Health Services Administration, M.H.A.

This program is intended to prepare health professionals for administrative careers in health care organizations. The curriculum is designed to build upon students’ clinical and supervisory experience in health care and substitutes students’ current employment experiences for an internship. The program emphasizes administrative skill development and practical applications in health care organizations.

This program is offered both in an on-campus blended and online formats. 

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

At the completion of the M.S. in Master of Health Services Administration (MHA), students will be able to:

PLO1. Utilize written and oral communication skills to convey health care issues that assist colleagues, administration, patients, and the public to make informed decisions. (Domain: Communication Skills) [CAHME: Domain: Communications & interpersonal effectiveness]

PLO2. Assess the impact of national health policies on institutional decisions. (Domain: Health Care Policy) [CAHME: Domain: Critical thinking, analysis & problem solving; Domain: Management & leadership]

PLO3. Distinguish the ethical and legal components of organizational decisions. (Domain: Ethical & Legal Issues) [CAHME: Domain: Management & leadership; Domain: Professionalism & ethics]

PLO4. Examine the cultural elements of health care organizational decisions. (Domain: Cultural Awareness) [CAHME: Domain: Critical thinking, analysis & problem solving; Domain: Management & leadership; Domain: Professionalism & ethics]

PLO5. Analyze the clinical, business operations, health informatics, economic, and financial components of organizational decisions. (Domain: Decision-Making) [CAHME: Domain: Critical thinking, analysis & problem solving; Domain: Management & leadership]

PLO6. Assess the use of current marketing trends and the use of health care information to achieve a competitive advantage. (Domain: Marketing) [CAHME: Domain: Critical thinking, analysis & problem solving; Domain: Management & leadership]

PLO7. Develop a strategic plan and an implementation plan to guide the delivery of new or enhanced health care-related service, support structure, or product at an institutional level. (Domain: Strategic analysis; Strategic Planning) [CAHME: Domain: Critical thinking, analysis & problem solving; Domain: Management & leadership]

In addition to the Graduate School of Business and Leadership Admissions Requirements, program requires:

  • Official Criterion Online Writing Assessment Scores, taken within the last five years. This requirement is waived for applicants with a 3.0 or higher GPA and for applicants who hold a graduate degree from a school with institutional accreditation.
  • List of three references, including name, title, and contact information. This requirement is waived for applicants with a 3.0 or higher GPA and for applicants who hold a graduate degree from a school with institutional accreditation.
  • Work experience in healthcare or related work environments. Graduate work experience form available at https://forms.nl.edu/graduate-work-experience-form/
  • Faculty review

Program Details:

  • Requires 30 SH for completion
  • Credit for Prior Learning may be accepted for the following courses in the program: MHA 522, MHA 527, MHA 531, MHA 532, LTC 550, LTC 570, LTC 580, and LTC 590 (for the maximum of 12 SH) or toward other program requirements as determined appropriate by the program faculty
  • Students may complete the M.H.A. program with the following concentrations:
    • Long-Term Care Administration
    • Public Health
    • Fundamentals of Design Thinking 

MHA Core Courses

MHA 501Leadership in Health Services Administration

3

MHA 505Health Care Origins, Policies and Trends

3

MHA 508Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care Administration

3

MHA 522Health Care Business Operations

3

MHA 527Health Care Finance

3

MHA 531Health Care Information Systems

3

MHA 532Human Resources in Health Care Organizations

3

MHA 540Marketing in Health Care

3

MHA 541Strategic Management in Health Care

3

RES 510Critical Thinking and Research Skills

3

MHA with Long-Term Care Administration Concentration

MHA 501Leadership in Health Services Administration

3

MHA 505Health Care Origins, Policies and Trends

3

MHA 508Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care Administration

3

MHA 531Health Care Information Systems

3

MHA 541Strategic Management in Health Care

3

RES 510Critical Thinking and Research Skills

3

LTC 550Long-Term Care Administration Overview and Introduction to Life Safety

3

LTC 570Financial Management & Governance of Long-Term Care Facilities

3

LTC 580Resident Services Management and Quality Care

3

LTC 590Long-Term Care Administrator Externship

3

MHA with Public Health Concentration

MHA 501Leadership in Health Services Administration

3

MHA 508Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care Administration

3

MHA 527Health Care Finance

3

MHA 531Health Care Information Systems

3

MHA 541Strategic Management in Health Care

3

RES 510Critical Thinking and Research Skills

3

MPH 500Public Health Systems

3

MPH 501Environmental Health

3

MPH 502Applied Epidemiology

3

MPH 550Health Promotion

3

MHA with Fundamentals of Design Thinking Concentration

MHA 505Health Care Origins, Policies and Trends

3

MHA 508Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care Administration

3

MHA 522Health Care Business Operations

3

MHA 527Health Care Finance

3

MHA 531Health Care Information Systems

3

MHA 532Human Resources in Health Care Organizations

3

MHA 541Strategic Management in Health Care

3

MHA 550Colloquium in Health Services Administration

3

RES 510Critical Thinking and Research Skills

3

DTE 501Innovation through Empathy

3

DTE 502Ideation and Communication

3

DTE 503Prototyping and User Testing

3

Note: The M.H.A. graduates may apply the maximum of 15 SH to the M.B.A in General Management and Health Services Concentration if interested in pursuing a second master's degree. Interested graduates must have received a min grade of “B” in the courses that have been taken no more than six years before graduate admission. Please speak to your Enrollment Specialist about the details.