By: Kendall Upton
Professional insights: Dr. Heather Alonge
Are you passionate about individual and population health outcomes, but you don’t want to work on the clinical front lines of patient care? If so, a degree in healthcare administration or public health could be a great option for you. These closely related fields are both interested in the facets of healthcare beyond direct patient care alone, and though professionals in these fields often work alongside one another, they are distinct disciplines which generally prepare students for different careers. At the end of the day, both fields aim to improve patient outcomes by addressing the needs of healthcare organizations and communities at large.
A firm understanding of the differences between healthcare administration and public health is the first step to determining which degree is right for you.
Healthcare administration and public health: What they mean and how they’re different
Let’s start with the most basic of questions: What is healthcare administration, and what is public health?
“Healthcare administration and public health fields are both disciplines within the healthcare sector. Both disciplines have their own focus and objectives,” said Dr. Heather Alonge, PhD, MPH, a faculty member for the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program at Walden University. “Healthcare administration mostly focuses on the business and operational aspects of healthcare facilities and departments. Professionals in this field manage hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other healthcare organizations. Healthcare administrators have specific expertise in healthcare finance, human resources, strategic planning and healthcare law. Examples of jobs in healthcare administration include hospital administrator, healthcare manager, human resources manager and practice manager.”
While the healthcare industry treats people who are sick, the field of public health is all about preventing people from getting sick or injured in the first place.
“Public health has a strong emphasis on improving health status and health outcomes at the community or population level. This field entails creating and managing programs that promote health, bring awareness and prevent disease,” Alonge said. “Public health professionals specialize in epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and community health. Examples of jobs in public health include epidemiologist, public health educator, health policy analyst and community health worker.”
What kinds of degrees can you earn in both fields?
Many schools offer healthcare administration and public health as two separate undergraduate majors. Like other bachelor’s degrees, you can expect to take a lot of general education courses in other subjects for a well-rounded curriculum at the bachelor’s level, regardless of which major you choose.
Graduate degrees are really where these two fields start to take shape. Healthcare administration degrees at the master’s level are often called a Master of Health Administration (MHA) or something similar. The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the most common name for a public health program at this level.
Although having an undergraduate degree in either field can be useful when applying to programs, most master’s degrees in healthcare administration or public health simply require that applicants have a bachelor’s degree regardless of what they majored in as an undergraduate.
You can also earn doctoral degrees in either area. Pursuing a doctorate in either healthcare administration or public health is a significant undertaking—most people who do so are either interested in research, teaching in academia or pursuing highly advanced positions in their respective fields.
Curriculum differences
Though many of the topics taught in healthcare administration and public health programs are closely connected, these programs do have their own distinct focus.
Healthcare administration curriculums
Classes in healthcare administration programs generally cover a lot of business topics as they pertain to healthcare systems and organizations, which includes things like financial management, leadership development and even marketing.
“Healthcare administration degrees, including a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), build the curriculum to focus on the business and operational aspects of healthcare facilities,” Alonge said. “The curriculum covers healthcare finance, human resources, strategic planning, and healthcare law. Students are educated to manage and lead hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations to ensure the facilities and departments run efficiently and effectively.”
In a healthcare administration program, common course topics include:
- Healthcare laws and ethics
- Healthcare accounting and financial management
- Leadership in healthcare settings
- Healthcare economics
- Healthcare systems and structures
- Population health
- Strategic management in healthcare
Public health curriculums
Public health programs typically have less of a business-focused slant and include more courses in the biological and social sciences.
“Public health degrees, including a Master of Public Health (MPH), are designed to prepare graduates for roles that improve health at the community or population level. The curriculum covers courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and health behavior. Students in public health degree programs learn to analyze data, develop health programs and implement policies to prevent disease and promote health,” Alonge said.
Courses you’re likely to find in public health programs include topics such as:
- Health systems, policies and laws
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Global health
- Determinants of health
- Environmental health
- Ethical considerations
Experiential learning
At the graduate level, you can also expect both types of programs to include a capstone project, thesis and/or practicum as part of your required coursework.
A capstone project can take many shapes and is meant to answer a practical question, through which the student synthesizes what they’ve learned throughout the program.
Healthcare administration example topic: Developing a peer support resource for physicians to improve wellness and reduce burnout among clinicians.
Public health example topic: Identify a particular public health issue in a population (e.g. heart disease) and evaluate the efficacy of a particular intervention technique (e.g. education initiatives, community health screenings).
A thesis is an independent research project that the student conducts and then presents their findings in a systematic way, typically in the form of a publishable research paper.
