The Texas Workforce Commission projects that the number of jobs for medical and health services managers will increase by more than 21.9 percent over the ten-year period leading up to 2028. An impressive growth rate in itself, it’s all the more so considering that as of 2020 Texas was home to 34,380 health services administrators, the second-highest number in the nation.
As experienced administrators pursue director and executive-level positions, new opportunities become available in lower-to-mid-level positions. In an environment that encourages upward career mobility, salaries also tend to be high as employers compete for top talent. According to a 2020 report published by the US Department of Labor, medical and health services managers in Texas earned an average of $110,870, considerably more than what similar professionals earned in most neighboring states.
Texas also stands out in the nation when it comes to its hospital facilities. Here those number 1,169 and provide jobs for a total of 468,124 people, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Pursuing a Healthcare Administration Degrees in Texas
As a national leader in the field of healthcare administration, Texas offers many academic opportunities that residents can choose from. These range from undergraduate degrees for new students available at campus locations throughout the state, to flexible online graduate degree programs for advancing healthcare professionals.
Undergraduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration
Examples of relevant programs available in Texas for aspiring professionals interested in a career in healthcare administration include:
- Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA)
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration (BSHA)
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in Healthcare Management
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Services Administration
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
The four-year bachelor’s program consists of at least 120 semester credits, which can be divided into roughly two equal segments. The first 60 credits cover undergraduate requirements and prerequisites for more advanced courses in the healthcare administration major. Schools will often accept a transferred associate’s degree as fulfilling this segment.
The second half of the bachelor’s program consists of upper-division courses that focus on important major-related topics in the field. These classes will cover subjects like:
- Principles of accounting, marketing, and advertising
- Financial statement analysis
- Strategic planning and healthcare leadership
- Human resource management
- Economics of healthcare
- Legal issues in the healthcare business environment
- Supply chain and operations management
- Strategic management during organizational change
Relevant bachelor’s degree programs can be found online as well as at campus locations in:
- San Marcos
- Dallas
- Houston
- Corpus Christi
- San Antonio
- Lubbock
- McAllen
Graduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration
Healthcare administrators that hold director and executive-level positions most often hold a master’s in health administration. Relevant graduate degrees available online and through campus-based programs in Texas include:
- Master of Health Administration (MHA)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management or Administration
- Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA)
- Dual degree programs:
- MHA/MBA
- JD/MSHA
- MSN/MBA
Applying to Graduate Programs
Most graduate schools will admit students with a bachelor’s degree in a major other than health administration. Health administrators come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, with the most common being a healthcare field like nursing. Still, many also have a background in business, finance or accounting. Most undergraduate degrees will be accepted, though arrangements may need to be made for completing prerequisites.
Graduate schools may set their own admission requirements, however, many share certain standards in common. Admission requirements often include:
- Completion of specific course prerequisites
- Minimum undergraduate GPA
- Essay on the topic of academic or professional goals
- Letters of recommendation
- Related professional work experience
- Current employment in the healthcare industry
Graduate Programs in Healthcare Administration
Graduate programs range from 12-24 months in length and are made up of between 30-60 semester credits. Over the course of a graduate program, students concentrate on a variety of important topics that set the stage for advanced specialization in the field of healthcare administration:
- Managing health care informatics, statistics, and data
- Management of healthcare resources, consumers, and payers
- Strategic management of large healthcare organizations
- Global economics and the healthcare industry
- Medical, patient, and data informatics
- Quality and performance improvement through statistical analysis
- Advanced healthcare law at the state and federal levels
- Quantitative methods for healthcare organizations
- Leadership and ethical dilemmas
- Healthcare organization compliance for accreditation
Graduate programs may also culminate with a thesis or capstone research project, allowing students to perform in-depth analyses in one of the key components of health administration like finance, business management, client relations, or marketing.
In addition to online schools, prospective graduate students in Texas can find relevant degree programs in the cities of:
- San Antonio
- Austin
- Arlington
- Waco
- Dallas
- Houston
- Denton
- Tyler
- Edinburg
- College Station
Starting or Advancing a Career in Healthcare Administration
The following job descriptions and their associated requirements are provided as illustrative examples to provide some insight into the job market and working environment in Texas (For illustrative purposes only and not intended to constitute a job offer or the assurance of employment. Sourced from a survey of job vacancy announcements in Texas performed in November of 2015.):
UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
- Clinical Practice Manager – As manager, this professional works in a close collaborative relationship with other senior department heads to achieve specific goals and optimize patient outcomes; preferred candidates hold an MHA, MBA, or MPH
Harris Health System in Houston
- Administrative Director of Ambulatory Care Services – As the director of ACS, this professional provides oversight of primary care clinical operations; applicants must have an MHA, MBA, or MSN
Medical Groups in Houston
- Vice President of the Operations Division – VP of Operations is responsible for aligning three medical programs to bring them into compliance with 501(a) regulations (Saint Luke’s Health Texas Division, Bayer College of Medicine, and Saint Joseph Physician Associates); applicants must have an MHA or MBA
Laurel Ridge Treatment Center in San Antonio
- Program Director of Military Services – Ensures the highest quality of patient care through management of product development, coordination, and implementation; preferred candidates hold an MHA or LCSW
First Baptist Medical Center in Dallas
- Chief Financial Officer – The CFO is responsible for managing third-party reimbursements, general accounting, financial reporting, patient business services, and statistical analyses; preferred candidates hold an MHA, MBA, or a Master’s in Accounting
Saint Luke’s Health in Houston
- Director of Emergency Department Patient Care – As the director, this incumbent is responsible for leading the nursing organization at this facility, including in administration as well as communications with patients and their families; applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a valid RN license, as well as an MHA, MBA, or MSN
Resources for Healthcare Administrators in Texas
Texas offers its working professionals and students a number of helpful resources when it comes to finding employment or information about professional development. This includes significant employers as well as professional organizations located throughout the state:
Largest Employers of Healthcare Administrators
- Baylor Saint Luke’s Medical Center in Houston
- University of Texas Southwest Medical Center in Dallas
- University Hospital in San Antonio
- Seton Medical Center in Austin
- Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas
- Medical City Dallas Hospital
- Memorial Hermann Northwest Complex in Houston
- Christus Saint Michael Hospital in Texarkana
- Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster
- Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth
- Edinburg Regional Medical Center
- Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler
- Baylor Medical Center in Irving
- Christus Hospital Saint Elizabeth in Beaumont
- Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene
- Medical Center Hospital in Odessa
- Medical Center of Plano
- Amarillo VA Health Care System
- West Texas VA Health Care System in Big Spring
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
- Cigna HealthCare of Texas
- Oscar Insurance Company of Texas
Professional Resources
- Texas Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration and Education
- Texas Association for Healthcare Financial Administration
- Texas Midwest Healthcare Executives
- Texas Association of Healthcare Facilities Management
- Medical Group Management Association of Texas
- Lone Star Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association
- Texas Association for Healthcare Quality
- Texas Health Information Management Association
- Health Management Associates
- Health Care Administrators Association
- American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers.
Job growth projections sourced from the Texas Labor Market Information and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm.
Salary figures and job market projections represent state data, not school-specific information.
Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2021.