Earning Continuing Education Credits with a Healthcare Administration Certificate

In the fast-evolving world of healthcare, staying current with best practices, regulations, and leadership strategies is not just encouraged but often required. For professionals seeking to maintain or attain industry certifications, earning healthcare continuing education credits or continuing education units (CEUs) is an essential step. One practical and strategic way to fulfill these ongoing educational requirements is by pursuing a healthcare administration certificate. This credential not only enhances your administrative skill set but can also potentially provide a structured, CEU-eligible pathway that aligns with the expectations of leading certification and licensing bodies.

Learn how earning a healthcare admin certificate online might help you meet certification requirements, maintain professional credentials, and advance your career in healthcare leadership.

Leveraging Your Certificate: Earning CEUs for Certification Needs

A healthcare administration certificate program can help fulfill both the foundational and ongoing educational requirements needed for professional certification in various healthcare roles.

Meeting Initial Requirements for Certification

Many healthcare-related and healthcare admin certifications require candidates to complete a certain number of education hours in relevant topics such as healthcare systems, policy, finance, and ethics. A certificate program structured around these competencies can often count toward those required CEUs, offering a focused and efficient path to certification eligibility.

Your Specific Profession

Whether you're a hospital administrator, nursing home administrator, health information manager, or healthcare compliance officer, each profession has unique CEU and certification prerequisites. By aligning your certificate program with your professional goals, you ensure that your healthcare continuing education credits are not only valid but also strategically impactful. For example:

• Hospital administrators may pursue the FACHE designation through the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), which values graduate-level coursework and healthcare management education.
• Long-term care administrators may be licensed by state boards that require documented CEU credits in areas such as facility operations and resident care.
• Health information managers, certified by organizations like the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), must demonstrate knowledge in data governance, informatics, and compliance through recognized CEU-bearing activities.

Maintaining Existing Certifications

Continuing education isn't just for newcomers; it's a vital part of staying credentialed and competitive in healthcare administration. Certificate programs can provide structured opportunities to earn CEUs that satisfy renewal requirements across multiple certifying bodies.

Your Certification(s)

If you already hold a professional credential — such as the FACHE (Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives), CPHIMS (Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems), or RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator) — you likely face specific CEU obligations for recertification.

• ACHE requires 36 hours of continuing education for healthcare professionals every three years, with at least 12 of those being ACHE Face-to-Face or In-Person Education credits.
• The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) mandates 45 CE hours every three years for CPHIMS recertification, including activities aligned with healthcare IT and management.
• AHIMA credentials like RHIA require 30 CEUs per recertification cycle, often including topics in informatics, coding, and privacy/security.

A healthcare administration certificate program can serve as a CEU-rich environment, offering coursework, workshops, and online modules that may be directly applicable to your recertification goals — provided the program meets the criteria set by your certifying organization.

Determining Acceptable CEU Events And Activities

Not all educational activities automatically qualify for CEUs. To ensure your healthcare admin certificate coursework counts toward your certification or licensure, it’s essential to verify the eligibility of each component in advance.

Consult Professional Organization(s)

Each certifying body has its own standards for what qualifies as an acceptable CEU activity. Before enrolling in a certificate program, review the CEU policies of the organization behind your credential (such as ACHE, HIMSS, or AHIMA). These organizations often publish detailed guidelines on eligible education formats, approved providers, and documentation requirements. Confirm whether the institution offering the certificate is recognized by your certifying body or if prior approval is needed for CEU credit.

Consult Your State Licensing Board

For roles that require state licensure — such as nursing home administrators or healthcare compliance officers — CEU criteria may vary by state. Some boards require specific content areas, approved course providers, or license renewal cycles. Contact your state board or review its official website to determine if your certificate program fulfills these local requirements and how to submit proof of completion for CEU approval.

Types of CEU-Eligible Activities Within a Certificate Program

A healthcare administration certificate program often includes a variety of learning formats, many of which may be eligible for CEUs when aligned with your certification or licensure requirements.

