21.05.20
Why an online healthcare masters is key to career progression
The University of Glasgow offers a whole host of healthcare online degrees designed to promote your skills and progress your career. Join us and make your mark today.
Against a backdrop of increasingly aging populations and advancing medical technology, the pressure on health services worldwide is growing. If you’re a healthcare professional willing to learn new skills, this presents a prime opportunity to significantly progress your career and earning potential.
In the US, 10 of the 20 fastest-growing career fields are healthcare related, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). And highlighting the employment opportunities in the UK, NHS trusts could see a shortfall of around 350,000 staff by 2030.
Discover new opportunities
With the healthcare industry focusing more on enhancing patient care, new roles are being created all the time, covering management, education, technology, policy development and public advisory positions, amongst others.
Positions high on the healthcare agenda worldwide include:
- Health education – healthcare is becoming more specialised, increasing the need for roles in teaching and clinical assessment, curriculum design, evaluation, simulation and management.
- Mental health – with mental health attracting greater attention in recent years, there are opportunities for careers in mental health policy and planning, and in epidemiological and mental health service research.
- Health technology – as medical technology advances to improve patient outcomes, so does the demand for expertise in areas such as data science, health economics and analytical decision modelling.
- Public and population health – in light of recent pandemics, there is a pressing need for experts with the skills to devise effective, new public health strategies and policies.
- One health – with more organisations, like WHO, promoting the value of treating human, animal and environmental health as one connected whole, the need for specialists in this area is growing.
Strengthen your position
For those who are keen to seize on these opportunities, a masters degree is key. Equipped with expertise and a qualification, you will be in a far stronger position, whether you’re looking to get a step up in your current company or considering switching to another healthcare-related field.
Knowledge really is power when it comes to upskilling in healthcare, since it gives you the ability to diversify – a great attribute in a changeable, but expanding environment such as healthcare. Also, for many, being able to take on more responsibility for the care of patients and the facilities they use day-to-day can be a hugely rewarding experience too.
Top the pay scale
If you’re prepared to put in the effort, a masters can significantly improve your earning potential too. Though it varies between roles, employers and location, healthcare professionals with a masters degree earn significantly more. For example, qualified health service managers’ annual income ranges from $58,680 to $182,600 in the US, with the average standing at $99,730, according to a recent report by the BLS.
It’s easy to see how a programme of postgraduate study can pay dividends. But for many, it can be hard to justify the financial outlay further study entails, as well as the associated demands such as travelling to campus and giving up work.
Study on your terms
With a wide choice of healthcare masters programmes now available online, you can overcome many of these barriers. Studying online not only allows you to improve your prospects without having to relocate or commute to a university, it means you can upskill around your existing work and family commitments.
To make the costs easier to manage, many online programme providers offer ‘pay-as-you-go’ style financing, where you opt to pay in advance for each module, rather than paying for the entire programme outright.
While gaining on-the-job experience can help you further your career, it will only take you so far. A masters degree is not only your route to a world of new healthcare career opportunities, it can significantly improve your pay, your versatility and your job satisfaction. And with so many online healthcare masters now at your fingertips, making those first steps toward a bigger and better career has never been easier.
The University of Glasgow offers a whole host of healthcare online degrees designed to promote your skills and progress your career. Join us and make your mark today.