Why study the Master of Health Services Management with UTS Online?
Top 100 University globally1
Australia’s leading young university2
Top 10 in Australia for graduate employability3
5-star rated for student retention4
1QS World University Rankings, 2027 2Times Higher Education Young University Rankings, 2026 3Times Higher Education Graduate Employability Rankings, 2026. 4Good Universities Guide, 2026
Better care depends on better systems
Health services are shaped by more than what happens at the frontline. Workforce pressures, funding, policy, digital transformation, rising demand and expectations around quality, safety and equity all influence how services operate and the outcomes they achieve. Leading effectively means understanding how those pressures connect and knowing where better decisions can improve the system around care.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management builds advanced capability across health systems, organisational management, healthcare data, quality and safety, leadership and value-based care. Designed for working professionals, the 12-subject course also lets you shape your studies through a major in Quality and Safety, Digital Health and Analytics, Leadership, Decision Making for Health Leaders or Business Administration, or create a Flexible pathway aligned to your professional direction.
Who is this course for?
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management is designed for professionals who want to understand how complex health and social care services work and build the capability to lead improvement across them.
Whether you work in clinical practice, health administration, public health, policy or another health and social care setting, the course can help you connect your existing expertise with broader capability across management, data, leadership and service improvement.
This course may suit professionals looking to:
- Move into or progress within health services management roles
- Strengthen leadership, organisational and service management capability
- Use healthcare data and evidence to make more informed decisions
- Build expertise across quality, safety and service improvement
- Deepen capability through a defined major or Flexible pathway
See entry requirements under course information for more eligibility information.
What you will study
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management comprises 12 online subjects totalling 72 credit points, building advanced capability across health systems, healthcare data, organisational management, quality and safety, leadership and value-based care.
Complete all six subjects:
- Foundations of Healthcare Systems (6CP)
- Using Health Care Data for Decision Making (6CP)
- Organisational Management in Health Care (6CP)
- Improving Safety and Quality in Healthcare (6CP)
- Leading Health and Social Care (6CP)
- Managing for Value-Based Care (6CP)
CP = credit points. Subject descriptions and learning outcomes are available via the subject links on this page. Subject availability, sequencing and course structures are subject to change.
Explore your health services management pathways
Health services leadership can take different directions. Alongside your six core subjects, you’ll complete six additional subjects through a defined major or Flexible pathway, helping you deepen your expertise in an area relevant to the services, systems and challenges you want to influence.
Improve the systems that support safer care.
Build capability across service innovation, evidence-informed change and quality and safety improvement.
Subjects include:
- Systems and Service Innovation (6CP)
- Implementing and Evaluating Change (6CP)
- Quality and Safety Improvement Methods (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6CP)
- Plus two approved electives
Turn health information into better service decisions.
Build capability across digital health, information management, service innovation and evidence to support more informed healthcare decisions.
Subjects include:
- Contemporary Approaches to Digital Health (6CP)
- Systems and Service Innovation (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Health Information Management (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6CP)
- Plus two approved electives
Lead people, services and change through complexity.
Strengthen your capability across policy, organisational change and service planning in complex health environments.
Subjects include:
- Policy, Power and Politics in Health Care (6CP)
- Implementing and Evaluating Change (6CP)
- Planning for Health and Social Services (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6CP)
- Plus two approved electives
Build a broader toolkit for complex health decisions.
Develop capability across health policy, service planning and population evidence to support stronger decision-making.
Subjects include:
- Policy, Power and Politics in Health Care (6CP)
- Planning for Health and Social Services (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6CP)
- Plus three approved electives
Connect health services expertise with broader business thinking.
Build capability across economics, health information, service planning and evidence-informed decision-making.
Subjects include:
- Health Economics (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Health Information Management (6CP)
- Planning for Health and Social Services (6CP)
- Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6CP)
- Plus two approved electives
Build around the health service challenges you want to solve.
Complete Fundamentals of Epidemiology (6CP), then choose five approved electives aligned to your interests, experience and professional goals.
