What Are the Best MBA Programs for Registered Nurses?

Regardless of how one feels about the subject, it’s impossible to deny the tangled marriage of business and healthcare in America. In 2022, the estimated healthcare industry revenue was $2.8 trillion, with nearly half of that coming from hospitals. How capital is collected and distributed within that system has enormous impacts on who receives care, and of what quality. To move forward, the industry needs more professionals who speak both the language of business and the language of healthcare.

Registered nurses (RN) are well-situated to take on leadership roles within the shared world of business and healthcare. Already fluent in clinical practices and patient needs, they can look to MBA programs to add expertise in the industry’s business side. These programs can often be completed online in under two years, providing graduates with fundamental knowledge about management, finance, marketing, and leadership.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2024), healthcare will add an additional 1.8 million jobs between 2022 and 2032. With a continued trend of increased practice authority (health systems shifting to value-based care models, and digital transformations taking place across the industry), registered nurses with solid business acumen are poised to steer the direction healthcare takes in the coming years. Further customization of an MBA program can turn an adept into an expert.

To get a look at the best MBA programs for registered nurses, read on.

MBA in Healthcare Management

An MBA in healthcare management is the most obvious specialization for RNs seeking leadership roles. These programs pair the standard business administration curriculum with classes on public health systems, regulatory compliance, clinical research, and integrative medicine. Graduates can go on to positions such as director of nursing, hospital CEO, and pharmaceutical manager.

George Washington University

The online healthcare MBA at George Washington University is among the best in the nation. The 46.5-credit program includes 31.5 credits of core courses and three credits of technology electives, and the remaining twelve credits are reserved for healthcare-focused elective courses.

Students in this program can combine their MBA with one of seven 18-credit graduate certificates: clinical research practice; clinical research administration; clinical and translational research; healthcare quality; health sciences; integrative medicine; or regulatory affairs. All courses earned in these certificates can be applied to the healthcare MBA program.

Admission requirements to the program include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, GMAT or GRE scores (waivers available), a completed online application, official transcripts, a current resume, one letter of recommendation, a statement of program goals and objectives, and TOEFL or IELTS scores for applicants who have not completed a degree in the U.S. Three years of professional work experience is strongly preferred.

The curriculum includes courses such as organizations and human capital; decision-making & data analysis; business ethics and public policy; strategic management; operations management; health information, quality, and outcomes; regulatory strategy in developing drugs and biologics; and medicines development.

• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)
• Expected Time to Completion: 24 months

Utica University

Utica University offers an online MBA with a specialization in healthcare management. This ACBSP-accredited online program does not require GMAT or GRE scores and can be completed entirely online. Students through this program will learn about assessing, planning, and implementing projects within organizations that will ultimately help them improve their patient’s health. They will gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare regulations and laws, global health politics and services, and upcoming technology, to better serve agencies and companies within the health sector.

The program, which comprises 30 credits, includes courses on ethical and legal issues in healthcare, marketing and strategic planning in the service sector, quality and performance improvement in evidence-based healthcare, leadership organizational development and change, healthcare information systems, data-driven decision-making, and financial fluency.

• Location: Utica, NY
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 24 months

MBA in Healthcare Informatics

An MBA in healthcare informatics prepares graduates for the data-driven present and the rapidly approaching future. Healthcare informatics has already changed everything from insurance plans to patient treatment; tomorrow’s healthcare leaders will be fluent in the subject.

A health informatics MBA provides that fluency by covering areas like data analytics, public policy, and healthcare technology. Graduates can go on to either lead digital transformations at health organizations or oversee leading-edge data-driven healthcare systems.

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University offers an online MBA in healthcare management program, preparing students to transition into or excel in leadership roles at hospitals, medical offices, clinics, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare corporations. This online program includes health informatics as part of its curriculum. Students will excel at managing the day-to-day duties of major organizations and will develop the knowledge and skills required for thinking critically, fixing programs, and undertaking strategic planning.

Some of the courses in this 30-credit curriculum include healthcare informatics, topics in health administration, social and organizational issues in healthcare, leading people and organizations, organizational strategy in a global environment, measuring success in an organization, optimizing brands, and strategic opportunity management.

• Location: Manchester, NH
• Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months

Fayetteville State University

An online MBA with a concentration in health informatics at Fayetteville State University combines the core concepts and knowledge of business administration and equips students with the skills and knowledge of the information systems and technologies used in the healthcare industry in medical services and management.

The 39-credit program includes courses such as healthcare information systems, managing health informatics, public policy for health informatics, medical decision-making and IT, managerial accounting, business analytics, financial management, leading organizations, and data analytics.

• Location: Fayetteville, NC
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 months or more

MBA in General Management

An MBA in general management is ideal for nurses seeking modern business leadership skills. These programs have changed significantly over the last few decades, including corporate strategy and negotiation instruction.

