There are a variety of degree programs offered under a master's degree in health. These include a master's in health administration, master's in public health, master's in health services administration and a master's of business administration in health care. MHA and MHSA degrees are designed for students who want to pursue a career with a health care institution. The MPH degree focuses on issues in the public health sector, including biological attacks and epidemics. The MBA in health care provides students with an education in the business, legal and management aspects of the health care industry.
Though each institution that offers a master's program in health has different eligibility criteria, most schools require you to have obtained a bachelor's degree and may also require scores from standardized exams, such as the Graduate Record Examination. If you're applying for an MBA in health, you will likely have to sit for the Graduate Management Admission Test, which is required by most MBA programs, regardless of the concentration you choose. Some schools may also require you to have taken specific courses. For example, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles offers an MHA with a prerequisite of a statistics course with a grade of "B" or better taken within three years.
Most master's degree in health programs require two years of study in order for you to graduate and may include internships and a summer field study project, such as the one required by the University of California Los Angeles for all students in its MPH program. The curriculum varies depending on the degree you pursue. An MBA in health care may include courses such as financial accounting, managerial statistics, health care policy and regulations and health care business ethics.
Master's degrees in health provide a number of career options. A master's in health care education can lead to a career as a health teacher, a health researcher or a wellness director at a health institution. A master's in public health can lead to a career as an epidemiologist, evaluating the spread of disease on large populations to help local, state and federal agencies develop programs to deal with public health epidemics. Other career positions include health administrator for a hospital, clinic or government-run health agency; nutritionist; environmental health scientist; and biomedical scientist.