Healthcare administration example topic: Evaluation of how telemedicine services have affected patient outcomes.
Public health example topic: Evaluation of prevalence and risk factors for a particular disease or illness in a specific country or region.
A practicum places the student in a real-world field setting to gain hands-on experience in their area of interest, akin to an internship. In most cases, students are typically assigned help work on a particular project or campaign.
Healthcare administration examples: Work at a hospital, community health center, health plan, medical group or somewhere similar.
Public health examples: Work at a public health organization, such as a local public health department or community health center.
Comparing career paths
Though a degree in either field can absolutely lead to some of the same jobs, a healthcare administration degree and a public health degree generally cultivate different types of careers.
Healthcare administration careers
Some of the jobs you may pursue with a healthcare administration degree include:
Public health careers
Common jobs held by people with public health degrees include:
Salary comparison
It’s important to keep in mind that the type of degree you earn is not an automatic indicator of your earning potential. An individual’s experience, specialty credentials and their geographic location can all influence one’s salary.
However, we can take a look at the median annual salary for jobs in these fields to get a feel for the earning potential in either one.
According to the 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for medical and health services managers—a large category of healthcare administrators—is $117,960.
Public health salaries are a bit harder to pin down as there are many different types of jobs you can have in this field. Some common ones include:
How to determine which degree is right for you
Even if you understand the differences between healthcare administration and public health degrees, how should you go about choosing one for you?
“First, reflect on your interests, passions and strengths,” Alonge said. “Think about what aspects of the healthcare industry you either really enjoy or want to change. Are you more interested in the hospital departmental leadership or creating health education programs? Consider your skills and talents. Evaluate your strengths and opportunities. Do you excel in management, finance and strategic planning, or do you like research, data analysis and policy development?
“Next, explore career opportunities. Research the types of jobs available in each field and consider which roles you most would like to serve. Read the job descriptions, required qualifications and opportunities for career growth. Seeking mentorship can also be incredibly valuable. Also use career networking sites and join a professional membership society,” Alonge said.
Consider asking yourself these questions to help you discover what degree program is best for you and your career goals:
What role do you want to have in improving healthcare?
Do you want to be a part of the daily operations of healthcare facilities, ensuring that things run smoothly and efficiently so that patient and physician needs are met? If so, then a healthcare administration degree might be the right move. Or do you see yourself analyzing data, addressing inequalities in healthcare access or educating people in your community? In that case, a public health degree may be the best course.
What kind of environment do you want to work in?
Many of the jobs you may expect to pursue with a public health degree are at nonprofit agencies, government agencies and even science labs. As a healthcare administrator, you can expect to find work at healthcare clinics, hospitals, long term care facilities and more. Ask yourself which of these environments you see yourself working in, and that may help steer you toward the path that’s right for you.
Do you enjoy business courses or sciences courses more?
A healthcare administration curriculum is going to have more business-focused classes, whereas a public health degree is going to require more sciences courses in things like epidemiology, biostatistics and the social sciences. When you’ve taken similar classes in the past, which did you enjoy more? Which do you find more interesting? This can give you a pretty good idea of what type of program is going to be most compelling for you.
What about earning a degree in both fields?
Since the fields of healthcare administration and public health have a lot of overlap, you may be wondering if there are opportunities to combine these disciplines. The answer is yes—earning a degree in one field followed by another could open up a whole new realm of career possibilities.
“Students can combine degrees in public health and healthcare administration, such as students who attend dual-degree programs or earn complementary degrees at different educational levels,” Alonge said. “For example, a student might major in public health as an undergraduate and then pursue a master’s in healthcare administration (MHA) or earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) and then go on to earn a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration (DHA). Combining these degrees can provide graduates with an array of career options. Students acquire a thorough understanding of both public health principles and healthcare management, which is highly valued and sought after in the healthcare industry.”
With expertise in both areas, you could be well-positioned for a high level leadership role at some point in your career.
“Graduates are well-prepared for leadership positions that require both public health insights and administrative skills, such as hospital administrators, public health directors or health policy advisors. Graduates with dual degrees can develop and implement health policies and programs that improve community health while ensuring efficient healthcare delivery,” Alonge said.
Closing thoughts
Healthcare administration and public health are two popular degree programs offered at just about every level of higher education. These two fields may seem similar, but they are distinct. Understanding their differences can empower you to pick the degree program that’s best for your unique career trajectory.
If you’re worried about cornering yourself into a particular field, fear not. Many people with healthcare administration degrees work in public health settings and vice versa, as these fields can and do intersect in many ways. Once you know where you want your education to take you, hit our Find Schools button to start searching for programs today.
