Health and Social Care Management Courses

Postgraduate courses in health and social care management are designed for health, aged care, disability, and community-sector professionals who want to move into coordination, leadership, or service management roles. These programs suit people who are strong with clients and systems, but who have not had formal management training.

In Australia, three common pathways are the Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management, the Master of Health Services Management, and an MBA in Healthcare Management.

Australian universities tend to use the term “health services management” to describe patient- and client-focused service systems. For further explanation, see Health Services Management Courses at Lerna Courses.

What is meant by “health and social care”?

Health and social care is a term that is believed to have originated in the UK and refers to coordinated services provided to patients and other vulnerable people. In practice, it includes clinical and healthcare services, alongside supports that help people live safely and participate in the community when they face disability, mental health challenges, ageing-related needs, or social disadvantage.

For further clarity, here is an administrative definition of social care.

In general terms (not a legal definition) it can be said that a social care need is one that is focused on providing assistance with activities of daily living, maintaining independence, social interaction, enabling the individual to play a fuller part in society, protecting them in vulnerable situations, helping them to manage complex relationships and (in some circumstances) accessing a care home or other supported accommodation.

National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare

In Australia, many of these supports sit inside (or alongside) aged care, disability services, and community care systems, which combine personal support, service coordination, and regulated care pathways.

For postgraduate courses, health and social care management means training that helps you manage the people, processes, funding, governance, and quality systems that deliver personalised services to clients with healthcare and/or social care needs.

Which course type is the best fit?

Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management is often the best entry point if you want management fundamentals quickly, or you want a qualification that can usually be credited into a masters program.

Master of Health Services Management suits professionals aiming for higher-responsibility roles (service manager, program manager, quality and safety, operations, commissioning, workforce planning), where deeper capability across systems, governance, and leadership is expected.

MBA in Healthcare Management is a strong option if your goal is broader business leadership (strategy, finance, performance, change management) and you want a general management credential with a healthcare lens.

Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management

In Australia, a common starting point is a Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management. By specialising in health services management, you study health administration with a focus on safe, high-quality service delivery and effective systems.

A graduate certificate is typically the shortest postgraduate qualification, usually consisting of four subjects, and is commonly structured as an exit point within a masters program.

Example course subjects

If you were to enrol in an online course with an Australian university, these are examples of subjects you might study.

Master of Health Services Management

For more advanced training, you can study a Master of Health Services Management. Fully online options are available from Australian universities, and these degrees are designed for people aiming to manage larger services, programs, or systems.

You graduate with a higher-level qualification plus both general management capability and sector-specific knowledge. This can support progression into senior operational, quality, workforce, and program leadership roles.

If you are a graduate or manager in health, aged or community care services and you want to develop your skills and understanding of contemporary health or social care management issues, these degrees will help you achieve your goals.

Griffith University

Most online masters programs are built around working professionals. Commonly, you study part-time and take one subject at a time. With a steady rhythm of one subject every couple of months, completion within about two years is often achievable for part-time students (provider-specific structures vary).

MBA in Healthcare Management

For many clinicians and other healthcare professionals, the goal is to add broad business administration skills. For that reason, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can be a strong choice, especially where you can select a healthcare management specialisation.

An MBA typically builds applied capability in strategy, finance, operations, leadership, and change management, alongside a general management credential. Depending on your target role, this may open a wider set of pathways than a highly sector-specific health services program.

Related: Online MBA Programs in Australia