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Earning A Master's In Healthcare Administration: Here's What You Should Know

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If you're interested in advancing in your healthcare administration career, consider grad school. A master's in healthcare administration (MHA) can prepare you for senior-level leadership roles in the healthcare administration field.

An MHA degree is an advanced diploma that helps you qualify for well-paid, high-level job opportunities in hospitals, clinics, primary care practices, nursing facilities, insurance companies and other medical organizations. This degree helps you build management and leadership skills that you can take with you to any job in healthcare administration.

Effective patient care requires the ability to interact and communicate with patients, medical staff and other healthcare employees. An MHA degree gives you the knowledge and tools needed to manage a healthcare organization's operations and other activities.

What Is a Master's in Healthcare Administration?

A master's in healthcare administration covers subjects that are essential to executive and managerial positions in the field. The curriculum includes finance and budgeting, management strategies, legal and ethical issues, health policy, employee relations, human resources, problem-solving and ensuring that patients receive the proper care.

An MHA degree usually requires between 36 and 45 credits and takes two to three years to earn. Exact program length varies depending on your program and whether you study full time or part time. Some accelerated programs take as little as 15 to 16 months to complete.

Admission Requirements for a Master's in Healthcare Administration

Each program master's in healthcare administration program determines its own admission requirements, but typical standards include:

  • Application
  • Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration or a related field
  • Transcripts from previous degrees or coursework
  • Minimum GPA (typically 3.0)
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Personal essay
  • Statement of purpose
  • Résumé
  • Common Courses in an MHA Degree Program

    Below we list a few common courses for MHA degree programs. Keep in mind that your program's courses may vary since each college determines its own curriculum.

    Data-Driven Healthcare

    This course explores the types of data used in healthcare organizations and how to use this data in the decision-making process. Students learn about computing architectures, data creation and management, and methods for interpreting and analyzing metrics.

    Change Management and People Leadership in Healthcare

    This course looks at the application of human resource management fundamentals in healthcare environments. Students learn about recruiting and retaining employees, training and education, evaluating employee performance, discipline and dismissal considerations, strategic planning and various communication techniques that are essential in healthcare leadership.

    Financial Management in Healthcare Organizations

    This course covers concepts related to the financial aspects of healthcare management, such as terminology, interpreting financial statements, calculating return on investment, financial forecasts, spreadsheet applications, and budget development and management.

    Healthcare Operations Management

    Students in this course develop analytical skills to improve and integrate processes, research methods, quality management, systems analysis, data analytics and data visualization. They use hands-on computer tools to design and construct models, create spreadsheets, analyze and report results, and promote quality improvement.

    Health Policy

    This course covers everything you need to know about policy making and politics as they pertain to the healthcare field. Coursework explores political concepts, models of policy making systems, policy impact on leadership and administration, and how policies affect an organization's objectives and goals.

    Capstone Experience or Internship

    Most healthcare administration master's programs require a capstone project or an internship, or both. These experiences allow you to apply the knowledge gained from your master's program in real-world settings. Projects may focus on research or solving real-world problems in a local medical facility or healthcare organization.

    Specializations for Master's Degrees in Healthcare Administration

    You may be able to select a specialization or concentration for your master's degree. Offerings vary among programs, but below are a few typical specializations for MHA degrees.

    Finance

    This concentration explores business valuation, mergers and acquisitions, and advanced financial statement analysis. A finance specialization may suit you if you plan to work as a risk and insurance consultant or in a similar leadership position in the health insurance industry.

    Public Administration

    A public administration concentration covers public policy analysis, healthcare administration, fundamentals of public administration, and policies and initiatives of community economic development. If you plan to work as a medical and health services manager, community health consultant or public health educator, you might specialize in public administration.

    Human Resources

    A human resources specialization focuses on human resource development and management, compensation and employment issues, and workforce planning. This concentration may be a good option if you plan to work as a director of nursing, practice administrator or corporate health director.

    Strategic Management

    Specializing in strategic management involves a focus on executive leadership and management concepts, organizational design, workforce planning and employment, and strategic management and marketing. This may be a good option if you plan to work as a medical and health services manager, operations manager or administrative services manager.

