Master of Health Services Administration (MHA): What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
A Master of Health Services Administration (MHA), sometimes called a Master of Health Administration, is a graduate degree that prepares students for management and leadership roles across the healthcare sector — hospitals, health systems, long-term care facilities, insurance companies, and government health agencies. Healthcare remains one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy, and the MHA is the standard credential for professionals seeking to advance from clinical or entry-level administrative roles into healthcare management. Many universities offer the degree, including National Louis University, which offers an MHA through its Graduate School of Business and Leadership.
What Is an MHA?
The MHA program curriculum includes classes in health services administration as well as core management courses, such as strategic planning, human resources, and organizational leadership. The length and structure of programs vary; some are completed in about a year with 30 semester hours of coursework, while others take two years with 45 to 60 credit hours, including an administrative residency or internship.
National Louis University offers a 30-semester-hour Master's in Health Services Administration program. The program is designed to be completed in about 12 months. It is practical and applications-oriented. Students can apply what they learn in the program at their workplaces. There are also two concentrations offered: Long-Term Care Administration and Public Health. In addition, there is a generalist track for students who do not want to concentrate in one of the above areas.
With programs offered at so many universities, there is a wide variety in format. Delivery formats include online, in-person, and hybrid. There are several programs administered fully online, while others are administered entirely in residence. A majority of programs today are Hybrid Programs. For example, NLU uses a hybrid model in which the majority of coursework is delivered online, with occasional on-campus meetings. This model enables working healthcare professionals to remain in the workforce and apply the knowledge they gain in real time on the job.
Why Pursue an MHA?
Most students enter the MHA program at a career transition point. For example, nurses and allied health professionals can transition from clinical to administrative roles. In addition, individuals who work in entry-level healthcare operations positions can transition to management roles. These healthcare organizations are large, complex, and heavily regulated. Therefore, healthcare managers and executives need both business acumen and healthcare knowledge to manage and lead these organizations. The MHA degree is designed to provide students with this knowledge.
For those considering a career change to Healthcare Administration from General Business, this could be the right path given the sector's relative stability and continued growth. In every community, there are healthcare organizations delivering services. The Master's in Health Services Administration degree, therefore, offers more geographic flexibility than a specialized management degree.
What the Curriculum Typically Covers
- Healthcare finance and accounting — budgeting, reimbursement models, and financial management specific to healthcare organizations
- Health policy and law — the regulatory environment in which healthcare organizations operate, including compliance requirements
- Healthcare operations and quality management – This course covers process improvement and patient safety in both the clinical and administrative settings of health care organizations.
- Organizational behavior and human resources — leading clinical and non-clinical staff.
- Health information systems — the technology and data infrastructure that healthcare organizations rely on
- Strategic planning and marketing: How a healthcare organization can be positioned in the market.
When there are courses that can be applied directly to the work that your employer is doing, students can apply the material that they are learning in real-time situations that are applicable at their employer. And that is what allows some accelerated programs, like the 12-month MHA program I mentioned earlier, to shorten the time of study and complete an MHA degree in that short timeframe.
Accreditation to Look For
While a program without CAHME accreditation would not be recommended for a student who wants to advance to a senior hospital executive position or even join professional organizations in the healthcare executive world, many MHA degrees are accredited by other organizations, usually within the larger business school at that university. This is typically true for programs designed for working professionals on a part-time basis, offered on a shorter, accelerated schedule than typical MHA programs, and therefore cost less. These programs are almost always found within a business school rather than in a school of healthcare administration. As a result, they would be accredited by general business accrediting organizations such as IACBE or AACSB.
Key Questions About the MHA
How long does an MHA take to complete?
Programs vary in terms of how long it takes to complete the MHA degree. Most working-professional programs, designed to complete the degree in 1-2 years, offer a variety of schedules, including part-time options, to allow working professionals to finish the degree promptly.
Is a clinical background required to apply?
Clinical backgrounds are not required for MHA programs; they often admit candidates from various academic backgrounds, such as those who have completed a bachelor’s degree in health care-related fields (nursing, allied health) or business, as well as those without health care experience looking to start a career in the health care industry.
Does the program include an internship or residency?
Whether or not the program includes an internship or residency depends on the specific program. As mentioned earlier, many of the 2-year programs require a substantial administrative residency or fellowship. These last for 8-12 months while the student completes the MHA degree. In the case of NLU’s accelerated program for working adults, such a residency or fellowship is waived because, by virtue of their employment in a healthcare organization, students already receive substantial real-world exposure.
How much does an MHA typically cost?
The cost of tuition can vary depending on program length, format, and the institution offering the program. Typically, a shorter, more application-focused program specifically designed for working professionals, offered in a part-time, flexible format, can cost less overall, even though per-credit tuition rates may be higher. Students should therefore evaluate the total program cost when determining the best program for their goals, rather than just comparing per-credit or per-term tuition charges. An MHA degree at NLU costs less than $17,000.
Can the degree be specialized?
Some programs, such as the program at NLU, offer specializations within a concentration, for example, long-term care administration, and/or public health within a Health Services Administration concentration. The student can take additional electives that complement their concentration to deepen their knowledge in that area.
Career Outcomes
Healthcare management is one of the more reliable in-demand career fields, driven by an aging population, the ongoing complexity of health insurance and regulation, and the sheer size of the healthcare sector. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations over the coming decade, with a median annual wage well above the national median for all workers. Current projections and wage data are available through the BLS.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers.
Graduates find a variety of management positions in organizations such as health systems, physician groups, long-term care organizations, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, and government public health organizations. For example, MHA graduates serve in various capacities in inpatient and outpatient settings as practice managers, in a variety of clinical and administrative positions, as administrators in long-term care organizations, and in planning and marketing in health care and health-related organizations. Many hold executive positions in organizations, such as departments in health care systems, as chiefs of clinical or health care-related services, as chief operating officers, as CEOs of inpatient and outpatient health care organizations, and in long-term care organizations.
Individuals with an MHA degree can also seek employment outside patient care delivery organizations, including health insurance, healthcare consulting, pharmaceuticals/medical devices, and government public health organizations. Healthcare management professionals are needed across these organizations to manage the business and regulatory aspects of healthcare.
Salaries for individuals in this field can vary widely depending on whether they work in a larger hospital system or as senior executives. Additionally, geographic location can greatly impact salaries and the amount of experience an individual has in a healthcare setting before obtaining their Master’s degree. Typically, healthcare management salaries are researched to find the average salary for a given setting or role an individual is interested in. These figures typically vary widely from the national average and are strongly influenced by the specific setting and/or role in which an individual is currently working.
The MHA at National Louis University
National Louis University (NLU)’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership offers a 12-month Master's in Health Services Administration (MHA) program. The program focuses on applications and helps students put their newly acquired leadership skills and knowledge to use right away, all within the framework of their current workplace. The Graduate School of Business and Leadership is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) for specialized business accreditations. NLU can award prior professional experience for course credit through its Credit by Credential (for prior learning) options. More information on admissions, tuition, and program concentrations for this MHS degree can be found on NLU’s Master's in Health Services Administration page and the Graduate School of Business and Leadership page.
