Those who are seeking a degree or certification in management are preparing themselves to take positions of leadership within a company. Managers work from the mid-level to the upper levels of a company, establishing strategies, directing employees and overseeing execution and operations within specific areas.

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Management Course Topics

Courses in management programs often cover many of the basics of business administration. Those who seek to manage in certain industries will, of course, take classes that provide a solid learning in the fundamentals of those areas. Someone who wishes to enter the health services management field, for example, would need at least a bachelor’s degree and might also seek a master’s degree, which is common in that field.

A student in healthcare management might study any or all of the following:

  • Hospital organization
  • Hospital management
  • Accounting
  • Budgeting
  • Human resources administration
  • Strategic planning
  • Law and ethics
  • Health economics
  • Health information systems

Job Duties in Management

Again, turning to health care managers, the job depends on the area in which the professional specializes. Some of the facilities that a manager in the healthcare field might work include:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Mental care facilities
  • Group medical practice

As with all management jobs, those working in healthcare must have a clear strategic vision and the ability to communicate that vision to others. There are other skills that are also useful, including:

  • Analytical skills are useful for taking the information given by staff and having the ability to understand the information and find useful applications for business operations.
  • Communication skills are among the most important skills for a manager, because even those with the best ideas and clearest vision are ineffective if they cannot communicate it well.
  • Interpersonal skills are, much like communication skills as a whole, very important. In the healthcare industry, these skills are needed to deal with medical professionals, insurance industry representatives and patients.
  • Problem-solving is an important skill for everyone, but it is crucial to those who aspire to lead others.

Job Outlook in Management

The United State Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not break down management jobs as a whole in terms of job outlook or pay. However, they do so for industries within management, including healthcare management. The number of jobs for healthcare managers is expected to grow by about 22% by 2020, a rate that is faster than the average for all occupations.

The BLS projects that rate based on a number of factors, including the rapid spread of healthcare-related facilities across the country as an aging population – more active and longer-living than any previous older generation – requires more healthcare services.

The average pay for a healthcare manager was more than $84,000 in 2010, with the top 10% earning more than $144,000 a year.