    Supply Chain Management and Logistics

    This specialization focuses on logistics, supply chain management, total quality management and operations management. With a supply chain management and logistics concentration, expect to learn how to bring an idea for a healthcare product or service to fruition. This may be a good concentration if you plan to work as a logistics programs director or production manager in the healthcare field.

    Leadership

    This concentration covers team-building skills, financial processes, employee management and strategies for improving patient care. Since leadership skills are essential to any healthcare administration role, a leadership specialization can benefit any healthcare administration career path.

    Accreditation for MHA Degrees

    The Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) provides accreditation for healthcare administration master's degree programs. CAHME measures programs against a set of competency-based standards to ensure they provide quality education to current and aspiring healthcare professionals. Accreditation signifies that a program has met or exceeded those standards.

    The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) provides accreditation for public health programs. Some MHA degrees exist within public health departments, in which cases they may be accredited by CEPH instead of or in addition to CAHME.

    What Can You Do with an MHA?

    An MHA degree can open up several strong career paths, including those listed below. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.

    Medical or Health Services Manager

    Median Annual Salary: $104,830

    Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree

    Job Overview: Medical and health services managers may also be called healthcare administrators or healthcare executives. These professionals manage medical services in specific departments or entire facilities, depending on their role. Medical and health services managers determine and implement rules, goals and processes for the departments or facilities they oversee.

    Nursing Home Administrator

    Average Annual Salary: Around $96,000

    Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree

    Job Overview: Nursing home administrators oversee the day-to-day operations of nursing homes and nursing care facilities. They hire and train staff, manage admissions, ensure patients are receiving the best care, negotiate contracts, oversee building maintenance, and develop and manage budgets.

    Hospital Administrator

    Average Annual Salary: Around $91,000

    Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree, master's sometimes preferred

    Job Overview: Hospital administrators handle hospitals' everyday operations. They hire and oversee staff, develop plans for improvement, oversee expenditures and budgets, allocate funds, ensure compliance with local and federal laws, and ensure the hospital operates according to its goals, vision and values.

    Practice Administrator

    Average Annual Salary: Around $77,000

    Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree

    Job Overview: Practice administrators oversee the operation of medical practices. They recruit physicians, nurses and other personnel to ensure the practice is adequately staffed. They also negotiate contracts, prepare training and staffing budgets, address customer concerns and make sure the practice has everything it needs to run properly.

    Director of Nursing

    Average Annual Salary: Around $97,000

    Minimum Required Education: Bachelor's degree

    Job Overview: Directors of nursing oversee the operations and performance of nursing units. They supervise and direct the work of nursing staff, ensure patients receive quality care, provide training to staff, conduct performance evaluations, ensure compliance with local and federal laws, and perform various other tasks within their departments.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About MHA Degrees Is a master's degree in healthcare administration worth it?

    Whether a master's in healthcare administration is worth it for you depends on your career goals. If you want to move into a high-level management position in healthcare administration, then yes, this degree may benefit your career.

    What degree is best for healthcare administration?

    The best healthcare administration degree for you depends on your desired role and where you want to work. For many jobs in the field, a healthcare administration associate degree or a bachelor's in healthcare administration is enough to get your foot in the door. More advanced positions may require a master's degree in healthcare administration.

    What is the difference between an MHA and an MBA in healthcare administration?

    An MBA provides in-depth knowledge of business processes that apply to many different industries. Choosing a healthcare administration concentration as part of your MBA degree equips you to apply those business processes in a healthcare setting. An MHA includes many of the same business concepts as an MBA, but it focuses more on the healthcare industry's specific needs and challenges.


    Carnegie Mellon University In Qatar

    A Carnegie Mellon degree in the heart of the Middle East

    Carnegie Mellon University attracts a certain type of student: motivated, inventive, and driven to make a difference. Students come to Carnegie Mellon to learn, create, and innovate with the very best. They leave with passion, connections, credentials, and lifelong friends who will help them change the world.

    Work that matters

    For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has challenged the curious and passionate to imagine and deliver work that matters. A private, global university, Carnegie Mellon stands among the world's renowned educational institutions, setting its own course with programs that inspire creativity and collaboration. Consistently top-ranked, Carnegie Mellon has more than 13,000 students and 120,000 alumni worldwide.

