Overview
Our Master of Science in Health Administration (MHA) program prepares graduates to handle the integration of healthcare delivery systems and technological innovations by providing effective and ethical managerial leadership skills at a time when healthcare is in a highly competitive solution-based environment. Course content contains Lean Six Sigma methodology to train and prepare students to become a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
The University places the highest emphasis on teaching and on the value of close student-faculty relationships both in and out of the classroom. The program is primarily designed for adult part-time students who live and work in the surrounding communities.
The Master of Health Administration degree requires the successful completion of 36 credit hours.
Program Objectives
Students who complete the MHA program should demonstrate:
Knowledge and Technical Healthcare Skills: Students will demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in requisite technical healthcare skills including: healthcare marketing, accounting and financial management, economics, information systems, strategy, operations, and Lean Six Sigma in order to advance in the workforce.
Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, through contemporary technologies.
Management and Leadership Healthcare Skills: Students will demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in requisite management and interpersonal skills. Additionally, students will understand leadership strategies for effective management within a variety of healthcare environments.
Analytical Healthcare Skills: Students will demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in evaluating complex problems and processes, research and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, the application of problem-solving methodologies, and generation of recommendations for decision-making and strategic planning.
The Role of Business in Society: Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role of the healthcare organization within society using the perspectives of healthcare policy, law, ethics, corporate social responsibility, and Catholic Social teaching.
The Personal Calling of Business Professionals: Students will develop an appreciation of the personal calling of healthcare professionals to lives of purpose and service and to meeting the highest standards of personal integrity in their work and relations with others.
MHA Admission Requirements
Candidates for admission into the MHA program must have completed a Bachelor’s degree and must satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
- 2.75 minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
OR
- from 2 full years to 5 full years of relevant, professional business experience (résumé required)
OR
- 500 minimum score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT); visit www.gmat.org for details on exam requirements and testing locations
In exceptional circumstances, the Provost may waive one or more of these requirements.
Application Process for Cohort Program
Applications for admission are accepted year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis. The MHA program is run in a cohort, meaning each class is taken in sequence. New cohorts begin in August and January. Please plan to apply at least six weeks before the cohort begins.
To be considered for admission, you must submit:
- Complete application; available online at www.msmary.edu/mha.
- A personal essay of at least 250 words: “Explain how this degree supports your long-term professional goals. Additionally, highlight your past professional and academic experiences and explain how they will provide a foundation for your studies.”
- Nonrefundable Application fee of $35 U.S. dollars
- Undergraduate transcripts from an accredited four-year institution.
Must demonstrate at least one of the following:
- GPA of 2.75 or higher
OR
- from two full years to to five full years of relevant business experience (resume required)
OR
- 500 minimum score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
This program is not available to International Students studying on an F-1 Visa.
Admission Status
- Full Admit: Applicants who satisfy at least one of the three criteria stated above are granted full admission to graduate study.
- Provisional Admit: A student who does not fulfill admission requirements but who shows promise as a graduate student may be granted a provisional admission. This status allows the student to complete up to nine graduate credits, and full admission is awarded upon the successful completion of nine graduate credits with a grade of “B” or better in each course.
Undergraduate Prerequisites
Prerequisite competence in accounting and statistics is required for courses MHA 505 - Health Care Accounting and Financial Management. Prerequisite competence in microeconomics is required for MHA 506 - Economics for Health Care Managers.
These requirements may be satisfied by documentation of undergraduate study, application of applied knowledge, or completion of the academic levelling courses in these three disciplines. Contact the program director for additional information.
Students should also have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
MHA Tuition (2019-2020 Academic Year)
MHA $670 per credit
Transfer of Graduate Credits
See Graduate Academic Policies
How to Request Transfer Credit
- Request an application for transfer credit from the MBA office.
- Request official transcripts from the institution(s) from which you earned the credits.
- Submit an official catalog course description and/or syllabus for course(s) you wish to be considered.
Degree Requirements
Students are responsible for ensuring that all of the following graduation requirements have been satisfied:
- Completion of all undergraduate prerequisites and a minimum of 36 graduate hours comprising required core courses.
- A cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
- Completion of all required courses within the five-year time limit.
Requests for time extensions must be submitted in writing and may be granted at the discretion of the program director. No foreign language or comprehensive examination is required.
Course Waivers
If a student has a strong undergraduate background or significant professional experiences in a field, he or she may request to have a core course waived by the director. A waiver is not an award of credit, but it permits the student to substitute an approved higher-level course in place of the core requirement. Waivers are awarded to strengthen a student’s academic program.
Students may request waivers for a maximum of nine semester hours for a degree program or a maximum of three semester hours per certificate. The combination of transferred and waived credits may not exceed nine semester hours for degree programs or three semester hours per certificate.
Students interested in pursuing a course waiver may request an application for waiver from the program director.
Enrollment in Multiple Programs
Students may not be concurrently enrolled in more than one degree program. Students, however, may enroll in a certificate program while currently enrolled in a degree program.
Academic Sessions
Each academic semester comprises two parts, Session I and Session II. MHA Sessions occur on a year-round basis, with six academic sessions per year with courses offered on an accelerated basis, meeting Monday nights, 6:00 - 9:30 p.m., over 8 weeks. Students complete the program as a cohort.
Fall Semester: Fall I Session and Fall II Session
Spring Semester: Spring I Session and Spring II Session
Summer Semester: Summer I Session and Summer II Session
Classes require readings and/or assignments to be completed before the first class meeting.
Ethical Standards
Mount St. Mary’s University believes that ethical conflicts and choices are inherent in business decision making. Proper ethical behavior exists on a plane above the law, and managers should be familiar with a host of situations involving the application of ethical standards. The discussion of business cases or situations having ethical implications is an important part of the Mount St. Mary’s Master of Health Administration Program.
Because of the nature of Mount St. Mary’s and its commitment to moral/ethical standards, ethical considerations are a visible part of many of the courses. Faculty include an identifiable component on the application of ethical principles in our core courses. We believe the nature of the University requires that Mount St. Mary’s offer insight to managers on how to deal with ethical issues.
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