Master of Health Administration
Program Description
With an ever-evolving landscape in the healthcare industry, highly prepared leaders are integral to shaping an organization’s future state. Based on an interdisciplinary approach, coursework focuses on improving healthcare delivery, health systems, and policy and their intersection with economics, law, ethics, and leadership. Students are prepared to be effective, visionary leaders able to respond to and serve their communities.
Healthcare executives have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to improving the health of those in their communities where they serve. With the large number of health services organizations throughout the U.S. and globally, students have a multitude of career options. Among these are multi-hospital health systems, large provider organizations, nursing homes, and home health agencies. Graduates may also work for state health departments, private foundations, federal programs, or national associations.
Program Student Learning Outcomes & Competencies:
Domain #1: Communication and Interpersonal Effectiveness
- Apply principles of communication and demonstrate specific applications
- Present results of data analysis to decision makers
- Use factual data to produce and deliver credible and understandable results
- Facilitate group dynamics, process, meetings, and discussion
- Demonstrate the ability to understand other people as well as accurately hear and understand unspoken communication or partially expressed thoughts, feelings, and concerns of others
Domain #2: Management and Leadership
- Explain potential impacts and consequences of decision making in situations both internal and external
- Encourage a high level of commitment to the mission, and values of the organization
- Accurately assess individual strengths and weaknesses
- Ability to see oneself as a leader, from forming and directing a team that possesses balanced capabilities to setting its mission, values, and norms; holding team members accountable individually and as a group to achieve results
Domain #3: Professionalism and Ethics
- Understand professional standards and codes of ethical behavior
- Uphold and act upon ethical and professional standards
- Establish, construct, and sustain professional contacts for the purpose of building networks of individuals with similar goals and that support similar interests
- Engage in continued professional development including reflection and self-directed learning
- Demonstrate ethical behavior, sound professional practices, social accountability, and community stewardship
Domain #4: Knowledge of the Healthcare System and Healthcare Management
- Prepare projects that are credible to governmental, regulatory, professional, and accreditation agencies
- Use marketing and needs assessment techniques in support of healthcare program development and implementation
- Apply principles and methods of health policy analysis
- Analyze and apply funding and payment mechanisms of the healthcare system
- Demonstrated and explain financial and accounting information, prepare and manage budgets, and make sound short and long-term investment decisions
Domain #5: Critical Thinking, Analysis and Problem Solving
- Integrate information from various sources to make decisions and recommendations
- Analyze a situation, issue or problem through systematic approach demonstrating organizational skills, setting priorities, and formulating "if-then" analyses
- Apply basic financial management and analysis principles
- Apply reimbursement principles, ramifications, and techniques including rate setting and contracts
- Apply principles of operating, project, and capital budgeting
- Use statistical and analytic tools to measure and improve performance
Admission Requirements
Students will apply through the Graduate Admissions Office of the University and are admitted to the MHA Program upon review and recommendation of the Admissions Committee based on the academic, course prerequisite, and professional requirements listed below.
Graduate admission criteria include:
- A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- A minimum of two years of previous healthcare experience
- Applicants without previous healthcare experience will need to complete additional pre-requisite work
- A one-page personal statement describing career goals and reasons for interest in the program
- Two letters of recommendation
- A curriculum vitae or resume résumé highlighting relevant experience
Freshman Admission Decision:
- A freshman admission decision application option is available to outstanding incoming Sacred Heart University freshmen. Freshman admission requirements include:
Successful completion of four years of high school science.
- High school GPA of 3.2 or higher in academic courses (math, science, history, English, modern foreign language.
- Note: Advanced Placement (AP) courses may meet prerequisite requirements ONLY if grades are entered on a college or university transcript.
Sacred Heart University students accepted to the Master of Health Administration program as freshmen must meet all of the Master of Health Administration program's admission criteria as a condition for keeping their seat and enrolling in the graduate Master of Health Administration program.
Students admitted into the program as freshmen who do not meet all of the following criteria at the time of application will forfeit their seat and admission status in the Master of Health Administration program and will be ineligible for continued enrollment in the graduate Master of Health Administration program.
Prior to enrollment:
- Successful completion of the baccalaureate degree in an undergraduate major.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Successful completion of all prerequisite course requirements with no individual prerequisite course grade below a C and a 3.0 prerequisite GPA and a 3.0 prerequisite science GPA.
At the time of application:
- Completion of the online graduate application with official transcripts for all undergraduate college and university work submitted by June 30th following the junior year for 4 + 2 students and June 30th following the sophomore year for 3 + 2 students.
- Earned bachelors' degree in any major and successful completion of all prerequisites prior to enrollment
Degree Requirements
A total of 37 credit hours of graduate coursework are necessary for completion of the program. Those who require the prerequisite courses will need up to three additional credit hours of prerequisite coursework.
Prerequisite and Foundations Waiver Policy
Students will be evaluated as to their knowledge and experience of the healthcare industry. Review of transcripts from accredited institution(s) and curriculum vitae for relevant experience will determine whether the student can be waived from the program prerequisites.
Course Waiver Policy
Upon application, transcripts will be reviewed for possible course waivers. For students transferring from another accredited graduate program, the program director will review transcripts and make a determination of course equivalency. A maximum of 6 credits can be transferred/waived, and the minimum grade required is a B.
Courses
Prerequisites
| MHA 420 | The Language & Culture of Healthcare | 3.0 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Electives (9 credits)
| MHA 621 | Health Economics | 3.0 |
| MHA 641 | Negotiations & Conflict Resolution | 3.0 |
| MHA 642 | Healthcare Operations & Quality | 3.0 |
| MHA 643 | Innovation and Organizational Change Management | 3.0 |
| HR 607 | Introduction to Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MHA 650 | Field Experience I | 3.0 |
| MHA 651 | Field Experience II | 3.0 |
| PAD 530 | Fundraising for Non-Profits | 3 |
| PAD 546 | Non-Profit Grant Management | 3 |
| PAD 550 | Emergency Planning & Preparedness | 3 |
| PAD 555 | Disaster Operations Response & Recovery | 3 |
| PAD 565 | Communications & Crisis Management | 3 |
Requirements List (28 credits)
| MHA 510 | Management of Healthcare Organization | 3.0 |
| MHA 511 | Strategic Management & Marketing In Healthcare Organizations | 3.0 |
| MHA 512 | Healthcare Finance, Accounting & Economics | 3.0 |
| MHA 513 | Healthcare Informatics | 3.0 |
| MHA 563 | Health Policy, Law & Ethics | 3.0 |
| MHA 612 | Leadership in Healthcare Environments | 3 |
| MHA 620 | Healthcare Data Analytics | 3.0 |
| MHA 640 | Population & Global Health Management | 3.0 |
| MHA 655 | Professional Development | 1.0 |
| MHA 660 | Capstone | 3.0 |