Flexible course options
Whether you’re ready to take the next step or prefer to start with a shorter qualification, begin with the Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management and continue into the Master of Health Services Management when you’re ready.
Learning outcomes
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management helps you understand complex health systems, make evidence-informed decisions and lead improvement across health and social care.
Develop the expertise to manage in a complex system
Build your understanding of the policy, funding, workforce, organisational and technological forces shaping health and social care. Develop the knowledge and judgement to lead teams, manage services, navigate competing priorities and improve organisational performance within complex health systems.
Make evidence-informed decisions
Strengthen your ability to critically assess data, research and other forms of evidence. Learn to determine what information is relevant, interpret it in context and use it to support management decisions and service improvement.
Improve quality, safety and person-centred care
Develop the capability to identify opportunities for improvement and design, implement and evaluate changes to services. Consider how management decisions affect patients, communities and staff, and how services can deliver safe, high-quality and person-centred care.
Lead ethically and advance equity
Develop the ethical, cultural and strategic capabilities to support inclusive workplaces and more equitable services. Explore the health needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their implications for health service management and delivery.
Career outcomes
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management builds capability relevant across service management, clinical operations, quality and safety, policy, planning and digital health.
Depending on your professional background, chosen major and experience, graduates may explore opportunities such as:
- Health Services Manager
- Clinical Operations Manager
- Quality and Safety Manager
- Clinical Governance Manager
- Health Program Director
- Healthcare Consultant
- Health Policy and Planning Officer
- Digital Health Project Manager
- Health Informatics Manager
- Healthcare Administrator
Course information
Currently, this course is only accepting applications from Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Applicants must have one of the following:
- Completed Australian bachelor's degree or higher qualification, or overseas equivalent, in Health
OR
- Completed Australian bachelor’s degree or higher qualification, or overseas equivalent AND a minimum of at least 1 year full-time (1800+ hours), or equivalent part-time, relevant professional work experience* in the health and social care sectors
*Professional work experience excludes internships undertaken as part of previous academic study or professional qualifications.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria above should consider applying for C11304 Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management.
Supporting documentation to be submitted with the application
For applicants who need to demonstrate professional work experience:
- Curriculum Vitae AND Statement of service in one of the following formats:
- A 'Statement of Service' provided by the employer
- A completed 'UTS statement of service’ signed by the employer
- A statutory declaration confirming professional work experience (Australian residents only)
Eligibility for admission does not guarantee an offer of a place.
Want to check your eligibility?
Not only do we have the right tools and support teams to help you – we have people who care about your success.
$125,000 Average salary
Health Services Managers in Australia earn an average salary of approximately $125,000 per year, with entry-level positions starting at $113,511 and experienced professionals earning up to $152,780 annually.
(Talent.com)
2,200 +
Job increase over the year
Employment for Health and Welfare Services Managers in Australia is projected to grow, with an increase of 2,200 jobs over the past year, bringing the total employment to 40,700.
(Jobs and Skills Australia)
16.7%
Projected employment growth by 2033
The healthcare and social assistance sector is expected to experience significant growth, with its share of total employment projected to increase from 15.2% in 2023 to 16.7% in 2033, indicating robust opportunities for health services managers.
(Jobs and Skills Australia)
Upcoming intakes
UTS Online courses have 6 intakes per year. The diagram below shows all upcoming intakes. Our next intake is highlighted below.
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Jan
2027 -
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2027 -
May
2027 -
Jul
2027 -
Aug
2027 -
Oct
2027
Meet our Course Director
"Too often, health professionals step into management roles with little formal preparation, expected to learn leadership on the job while navigating increasingly complex systems. Our Health Services Management courses are designed to change that. We empower future health leaders with the skills to understand both the health system and the people within it—so they can lead with confidence, improve services and create workplaces where staff and patients can thrive."
