Online Doctor of Behavioral Health – Management

Candidates must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the last 60 hours of their bachelor’s degree program or in their applicable master’s degree education. 

Applicants with a master’s degree in business administration, public health, counseling, health care administration and social work are encouraged to apply, though other fields of study are also considered. If you’re a master’s degree-level professional who is currently employed or looking to work in a health care administration role, a Doctor of Behavioral Health may offer the advanced education and real-world insight you need to excel.

To apply, you must submit the following:

• Graduate admission application and application fee.
• Official graduate and undergraduate transcripts.
• At least one professional letter of recommendation.
• Personal statement.
• Up-to-date curriculum vitae or resume.

An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) must provide proof of English proficiency.

Applicants with master's degrees in business administration, public health, nursing, counseling, health care administration and social work, among others, are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be master's degree-level professionals who are either currently employed or aspire to be employed in a clinical capacity within integrated health care.

A Doctor of Behavioral Health with a management concentration prepares you to lead integrated behavioral health and health care programs. Rather than focus on direct clinical intervention, this concentration builds the finance, leadership and administrative skills you need to design, implement and evaluate health care programs.

Both concentrations cover core topics such as the delivery and economics of health care systems, population-based health management and quality and performance measurement, and both prepare you to support integrated health care environments. The difference comes down to focus: the management concentration prepares you to lead teams, build budgets and shape policy as a health care administrator, while the Clinical concentration prepares you to work directly with patients as a clinician.

A DBH with a management concentration can prepare you for leadership roles such as health care administrator, health care executive, clinical manager, medical and health services manager, director and consultant. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical and health services managers earned a median annual wage of $117,960 in May 2024, with employment projected to grow 23% through 2034.

This program consists of 13 classes at 60 total credit hours, with each class running 7.5 weeks. Taken back-to-back, that works out to a program length of about two years, though your actual timeline will depend on your course pace and any transfer credit.