If you are weighing your options for advancing your career, a graduate degree may be the right choice for your situation. Getting a graduate degree can help you earn a higher salary and possibly open up a wider variety of job opportunities to you. The key is to pick a graduate program that is worth the cost and gives you back more in salary potential than you pay in tuition costs. One industry to consider for advanced study is healthcare. Here are five possible graduate programs in healthcare to look into.

1. Healthcare Informatics

One new field that has taken the industry by storm is the study of healthcare informatics. If you opt to enroll in a graduate program in this field, you can learn about how data influences medical care and research. Careers in this field have lots of promise for the future, where data may be the key to optimizing healthcare.

2. Healthcare MBA

Another possible graduate program for students with an interest in health is an MBA focused on healthcare. Students who graduate with an MBA in healthcare get the preparation to work in large healthcare organizations as leaders. They learn the business aspect of medical practice and care, which may continue to be a hot topic in this industry. Schools like GW offer healthcare MBA programs that prepare students for leadership roles in hospitals or other large facilities.

3. Healthcare Administration

Getting a graduate degree specifically in healthcare administration is another option for someone who strives to reach the top positions in healthcare leadership. New England College offers students practice in this field with their healthcare administration program. You can get your degree in non profit management online and learn about the importance of communications and marketing in this field.

4. Nurse Practitioner

Another growing sector of healthcare is in the recruitment of nurse practitioners. If you have already pursued an undergraduate nursing program, why not expand your qualifications and knowledge with advanced study in your field leading to certification as a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have an excellent outlook, and their roles are expected to expand in the next few years. With a large population of aging baby boomers, the need for more healthcare providers may continue to grow. Studying to be a nurse practitioner offers medical care providers a less inexpensive way to get into practice.

5. Public Health

The last type of graduate degree to consider for your future is in advanced study in public health. With a degree in public health, you could take on a role as a community health educator, an administrator, a health advocate, or a disease prevention specialist. These positions are expected to grow around the world as the population continues to explode. International and domestic leaders are also looking for new and more cost-effective ways to provide healthcare services to the world’s changing society. With this type of degree, you can truly make a difference in the lives of many.

Pursuing advanced study may require a large investment when you first embark on your graduate program, but for a career that is lucrative and gets you where you want to go, graduate healthcare degrees may be the best way to ensure future success.