Dr Sarah Wise
Course Director, Health Services Management
Dr Sarah Wise is an applied health services researcher and Course Director for Health Services Management at UTS, with more than 20 years of experience across Australia and the United Kingdom. Her expertise spans health services management, workforce planning, leadership and organisational performance. Through her research and teaching, she focuses on how evidence-based management, innovation and effective leadership can improve healthcare delivery and organisational outcomes.
Download a course guide
Download a course guide to explore detailed subject descriptions, entry requirements, pathway options and fee information.
What our students are saying
"The course modules were easy to read and helped me understand the material. I felt really well-supported, with a student success adviser checking in monthly."
Tiana T
Master of Health Services Management student
Frequently asked questions
A Master of Health Services Management is a postgraduate degree focused on how health and social care services are led, managed and improved.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management develops capability across health systems, organisational management, data-informed decision-making, quality and safety, leadership, value-based care and service improvement, with the option to deepen your expertise through a chosen major.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management is designed for current and aspiring leaders across health and social care.
It can suit clinicians moving into management, health and social care administrators and coordinators, policy and public health professionals, and people with relevant sector experience who want to build formal management and leadership capability.
No. You do not need to be a clinician to study the course.
Current direct-entry pathways include a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification in Health, or a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification in another field plus at least one year of relevant professional experience in the health and social care sectors.
Applicants who do not meet the direct-entry requirements can consider the Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management as a pathway.
You’ll build capability in health systems, organisational management, evidence-informed decision-making, quality and safety, leadership, value-based care and service improvement.
You’ll also strengthen your ability to interpret evidence, diagnose complex service challenges, lead teams and change, evaluate improvement initiatives and communicate recommendations across health and social care settings.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management comprises 12 subjects totalling 72 credit points.
You’ll complete six core subjects:
• Foundations of Healthcare Systems
• Using Health Care Data for Decision Making
• Organisational Management in Health Care
• Improving Safety and Quality in Healthcare
• Leading Health and Social Care
• Managing for Value-Based Care
You’ll then complete six subjects through your chosen major.
You can currently choose from six majors:
• Quality and Safety
• Digital Health and Analytics
• Leadership
• Business Administration
• Decision Making for Health Leaders
• Flexible
Each pathway combines the six core health services management subjects with six subjects aligned to a particular professional direction.
The Flexible Major allows you to build a broader study pathway instead of following one defined major area.
You’ll complete Fundamentals of Epidemiology plus five approved electives, allowing you to select subjects from across health services management and related areas to create a study pathway aligned with your professional interests and career direction.
Each major develops capability relevant to different areas of health services management practice.
• Quality and Safety can support directions such as clinical governance, quality assurance and service improvement.
• Digital Health and Analytics can support digital health project and health informatics roles.
• Leadership can support broader health service leadership and administration roles.
• Business Administration can support health services management and hospital administration.
• Decision Making for Health Leaders can support policy, planning and program roles.
• Flexible allows you to combine electives around your own professional direction.
Career outcomes will depend on your previous experience and the requirements of individual employers.
For more information about health services management careers, read our guide to what a health services manager does.
Yes. Leading people and teams is a core part of the course.
Through subjects such as Organisational Management in Health Care and Leading Health and Social Care, you’ll build capability in communication, organisational behaviour, leadership, change and decision-making in complex health and social care environments.
The course also uses workplace-relevant tasks and case studies to help you practise leading teams and change.
For more information, explore the key health services management skills developed across the core subjects and the career areas they can support.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management can be completed in a minimum of 24 months.
The course comprises 12 online subjects totalling 72 credit points.
Yes. The course is designed for professionals who want to complete postgraduate study alongside existing work and personal commitments.
You’ll study online through structured weekly learning and work with practical activities and case studies that connect your studies with contemporary health and social care challenges.
How you balance work, study and personal commitments will depend on your individual circumstances, so it is important to plan for the weekly study requirements of each subject.
Yes. The UTS Online Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management provides a pathway into the Master of Health Services Management.
The Graduate Certificate comprises four subjects totalling 24 credit points. If you successfully complete it and receive full credit towards the 12-subject master’s degree, you will have eight additional subjects remaining, subject to current UTS credit rules.
