Types of master’s degrees in healthcare

For healthcare workers, continuous professional development is a big priority, so you’ll always be learning new skills, hearing about new research, and expanding your knowledge. But what if there was a way to fast-track your progression, so you could access well paid, specialist careers without having to wait?

A master’s degree in healthcare offers the perfect solution. No matter your age or years of experience, a master’s degree in the field you’re most passionate about will provide you with the expertise and confidence to take those next steps in your career.

However, there are lots of different types of healthcare master’s degrees to choose from. So, in this article, we’ll be deep-diving into some of the most popular options out there, including the potential careers and salaries you could access.

What are the types of master’s degrees in healthcare?

Before we get into some of the subjects you can study for a master’s degree, let’s break down some of the different types of master’s you’ll see out there. Knowing the difference will save you time and trouble when looking for the right course for you.

• Master of Science (MSc): Probably the most common type of master’s in healthcare, a MSc degree usually requires you to come up with a scientific thesis.
• Master of Public Health (MPH): This degree specifically prepares you to work in the field of public health, including policy or advocacy work.
• Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA): An MHA is designed for those seeking to work in healthcare management and administration, e.g. managing hospitals. However, in the UK, it’s far more common to see MSc degrees in healthcare management, leadership and administration, rather than an MHA.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA): While an MBA usually focuses on business management, you can specialise in healthcare and focus on healthcare delivery.

Master’s degrees in healthcare administration

Many people who pursue a master’s degree in healthcare are looking to secure senior positions in hospitals, clinics, community health centres, or even within government. 

If this sounds like you, you’ll most likely be interested in a healthcare administration master’s. And you’re in the right place, as we’ll be talking about five of the best options out there.

1. MSc Health Services Management

Want to take on a management role within healthcare, focusing on operations and delivery? A master’s in health services management could be a great option for you, teaching skills in financial and human resource management as well as healthcare specific areas. 

You’ll learn to apply leadership skills to contemporary health services, including hospitals, clinics, care homes and community health centres. 

As you develop organisational skills and enhance your knowledge of the current healthcare landscape in the UK, you’ll learn how to transform health services and support staff in providing effective, safe and high-quality care. 

Careers with average annual salaries

• Healthcare administrator — £38,610 
• Healthcare compliance officer — £34,259
• Health services manager — £57,357

2. MSc Global Healthcare Management

If you prefer to think about the big picture and want to impact healthcare on a global scale, this is the master’s for you. On a global healthcare management degree, you’ll also specialise in leadership and management, but in the context of global healthcare research and practices.

You’ll start with gaining a foundation of the essential theories and research around healthcare management, but you’ll go on to explore some of the most critical issues in the global healthcare landscape — this includes health equity, digital transformations and public health.

You could find yourself working for all kinds of organisations with this specialist degree, including international health organisations, NGOs, and global health consulting firms.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Global health consultant — £38,610
• Health program manager — £65,511
• Health education specialist — £33,521

3. MSc Healthcare Leadership

While this degree may sound similar to MSc Health Services Management, the emphasis is placed more on developing effective leadership rather than the services themselves. 

This means you’ll be diving into leadership theory, organisational behaviour, change management and more. So, if you’re interested in driving organisational change and influencing healthcare policies, this could be the right choice for you.

Once you’ve learned how to lead successfully, make effective decisions and establish robust leadership practices within a healthcare context — both on a small and large scale — you’ll be ready to take on senior positions such as a health program manager or director of healthcare services.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Practice manager — £41,160
• Chief nursing officer  — £49,406
• Health information manager — £52,035

4. MSc Healthcare Policy

If you want to make a difference in healthcare, but are more suited to conducting research and driving policy change, the perfect master’s for you is an MSc in healthcare policy. You’ll walk away with a deep understanding of the healthcare system in the UK, including how socio-economic factors influence the creation of health policies.

This degree will prepare you for careers in government agencies, policy research organisations and more, so if you’re passionate about the intersection of healthcare and politics, this could be a great choice with plenty of career prospects.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Health policy analyst — £37,226
• Health policy professor — £33,521
• Healthcare consultant — £89,719

5. MSc Health Economics

Similarly to a degree in healthcare policy, a master’s in health economics will prepare you to make tangible impacts to the healthcare system through carrying out research. 

However, on this degree, your focus will be economics, so you’ll study how microeconomics can be applied to healthcare decisions made by consumers, organisations and governments. You’ll also develop a set of quantitative, theoretical and analytical skills that will help you make key decisions in health economics.

As the global health landscape rapidly evolves, there’s more need than ever for people who can analyse the economic aspects of healthcare policy and practice, and offer advice to governments and health organisations.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Health researcher for government — £48,062
• Healthcare consultant — £89,719
• Health economist — £55,000

Master’s degrees in healthcare 

Not everyone is interested in healthcare administration, however! Perhaps you simply want to further your expertise and skills in your subject specialism, which will likely lead to a wider range of career opportunities and better salaries. Take a look at five of your options below.

