administration.
Training options for career growth in healthcare administration
Degree programs
Advancing in healthcare administration often requires more than experience—it demands a strong educational foundation. Earning a bachelor’s degree is a pivotal step for professionals ready to transition from entry-level roles to leadership positions. These programs build the knowledge and skills essential for career growth.
Bachelor’s degree programs typically cover essential topics like:
- Healthcare systems
- Healthcare ethics
- Health policy
- Financial management
- Healthcare law
Despite the importance of this training, many professionals hesitate to pursue a bachelor’s degree because they feel constrained by work, family, and other commitments. Fortunately, online degree programs offer flexibility, making it possible to balance education with a demanding schedule.
“When I went back to school to advance my career I was working full-time, raising a family, and paying bills,” says Earlene Avalon, a lead faculty member of the Health Management and Health Sciences programs at Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies. “The flexibility of earning my degree online at a time that worked for me was instrumental to my future success.”
Online programs also offer valuable networking opportunities that can lead to career advancement. “In online classes, you’re meeting people from all over,” she adds. “You never know where you might land or who you might meet, and those connections can lead to future opportunities.”
For those constrained by time, online degree programs provide a pathway to achieving career goals without sacrificing work or family obligations. By offering the flexibility and support needed to succeed, these programs empower aspiring healthcare administrators to take the next step in their professional journey.
Training courses
Once you’ve established a foundation in healthcare administration with a degree, training courses can help you develop targeted skills and prepare for future advancements. These short-term, flexible programs focus on specific areas, such as healthcare finance and operations, to help professionals stay competitive in a constantly evolving field.
The greatest advantage of training courses is their adaptability. Offered online or in part-time formats, they enable busy professionals to balance their work, family, and education without interrupting their careers. Designed to provide immediate, practical insights, these programs help professionals apply what they’ve learned directly to their current roles, much like the courses in a degree program.
“I can guarantee that within weeks of starting my class, you’ll read something on a health condition, and then the light bulb will go off,” Shore notes. “You’ll understand it.”
While highly effective, training courses typically focus on a single topic, making them a complement to, rather than a substitute for, a bachelor’s degree. Combining the specialized knowledge gained from courses with the broad foundation of a degree positions healthcare administrators for sustained growth and success.
Certifications
Certifications, much like training courses, are designed to help professionals build targeted expertise and enhance their qualifications. However, certifications go a step further by formally recognizing a professional’s skills and knowledge in a specific area, offering a clear signal of their expertise to employers.
For healthcare administrators, earning a certification, like the Certified Healthcare Administrator (CHA), demonstrates not only specialized knowledge but also the leadership skills required to excel in advanced roles.
Certifications are available across a range of disciplines within healthcare administration, enabling professionals to focus on the areas most relevant to their career goals. For example, certifications in healthcare compliance validate an understanding of regulatory requirements, while certifications in healthcare analytics emphasize proficiency in data-driven decision-making.
Certifications are often highly regarded by employers and industry organizations because they reflect a commitment to staying current in a constantly evolving field. So whether you pursue a certification to complement a bachelor’s degree or as part of a broader career growth strategy, they can help you develop specialized skills to remain successful.
Industry conferences
For some professionals, career advancement may come through less formalized methods, such as participating in industry conferences and workshops. These events provide a valuable opportunity to:
- Gain insights into emerging industry trends
- Stay up-to-date on best practices in the field
- Build valuable connections
Conferences often feature expert-led sessions on topics ranging from healthcare policy to leadership strategies, equipping attendees with practical knowledge they can bring back to their organizations.
In addition to learning, conferences are excellent for building connections within the industry. Networking with peers and leaders can open doors to new opportunities, mentorships, and collaborations.
“I always tell my students to join the organizations specific to the jobs they’re interested in,” Shore says. “And they need to go to a meeting if there is one because networking can be as simple as exchanging business cards.”
Industry conferences provide a platform for professionals to engage with decision-makers and thought leaders, showcasing their knowledge and enthusiasm. This kind of involvement signals a proactive approach to career development, a quality highly valued by employers in the competitive field of healthcare administration.
For professionals seeking advancement through less traditional routes, industry conferences and workshops offer a meaningful way to grow, connect, and elevate their careers.
Take the next step in your healthcare administration career
Advancing your career in healthcare administration requires a thoughtful approach that combines education, certifications, and ongoing training. These steps work together to build the skills and knowledge needed to overcome obstacles and make a lasting impact in the field. Among these options, earning a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration is often the most critical step because it provides the foundation needed to lead.
At Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies, the online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration program is designed to help you take that step with confidence. The program equips students with the tools to navigate complex challenges, drive meaningful change, and excel in leadership roles within the healthcare industry.
By creating a training plan tailored to your career goals, you can position yourself for success, whether by pursuing further certifications, attending industry conferences, or completing your degree. Use this guide as a roadmap to begin your journey, and let Northeastern’s program be the cornerstone of your advancement in healthcare administration.