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Navigating the Residency: A Deep Dive into the Online Healthcare MBA Program

March 31, 2025

Healthcare management is the fastest-growing subset in the rapidly expanding healthcare sector. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects healthcare management jobs will grow by 28% in the coming decade, resulting in nearly 55,000 job openings each year. 

As the profession grows, the demand for well-rounded, knowledgeable healthcare leaders should also increase. New technologies and longer average lifespans are creating new opportunities and challenges for medical professionals and for the healthcare managers who ensure care is delivered effectively and cost-efficiently.

Success in the field will require skills and expertise. It will also call for hands-on experience. The online MBA in Healthcare Management at Case Western Reserve University delivers both. In addition to flexible synchronous and asynchronous online coursework, the program requires students to complete two residency experiences that help bring the program’s contemporary curriculum to life and connect students with leaders in renowned organizations.

Continue reading to learn more about the residency format, classes, and other important details about what to expect from your Weatherhead online MBA in Healthcare Management.

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What is the Healthcare MBA Residency? 

Case Western Reserve recognizes that students need real-world practice to thrive as healthcare leaders. Through Case Western Reserve’s residency experiences, students attend two three-and-a-half day residency experiences at Cleveland’s top hospitals, where they can connect with innovators who lead transformation in the industry. 

Benefits of the In-Person Element of the Online Case MBA Program

Experiential learning, as its name suggests, focuses on learning through experience. It involves students directly in their own learning process, encouraging flexibility and allowing learners to put their new skills into practice. ​​

Through experiential residencies, students in Case Western’s online MBA program gain insight into hospital and healthcare leadership roles, responsibilities and expectations. Online study groups and project collaborations also employ experiential learning to provide students with the opportunity to collaborate with classmates around the country, many of whom have different backgrounds and lived experiences. 

What to Expect: A Closer Look at Your Time on Campus

Case Western Reserve offers two immersive residency experiences for MBA students. The first focuses on culture and mission; the second centers on project-based learning. During both, students exchange ideas, develop new perspectives and relationships, and learn about the day-to-day responsibilities and challenges facing today’s healthcare leaders. Activities include panels of healthcare administrators discussing navigating a changing landscape, team-based activities and peer networking.

Case Western’s MBA healthcare management offers students the best of both worlds: a 100% online flexible curriculum and in-person residencies to ensure successful hands-on learning and relationship-building. 

Where You Will Learn: Our Healthcare Management MBA Partners

Cleveland, Ohio, is a healthcare nexus; the region’s healthcare output grew by $3.8 billion from 2007 to 2019. The industry contributes significantly to the region’s economy, generating billions of dollars and thousands of jobs (in 2023, Cleveland averaged about 10,000 open healthcare positions at any given time). Case Western Reserve leverages its location to benefit MBA students. 

Partners—and potential residency sites—include:

  • Cleveland Clinic: US News & World Report has ranked the world-renowned clinic number one in cardiology, vascular and heart surgery every year since 1994.
  • Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center: In 2023, the center received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the first time CMS has included VA facilities in its annual Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.
  • MetroHealth Medical Center: The MetroHealth System houses Ohio’s only adult and pediatric trauma and burn center. The public health network serves more than 1 million patients annually.
  • University Hospitals: In 2022, this award-winning organization received the industry’s most prestigious honor—the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize.

Why Earn Your MBA in Healthcare Management Online at Case Western 

Case Western Reserve’s MBA in Healthcare Management is engaging and collaborative. Students follow a cutting-edge curriculum in classes that include AI in Healthcare and Digital Innovation in Healthcare that ensures they gain knowledge that translates into applicable workplace skills. Students also have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with expert faculty, many of whom are active practitioners, and from the professionals they engage during their residencies. Finally, Case Western boasts a variety of resources to aid the online student experience, including coaching and career services.

Next Steps: Start Your Online MBA Application Today 

Ready to experience Case Western’s residencies yourself? Review admissions requirements, start your application, or contact an enrollment advisor with any questions you may have.

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