Healthcare Administration Bachelor’s Degrees in Florida

Healthcare administrators supervise personnel and oversee daily operations. They play a vital role in treatment facilities, and their work is in high demand in states like Florida. The Sunshine State is home to over 5.5 million people aged 60 and over, more than the next 20 states combined. State agencies expect that figure to grow by nearly three million through 2045. When this population turns to the healthcare system for support, skilled administrators can connect them with quality resources and care.

Designed for aspiring students looking to enter this job sector, this guide explores what healthcare administration degree programs in Florida offer. It overviews what you can expect to learn, looks at online degree availability, and spotlights several programs. Keep reading to get started by seeing who made our list for the best programs going into 2024.

What Are Popular Healthcare Administration Degree Programs in Florida?

The schools identified below are popular among students in Florida, and they’ll give you a better idea of what to look for during your own program search.

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What Will I Learn in a Healthcare Admin Bachelor’s Degree Program in Florida?

Requirement specifics always vary by school, but most healthcare administration degree programs in Florida share a common set of learning outcomes. These outcomes equip you for advanced leadership and administrative roles in treatment centers and other organizations that deliver patient-centered, evidence-based care. When you enroll in a healthcare administration program in Florida you can expect to:

• Develop skills in organizational leadership and strategic planning.
• Build a working knowledge of the key processes and procedures that govern healthcare delivery in the U.S.
• Examine contemporary social, political, and ethical problems in health science.
• Receive expert training in healthcare marketing, finance, and legal regulation.
• Gain hands-on experience through individualized internship placements and capstone experiences.

Along the way, you’ll also have ample opportunity to further hone your communication and critical thinking skills by assessing recent case studies and networking with faculty and cohort peers.

The programs administered at Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of Central Florida, for example, begin by developing knowledge foundations in general content areas like science, math, and healthcare fundamentals. Most other programs follow a similar trajectory. Core courses completed in the later stages of study focus on administrative essentials in healthcare operations, quality control, and human resource management.

What Are the Admissions Requirements for Healthcare Administration Programs in Florida?

Common requirements and admissions criteria for these programs bear some resemblance to similar four-year healthcare degree programs with a few notable differences. Prospective applicants should be prepared to submit the following items:

• Evidence of a high school diploma or GED
• Official SAT or ACT scores
• Official TOEFL or IELTS test scores (international applicants only)
• Transcripts for any previous college-level credits earned

Applications with transcripts indicating a 2.0 GPA or higher often receive greater consideration. In addition, some schools prefer applicants who possess a relevant associate degree or a substantial amount of transfer credits. The programs at State College of Florida and Florida International University offer good examples of what you can expect, including possible course prerequisites in subjects like statistics, economics, and accounting.

Can I Earn My Bachelor’s in Healthcare Administration Online in Florida?

Quite a few schools offer an online healthcare administration degree in Florida, and several extend multiple pathways for completion, including hybrid and fully online options. These programs fulfill the same set of learning objectives as campus-based alternatives with the same levels of quality and accreditation. The added benefits of online learning, however, include increased flexibility and convenience. These advantages allow working professionals in healthcare to continue accruing work experience while building new skills in assessment and evaluation that help further their careers.

Some schools, like Saint Leo University, give students the option to tailor a hybrid experience that meets their individual needs. In those cases, you can select from a range of online courses and prioritize which experiences you want to reserve for in-person learning. A more popular option is the fully online pathway. This mode involves self-paced or real-time learning experiences, depending on the school, or sometimes a combination of the two. Some programs, like the Bachelor of Health Administration at the University of North Florida, use 16-week sessions to deliver courses while others, like State College of Florida and St. Petersburg College, follow more accelerated timelines using sessions lasting five to eight weeks.

Top Online Healthcare Administration Degree Programs in Florida

What’s the Healthcare Administration Job Market Like in Florida?

Graduates with a healthcare administration degree in Florida benefit from a bright job outlook overall. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, leadership roles in medicine and healthcare will increase by 28% over the next eight years, much faster than the nationwide average for other occupations. The numbers in Florida reflect this trend. Projections from state agencies show a higher growth rate for health services professions than other job sectors with work in administration increasing by over 10%.

Like other states, localized demand for healthcare administrators in Florida correlates with a significant increase in earning power. Nationally, degree-holders earn more than double their peers in other fields. Floridians enjoy those same margins with plenty of room for raises as they gain experience. As the table below indicates, the highest salaries cluster around populous areas like Gainesville, Naples, Miami, and Tampa.

Yearly Earnings for Medical and Health Services Managers in Florida

FAQs About Healthcare Administration Degrees in Florida

How much time does it take to complete a healthcare admin bachelor’s degree program in Florida?

Most students graduate and launch or advance their careers in two to four years. A few key factors impact the length of your healthcare administration studies, however. If you’re able to take advantage of full-time enrollment, online learning, and other accelerated pathways, you’ll likely finish much faster. Programs like those at St. Petersburg College and the University of West Florida encourage this by prioritizing applicants with transfer credits or a two-year degree. Traditional students lacking general education credits need to complete those first before moving to core requirements. They follow a more extended timeline and typically finish in four years.

How much do Florida healthcare administration bachelor’s degrees cost?

The type of school you attend, the learning modality you use, and where you plan to live during your studies all affect the overall cost. Most private schools cost more than public colleges or universities, and some public institutions charge higher tuition rates for out-of-state residents. Some campus-based programs may be more expensive than online alternatives, but individual policies on this vary. The examples below give you a sense of the range of costs you can expect to hear your healthcare administration degree in Florida.

What type of accreditation should a Florida healthcare administration degree have?

All prospective programs should first possess institutional accreditation. Independent agencies grant this credential, and they receive their accrediting power from the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Institutional accreditation ensures quality across the college or university.

Some programs also hold specialized forms of accreditation that go beyond the institutional level. Specialized or programmatic accreditation doesn’t replace institutional accreditation, but it can provide extra clout and value. In healthcare administration, this credential typically comes from organizations like the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

Is financial aid available for my healthcare admin bachelor’s degree program in Florida?

While availability and specifics vary by school, many healthcare administration bachelor’s degree programs in Florida offer financial aid to new and returning students. Scholarships, grants, and other forms of aid like work-study placements and research assistantships can help reduce the financial burden you may face as an aspiring healthcare professional. The University of North Florida and Florida Atlantic University, for example, both extend scholarships specific to healthcare administration.

Professional organizations can be a great resource for financial aid as well. Agencies like the Medical Group Management Association and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society provide funding for Florida students studying medical professions, including healthcare administration. Navigate to our main financial aid page and our healthcare administration scholarship guide for more information on how to take advantage of these opportunities.