You may be eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning, or RPL, if your previous study or professional experience meets the relevant UTS course requirements.
UTS assesses RPL after an offer of enrolment has been accepted. The amount of credit available depends on your individual circumstances and the evidence provided.
The terms can overlap, but health services management generally has a broad focus on leading and improving health and social care services, including people, quality and safety, data, policy, planning, service improvement and organisational performance.
Healthcare administration often refers more specifically to the operational and administrative management of healthcare organisations or services.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management develops capability across both strategic leadership and practical service management.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management can support progression across health service leadership, clinical operations, quality and safety, policy, programs, digital health and consulting.
Career directions identified by UTS Online include:
• Nurse Manager
• Allied Health Manager
• Care Services Manager
• Health Services Manager
• Clinical Operations Manager
• Policy and Program Manager
• Quality and Safety Manager
• Health Program Director
• Healthcare Consultant
Career outcomes will depend on your previous experience, professional background and chosen major.
A Master of Health Services Management can be worth it if you want to move from clinical or professional expertise into broader leadership, management or service improvement roles across health and social care.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management helps you build capability across health systems, leadership, organisational management, data-informed decision-making, quality and safety, and value-based care. You can also choose from six majors to align part of the course with areas such as leadership, digital health and analytics, quality and safety, business administration or health decision-making.
These capabilities are increasingly important as Australia’s health and social care system grows in scale and complexity. Jobs and Skills Australia projects employment across the broader Health and Welfare Services Managers occupation group to grow by 27.1% between 2025 and 2035.
For more information about how healthcare is changing and the role health services managers can play, read our guide to the future of healthcare in Australia.
The current indicative tuition fee for the UTS Online Master of Health Services Management is $46,148 in total, with an indicative fee of $3,846 per subject.
Fees are indicative and subject to change. Your total course fee may vary depending on your study plan, Recognition of Prior Learning and the fees applicable at the time of enrolment, so refer to the UTS Online fees page for the latest information.
Yes. FEE-HELP is available to eligible students studying the UTS Online Master of Health Services Management.
FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that can help eligible full-fee-paying students cover some or all of their tuition fees.
Eligibility requirements apply, so check the current FEE-HELP information before enrolling.
UTS Online offers six intakes per year, giving you multiple opportunities to commence the Master of Health Services Management.
Intake dates can change from year to year, so refer to the course page for the next available intake and current application dates.
For a standard six-credit-point UTS Online subject, you should typically allow around 15–20 hours per week for study.
This can include working through weekly learning materials, completing readings and activities, participating in online discussions and preparing assessments. Your actual study time may vary depending on the subject, your previous experience and assessment deadlines.
UTS Online students generally study one subject at a time, helping you focus your study around your professional and personal commitments.
For more information, read our guide to study resources with an example study schedule.
Assessment in the UTS Online Master of Health Services Management varies by subject and is designed to reflect practical, real-world health services management and healthcare leadership challenges.
Depending on the subject, assessments may include written assignments, case analyses, presentations, online quizzes, proposals, service-improvement activities, professional projects, oral assessments and reflective or portfolio-based work. Current course information states that there are no exams or group assignments required to graduate.
Refer to the individual subject information in the UTS Handbook for current assessment details.
The UTS Online Master of Health Services Management is delivered online through Canvas, with students studying through structured weekly modules. You’ll engage with practical activities, multimedia learning, peer discussions and assessments designed to connect your studies with real-world health services management and healthcare leadership challenges.
Throughout the course, you’ll also have access to support including:
• A dedicated Student Success Advisor
• Academic and assignment support
• UTS Career Hub resources and networking opportunities
• Peer learning and presentation support
• Confidential health and wellbeing services
Here’s a video example showcasing key features of our online learning platform, including tools designed to enhance your study experience.
Or read our tips for balancing postgraduate study with work and life: https://studyonline.uts.edu.au/blog/balancing-postgraduate-study-and-life-commitments-practical-tips-success
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