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Authored by:
- AdventHealth University
Distance education has been around for a long time, but it has evolved greatly in recent years. With today’s technology and enhanced teaching methods, online learning has extended to every discipline, including healthcare management. Earning a healthcare degree online has many benefits, such as flexibility and cost savings. What are the differences between online and traditional healthcare management programs? What other benefits do online degree students receive?
Online vs. Traditional Degree Programs
While the major difference between online and traditional degree programs is the location — one in a brick-and-mortar institution and the other in a virtual classroom — there are other significant differences. Some of these differences are also added benefits of earning an advanced degree in healthcare online.
Student Interaction
In traditional programs, healthcare students are in class, interacting live with their peers and professors. While engagement and interaction can also take place online, in-person classes have a set meeting time, whereas online courses feature deadlines rather than a scheduled lecture. For example, in an online healthcare strategic leadership course, such as the one at AdventHealth University, students must work in groups to generate innovative ideas — but not during a scheduled live class session.
Instead, healthcare students may work and collaborate within platforms such as Canvas, the current learning management platform. There, they can meet in a chat, discuss the work over a call, or set up time to meet on a different platform, such as Zoom. Canvas offers chat rooms for students to engage with one another and ask professors questions while receiving prompt answers.
Class Time
Online programs do not have set class times like traditional programs do. This makes online learning more flexible for working professionals. Those in advanced degree programs can easily remain in their healthcare job roles, gaining valuable experience and maintaining a work-life balance.
For example, students taking AdventHealth University’s online course in healthcare systems and governance, offered in the Master of Healthcare Administration program, can learn about the specific tactical and strategic tasks of an operations manager while gaining real-life experience in their position as a nurse, for instance.
Experience is one valuable step in becoming a healthcare manager. For example, health information technician and administrative assistant are entry-level roles. No set class time means more working time to gain real-life job experience.
Diversity
Traditional programs require students to live on campus or in the city of the institution. Online programs, on the other hand, attract healthcare students from all over — the same type of diversity seen in the workplace and in patients. Healthcare students are introduced to valuable perspectives that can increase their learning in online healthcare courses such as Healthcare Innovation and Design Thinking and Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare.
AdventHealth University Online students learn the keys to innovation, including how to use stories to fuel creativity. As their online peers may be from all over, their stories help expand learning. This helps students learn how to increase their leadership and strategic innovation within their future healthcare institutions.
Benefits of an Online Healthcare Degree
The benefits of earning a healthcare degree online are numerous, but a few of the highlights are location flexibility, personalized scheduling, cost savings, and support resources (including tutoring, counseling, and research libraries).
Flexibility and Personalized Scheduling
The ability to complete coursework anytime, anywhere is a major benefit of online healthcare programs. Students don’t have to relocate for their healthcare degrees and can continue gaining experience in their current roles — something also afforded to them due to the lack of scheduled class time.
In addition to benefiting from location flexibility, students can personalize their course schedules to fit their work schedules. Students don’t have to forgo courses that interest them due to class times conflicting with work.
Cost Savings
Education costs money. These costs include tuition, operational fees, course materials, and transportation/living costs. These costs rose 31% between 2007 and 2017, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Online programs cut operational, living, and transportation expenses, so the overall tuition and fees are less for online programs.
Additionally, out-of-state tuition — which averages over $15,000 more than in-state tuition, according to Value Penguin — does not apply to online students. This alone lowers the cost of online programs for students who wish to attend school outside of their state.
Support Resources
Finally, a benefit of earning an advanced degree in healthcare is the additional online resources offered for free. These include tutoring, counseling, and research libraries. At AdventHealth University Online, for example, healthcare management students have access to the top academic journals, all just a click away.
Students also receive free e-therapy, offered not just for academic struggles but also for personal concerns. For example, students can email therapists — or chat with these professionals in real time — about relationship issues, self-esteem concerns, or anything else they need advice or counsel for. Lastly, students have access to free tutoring sessions, designed to help them expand their knowledge and fully understand concepts.
Benefits of Earning an Advanced Degree in Healthcare Management Online
Students in advanced healthcare management degree programs see all of these same benefits. However, as these particular students are more likely working professionals, they experience them on another level. The added flexibility helps them maintain a work-life balance, as well as allowing them to work full-time jobs. For example, someone working as a nurse who wants to advance their career would be able to continue working while completing courses on their own time.
Graduate degrees in healthcare help individuals in this field advance not only in title but also in pay. Upon completing a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program and gaining the right industry experience, they can pursue careers with the following salaries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
- Chief executive officers, who made a median annual salary of $185,950 in 2020
- Financial managers, who made a median annual salary of $134,180 in 2020
- Medical and health service managers such as hospital administrators, who made a median annual salary of $104,280 in 2020
At AdventHealth University Online, MHA students are also able to build upon their current experiences in healthcare while learning innovative skills and tools needed in the growing workforce. The course Principles of Healthcare Strategy, for example, increases strategic management skills through the analysis of the effects of decision-making strategies and their outcomes in specific healthcare environments. MHA students also gain analytical and problem-solving skills through courses such as Strategic Leadership in Healthcare and Information Systems and Healthcare Informatics.
Additional Resources at AdventHealth University
AdventHealth University Online’s Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Master of Healthcare Administration in Strategy and Innovation offer additional resources to students.
One-on-One Attention
At AdventHealth University, students are more than a number. Being online, the university is able to keep the faculty-to-student ratio down, 1 to 20, helping healthcare management students feel appreciated. These class sizes allow students to get more attention from their professors, as well as build real relationships with them. Students also are able to build connections among their peers.
Community Connections
AdventHealth University Online has an extensive network of alumni and devoted students. This aids in fostering lasting connections and networking opportunities. Students build relationships during their online courses through discussions and group work and establish connections over other online platforms, such as social media. Additionally, online students can also participate in campus events to extend their community connections.
Interactive Course Management Systems
Another added benefit of earning a healthcare degree online at AdventHealth University is the use of interactive course management systems. Canvas allows students to connect with each other and faculty. It encourages collaboration and helps students keep track of their coursework, deadlines, and grades.
Start Your Healthcare Management Degree at AdventHealth University Online
The first step in becoming a leader in healthcare management is earning a degree. AdventHealth University Online’s Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Master of Healthcare Administration in Strategy and Innovation prepare students to make valuable impact in their field through courses on law and ethics and principles of healthcare strategy, among many others. Begin your online higher education journey at AdventHealth University.
Recommended Readings
Healthcare Management vs. Healthcare Administration
How to Become a Financial Manager in Healthcare
What Do Healthcare Administrators Do?
Sources:
AdventHealth University Online, Healthcare Administration: Strategy Innovation, M.H.A.
Dr. Jim Collins, “Benefits of Online Learning in Health Care”
ELearning Industry, “Traditional vs. Online Learning”
National Center for Education Statistics, Tuition Costs of Colleges and Universities
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Financial Managers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Managers
