Program Overview

Introduction to the Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program

The Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM) offers a specialized Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree that integrates organizational leadership and management, health policy, and public health and health systems. This program provides students with the management skills of a business school education, but does so in a context that emphasizes the unique nature of the healthcare system.

Program Overview

The MHA degree paths offer students a comprehensive education in health administration, with a focus on organizational leadership and management, health policy, and public health and health systems. The program is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in careers in health service delivery.

Core Courses

Core courses provide students with a solid understanding of the statistical tools and key concepts used by many public health practitioners. Management and policy courses emphasize the skills needed for careers in health service delivery.

Health Management MHA

HPM offers an MHA degree program for Health Management in full-time, part-time, and executive formats. These programs integrate organizational leadership and management, health policy, and public health and health systems.

Full-Time MHA Program

The full-time program is a two-year program that is ideal for students who are able to study in classes five days a week. In addition, there are required professional development curriculum and workshops to aid students in their development of real-world skills and practices.

• Students are taught to work with the management skills of a business school education, but do so in a context that emphasizes the unique nature of the healthcare system.
• The department places a strong emphasis on students developing competencies across a number of areas, including:
  • Analytical thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Financial analysis
  • Organizational awareness
  • Resource management and allocation
  • Strategic thinking
• This competency-based curriculum prepares graduates for management positions in:
  • Hospitals
  • Clinics
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Local, state, and national government
  • Other health-related organizations
  • Consulting and bio-pharma companies

Part-Time Management Program

The Part-Time management (PTM) program is geared towards candidates currently working in healthcare who are looking to gain a broad understanding of the healthcare system and insight into the influences of policy decisions in the healthcare industry, while developing management and leadership skills.

• Courses integrate professional experience into the classroom.
• The program is completed in 28 months.
• Incoming students must have at least one year of experience in a health-related industry.

Executive Master of Healthcare Management

The Executive Master of Health Management Programs (MHA/MPH) provide a unique interdisciplinary education across three areas of expertise: organizational leadership and management, health policy, and public health and health systems.

• The programs are designed to provide working health professionals with the skills, networks, and credentials needed to obtain high-level management or policy positions.
• The program has attracted over 600 participants from the United States and abroad who work in hospitals, health departments, managed care organizations, consulting firms, law firms, pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare settings.

The Thomas P. Ference Health Systems Simulation

As a culminating experience from all three MHA programs, students are provided an opportunity to experience the challenges of executive leadership through the Thomas P. Ference Health Systems Simulation.

• While fully immersed, students are met with situations requiring strategic decision-making in a realistic exercise that effectively emulates the full breadth and complexity of a competitive multi-hospital marketplace.
• Participants work as executive management teams and are responsible for executing high-level decisions that will impact the success of their institution over a number of years.
• The health systems simulation serves as the culminating experience for all three management MPH programs.