Health Services Administration

What can I do with a Major in.... Health Services Administration ?

Health Services Administrators plan, organize, coordinate and supervise the delivery of Health Care.

Before you begin to look at the different types of opportunities available to Health Services Administration majors, you must look at yourself and ask yourself a few basic questions:

What am I good at?

Understand your major strengths, skills and accomplishments.

What do I like to do?

Examine your interests. What kind of life style do I want to lead? Examine your values...is money what you're after, job security, challenging work?

If you are having trouble answering these questions, you are not alone. Make an appointment with an advisor in the Career Center. We want to help you!

POSITIONS

Once you know yourself, you are ready to decide where and how you want to apply this knowledge.

A bachelor's degree in Health Services Administration and the appropriate skills and/or experience can lead to positions in:

Entry - mid level positions in large institutions, and top level positions in smaller practices and nursing homes etc.

Some typical job titles are:

Administrative assistant
Assistant department head
Assistant administrator

Additional job titles:

Public health director
Social welfare administrator
Director of voluntary health agencies
Health professional association
Underwriter

An advanced degree in Health Care, Health Service or Hospital Administration could lead to executive or managerial positions in:

Hospitals
Non - health care departments
HMO's
Large group medical practices
Mental health facilities
Multifaceted nursing home corporations

A Ph.D. may be a requirement for teaching, consulting or research positions.

For information on graduate schools, consult Peterson's.

EMPLOYMENT

Health Services Administrators in Hospitals may direct the services and staff in areas such as:

Nursing
Surgery
Therapy
Food service
Medical records
Finance
Housekeeping
Human resources
Information services
Ambulatory care
Home care

There are many opportunities available in:

Nursing homes
HMO facilities
Physicians offices
Personal care facilities
Clinics
Home health agencies
Medical/Dental laboratories
Dental offices
Chiropractic offices
Orthopedic offices
Rehabilitation clinics
State, city and county health departments
Federal government agencies
Schools
Social service agencies
Medicare and Medicaid
American Medical Association
American Pharmaceutical Association
American Cancer Society
American Red Cross
Medical/Surgical equipment suppliers
Health insurance companies

 

LEARN MORE

To help you decide which area to pursue you must do in-depth research into each area of specialization and/or industry you have an interest in.

St. John's University Department of Health Services Administration

Health Services Career and Job Resources on the Internet

Places to begin:

Join the Career Centers COACH Program

The Occupational Outlook Handbook

Talk to people in the field, talk to your professors, write to and/or join one of the following associations:

National Association of Health Services Executives, 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 126 Silver Springs, MD 20910 (202) 628 - 3953 www.nahse.org

American Public Health Association 1015 15th Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC, 20005 (202) 789 - 5600 www.apha.org

For additional lists of Associations consult the Encyclopedia of Associations.