    A world class education in Qatar

    At the invitation of Qatar Foundation, Carnegie Mellon joined Education City in 2004 to deliver select programs that will contribute to the long-term development of Qatar. Today, Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computer science, and information systems. About 450 students from 60 countries call Carnegie Mellon Qatar home.

    Programs of study

    CMU-Q offers undergraduate programs that are ahead of the curve, in fields at the forefront of technology, innovation, scientific discovery and economic growth. All undergraduate majors require four years of full-time study, after which students earn a bachelor of science degree.

    Biological Sciences has a core curriculum of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. In-depth exposure to multiple disciplines prepares students for careers at the forefront of emerging new fields.

    Business Administration provides the foundation for motivated students to become leaders in the business arena within Qatar, the region and the world. The program emphasizes an analytical approach to problem-solving, providing the tools to adapt to an evolving business environment.

    Computer Science provides students with the core skills of mathematical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, and programming. The program encourages creativity and provides the fundamental skills to develop new technologies.

    Information Systems is based on professional core courses that teach students to analyze, design, implement and test information systems using current and emerging practices. The flexible nature of the program encourages students to work outside of traditional disciplinary boundaries.

    Learn by doing

    Students at Carnegie Mellon Qatar learn beyond the classroom through a slate of unique enrichment opportunities. Most students choose to study abroad for part of their education or travel on global learning experiences that enhance classroom work. Students also do internships, receiving on-the-job experience and adding an important dimension to their undergraduate education.

    Research is part of the fabric of a Carnegie Mellon education. Students engage in a wide variety of research endeavors, such as independent studies, senior honors theses, summer internships and funded projects as junior researchers.

    Small campus, big spirit

    The CMU-Q student body is exceptionally diverse, representing 60 nations. Students form a busy and active community, participating in clubs, organizing large-scale events, traveling for global learning, and competing in local and international contests. The low student-to-professor ratio means students receive unparalleled individual attention.

    Graduates who make a difference

    Graduates from CMU-Q are highly sought-after: most choose careers in top organizations, while a significant number pursue graduate studies at international institutions. With 16 graduating classes, the total number of alumni is more than 1200.

    The CMU-Q alumni network has a growing influence, with most graduates working in Qatar or the region. You will find our alumni in organizations like Ooredoo, Qatar Airways, Qatar Shell, McKinsey and Company, KPMG, Siemens and ExxonMobil. In Doha's budding entrepreneurial sector, CMU-Q alumni members are a driving force, creating startups, mentoring current students, and contributing to an emerging community of young innovators.

    Follow us:

    Twitter: @CarnegieMellonQ

    Instagram: @carnegiemellonq

    Facebook: CarnegieMellonQ

    YouTube: CarnegieMellonQatar

    LinkedIn: Carnegie Mellon Qatar

    To learn more, visitwww.Qatar.Cmu.Edu.


    ECU Sports Administration Master's Degree Ranked As A Top Program In The Nation

    Jul. 9—The Master of Education in Sports Administration at East Central University has been recognized nationally as one of the top online master's programs in the country. The program's popularity continues to grow, producing highly successful graduates, while tailoring to students all over the world.

    "The educational quality and reputation, in addition to its affordability and convenience, has made our program highly sought after," said Dr. Nick Stowers, associate professor of Sports Administration.

    The program was featured on several top lists. Those rankings include Best Online Master's Degrees in Sports Management (#19) by onlinemastersdegrees.Org, Best Online Master's in Sports Management (#24) by academicinfluence.Com, Best Online Master's in Sports Management (#8) by zdnet.Com, and Most Affordable Top-Ranked Schools for Masters in Sports Management Degree Programs (#2) by sports-management-degrees.Com.

    The Master of Education in Sports Administration specialization is designed to prepare the professional for positions as athletic director, athletic coach, athletic administration positions, as well as a variety of sport-related positions. The program is based on specialized courses in athletic administration. The degree is delivered completely online and can be completed in as little as four semesters.

    For more information regarding the Sports Administration program, visit ecok.Edu or contact Department Chair Dr. Jason Prather at jprather@ecok.Edu or Sports Administration faculty Dr. Nick Stowers at nstowers@ecok.Edu.






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