1. MSc Nursing

If you’re already a registered nurse, but are hoping to specialise in a particular area or move into a management role, a master’s in nursing is the best way you can quickly progress. You could choose to specialise in areas such as public health, mental health or clinical nursing, or simply focus on developing your current skill set.

So, it’s worth looking into the details of different nursing master’s to find a degree that fits your requirements and teaches the skills you want to gain. You can be sure though, that a master’s will increase your job security and probably your salary — advanced nursing professionals are high in demand at the moment.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Nurse manager — £40,772
• Public health nurse — £41,885
• Nurse practitioner — £39,153

2. Master’s of Public Health (MPH)

A public health master’s degree can prepare you for a myriad of jobs in the field, including in government and international health organisations. An MPH prepares you specifically for a career tackling diverse public health issues — while it does still contain scientific research and methods, it’s a more flexible and strategic degree than an MSc.

You’ll study public health in a broad sense, learning essential research methods, how to analyse data, and effective science communications, before learning how to investigate, evaluate and address complex problems in the field of public health.

Your studies will cover different areas of public health, like disease outbreaks, social determinants of health, and how to predict public health threats. Depending on your specific degree program, you might specialise in certain subjects, like toxicology or biostatistics. 

Careers with average annual salaries

• Epidemiologist — £43,581
• Community health educator — £33,521
• Environmental health specialist — £34,232

3. MSc Health Informatics

Interested in the intersection between health and technology? Whether your background is in healthcare or tech, a health informatics degree can qualify you for impactful roles across the healthcare industry, particularly ones that require programming and data analysis.

A health informatics degree is interdisciplinary, focusing on analysing healthcare data in order to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Some topics you might study include clinical informatics, health information management and biostatistics, but you can choose a degree that specialises in the areas you’re most interested in.

This master’s will open the doors to a range of career opportunities that are in demand and well paid, due to the specialist skills required and the high level of impact you can have. 

Careers with average annual salaries

• Clinical informatics specialist — £44,625
• Biostatistician — £43,619
• Informatics analyst — £52,689

4. MSc Mental Health

Whether you’re working as a nurse, counsellor, policy advisor or something else, a master’s degree in mental health can offer you the specialist skills you need to understand, diagnose and treat mental health conditions. 

Some programs might focus on clinical mental health, while others might focus on mental health in non-clinical environments like the workplace or schools, so make sure you do your research first.

Whichever degree you choose, you’ll gain a holistic understanding of mental health, looking at mental health research, practice and policy as a foundation for your studies. You’ll study topics like behavioural change, qualitative analysis and wellbeing interventions, and you may also be able to specialise in a specific area, like youth mental health.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Mental health educator — £33,521
• Program counsellor — £34,674
• Social worker — £40,373 

5. MSc Occupational Therapy

If you’re passionate about improving the quality of life for individuals with physical, mental or cognitive challenges, then pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy is a great way to secure a career doing what you love. 

You’ll develop the skills to assess, diagnose and treat people with various injuries, disabilities, illnesses and other issues, and create personalised plans for patients that allow them to live a happier, healthier and more independent life. You might be interested in working with certain groups in particular, like older people or those with mental health conditions.

There’s a lot to learn on an occupational therapy degree, including the basics like human anatomy and physiology, but extending to more specialist topics like therapeutic techniques and patient-centred care. If you want to learn how to make a difference in the lives of a diverse set of patients, this could be the master’s for you.

Careers with average annual salaries

• Occupational therapist — £37,270
• Health improvement practitioner — £29,976
• Care manager — £32,774

Choosing the right master’s degree in healthcare

Deciding on the right healthcare master’s for you is a big decision, so it’s one that you need to consider carefully. Below, we dive into some of the main considerations.

First of all, are you sure that this is the specialism or career path you’re most passionate about? Since you’re pouring time and money into your studies, you want to make sure you’re on the right path, and feel strongly about the subject you’ve chosen.

For example, are the graduate outcomes good for this subject? And do the average salaries for your ideal career align with your salary expectations? It’s good to ask yourself all of the difficult questions before making a decision.

Secondly, do you want to study your master’s degree in-person or online? For many healthcare workers, taking a year or two off work to study at a campus university is not a viable option, and an online master’s is better suited to their needs. You can take a look at our online healthcare degrees for some inspiration.

Final thoughts

Hopefully, this guide has left you feeling more clued-up and excited about finding a healthcare master’s degree that fulfils all your requirements. While a master’s degree requires hard work and commitment, the rewards cannot be overstated. Your new specialist skills will not only boost your career, but also potentially save lives.

Whether you’re contributing to more effective hospital management, carrying out essential public health research, or educating new healthcare staff on best practices, your master’s degree can help you really make a difference in the area you’re most passionate about.