Plan Your Health Care Career Education
The path to a successful career in health care begins with careful planning to gain the right skills. Learn about the skills needed for a career in health care and find health care programs and training options.
Skills and Knowledge
Having the right skills and knowledge will help increase both your career options and your confidence.
Being successful in your career will require both occupational and soft (employability) skills. Occupational skills are the specific technical skills and knowledge you need to do a job. Soft skills, sometimes called employability skills, are the foundational skills you need to work, communicate with others, and problem solve. You can improve your soft skills with awareness, training, and practice.
Competency Models
Use these competency models to understand the soft and technical skills and knowledge workers in health care industries are expected to have. It may appear complicated at first. But using this will help you to make better decisions about building the skills needed for your career in health care.
Programs
Enroll
- Use the Campus & Program search to find health care programs at Minnesota State colleges and universities. Both online and in-person programs are available. Select the "Search Programs" button and look for areas of study you are interested in in the Health category. You will be able to FILTER RESULTS by the type of Degree/Award and Location. Use the MAP view to find programs near you.
Short-term courses
You can also find short-term continuing education courses in health care at many Minnesota State colleges. To search for health, select the category "Health and Wellness" in the Continuing Education Advanced Search.
Transfer
Many students start their education at a 2-year college and then transfer to a different college or a 4-year university to complete their degree. Learn about the types of degrees that transfer from a two-year program to a four-year major. If you plan to transfer, it is essential to know which degree path is right for you. Not all two-year college programs transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree. Talk to a transfer specialist early to make sure that you enroll in the right program.
Other Types of Training
Certifications are credentials showing that you have mastered a specific skill or technology. Having a certification can make you more competitive in the job market. The CareerOneStop Certification Finder will help you find certifications for health care occupations. Either select "Healthcare Practitioners and Technical" or "Healthcare Support" from the List of Occupations. You can also search by "Health Care and Social Assistance" in the List of Industries.
Minnesota's Health Care Education Loan Forgiveness Program
Are you considering a career in health care and wondering how to pay for it? Or maybe you’re already working in health care and are looking for help paying your student loans.
Minnesota State Workforce Development Scholarships
Hundreds of $2,500 scholarships in high demand fields, including health care, are available at Minnesota State colleges and universities for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.
Vouchers and Training Funds
You may qualify for state or federal dislocated worker training funds. To find out if you qualify, contact a counselor at CareerForce online or at any of the 49 CareerForce locations in Minnesota.
Learn more about careers in health care at the Minnesota State HealthForce Center of Excellence.