Masters in Health Administration

Definition of Master of Health Administration

The Master of Health Administration (MHA), also known as a Master of Healthcare Administration, is a master’s level professional degree that involves learning about the management of hospitals and other health service organizations, as well as public health infrastructure.

This degree is designed for undergraduate students of health disciplines, offering them a greater understanding of management issues and preparing them for senior administrative roles, and covering planning work in the health services and systems. The degree focuses on health administration at the local, state, and federal level, as well as in the nonprofit sector. Most accredited programs require applied experience in addition to course work. Applied experience can be in areas such as population health, healthcare economics, health policy, organizational behavior, management of healthcare organizations, healthcare marketing and communications, human resource management, information systems management and assessment, operations assessment and improvement, governance, leadership, statistical analysis and application, financial analysis and management, and strategy formulation and implementation.

Course Curriculum of Master of Health Administration

A MHA degree draws skills from business and finance, as well as quality health improvement, epidemiology, health economics, and health policy. It’s a broad-based educational route that covers many topics so that the graduate student can benefit both the community and organization that the graduate serves. Although distance learning is a unique experience, it still has rigorous course work and practically applicable experiences that a student can learn the best health administration techniques from. Many online programs include applied study of actual cases, relevant projects, lively discussion, and interactive learning forums. Students study the use of new technologies to manage and improve operations, ethics and legal issues in the field, and issues related to gerontology. Students are also taught acute care and leadership practices.

Although all programs differ, most programs are 30-60 credits (around 2 years of study) and contain core courses with topics such as management, leadership, and customer-focused care, as well as specialized courses within a specific area of study. Examples of core course curriculum include:

• Health Care Systems
• Ethical and Legal Issues
• Leadership in Marketing and Strategic
• Human Resources Management
• Introduction to Accounting
• Economics of Health and Health Care Policy

Objectives of a Master of Health Administration Program:

Most accredited Master of Health Administration university programs have objectives for their students who pass through their programs. Although each program’s objective points may vary, there are always underlying similarities. Overall programs want to provide students with high quality curriculum in health administration and management, which will prepare them to assume leadership roles within healthcare teams, institutions, and systems.

The objectives of the program are to develop graduates who are:

• Competent general and financial managers
• Experienced in healthcare leadership and management
• Capable planners
• Knowledgeable about public health and the structure
• Proficient in the organization and financing of health care systems
• Expert about society, law and ethics
• Promoter of values—cultural competence, teamwork, and a commitment to health administration improvement
• Skilled in quantitative skills
• Commitment to intellectual curiosity and sustaining lifelong learning

Possible Careers and Salaries with a Master of Health Administration:

Healthcare administration jobs are challenging but rewarding. If you love challenges, an ever-changing environment, and have a commitment to helping people, then an MHA degree may be just the thing for you. There are two sides of health administration careers: business and the provision of health care. It can be a significant challenge for people working in this field to balance these two aspects. The business facet of health care administration involves overseeing the financial side of a medical facility, attending to all the issues with rules and regulation compliance matters, and providing leadership for staff and employees. The personal health care side involves servant leadership and is involved in making sure that patients are receiving proper care, and improving on that care. This means that you’ll even be called into the day-to-day tasks of the medical facility in which you work.

With your Master of Health Administration degree there are many opportunities for you within the healthcare system, with positions of higher levels of responsibility and higher salaries. Here are a few of the top job choices for MHA graduates:

• Hospital Administrator – As an administrator, you can start in an advanced role and continue to work up the ladder to become the chief executive officer of a hospital. Being an administrator though requires the ability to handle responsibility under a lot of pressure, and as a chief executive you’re ultimately in charge of everyone at a hospital. The average income for a hospital administrator is $77,000/year.
• Practice Administrator – As a practice administration you perform essentially the same task as a hospital administrator, but at a smaller practice. Many practice administrators work in physician offices or specialty hospitals. The median salary is $80,000, with room to work upwards.
• Health Organization CEO or COO – An MHA doesn’t just qualify you for administration jobs within healthcare facilities, but it also qualifies you to work at healthcare, or medical-related, organizations. These may be insurance companies, charities, government and NGO organizations. As a CEO you can expect to make a median salary of $180,000/year.
• Nursing Home Administrator – This position is in very high demand and therefore would be a lucrative choice. As nursing home abuse has been a problem in the past, you need specialty training to work as an administrator. Therefore, it’s a good thing to know this is the route you want to go while getting your MHA degree.
• Medical Office Manager – This job puts you in charge of products at large organizations, such as hospitals. As a medical office manager you provide support to your staff and oversee the entire office. Having your MHA for this position will guarantee you a higher salary at a larger organization.
• Health Information Administrator – Records are important in the medical world, and as health information administrator you would be responsible of double checking paperwork and maintaining important records.

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual wage earnings for health services managers were $73,340 in May 2006, with the highest ten percent earning more than $127,830 per year. Hospitals paid the highest salaries, and home health care services offered the lowest salaries at $66,720 median annual salary.

There are additional factors that go into a salary such as the size of facility you work in, the location, and the specialization you have. It’s important to consider all of these factors when applying for jobs.

Further Reading about Master of Health Administration

• Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME): CAHME is the only organization to have been granted formal recognition for accreditation by The U.S. Department of Education. Therefore, if you’re looking to get an MHA degree, this is a very important resource to check before applying to programs. You must go to an accredited school to receive full recognition from most future employers.
• The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA): This is a non-profit association of university-based education programs, faculty, practitioners, and provider organizations of MHA degrees and careers. The organization and its members are dedicated to continuing the improvement to the field of healthcare management and practice.
• Upsilon Phi Delta: This is the national academic honor society for students in healthcare administration. They offer scholarships and grants for potential healthcare administration grad students, as well as helpful career networks. The honor society is administered by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) in the United States.
• U.S. News and World Report Health Services Administration Rankings: These are the U.S. national rankings for the best graduate schools with offerings in a health care of administration degree. These are important to look at and can help in aiding your college decision, but should not necessarily be the deciding fact as there are many programs that may meet your needs and desires but that aren’t one of the highest ranked.
• American Medical Association (AMA): The AMA has a helpful website with all sorts of information and resources about careers in healthcare, including information on a Master of Health Administration. This website contains the most complete, up-to-date information regarding graduate medical education, including graduate health administration, for students as well as educators, academic physicians, and residency/fellowship program directors.