Program Overview

Health Administration, MHA

The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program prepares students with a foundation in health care leadership and applied analytical skills to promote data-driven decision making. Graduates can address the unique challenges presented in this complex industry, including ensuring equitable opportunity to health and optimal well-being. The MHA opens a path to leadership positions and opportunities for advancement in diverse settings across the health care industry.

Program Overview

The 54-credit program provides study in leadership of health care organizations, applied analytics, health care economics, financial management, population health, communications, and strategy in 22 months. Students complete a residency in health care organizations to gain practical experience, develop professionalism, and apply management skills. Many of Tulane’s full-time MHA students find paid residencies that last the entirety of the second year of the program.

Program Competencies

At the completion of the MHA degree, the student will be able to:

• Speak and write in a clear, concise and logical manner in formal and informal situations within healthcare settings to convey cogent business presentations and to facilitate a group. (Effective Communication)
• Demonstrate attributes necessary to influence others to achieve high performance in a healthcare setting. (Leadership)
• Continuously strive to improve oneself and to act with respect and sensitivity for others. (Professionalism)
• Consider the business, demographic, ethno-cultural, political, and regulatory factors in developing strategies that continually improve the long-term success and viability of healthcare organizations. (Strategic Management)
• Utilize data to effectively organize and coordinate the performance and activities of a healthcare organization in order to achieve defined objectives. (Management)
• Deconstruct complex problems into smaller elements and synthesizing that with other data to derive recommendations. (Critical Thinking and Analysis)
• Use financial and accounting information to assess the financial health of an organization, to inform short-term operational decisions and to assess long-term resource allocation opportunities. (Financial Skills)

MHA Competency Model

1. Leadership and Influence
   The ability to persuade, convince, influence, or impress others (individuals or groups) to get them to work cooperatively and inclusively with you and other individuals and/or teams towards a shared goal.
2. Financial Skills
   The ability to understand and explain financial and accounting information, prepare and manage budgets and make sound long-term investment decisions.
3. Analytical Thinking
   Developing a deeper understanding of a situation, issue, or problem by breaking it down or tracing its implications step-by-step. It includes organizing the parts of a situation, issue, or problem systematically; making systematic comparisons of different features or aspects; setting priorities on a rational basis; and identifying time sequences, causal relationships, or if-then relationships.
4. Communication
   The ability to use written and spoken communications in formal and informal situations to convey meaning, build shared understanding, and productively move agendas forward.
5. Interpersonal Effectiveness
   The ability to accurately hear and understand the unspoken or partly expressed thoughts, feelings, and concerns of others, especially those who may represent diverse backgrounds and very different worldviews.
6. Professionalism and Ethics
   The demonstration of ethics, sound professional practices, social accountability, and community stewardship. Acting in ways that are consistent with one’s values and what one says is important.
7. Strategic Orientation
   The ability to consider the business, demographic, ethno-cultural, political, and regulatory implications of decisions and develop strategies that continually improve the long-term success and viability of the organization.
8. Information Seeking
   An underlying curiosity and desire to know more about things, people, and issues, including the desire for knowledge and staying current with health, organizational, industry, and professional trends and developments. It includes pressing for more precise information; resolving discrepancies by asking a series of questions; and scanning for potential opportunities or information that may be of future use, as well as staying current and seeking best practices for adoption.
9. Process Management
   The ability to plan, execute, and oversee projects, and analyze and design or improve organizational processes, including incorporating the principles of high reliability, continuous quality improvement, and user-centered design.

Program Requirements

The MHA requires a total of 54 credits total that includes:

• Course List Course ID | Title | Credits
  ---|---|---
  Program Course Requirements|
  SPHL 6020| Foundations in Public Health| 3
  HPAM 6050| Introduction to the US Healthcare System| 3
  HPAM 6170| Leading for Operational Improvement| 3
  HPAM 6200| Intro to Healthcare Analytics| 3
  HPAM 6210| Health Law and Ethics| 3
  HPAM 6300| Data Visualization and Communication| 3
  HPAM 6320| Managerial Communications| 3
  HPAM 6450| Health Economics| 3
  HPAM 6500| Advanced Healthcare Financial Management | 3
  HPAM 6540| Introduction to Healthcare Financial Management| 3
  HPAM 6550| Healthcare Payment Perspectives| 3
  HPAM 6710| Quantitative Decision Models| 3
  HPAM 6890| Health Market Analysis| 3
  HPAM 6910| Effective Leadership: Building Teams and Trust | 3
  HPAM 6950| Relational Communication and Professionalism| 3
  HPAM 6970| Leading and Designing Innovative Healthcare Organizations| 3
  HPAM 7170| Strategic Management of Healthcare Organizations| 3
  HPAM 7100| Population Health Analytics| 3
  SPHL 9980| Applied Practice Experience| 0 to 1

Administrative Residency

MHA students conduct an administrative residency that fulfills provides practical experience in the field.

MHA Model Course Schedule

Course List Course ID | Title | Credits
---|---|---
Year 1, Fall |
HPAM 6050| Introduction to the US Healthcare System| 3
HPAM 6200| Intro to Healthcare Analytics| 3
HPAM 6320| Managerial Communications| 3
HPAM 6450| Health Economics| 3
HPAM 6540| Introduction to Healthcare Financial Management| 3
Total Credits:| 15
Year 1, Spring |
HPAM 6300| Data Visualization and Communication| 3
HPAM 6500| Advanced Healthcare Financial Management | 3
HPAM 6550| Healthcare Payment Perspectives| 3
HPAM 6710| Quantitative Decision Models| 3
HPAM 6910| Effective Leadership: Building Teams and Trust | 3
Total Credits:| 15
Year 1, Summer|
SPHL 9980| Applied Practice Experience| 0
Year 2, Fall|
HPAM 6170| Leading for Operational Improvement| 3
HPAM 6210| Health Law and Ethics| 3
HPAM 6950| Relational Communication and Professionalism| 3
HPAM 6890| Health Market Analysis| 3
Total Credits:| 12
Year 2, Spring |
HPAM 6970| Leading and Designing Innovative Healthcare Organizations| 3
HPAM 7100| Population Health Analytics| 3
HPAM 7170| Strategic Management of Healthcare Organizations| 3
SPHL 6020| Foundations in Public Health| 3
Total Credits: | 12
Total Degree Credits:| 54

Program String and Field of Study

PHMHA_GR, HSHA

The MHA program at Tulane is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).