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KALAMAZOO—Starting in fall 2013, students who are looking for a career in a health care-related field now have the option of earning their master's in business administration from Western ��һ�鶹��Ƭ�� University with a concentration in health care.

The MBA degree with a concentration in health care will consist of between 36 and 48 credit hours, depending on prerequisites needed. Nine of those hours are electives and will be chosen from courses offered by the Haworth College of Business as well as other colleges on campus offering courses with a health care focus.

“Anyone who wants to be a leader or manager in health care can do this,” says Dr. Satish Deshpande, associate dean of operations and graduate programs. “The MBA program is not just for business students anymore.”

Health industry rising

Adding the health care concentration to the MBA program could not have come at a better time, with the recent addition of Western ��һ�鶹��Ƭ�� University's School of Medicine. Career opportunities are continuously opening up in the health care field. With the health industry on the rise, a health care concentration will be a valuable addition to WMU’s MBA program.

“A big strength and opportunity was that health care is a fast-growing field,” Deshpande says. “There is a huge need for health care management—the business side of health care. The health care system needs leaders who understand the business aspect. There are doctors who are now receiving their MBA degrees. You do not have to have studied business in the past to receive your MBA. Many doctors are now leaders in the business world."

Deshpande says that's why WMU is offering a dual doctor of medicine and master of business administration degree starting in fall 2014.

“Today’s health care executives realize that to succeed in today’s rapidly changing business climate they need to be able to manage regulatory business challenges and positively impact their organizations,” says Barb Caras-Tomczak, MBA program coordinator. “The expertise gained by program participants will make them attractive hires for leadership positions in health care firms.”