Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 Saint Joseph’s College Online 
    
2013-2014 Saint Joseph’s College Online [Archived Catalog]

Master of Health Administration


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate Programs

The Master of Health Administration program equips graduates with the professional competencies needed to serve effectively as leaders and managers in the field of health administration. This program enables students to:

  • Acquire a systematic body of knowledge related to the management of health care services
  • Apply acquired knowledge and skills to the effective management of health services
  • Identify and internalize appropriate standards of professional and ethical conduct
  • Develop effective leadership competencies
  • Develop effective skills for independent scholarship and goal-directed continuing education

Graduates possess the skills needed to perform effectively as senior-level managers and are prepared to contribute skills, values, and leadership to the larger health care system.

Note: Students who have already completed their MSHA or MHA with Saint Joseph’s College are not eligible for admittance into the MSN/MHA dual degree program.

Curriculum


The Master of Health Administration program integrates learning and experience. It emphasizes the key areas of organizational and financial management, human resources, ethical behavior, and leadership skills so important to developing effective health care managers for today and tomorrow. Courses are designed to build upon the foundation of experience students bring to the program. Students have flexibility in tailoring their programs by supplementing core curriculum courses with a selection of relevant elective courses that reflect their own needs and interests.

Candidates must satisfactorily complete 42 graduate credits, with an overall GPA of Saint Joseph’s College courses of 3.0 or higher.  The program consists of a core curriculum of ten courses, three elective courses, and a capstone course. For the capstone, students may choose an Applied Research Paper or Project or an Applied Management Project.

Electives


(9 semester-hour credits)

Select three courses from the following:

Capstone


(3 semester-hour credits, select one)   The capstone course must be successfully passed before a student can complete the degree.

Total Required Credits: 42


Additional Admission Requirements


Applicants are required to have a minimum of two years of relevant and substantive experience in a health related field; applicants without this experience must submit a letter explaining their interest and motivation for applying to the program. They must also successfully complete HA500: United States Health Care Systems and HA511: Leadership in Healthcare Administration, as provisional students before matriculating into the program.

Prerequisites


Students pursuing the Master of Health Administration degree must complete a three-credit undergraduate level accounting course prior to enrollment in HA 525 Health Care Financial Management, and a three-credit undergraduate level statistics course prior to enrollment in HA 545 Research Methods.  Most students with undergraduate business degrees will already have had such courses or their equivalents, as will some others.

Summer Program


Students may choose to earn credits during a residential summer session. Course offerings are announced prior to each residency session in a special summer catalog.

Fast Track to MHA


The Fast Track program allows students in specific Saint Joseph’s College undergraduate health administration programs (Health Administration Major, Radiologic Science Administration Major, Long-Term Care Administration Major, and Health Information Management Major) to substitute certain courses from the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program in lieu of comparable undergraduate courses. Students will then be allowed to count these graduate courses toward their graduate degree requirements.

Qualified students in those undergraduate programs will be allowed to take up to 12 MHA credit hours (4 courses), which will apply toward an MHA degree and will also meet corresponding undergraduate degree course requirements. Certain restrictions apply. Students interested in taking advantage of the Fast Track Option should contact their Academic Advisor.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate Programs