MHA vs. Master's of Science in Healthcare Informatics (MSHI) Degrees

Healthcare administrators are professional shape-shifters in their abilities to run hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities. They manage staffing, regulation compliance, insurance billing systems and ensure that a facility runs smoothly for patients and practitioners. Since administrators work for small and large healthcare organizations, some healthcare administrators specialize in specific areas while others serve the multiple needs of daily business operations.

The average salary for medical and health services managers is $118,800, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2020). Salaries are commensurate with years of work experience, with the lowest paying healthcare management roles starting at $59,980 and the top-paying positions at $195,630. Pay rates differ based on location, years of employment, and the administrator’s area of specialized expertise. According to the BLS, the top-paying industries for medical and health services managers are pharmaceutical, scientific research and development, and insurance carriers.

As in several other fields, a healthcare administrator’s annual salary is determined by an individual’s career path, work experience, and academic qualifications. Examples of differentials in pay can be easily understood through comparison: someone with a master’s degree working as a healthcare consultant for a health insurance company will likely earn more than someone with a bachelor’s degree working for a not-for-profit hospital.

This career boasts a faster-than-average projected growth rate: an anticipated 32 percent increase in openings nationally between 2019 and 2029 (BLS 2021). This high demand for educated healthcare administrators has led more bachelor’s degree holders to pursue master’s degrees in healthcare administration (MHA) or healthcare informatics (MSHI) to give themselves a competitive edge in the job marketplace.

The inclusive admissions requirements of healthcare administration master’s degree programs are favorable for professionals from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds. A typical applicant to an MHA or MSHI program may hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-healthcare-related discipline or be a working clinical professional such as a nurse, EMT, phlebologist, or pharmacist seeking a career change out of clinical practice and into management.

Although MSHI programs are innately oriented towards electronic data management and information technology (IT), applicants to these programs range widely in their academic and professional backgrounds. Some may be pleasantly surprised to learn that previous IT experience is not required to apply to many MSHI programs. Working professionals from various disciplines can choose to pursue an MHA or MSHI degree and open doors for career changes out of clinical practice and into management or administration positions.

While some bachelor’s degree holders hold medical health services management positions, a master’s degree is required for most executive and upper-level management positions in healthcare administration. Some professionals with clinical healthcare backgrounds choose to enhance their practical experience and undergraduate degrees with an MHA. For example, a registered nurse with a four-year degree may decide to pursue an MHA to move into a leadership position within nursing. Others may choose to leverage their non-healthcare degree and professional experience into a healthcare-related position. An example of this path could be a social worker with a bachelor’s degree opting to enroll in an MHA program to learn more about patient advocacy or an MSHI program to make data-driven analytical decisions for patient care as a policymaker.

In addition to single healthcare administration degrees, some universities offer dual-degree or accelerated programs such as a combined MHA and MBA or a dual MSHI and MBA degree option. Universities typically provide specialized programs that concentrate on subjects such as healthcare information management and healthcare informatics.

With such a wide array of options, prospective students must do thorough research to determine the right fit for their unique needs and professional goals before applying to an MHA or MSHI program.

To help prospective students understand their degree options, a side-by-side comparison chart highlighting the similarities and differences between MHA and MSHI degree programs follows.

The chart below compares and summarizes essential information about the similarities and differences to consider when choosing between a master of healthcare administration (MHA) and a master of healthcare informatics (MSHI) program.

Every medical or healthcare facility requires skilled management to operate in today’s ever-changing healthcare environment, as well as proficient data administrators to inform practice and policy.