Master of Health Administration

The Master of Health Administration (MHA)&mdash;also Master of Healthcare Administration, or Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)&mdash;is a graduate professional degree that provides training in health policy, economics, project and program implementation. The degree program is designed to give graduates of health disciplines (in particular) greater understanding of management issues and prepare them for senior management roles, and is awarded by many American, European and Australian universities. The degree traditionally focuses on health administration at the local, state, and federal level as well as in the nonprofit sector. This contrasts with the general Master of Business Administration or the Master of Public Administration degrees.

Over time, there has been a convergence between the MHA and the Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees, due to the realization that policy/project/program implementation could benefit from an understanding of health policy analysis, and vice versa. Today, the course offerings of many MHA and MPH programs are similar, with many common subjects.

General
Programs are intended to provide students with the essential knowledge required for senior managerial and planning work in the health services. The objectives of the program are to develop graduates who are: competent general and financial managers, competent planners, knowledgeable about public health and the structure, organization and financing of health care systems, knowledgeable about society, law and ethics, and competent in quantitative skills.

In most countries, applicants are required to hold minimum a three-year undergraduate degree and have a minimum period of professional experience in the health system. The curriculum, however, varies between universities.

United States
In the United States, applicants are required to hold a four-year undergraduate degree prior to enolling in the MHA program. Some universities offer dual MHA/MBA degree programs to be completed concurrently. Some MHA programs do not require professional experience prior to enrollment, but often require an essay and interview as part of the admission process. Some MHA programs use 50% online and 50% lecture allowing working individuals to continue working and pursue the MHA to completion in approximately two years. An example of the new MHA format is found in the US at Clayton State University. There are other universities who offer MHA programs completely online however, most of them do not offer CAHME accreditation.

Australia
In Australia the Master of Health Administration (MHA) may be divided in two parts; the first part awards a postgraduate diploma of Health Service Management, and, depending on the outcome, diplomates may be permitted to continue to the second part which culminates in the MHA degree. Course structures, and may be either research or coursework based. The Master of Health Administration is considered the benchmark qualification by the Australian College of Health Service Executives. Unlike elsewhere, the MHA is not intended primarily for medical practitioners (who have courses provided by their professional organisations) but is open to graduates of any discipline wishing to pursue a career in health administration. Owing the the wide variety of course nomenclature in Australia, some Universities offer the course as a Master of Business(Health Administration), abbreviated to MBus(Hlth).