Students take concentration classes in areas like project management, organizational design, and strategic leadership. Graduates are equipped to lead departmental teams within a large health system or pivot into more business-focused healthcare roles.

Maryville University

Maryville University offers an online MBA in general management providing students with in-depth knowledge about the general operations of a company (from accounting principles to corporate strategies and organizational behavior).

Graduates in this program will explore important topics in business management such as leadership, corporate strategies, organizational behavior, business ethics, and project and strategic management.

The 39-credit program includes courses in human resources management, leadership, project management, interpersonal management skills, process and operations management, supply chain management, global business, business economics, organizational behavior and development, and business ethics.

Graduates will be ready to take up roles such as management analysts, human resources managers, product managers, property managers, business operations specialists, chief operating officers, administrative services managers, project managers, training and development managers, sales managers, management consultants, and financial managers.

• Location: St. Louis, MO
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 14 months

University of Saint Mary

University of Saint Mary’s online MBA with a concentration in general management teaches students strategic solutions to common obstacles in their workplace. Students will focus on general management knowledge and skills such as conflict resolution and will build an in-depth understanding of leadership.

This 33-credit program involves eight core courses and three elective courses. Some of the courses in the curriculum include operations management; management information systems; leadership; and project management. This track allows students to choose courses from other concentrations as well. One such concentration is in healthcare management, including courses such as healthcare informatics and technologies; leadership and business operations in healthcare; and legal and ethical issues in healthcare.

• Location: Leavenworth, KS
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months

MBA in Public Administration

An MBA in public administration prepares nurses for leadership on the influential axis of public policy. On top of business fundamentals, graduates learn about government budgeting, policy development, administrative law, and regulatory compliance. Nurse graduates of these programs can work either on influencing and implementing a new policy or on bringing public companies and healthcare organizations into compliance with existing policy. As businesses and governments continue to push and pull on issues of healthcare, more qualified leaders will need an understanding of every side of the equation.

Strayer University

With 15 concentrations to choose from, Strayer University’s online MBA offers a wide variety of options for students to choose from. An MBA in public administration from Strayer can help students prepare for leadership roles in the executive branches of state, federal, and local governments and the nonprofit sector.

The major admission requirements to the program include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2.50, a completed application, official copies of transcripts from all other colleges or universities attended, and a valid, current, and legible government-issued photo identification.

The Strayer MBA program includes courses such as modern public administration: managing public and nonprofit organizations; public budgeting and finance; policy analysis and program evaluation; strategic management; business communications; leadership and organizational behavior; law, ethics, and corporate governance; marketing management; and managerial economics and globalization.

• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 24 months

University of Mary

University of Mary’s Gary Tharaldson School of Business offers an online MBA with several concentration options, including one in public administration. This concentration is a flexible and affordable option for RNs seeking public sector expertise. Graduates will leave the program with a mastery of the operational side of public programming and policy.

Consisting of 36 credits, the program’s core courses include business research & writing; human resource management; leadership & management theory; managerial finance; marketing; law in the managerial environment; and ethics in business. Courses in the concentration include foundations of public administration; public finance and budgeting; and leadership in the public sector.

• Location: Bismarck, ND
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)
• Expected Time to Completion: 16 months

MBA in Finance

The industry-wide shift towards value-based care requires the recalculation of many long-standing financial principles in healthcare, and an MBA in finance allows a registered nurse to participate in how proper financial management can drive better health outcomes.

These programs dive deeply into areas such as capital budgeting, risk management, portfolio management, and short- and long-term financial management. Nurses with this added level of expertise will be able to make top-level decisions that empower healthcare workers and lead to better patient outcomes.

University of Alabama Birmingham

The online MBA at the University of Alabama Birmingham’s Collat School of Business can be specialized with a finance concentration. Designed around innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship, the program consists of 39 credits—nine of which are dedicated to one’s area of concentration.

Course topics include corporate finance; strategic cost analysis and decision-making; quantitative analysis; treasury management; financial risk analysis and management; mergers and acquisitions; and portfolio theory and construction.

• Location: Birmingham, AL
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months

Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University’s online MBA degree with a concentration in finance helps students develop the advanced knowledge and skills needed for analyzing investments, making complicated financial decisions, managing risk, and solving complex challenges. In this MBA finance program, students will learn the best practices regarding accounting, compliance, modern financial theory, budgeting, investment banking, and capital markets. This advanced knowledge and skills will help them elevate their value and make them more marketable.

The program comprises 45 credits, including core coursework in financial management; financial accounting; managerial accounting; managerial economics; marketing management; and operations management. Courses in the concentration include financial modeling and forecasting; advanced financial management; and tactical asset allocation and portfolio management.

• Location: Winston-Salem, NC
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 24 months or more