Certificate Programs as a Comprehensive CEU Source

Many certificate programs are intentionally structured to fulfill CEU criteria, offering academic rigor and real-world relevance. Courses typically cover topics and core content areas recognized by certifying organizations, like:

• Healthcare law
• Ethics
• Policy
• Leadership
• Operations

Integration of Conferences and Workshops

Some certificate programs include access to healthcare leadership conferences, policy seminars, or virtual workshops. When these activities are tied to your program and include learning objectives and assessments, they may qualify for CEU credit through your certifying body.

Online Courses and Webinars Within the Curriculum

Synchronous and asynchronous online modules, particularly those offered by accredited institutions, can qualify as CEU-eligible content. Webinars with interactive components, learning assessments, and instructor oversight are often accepted, especially when aligned with professional competency areas.

Potential for Self-Study Courses

Certain certificate programs offer independent study options or guided readings. While not always CEU-eligible on their own, these may be approved if they include assessments, are pre-approved by a certifying organization, or are bundled with instructor-led components.

Opportunities for Publications and Presentations (Indirectly)

Although not part of most core curricula, some programs encourage students to engage in professional writing or public speaking. If your certifying body recognizes publications, poster presentations, or conference talks as CEU activities, these opportunities can indirectly support your CEU accumulation when connected to your certificate coursework.

In-Service Training and Professional Activities

Some programs incorporate hands-on projects, internships, or in-service training relevant to healthcare administration. If these activities are supervised, structured, and documented with learning outcomes, they may qualify for CEUs — especially when tied to leadership development or regulatory compliance.

Selecting a CEU-Friendly Certificate Program

Not all certificate programs are created equal. To ensure your time and investment lead to valuable CEUs, it's important to evaluate programs based on accreditation, relevance, flexibility, and documentation standards.

Accreditation: The Gold Standard

The most important factor in selecting a CEU-eligible certificate program is accreditation. Choose a program offered by a regionally accredited institution or one approved by respected healthcare professional organizations such as ACHE, HIMSS, or AHIMA. Accreditation signals that the program meets established academic and professional standards — making it far more likely that the coursework will be accepted for CEU credit. Without it, certifying bodies may reject your CEUs, requiring you to find alternate learning sources or repeat education elsewhere.

Relevance to Your Certification and Career Goals

A CEU-friendly certificate program should align with the subject matter your certification requires. For instance, if you’re seeking recertification in health informatics, the curriculum should cover topics like data management and healthcare IT. Similarly, those working toward administrative or compliance-based credentials should look for coursework in policy, operations, ethics, or leadership. Always compare course topics with your certifying body’s CEU content requirements.

Flexibility and Convenience for Busy Professionals

Healthcare professionals often juggle demanding schedules, making it crucial to choose a program that fits into your lifestyle without compromising quality.

Online vs. On-Campus

Online programs provide accessibility and convenience for working professionals, especially those managing shifts, travel, or family obligations. While on-campus programs offer face-to-face interaction, many online formats are just as rigorous and often better suited to those balancing work and study.

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous

Asynchronous courses allow you to complete work on your own time, while synchronous programs follow a set schedule with live virtual sessions. Consider your learning preferences and schedule when deciding between the two. Both formats can be CEU-eligible, as long as they meet the instructional and assessment criteria set by your certifying body.

Faculty Expertise and Experience

Instructors with real-world experience in healthcare administration and leadership add immense value to a certificate program. Their insights can help bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that your CEU activities are not only academically sound but also professionally relevant.

Proof of Completion and Documentation

To receive CEU credit, you must be able to document your participation. Ensure the certificate program provides official transcripts, certificates of completion, syllabi, or learning objectives — any of which may be required by certifying bodies or state licensing boards when you submit CEUs for approval.

Earn Your Healthcare Admin Certificate Online

If you’re an aspiring industry leader seeking continuing education for healthcare professionals, Lindenwood University Online offers a 15-credit healthcare administration graduate certificate program designed to help develop relevant competencies or position you to pursue a master’s degree. Request more information to learn how to get started today.