MHA in Health Administration
About the MHA
The Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree is designed for students from a range of educational backgrounds and provides the knowledge and skills necessary to function effectively as a healthcare executive. The curriculum includes such competency areas as health systems operations, organization theory, information management, financial management, strategic planning and marketing, human resource management, health economics, managerial epidemiology, leadership, and ethics. By combining basic and advanced course work with an internship and executive management study (an applied management study that replaces a thesis), the student may develop expertise in a focused area. Professional elective course selection is a mutual decision between the student and advisor, and in all cases, the intent is to tailor the degree program to the student’s interests. The goal of the graduate program in health administration is to prepare professionals for leadership roles in health care. Students develop an excellent applied knowledge in such areas as clinical decision support systems, risk assessment and management, clinical outcomes assessment, managing interdisciplinary teams and integrated health systems.
Degree Requirements
The residential MHA degree requires a total of 54 credit hours, which includes 39 hours of core coursework, three credit hours earned for a required 12-week summer internship, a three-credit hour capstone group management project, and nine credit hours of professional electives. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative MU graduate grade point average to earn the Master's degree.
The professional elective requirement, which comprises three courses, allows MHA students the opportunity to concentrate in a particular area of study if they choose. MHA students may pursue graduate certificates, or complement their MHA coursework with classes in areas such as business administration, public administration, industrial engineering and public health.
MHA students must complete a 12-week administrative internship at an approved integrated managed care system, group practice, hospital or other healthcare organization under the guidance of a qualified preceptor (often a Health Administration alumnus/a). The internship is designed to incorporate the academic training students receive in their first year of the master’s degree with practical applications within the host site. The students receive hands-on exposure to health care management in a real-world environment and experience first-hand the dynamics of a career in health care. The intern should have the opportunity to observe their mentor and other professionals in the work environment, as well as opportunities to discuss their experiences.
Specific general skills to be developed include:
- Leadership
- Strategic decision making
- Project management
- Teamwork
The Health Administration executive-in-residence works individually with students to place them at internship sites.
| Required Courses | ||
| HLTH_ADM 7410 | Introduction to the US Health Care System | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 7430 | Introduction to Health Informatics for Leaders | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 7471 | Introduction to Accounting and Finance in Health Care | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8453 | Executive Management Studies | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8460 | Administration of Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8461 | Managing Human Resources in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8470 | Strategic Planning and Marketing for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8472 | Financial Management for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8524 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8544 | Managerial Epidemiology (Population Health Management) | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8571 | Decision Support Systems for Health Administration | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8573 | Decision Making for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8574 | Health Care Law | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8575 | Health Policy and Politics | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8689 | Field Experience in Health Administration | 3 |
| Students must complete nine credit hours of professional electives | 9 | |
| Students must satisfy a pre-requisites in microeconomics | ||
Executive MHA Degree
In addition to the residential (on-campus) MHA, the degree is offered in an alternative format to professionals who have clinical or administrative experience in health care. Health Administration accepts an executive MHA cohort to begin in January of each year. The Executive MHA combines monthly on-campus weekend sessions, independent study, and online interaction in an innovative two-year course of study, and requires 42 credit hours of health services management coursework. Students are required to complete a substantial independent research project, which they present during their oral comprehensive examination in their final semester.
Dual Degree MHA in Health Administration and MBA in Business Administration
A joint degree program administered through The Department of Health Sciences in The College of Health Sciences and Trulaske College of Business allows students to earn an MBA in Business Administration degree and an MHA in Health Administration degree simultaneously. Individuals interested in pursuing a managerial career in the medical services field will find that this program provides a deeper knowledge of finance, management, and marketing compared to their peers. If earned separately, each degree would take two years. The dual program is 70.5 total credit hours and allows students to graduate with both degrees in a total of three years. For program requirements see the MBA in Business Administration.
Dual Degree MHA in Health Administration and MPA in Public Affairs
A joint degree program offered through The Department of Health Sciences in The College of Health Sciences and The Truman School of Government and Public Affairs allows students to concurrently earn a Master of Health Administration (MHA) and the Master of Public Affairs (MPA). This dual degree is designed for individuals pursuing leadership and policy-making roles within the healthcare sector. The curriculum integrates key aspects of public affairs and health administration, equipping graduates with comprehensive skills in policy analysis, healthcare finance and organizational management. The integrated dual program is structured to be completed in just three years, comprising a total of 69 credit hours. For specific program requirements and detailed curriculum information, see below course list.
