Are there 100 Percent Online MHA Programs?

Yes! There are fully online master of health administration (MHA) programs for healthcare professionals seeking to advance their careers or those wishing to enter the field in an administrative or leadership role.

These programs are available to individuals with no prior professional healthcare experience, those with two to four years of experience, and those with significant experience in the field. Many universities offer MHA programs due to the increased need for healthcare administration professionals resulting from expanded healthcare access in the U.S. and a changing U.S. population.

Internet access allows students in online MHA programs to complete coursework anywhere. Healthcare professionals, career-changers, and recent graduates can either continue to work while completing an MHA degree or opt to study full-time.

Online MHA programs use web-based tools that deliver curricular content and facilitate interaction between students and professors. This may take the form of discussion boards, chat rooms, and video-conferencing. Some programs offer all coursework online, asynchronously, so students can access class material and complete assignments whenever their schedules allow. Other programs incorporate asynchronous learning with real-time, synchronous activities requiring students to be online at certain times of the day or week.

MHA programs vary in their requirements and exact formats; however, they have certain shared features. In addition to online coursework, many programs require a culminating capstone project that includes a practicum and issue-based research project. While some online programs also have campus immersions that require students to be on campus for several days at a time, 100 percent online programs may have “virtual residencies” so that students can have a similar experience from the convenience of their homes or other off-site location.

Most programs combine core classes with electives, allowing students to focus on a healthcare area of interest. Some even offer specialized tracks in different subjects, such as long-term care or health informatics, enabling students to tailor their studies to the administrative needs of the kinds of healthcare organizations they plan to serve.

George Mason University

GMU offers an online MHA in health systems management with two concentrations: executive 42 credit hours, including a one-week residency in Washington DC; and healthcare quality (42 credit-hours, which includes a one-week in-person practicum. Students may also opt for a healthcare quality graduate certificate (15 credit hours).

The core curriculum includes topics such as managerial accounting in healthcare; financial management in health systems; contemporary issues in health systems management; strategic management and marketing in healthcare; and human resource management in healthcare.

The executive concentration electives include essentials of health insurance & managed care and health policy & government payment systems. Students in the healthcare quality concentration focus on quality improvement, patient safety, and performance measurement.

Both the on-campus and online programs follow the same curriculum and are organized into the same five competencies: knowledge of healthcare systems and management, communication and interpersonal skills, critical thinking and problem solving, management and leadership, and professionalism and ethics.

Each online course lasts eight weeks and learning activities include lectures, moderated group discussions, presentations, reflective papers, projects and reports, problem-solving, and case studies. Admission to GMU’s online MHA is competitive. Qualified applicants are invited to a faculty interview either in person or using online video conferencing.

• Location: Fairfax, VA
• Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)
• Program length: Certificate one year, MHA two years

Utica College

The online MHA in healthcare administration at Utica College prepares students for management and leadership roles in various healthcare settings. Features of the 36 credit-hour curriculum include interactive online learning forums, the applied study of real-world healthcare cases, related projects, and in-depth discussions. The program is 100 percent online, with a virtual residency and a final project.

Students cultivate specific skills in staff management, organizational development, administrative strategy development and implementation, healthcare accounting methods, and more. They also have the opportunity to specialize in acute care, service organizations, and long-term care. Each MHA core curriculum class incorporates three dimensions: management, leadership, and the continuum of care.

• Location: Utica, NY
• Accreditation: Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• Program length: Dependent on prior educational background, required credits, and course load

Peirce at Lackawanna College

The master of science in healthcare administration program at Peirce at Lackawanna College is available in both online and hybrid formats. Students can apply up to 12 credits from other institutions toward the 30-credit MHA degree. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The curriculum is presented in accelerated 7- and 8-week courses, such as foundations of contemporary leadership; applied research methods; ethical decision making; healthcare informatics; healthcare law and compliance; and risk management and insurance in health, among others. The curriculum finishes with a management capstone. Graduates are qualified for leadership positions that include health services manager, managed care manager, and health services project administrator, and more.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree, a GPA of 2.75, transcripts, a resume, and a personal statement. Although a resume is required as part of applying, work experience is not required. GMAT/GRE scores are not required. The online format does not require campus visits.

• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Program length: 18 months

University of Saint Francis

Like all their degrees, the University of Saint Francis offers a fully online MHA based on a foundation of Franciscan values and ethics, which they apply to healthcare issues. The MHA program includes 27 credit-hours of core curriculum and three electives. Classes are taught in eight-week sessions.

Students develop competencies in improving population health, improving the experience of patients, and reducing the cost of health services. They, however, go beyond these to “incorporate reflection on healthcare administration as a ministry.”

The curriculum features topics such as ethics and Franciscan values for healthcare administrators; healthcare accounting and finance; U.S. healthcare delivery system; population health management; healthcare leadership; healthcare economics; quality management in healthcare; healthcare law and compliance; and healthcare strategic management. Students chose from electives such as leading change; negotiation and conflict resolution; healthcare information; managerial marketing; business analytics; and organizational culture and behavioral leadership.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regional institution. If the degree is not from a regional institution, GMAT or GRE scores are required. Their GPA should be 2.75. They must submit transcripts and a resume or CV. Work experience is not required.

Students who have already completed an MBA can enroll in the 24-credit hour MBA to MHA track.

• Location: Fort Wayne, IN
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Program length: One year fulltime, two years part-time

Queens University of Charlotte

This online MHA program fosters expertise in business and healthcare to prepare graduates to structure, manage, and lead healthcare organizations. The program’s goals are to instill confidence in graduates’ abilities to assess and improve healthcare policies and lead strategic initiatives to improve healthcare practices and outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

Designed for MBA-holders and physicians, the program has several core components: communication and relationship management, leadership, professionalism, healthcare law and ethics, quality improvement, and business knowledge and expertise. The applied curriculum incorporates a hands-on approach with a focus on the immediate application of theoretical frameworks to relevant healthcare issues.

Please note that applicants to the Queens University online MHA program are required to have two years of healthcare experience.

• Location: Charlotte, NC
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
• Program length: Two years

Florida Atlantic University

The executive MHA program at Florida Atlantic University is a 15-month accelerated format for busy healthcare professionals. The online program is delivered 100 percent asynchronously to allow for maximum flexibility. Students may access courses anytime from anywhere with internet connectivity, and there are no residency requirements.

Coursework includes subjects such as health law, organizational behavior in healthcare, healthcare finance, research methods, and others. The curriculum may be personalized with electives such as global health issues in healthcare delivery; IT in healthcare and analytics; management of long-term care facilities; and public health in pandemics, among others. Students also “earn the Lean Six-Sigma Green Belt certification”.

Executive MHA students progress through the program as a cohort, allowing for a set of shared experiences and networking opportunities. The 30-credit program is offered at the same tuition for both in- and out-of-state residents as well as international students. Applicants with four years of healthcare experience and a 3.0 GPA (in the last 60 credit-hours of their prior degree) may qualify for a GMAT/GRE score waiver.

• Location: Boca Raton, FL
• Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)
• Program length: 15 months

George Washington University

GW offers an online MHA for experienced healthcare professionals seeking to oversee healthcare change around the globe. The program utilizes virtual tools, such as HD streaming video, live chat, and break-out rooms to make the online learning environment highly interactive, incorporating both synchronous and asynchronous activities in each class.

Housed in the Milken Institute School of Public Health, GW’s MHA program combines online learning with four in-person immersions. Immersions are held on the GW campus in Washington, DC (three) and at a notable healthcare facility in the US or abroad (one). Online MHA students gain access to over 450 workspaces around the world, equipped with wifi, printers, office supplies, coffee, and kitchen space.

The 45-credit-hour curriculum is designed to develop the skill sets needed for optimal delivery of health care. It includes subjects such as healthcare management and strategy; medical informatics and decision management; healthcare financial management; economics and quantitative methods; community engagement; quality and performance improvement; and healthcare law and policy.

Applicants must have either two years of full-time experience in healthcare or three years of full-time industry experience. However, those with less than the required professional experience may be eligible to take an online exam in order to qualify for admission.

• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
• Program length: Two years

Cevia Yellin

Writer

Cevia Yellin is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon. She studied English and French literature as an undergraduate. After serving two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer, she earned her master of arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Cevia's travels and experiences working with students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds have contributed to her interest in the forces that shape identity. She grew up on the edge of Philadelphia, where her mom still lives in her childhood home.