How To Become a Healthcare Manager

Rasmussen University’s Healthcare Management Bachelor’s degree program is not designed to prepare graduates for any state-issued professional license or certification and has not been approved by any state professional licensing agency.

If you're interested in how healthcare organizations run, and how leadership decisions shape the care people receive, a career as a healthcare manager may be worth exploring. Healthcare managers, also known as medical and health services managers, may help guide the business side of healthcare, from day-to-day operations to longer-term planning.

In this article, we'll look at the typical pathway into the field, what these professionals do, where they work, and how a degree may fit into the journey.¹

How Do You Become a Healthcare Manager?

There may be no single route into healthcare management, but many people follow a similar general path. Common steps may include:²

1. Earn a relevant degree. A bachelor's degree is a common educational pathway for individuals pursuing this occupation, though what employers expect can differ from one role to the next. Many in the field study healthcare-focused subjects such as health administration, while others come from areas like business. Programs that blend the two may cover business fundamentals alongside topics like how hospitals are organized, and the information systems used to manage health data.
2. Build experience in a healthcare setting. Employers often look for a background in an administrative or clinical position at a hospital or similar facility. Some managers work their way up after starting in support roles, such as handling medical records, assisting with administration, or managing finances within a healthcare office.
3. Weigh credentials and longer-term growth. Earning a professional credential is optional, but some managers pursue one to demonstrate their expertise. As they gain experience, managers may take on wider responsibilities or move toward senior executive roles, which often call for a master's degree.

What Skills Do Healthcare Managers Need?

Healthcare management may call for a blend of business knowledge, leadership, and an understanding of how healthcare organizations operate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that important qualities for these managers may include analytical skills, communication, attention to detail, leadership, and technical skills such as staying current with healthcare technology.²

A degree program may help build on these qualities. Rasmussen University's Healthcare Management program identifies the following skill areas as relevant to the field:³

Healthcare Leadership and Critical Thinking

Develop change management, teamwork, negotiation, and motivational skills that may support navigating challenges in a healthcare setting.³

Overseeing Regulations and Policies

Study changing influences on healthcare delivery across patient experience, quality management, and process improvement.³

Strategic Planning and Decision-Making

Explore how data, technology, and organizational behavior may inform strategic planning for organizational change in alignment with healthcare industry trends.³

Population Health Management

Critically evaluate healthcare data from multiple sources to identify patterns and trends, and explore approaches related to population health planning and patient experience within healthcare systems.³

What Does a Healthcare Manager Do?

Medical and health services managers may oversee the business side of healthcare delivery, from day-to-day operational decisions to longer-term organizational planning. Depending on the setting, a manager's scope may range from overseeing an entire organization to leading a specific department or service area, and may require staying current as healthcare regulations, technology, and industry conditions continue to shift.¹

The day-to-day focus may vary considerably based on the scale of the organization. In larger systems, the role may lean toward broad oversight and strategic direction, while in smaller or more specialized settings, managers may also take on more direct operational tasks. Across settings, the role may involve regular interaction with clinical staff, administrative teams, and at times patients and external partners.¹

Typical responsibilities may include:¹

• Setting performance targets and operational goals related to service quality and efficiency
• Monitoring adherence to applicable healthcare regulations and legal requirements
• Overseeing budget development and financial management, including revenue and billing processes
• Managing the hiring, development, and supervision of staff
• Coordinating staff scheduling across the organization or department
• Serving as a representative of the facility at governance or stakeholder meetings
• Maintaining organized records of facility operations and service utilization
• Preparing financial and operational reports for departmental or organizational leadership

Where Can Healthcare Managers Work?

Medical and health services managers may work across a broad range of settings, with the largest concentrations found in hospitals, physician offices, nursing and residential care facilities, government organizations, and outpatient care centers. Healthcare managers may collaborate with broader care teams that may include licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare providers.⁴

Healthcare Management Career Paths

Graduates may pursue a variety of career paths, depending on factors such as prior experience, employer requirements, geographic location, and additional credentials. Some typical career paths may include:³

• Healthcare manager
• Healthcare administrator
• Hospital director of admitting
• Clinic manager
• Assistant administrator
• Nursing home administrator

Some roles may require additional education, certifications, or experience depending on the employer and specific position. Positions such as nursing home administrator typically require state licensure and additional qualifications.³

Why Earn a Healthcare Management Degree?

While there may be more than one way into healthcare management, earning a relevant degree may be a common starting point, and it may be one way to build the business acumen and leadership knowledge the role tends to draw on. A degree program may also offer a structured way to develop knowledge across healthcare operations, policy, and management.³

For those who decide a degree fits their goals, the sections below outline what a healthcare management program may include, using Rasmussen University's online Bachelor of Healthcare Management as an example.³

Healthcare Management Courses You May Take

Rasmussen University's online Healthcare Management program offers courses taught and designed by faculty with experience in the healthcare system and healthcare management. Sample courses may include:³

• Quality Improvement in Healthcare: Focuses on the relationship between healthcare quality, organizational performance, and the role of governing bodies in healthcare organizations.
• Healthcare Operations Management: Examines the operations of human resource management, IT, materials, and healthcare facilities.
• International Healthcare: Compares and contrasts foreign healthcare services and systems.

Explore Rasmussen University's Online Healthcare Management Program

Rasmussen University offers an online Bachelor of Healthcare Management degree designed to help students develop foundational healthcare management knowledge and practical skills applicable to management and leadership roles across a range of healthcare settings. The program includes 23 courses, and is offered fully online. Students may choose between a general Healthcare Management track and a Public Health specialization.³

If you're interested in building knowledge and skills relevant to healthcare management roles, learn more about Rasmussen University's online Bachelor of Healthcare Management degree and explore whether the program aligns with your goals.³

Earning a degree does not guarantee employment or specific job outcomes. Employment conditions in your area may vary.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-2 (accessed May 7, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
²Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-4 (accessed May 7, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
³Rasmussen University, Healthcare Management Bachelor's Degree, at https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/business/healthcare-management/ (accessed May 7, 2026).
⁴Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-3 (accessed May 7, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.