Associate’s Degrees in Health Services

With the United States still fully entrenched in a mixed-market healthcare system – meaning that both public and private sources of health care are available to its people – the need for trained professionals who understand how to manage the administrative duties associated with health services continues to rise.

What is this degree/subject matter about?

While healthcare is most often viewed as the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness or injury – and it is all of those things – perhaps the most overlooked concept related to the delivery of healthcare today is that how such services are properly administered and accounted for. An associate’s degree in health services (one example is more specifically known an associated of science in health administration services) aims at training non-medical healthcare professionals to handle healthcare finance, records, and reimbursement systems, as well as properly comprehend legal and ethical issues the industry faces today.

What does it take to earn this degree, and what will it result in?

An AS in health administration services can most likely be completed in less than two years, and will include such coursework as medical terminology, concepts in healthcare organizations, and healthcare legal concepts. During study or upon completion, students will be prime candidates for office administration-oriented medical assistant positions. Job growth in this field is higher than most, and a median annual salary of more than $30,000 (BLS.gov) is the norm for entry level positions.

Online Associate’s Health Services Degrees

AA in Health Services Administration: Keiser University

Top Online Medical Lab Tech Degrees

For those looking to become a medical laboratory technician, a minimum of a two-year associate's degree in health science or a closely related healthcare subject is usually required to gain an entry-level position in the field. For those looking for more advancement, a bachelor's degree is recommended. There are numerous accredited online schools that offer such degrees, listed below.

BS in Clinical Lab Science	University of Cincinnati — The Bachelor of Science degree in clinical laboratory science offered by Cincinnati University is a perfect fit for individuals persuing a career as a medical lab technician. This program is designed to prepare students to become Clinical Lab Techs (CLTs) or Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) in under three years.
AAS in Medical Assisting AAS in Medical Transcription AAS in Human Services AAS in Health IT	Kaplan University — One of the biggest online schools in the nation, Kaplan University provides many online degrees to help you begin a Medical Lab Technician career. While the degrees build a foundation in healthcare that carries throughout your career, more training may be required for your desired position. Kaplan's programs include associate degrees in medical assisting, medical transcription, human services, and health information technology.
AA in Human Services Mgmt	University of Phoenix — The AA in human services management degree offered by the University of Phoenix provides students with knowledge and skills related to the management of human services organizations.
AS in Health IT	DeVry University — Kaplan, one of the most prominent online universities in the United States, offers an Associate's degree in health information technology. The four-year program is designed to train students for a variety of HIT-based medical environments, including physician practices, home health care agencies, vendor firms, and more.
AS in Allied Health Science	South University — The AS in allied health science degree program offered by South University emphasizes life science subjects like anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, and physiology. It is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of health careers, including medical laboratory technician.