There are two accredited Master’s in Health Administration degrees in Montana for graduate students striving for clinical management careers. Lying in the Northwest in the rugged Rocky Mountains, Montana is America’s fourth largest and second least densely populated state with around 1.1 million residents. With a GSP of $44.3 billion, Montana’s economy is best known for agriculture, mining, lumber, and tourism. However, the health services sector is growing with more than 60 hospitals. St. Patrick Hospital, Kalispell Regional Medical Center, and Billings Clinic are all regionally ranked. AARP Magazine noted the latter as one of the United States’ safest hospitals. Health administration graduates working in Montana earn an average yearly salary of $81,140. The following are the master’s degrees offered for aspiring health administrators in the “Treasure State.”
Montana State University- Billings
College of Allied Health Professions
Established in 1927 as the Eastern Montana Normal School, Montana State University- Billings is a comprehensive four-year public state institution serving more than 4,400 undergraduates and 500 post-graduates as the system’s third largest campus. Spread across 110 urban acres, MSU Billings is located in downtown Billings, Montana’s largest city in Yellowstone County. According to Forbes magazine, Montana State University is the 60th best college in the West and 325th top university overall. Fully accredited by the CAAHEP, the College of Allied Health Professions at MSU Billings strives to provide value-based education for students to successfully enter health and human service careers.
Master of Health Administration (MHA)
Since 2004, the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at MSU Billings has helped graduate students develop the cutting-edge knowledge and skills to assume leadership roles in today’s evolving health services sector. Great emphasis is placed on the unique healthcare administration needs of Montana’s rural frontier. Available fully online, the program is designed to accommodate clinicians and working health professionals. Only one two-day professional seminar is required in Billings every semester. Internships are required for MHA students who lack a significant background in healthcare management. With flexible eight-week sessions, most students graduate in just 20 to 24 months. Courses will build mastery in statistics, accounting, finance, reimbursement, epidemiology, health economics, operations management, and health informatics. The program is also WICHE eligible for tuition discounts.
Accreditations
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Contact
1500 University Drive
Billings, MT 59101
(406) 896-5832
healthadministration@msubillings.edu
http://www.msubillings.edu/cahp/hadm/MHA.htm
University of Montana
School of Public and Community Health Sciences
Enrolling just over 12,900 students, the University of Montana is the state’s flagship senior public research institution located on a 220-acre urban campus at the foothills of Mount Sentinel in Missoula along the Clark Fork River. Recognized by Rolling Stone magazine for having America’s most scenic campus, UM is ranked the 184th top national research university and 88th best college in the West by Forbes. Washington Monthly also lauded UM as the country’s 97th top master’s-level institution for civic engagement. The School of Public and Community Health Sciences has equipped graduates with well-rounded public health training since 2005.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Fully accredited through the CEPH, the Master of Public Health (MPH) program allows Montana graduate students to acquire the multidisciplinary training to effectively influence public policies that resolve key community health issues. With a focus on health promotion and disease prevention, the curriculum consists of 42 credits completed on-campus in Missoula or online. Courses taken will include epidemiology, biostatistics, public health administration, health policy, behavioral health, research methods, rural health, and cultural diversity. For the capstone credits, MPH students must complete an applied field practicum and professional paper. Full-time learners can graduate within just two years. Graduates will be qualified to become epidemiologists, emergency specialists, healthcare administrators, health educators, biostatisticians, infectious disease advisors, and other public health practitioners. There’s also a 12-credit Certificate of Public Health available.
Accreditations
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Contact
301 Skaggs Building
Missoula, MT 59812
(406) 243-2571
publichealth@umontana.edu
http://health.umt.edu/publichealth/2prospective-students/program-information/default.php
Health administrators play an executive role in directing the quality clinical services patients rely on. Administrators oversee the business side of healthcare to help improve the efficiency of medical-related organizations. Now is an excellent time to pursue the master’s-level education needed to become a health administrator. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job growth will skyrocket by 17 percent through 2024, thus creating around 56,300 administrative positions. In fact, the U.S. News has recognized health service managers for having the sixth best business job in America. The profession has an unbelievably low unemployment rate of 1.7 percent. Let your clinical career soar into leadership by pursuing one of these Master’s in Health Administration degrees in Montana.
Another excellent resource:
FAQ: What Are Some Common Classes in a Master’s in Health Administration Program?
