masters in Health Management worth it?

[techie]

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Hello,

I am a dentist interested in pursuing an online MBA or part time Master's in Health Management at AZ State U. It's needs to be online/partime because I want to keep working part time.

I will be combining my wife's spousal tuition benefits and with my GI Bill benefits.Currently, the in-state tuition portion of the MBA tuition and fees is $5466. I would still be responsible for the remaining MBA and university fees, which are currently $13,545 for Online, $9k for masters in Health Management . Depending on my GI Bill benefits, a majority of these remaining fees may be covered.

I will be using the MBA primarily to improve my business skills to open my own practices, but there is a possibility that I would like to work for a dental company one day.

My question is are there other online MBA programs that I should consider? Any rankings? Is the masters in Health Management worth it?

http://wpcarey.asu.edu/mba

vs

http://wpcarey.asu.edu/shmp/mhsm.cfm




Thanks!

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[bluejay68]

I don't know very much about the specific programs that you mentioned but I can give some geneal advice as to whether a masters is "worth it" to you.

By the way, when you say "Masters in Health Management" do you mean MBA with a Healthcare concentration, an MHA (Masters in Health Administration) or something else entirely? My sense is that the MBA would be more of a generalized degree (depending on where you get it), possibly more suited to entrepreneurship while the MHA is traditionally more used in hospital administration.

Here are some considerations that I would think about:
- is an MBA or Masters in Health Management a definite requirement to accomplish your career goals? There are very few jobs that absolutely require these types of degrees but many employers look favorably upon them

- will a degree from this particular institution give me the career opportunities I am hoping for? I have found that unlike medicine/dentistry where which school you went to does not tend to limit your career potential (in general), where you get your MBA or Masters degree matters A LOT. Make sure that graduates from the progam you are looking at are getting the types of oppotunities that you expect for yourself. Also, degrees obtained via distance learning tend to get less recognition by potential employers.

- there are several types of costs that you need to justify to yourself (other than the direct costs). If you are planning on continuing to work while in school can your personal life and relationships handle the stress? If you are cutting back on work, what are the opportunity costs of lost income? Would you otherwise be advancing your career in other ways if you did not pursue this degree? What is the extra income you expect to make after you complete the degree that is directly attributable to it? Do the numbers make sense?

Everyone is going to have slightly different answers to these questions. I would try to speak with as many people as you can for advice on your specific situation (mentors, councilors, friends, family, etc).

Good luck!

 

[mj]

If starting your own practice is truly your goal to get your masters you should consider an entreprenuer program instead that will take you through the basics of practice set up, marketing, accounting ect. You won't get much of that in your masters program.

Also, I agree with the previous poster -- online degrees don't hold much weight. If you're interested in working for a company, go part time to AZ

 

[ac05]

If starting your own practice is truly your goal to get your masters you should consider an entreprenuer program instead that will take you through the basics of practice set up, marketing, accounting ect. You won't get much of that in your masters program.

Also, I agree with the previous poster -- online degrees don't hold much weight. If you're interested in working for a company, go part time to AZ

I was thinking about getting my OD/MBA in Health Care Administration because I was hoping that I could possibly work in Hospital management when I graduate. Is this is a good decision? What are other career options available with getting a doctorate degree at the same time MBA