The Master in Healthcare Administration (MHA) is a graduate-level program designed to prepare current and aspiring healthcare professionals for leadership and management roles across a wide range of healthcare settings. The MHA may be pursued as a stand-alone degree or as part of a dual-postgraduate degree pathway, complementing the Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA) program.
The MHA shares much of its coursework with the DHA program, allowing students who complete the MHA to transition seamlessly into doctoral study. However, unlike the DHA, the MHA does not require students to conduct defensible or publishable research, making it a suitable option for professionals seeking practical skills without the research-intensive component.
Program Focus
The MHA program emphasizes the critical role of leadership in shaping, managing, and improving healthcare organizations. The curriculum integrates real-world case analysis, applied research principles, and executive-level problem-solving to develop competencies in:
- Strategic planning and organizational leadership
- Healthcare finance and operations
- Health policy and regulatory compliance
- Quality improvement and patient safety
- Ethics, communication, and collaboration in clinical and administrative settings
Target Audience
The MHA is particularly well-suited for healthcare practitioners—such as Medical Doctors (MDs), Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs), and Nurse Practitioners (NPs)—who wish to enhance their administrative acumen and assume leadership roles that improve patient care and organizational effectiveness. It also serves managers, analysts, and other professionals transitioning into or advancing within healthcare leadership roles.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the MHA program will be able to:
- Apply leadership and management strategies to address operational challenges in healthcare settings
- Communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including patients, clinical teams, and executives
- Analyze data and implement evidence-based solutions for quality and performance improvement
- Understand and respond to the evolving regulatory, ethical, and financial environment in healthcare
Curriculum Overview
The program features a flexible, fully online format tailored for working professionals. Students benefit from a curriculum that combines foundational knowledge with opportunities for project-based and investigative learning. Core components include:
- Executive leadership in healthcare
- Financial management and healthcare economics
- Data analytics and decision-making
- Healthcare law, policy, and ethics
- Strategic human resource and organizational management
The MHA program provides a robust platform for career advancement in healthcare leadership. Whether students aim to lead within their current organizations or transition to broader administrative roles, the program equips them with the tools to drive meaningful change across the healthcare industry.