Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)

Healthcare administrators have a wide range of duties that require skills and experience across many disciplines, including:

• Finance: Healthcare administrators manage facility budgets, including payroll, the purchase of new medical devices, and even budgeting for expanded locations. They are responsible for controlling labor costs and ensuring all areas of need are met within the allocated budget.
• Human Resources: A critical component of any healthcare organization is having solid human resources practices. This includes hiring the right people, evaluating staffing needs, and making sure all roles are filled to provide necessary patient care.
• Compliance: Maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local laws is essential for all healthcare organizations—otherwise, they risk significant financial penalties. Compliance for billing, occupational safety and health, and privacy and security can all fall within the duties of a healthcare administrator.

As a leader of a healthcare organization, you can make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients, doctors, and other staff members every day. With a master’s in healthcare administration, you can help guide lifesaving research, improve hospital safety, and lead public health policy.

In terms of what you will learn, coursework covers topics such as health policy, population health, marketing management, business communications, healthcare quality management, and much more. Once you complete your degree, you’ll have the knowledge and leadership skills that you need to excel as a healthcare administrator.

The job outlook for Medical and Health Services Mangers is strong, and joining the field could be a positive career move. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Mangers have an expected 32% growth rate of employment from 2020 to 2030. As of May 2020, national estimates show both employment and wages on the rise. People in this field earn a mean hourly wage of $50.13. The median annual wage is $104,280, and people in the top 10% are earning $195,630.¹

¹Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm

There are plenty of job options for people who have earned an MHA degree, and having an advanced healthcare administration degree could be a job requirement for some positions. In-demand jobs include those in government as well as positions in general medical and surgical hospitals, physicians’ offices, outpatient care centers, nursing care facilities, medical and diagnostic laboratories, scientific research facilities, and more.

As an online MHA student at Walden, you have the opportunity to connect with students and faculty from diverse locations and backgrounds. This leads to an energetic exchange of ideas, opinions, perspectives, and experiences. There are three key features of online learning at Walden:

• Flexible Scheduling: Our online learning model is designed to fit your busy schedule. This means you can participate in classes on a weekly basis, whenever it’s convenient for you.
• Assessment and Evaluation: Tests are delivered online and are typically scored when you finish, which provides you with immediate feedback. Papers and projects are submitted through a drop box.
• Online Student Support: Our Student Support Team guides you through the online learning experience, including providing a Student Readiness Orientation to help you get ready for your first online course.

When it comes to finding the best online academic institution for you, reputation is key. Walden University is a pioneer of distance learning and has been supporting the educational needs of working professionals for more than 50 years. Accreditation should also be key in your decision-making. Attending an accredited university means you can be confident that your chosen institution has been evaluated for quality assurance and continuous improvement by an independent accreditation organization. Walden University participates in a thorough recertification process every 10 years with The Higher Learning Commission, an independent accreditation corporation founded in 1895.

Perhaps you’re wondering whether you really need a healthcare administration degree to succeed in healthcare, or if an advanced business degree just as good. Healthcare is significantly different from other industries. It has its own reimbursement mechanism, which is based on third-party payers, its own ethics issues, including life-and-death issues, and its own policy issues, with specific government regulations.

An MBA program will likely have courses on leadership, marketing, managerial finance, communication, and other subjects designed to help you become a business manager or consultant. You can also specialize in specific areas such as human resource management or project management. Some of the top MBA programs even offer a healthcare management specialization—but that specialization still requires you to take core business courses.

All courses taken in an MHA program should be about issues related to healthcare. Typical courses include Contemporary Topics in the U.S. Healthcare Delivery System; Law, Ethics, and Policy in Healthcare Administration; Healthcare Operations Management; and Healthcare Quality Management. In other words, MHA courses should be designed to give you an in-depth understanding of the business of healthcare, while MBA courses take a broader approach to business.

Walden does not require college-level testing. Our admission requirements are based on an applicant’s professional and academic experience.

Walden’s MHA program is 53–68 quarter credits, depending upon your decision to take the general program or add a specialization.* The general program is designed to be completed in six quarters, which generally equates to eighteen months. Adding a specialization will require three additional courses designed to be completed in two quarters, which generally equates to 20 months. At Walden, we understand that adult learners are often juggling many priorities such as work and family, and students have up to seven years to complete the program.

In traditional degree programs, you progress course by course. In Walden’s online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree program in the Tempo Learning^® format, you’ll demonstrate competencies instead of completing courses. Competencies are the skills, knowledge, and abilities you’ll need to be successful in your healthcare administration career. Completing these competencies ensures that as a graduate, you’ll be able to show your current or future employers the specific skills and abilities you learned in your MHA program. There are no weekly deadlines with the competency-based option, and you decide when and where to complete your work.