Requirements to Become a Hospital Administrator

• Hospital administrators who plan to work in nursing homes will need a license. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the medical and health services managers, such as hospital administrators, are expected to increase 16 percent from 2008 to 2018. Hospital administrators, commonly referred to as health care administrators, supervise the daily operations of a hospital. In fact, the hospital administrators are an essential part of the health care system. Although the administrators don't treat patients, they are responsible for the financial and business decisions for the hospitals.

Postsecondary Education Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in health care administration is needed for entry-level positions. However, a more advanced degree, such as a master's degree in health care administration, is needed for intermediate to higher-level hospital administrator positions, according to Degree Finder. Health care administration graduate programs are extremely competitive, according to the BLS. Thus, individuals with prior health care experience are preferred. Also, individuals who have a liberal arts or health educational background have a good chance of being accepted into the health care administration programs. Typically, these graduate programs are offered at colleges and universities and last two to three years. Depending on the programs, people can specialize in one segment of administration, such as hospital administration or a general health care administration, according to the BLS. However, generally health care administration coursework includes classes in budgeting, hospital organization, human resources and biostatistics. In addition, supervised hospital administrative training is included in the program.

Job Experience Requirements

• Prior job experience in health care administration is preferred by many employers. However, according to the BLS, new graduates with master's degrees in health care administration may start out as supervisors or department managers. Other on-the-job experience opportunities include fellowships and residences. Health care administrators with bachelor's degrees can gain hospital administration experience as administrative assistants at large hospitals.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Since hospital administrators are responsible for day-to-day operations, such as creating policies, setting standards, patient care and implementing budgets. Thus, they must have the ability to understand and interpret financial data. Hospital administrators need skills, such as strong leadership and the ability to motivate other employees. In addition, administrators need to be flexible and be able to listen to different opinions and opposing views. Communication skills are vital to being successful in hospital administration. This is the case because hospital administrators spend most of their time talking with other professionals like doctors.