| Required Courses | 45 | |
| HLTH_ADM 7410 | Introduction to the US Health Care System | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 7430 | Introduction to Health Informatics for Leaders | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8460 | Administration of Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8470 | Strategic Planning and Marketing for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8524 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8544 | Managerial Epidemiology (Population Health Management) | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8571 | Decision Support Systems for Health Administration | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8573 | Decision Making for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8574 | Health Care Law | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8110 | Introduction to Public and Nonprofit Management | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8170 | Public Policy Processes and Strategies | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8180 | Research Methods and Inquiry in Public Affairs I | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8181 | Research Methods and Inquiry in Public Affairs II | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8210 | Public Service and Democracy | 3 |
| MPA elective | 3 | |
| Shared Courses | 24 | |
| PUB_AF 7430 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8420 | Public Program Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 7471 | Introduction to Accounting and Finance in Health Care | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8453 | Executive Management Studies | 3 |
| or PUB_AF 8211 | MPA Capstone (Applied Project) | |
| HLTH_ADM 8461 | Managing Human Resources in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8472 | Financial Management for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8575 | Health Policy and Politics | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8689 | Field Experience in Health Administration | 3 |
Sample Plan of Study
Health Administration Residential Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| HLTH_ADM 7410 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8461 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8689 | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 7471 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8524 | 3 | ||
| HLTH_ADM 8460 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8573 | 3 | ||
| HLTH_ADM 8544 | 3 | Electives | 6 | ||
| 12 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| HLTH_ADM 7430 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8453 | 3 | ||
| HLTH_ADM 8470 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8571 | 3 | ||
| HLTH_ADM 8472 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8574 | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8575 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits: 54 | |||||
In addition to the basic plan of study outlined above, all MHA students must complete at least nine credit hours of professional electives during the course of their degree, bringing the total required credit hours to 54. Microeconomics is a prerequisite for the MHA degree, and may be fulfilled through prior coursework or by completion of an online microeconomics module, which is available free of charge to admitted MHA students.
Executive Health Administration Plan of Study
Executive students begin in the Spring semesters
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| Executive students begin Spring semester, and program runs on calendar year. | HLTH_ADM 7410 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8450 | 3 | |
| HLTH_ADM 7430 | 3 | ||||
| HLTH_ADM 8460 | 3 | ||||
| 0 | 9 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| HLTH_ADM 8461 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8470 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8451 | 3 |
| HLTH_ADM 8524 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8472 | 3 | ||
| HLTH_ADM 8573 | 3 | HLTH_ADM 8544 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | ||||
| HLTH_ADM 8571 | 3 | ||||
| HLTH_ADM 8574 | 3 | ||||
| HLTH_ADM 8575 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | |||||
| Total Credits: 42 | |||||
Thesis/Non-Thesis Requirement
All MHA students must participate in and complete an Executive Management Study (EMS) project during the second year of the degree. The EMS is a capstone group project. Each group of students is assigned a client (often within the University of Missouri Health System), and asked to research and address a particular problem and provide recommendations. Recent EMS projects have included:
- improvement of patient experience of wait times in the Orthopaedic Clinic at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute
- surgical site infection reduction informed by NSQIP resources for UMHC
- system-wide urinary catheter reduction for UMHC
- improving screening and follow-up for students with substance use and/or mood disorders at MU Student Health
Students have also completed projects for external organizations, such as Express Scripts and the Adair County Health Dept. All MHA students complete a presentation of their EMS project.
Financial Aid
Further information about costs, financial aid, and external scholarship opportunities is available on the Cashiers Office website, and Student Financial Aid website.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission: the requirements of the MHA program and the minimum requirements of the Graduate School. Because requirements vary, you must refer to a degree program’s graduate admission page to learn about specific admission criteria, application deadlines, eligibility and application process. Before official admission to the University of Missouri, your application materials will be reviewed by both the degree program to which you’ve applied and the Graduate School.
Health Administration Admissions Information
Deadline for Fall entrance: Rolling; priority deadline is March 1
A minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
Undergraduate GPA: 3.0 during the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work and any subsequent graduate course work
Minimum TOEFL scores:
| Internet-based test (iBT) | Paper-based test (PBT) |
|---|---|
| 100 | 600 |
Minimum Academics IELTS scores:
| Item | Score |
|---|---|
| OVERALL | 7.0 |
Minimum Duolingo score: 120
Required Application Materials
Master's program applicants should apply online through the Graduate School application system. When completing the online application, you will have an opportunity to upload/attach additional documents. Please include the following documents:
- an updated résumé or curriculum vitae;
- a personal essay that:
- outlines your professional plans and career objectives;
- explains how you became interested in health services management/health informatics and how your prior training and experience would help your career;
- includes specific issues and problems in health care you consider challenging and why;
- indicates if you intend to apply to the traditional (residential) on-campus degree program or the distance education (executive) format
Other required documents:
- Official transcripts of all coursework from all colleges, technical schools and/or universities attended
- Three letters of recommendation (submitted through the Graduate School application system)
You may also be required to submit other documentation and in some cases complete prerequisite courses. Below is a checklist to help make sure your application is complete:
- Request to re-enroll form (for previously admitted students only)
- Application for Change of Degree form (for students already enrolled in a Master's degree or Graduate Certificate program)
- Letter of support from your employer (Executive Students only)
- Official TOEFL report (for international applicants only - have official results sent to us: institution code is 6875, our department code is 25 - minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based exam required)
Admissions Contact
Diki Lama
ldlpdp@missouri.edu