American College of Healthcare Executives

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Approved by the Board of Governors Dec. 8, 2025

Statement of the Issue

The proliferation of healthcare management programs has made the pathway to employment as a healthcare executive confusing and complex. Without the benefit of being fully informed, students often enter programs that do not adequately prepare them for the challenges ahead. As a result, new healthcare management graduates are having difficulty finding positions or postgraduate administrative fellowships that will contribute to their skill enhancement and help them succeed as future leaders. Their frustration and disappointment are often expressed through social media or when they seek career advice from seasoned executives.

There is continuous and significant growth in the graduate healthcare management education field. According to a report from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education that cites the National Center for Educational Statistics, the number of total programs grew 18% from 2018 to 2022. Growth in total programs has primarily occurred in online programs, which have increased 15% over the same period. Additionally, total graduates for all programs increased 27% from 2018 to 2022, while online graduates grew 22%. Enrollment in undergraduate healthcare management programs also has increased.

When considering a healthcare management program, students can enhance their success in finding postgraduate administrative fellowships or jobs upon graduation if they understand the importance of completing an accredited graduate program. They should also be aware of the value in interacting with a variety of healthcare professionals and organizations and attending programs that ensure standards for quality and appropriate content, such as those accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and who are members of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) network.

Employers can play important roles that contribute to the success of the new entrant in the field, particularly by expending the resources to develop new graduates through postgraduate administrative fellowships. Similarly, healthcare management programs contribute to the transition of students into the field by effectively assisting students in finding postgraduate administrative fellowships or jobs.

For students, having a strong educational background that includes a degree from a program backed by accreditation status along with virtual and in-person interaction and field experience, is key to success. 

Healthcare management programs can contribute to the transition of students into the field by effectively assisting students in finding postgraduate administrative fellowships or jobs. A postgraduate administrative fellowship can play an important role in bridging graduate education and practice experience.

Policy Position

The American College of Healthcare Executives believes the placement of new entrants into the field of healthcare management can be enhanced through such approaches as encouraging students to attend accredited graduate programs, encouraging employers to develop new graduates through postgraduate administrative fellowships, encouraging leaders to serve as mentors and coaches to students, and encouraging programs to actively assist students in finding postgraduate administrative fellowships or entry-level positions. The following considerations contribute to the success of students and their future development as healthcare executives:

• While bachelor's degree programs serve as an introduction to healthcare management, some organizations may expect executives to hold a graduate degree.
• Accreditation can be an important differentiator when considering program choice because of the program's commitment to ensuring quality standards. In preparing for healthcare leadership roles, accredited programs are considered optimal.
• Communication, relationship development and leadership skills—essential to the success of healthcare managers today—are enhanced through a variety of virtual and in-person interactions. Peer-to-peer exchanges are key to the advancement of early careerists.
• Adding a structured experiential learning experience to one's formal academic education leads to more skilled and fully developed professional practitioners. It is optimal for new graduate students to pursue a postgraduate administrative fellowship or residency, but at a minimum, the program should require field experience attained through project-based work or an internship that requires the student to interact with healthcare professionals and organizations. In addition to early careerists, clinicians and executives transitioning from other fields should seek hands-on experiences that give them exposure to the management challenges and best practices needed to run a successful healthcare organization.

Healthcare executives and employers contribute to the success and development of future leaders by providing postgraduate administrative fellowship experiences. Fellowships help transition a young professional from the world of academic learning to real-world experiences. A postgraduate fellow can make a meaningful contribution to the organization when he or she is assigned real projects that cross organizational lines. Employers are encouraged to offer these opportunities to assist the entry of students into the field of healthcare management. Employers must also be aware of the rigor of accredited programs and the advantages of hiring accredited programs' graduates. Healthcare executives share responsibility to elevate both students and stakeholders to the best pathway for success.

Programs in healthcare management are in the unique position of providing direct assistance to students before graduation. While some programs provide specific placement of students upon graduation, programs must also offer assistance through:

• Training on resume writing, job search preparation and interviewing skills.
• Working with alumni and others to place students in healthcare organizations.
• Offering alumni and healthcare executive contacts.
• Publishing 90-day, postgraduation placement rates.
• Publishing degree completion rates.

Students should recognize the importance of attending an accredited graduate program in healthcare management that includes in-person interaction and field experience with healthcare organizations. Programs should take an active role in assisting students with fellowship and job placements. Healthcare executives and employers should recognize the advantages of providing fellowship and job opportunities. The combination of these activities will help ensure that students can attain, and are adequately prepared for, positions that lead to future leadership roles in the field.

Policy created: March 2013
Policy updated: December 2025