Many people picture doctors and nurses when they think of hospitals, but those looking for information on accredited healthcare administration degree programs in North Carolina know that there are hundreds of other people working behind the scenes. Hospital administrators handle the management and organization of medical offices, hospitals and clinics. They schedule workers, hire new employees, order products and supplies and generally ensure that the office runs smoothly. While some schools offer business administration degrees, you'll find that fewer schools offer healthcare administration degrees. If you live in North Carolina, you'll want to look closely at a few schools in the state.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Gillings School of Global Public Health

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the most famous colleges in the country. Better known as UNC, it is the head campus in the University of North Carolina School Systems. Athletes know the school as the place where Michael Jordan got his start playing for the Tar Heels, while others know the campus for its historic architecture, beautiful views and famous professors. Washington Monthly placed the school at number four on its list of top colleges, while U.S. News and World Report, Forbes and ARWU listed it in the top 40 schools, and it also ranks as one of the top schools in the world.

Master of Healthcare Administration

The Master of Healthcare Administration is a degree available through the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC. Available as both a residential program and an executive program, the program is open to students with an undergraduate degree in a healthcare or business related field. U.S. News and World Report and Modern Physician both choose it as one of the top accredited healthcare administration degrees in North Carolina and in the country. Launched in 1989, the program is perfect for students with busy schedules. Classes meet once a week on either Tuesday or Wednesday nights, and students spend two hours working with professors and other students. Students typically complete the program in six terms. The residential program is a program designed for students living on campus and in the surrounding area. This program, which offers traditional classes, offers dual degree programs in library science, business and urban planning.

Accreditation

•Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education

Contact

135 Dauer Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400
(919) 966-7350
[email protected]
http://sph.unc.edu/

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

College of Health and Human Services

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is one of the largest campuses in the state. Founded in 1946, the university initially opened with less than 300 students. Those students had access to a limited selection of courses and just a few degree programs. Though it once served as a junior college, it became a traditional university in the 1960s and changed to its current name in the 1970s to better reflect its commitment as a state university. U.S. News and World Report ranked the school at number 199 on its ranking list, while Washington Monthly listed the school slightly higher at number 121.

Master in Health Administration

UNC Charlotte started its Master in Health Administration program after noticing a lack of qualified and trained administration workers in the surrounding community. The primary goal of the program focuses on providing students with a strong background in six key areas: leading groups, developing critical thinking skills, analyzing healthcare data, managing organizations, remaining on top of political and social changes and devoting themselves to the community at large. In addition to an MHA degree, the university also offers a dual program that awards students an MHA and an MBA for the work they do over the course of three years or less. Graduates work in both the public and private sector, and many graduates work as hospital directors, with insurance companies and for the state or federal government. Students must take either the GRE or GMAT and submit their scores to the school with their completed application packet before the middle of February for admission.

Accreditation

•Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education

Contact

9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001
(704) 687-8622
[email protected]
http://health.uncc.edu/

Winston-Salem State University

School of Business and Economics

Winston-Salem State University is one of the oldest African American institutions of higher learning in the south. Established in 1892, the university opened in a small building with just one teachers, but it didn't take long before the school outgrew that building and began construction on a new campus. U.S. News and World Report picked WSSU as one of the top 30 public colleges in the country in 2001 and it retained that ranking until 2009. Though it slipped to a slightly lower number in more recent years, the university still has a solid reputation in the south.

Master of Healthcare Administration

Winston-Salem State University has one of the best nursing programs in the country, and it produces more nurses each year than most of the other schools in the state. The dedication that the university has to its nursing program also applies to its other medical and healthcare programs. Its Master of Healthcare Administration program is one of the top accredited healthcare administration degree programs in North Carolina. The school manages to keep its class sizes low, which lets students form close working and personal relationships with their instructors. Approximately 45 students graduate from the program every year, and more than 40 percent of students complete the program in two years or less. This program emphasizes the importance of learning through real life experiences, which is why the school encourages students to do at least one internship. Students can also take classes from other healthcare disciplines, including nursing, exercise management, occupational therapy and clinical laboratory science.

Accreditation

•Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education

Contact

601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27110
(336) 750-2000
[email protected]
http://wssu.edu/school-health-sciences/

North Carolina has everything from the quiet towns located along the coast to the larger cities of Charlotte and Raleigh. Accredited healthcare administration degree programs in North Carolina give you a strong background that will help you land a job in the field.