Popular Accredited Healthcare Administration Programs in Pennsylvania [2026]

Pennsylvania offers several reputable graduate healthcare administration programs that prepare you to lead hospitals, health systems, community organizations, and other health services settings.

Popular options include the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, Drexel University, The University of Scranton, and Point Park University. Together, these schools provide residential, hybrid, and fully online Master of Health Administration and health care administration degrees with rigorous curricula, built in practical experience, and strong ties to employers throughout the state and beyond.

This guide explores some of the popular healthcare administration programs in Pennsylvania, each of which offers unique benefits for you as a student. Compare and contrast them to see which one is the best fit for your future goals!

Best Healthcare Administration Programs in Pennsylvania

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering healthcare administration programs in Pennsylvania:

• University of Pittsburgh – Master of Health Administration (MHA) – residential on campus
• Pennsylvania State University – Master of Health Administration (MHA) – residential and online options
• Temple University – Master of Health Administration (MHA) – part time hybrid and fully online formats
• Drexel University – Master of Health Administration (MHA) – primarily online with required on site residency
• University of Scranton – Master of Health Administration (MHA) – on campus and online options
• Point Park University – Master of Science in Health Care Administration and Management – fully online
• Alvernia University – Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration – fully online

To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.

University of Pittsburgh

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

The University of Pittsburgh Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accredited program housed in the School of Public Health’s Department of Health Policy and Management. It is designed for early career and emerging health professionals who want to move into management and leadership roles in hospitals, health systems, health plans, physician practices, consulting firms, and other health sector organizations.

The MHA requires 60 credits of graduate coursework completed over approximately two academic years of full time study. The curriculum combines health management, finance, economics, analytics, policy, and public health foundations so you develop both a deep understanding of the U.S. health care system and the operational skills to run complex organizations.

Coursework is organized across five academic terms and intentionally sequenced so that you build from foundational concepts in finance, economics, organizational behavior, and health systems to advanced topics in strategy, quantitative methods, quality improvement, and leadership application. This structure helps you progressively integrate technical skills with a broader system perspective.

The program emphasizes a competency based approach, focusing on domains such as health system awareness and business literacy, execution, boundary spanning, leadership, communication, and professional values. You gain experience applying these competencies through case studies, group projects, presentations, and engagement with industry executives.

Because the MHA sits within a major research public health school, you also benefit from exposure to faculty who are active in health services research, policy analysis, and quality improvement initiatives. This environment provides insight into how evidence, data, and policy shape management decisions across the health sector.

By the end of the program, you will have completed both classroom training and a structured management residency, leaving with a portfolio of analytic work, leadership experiences, and applied projects that demonstrate your readiness for entry level and early mid level management roles in health care organizations.

Courses and Curriculum

The University of Pittsburgh MHA curriculum starts with a strong managerial and analytic foundation. Early courses introduce you to health care delivery in the United States, principles of accounting and financial management for health care organizations, and microeconomics as applied to health services. You also begin to build skills in human resources management, innovation in the business of health, and professional development for health care leaders.

As you progress, you move into applied financial management, managerial epidemiology, health insurance and financing, quantitative methods, and health management information systems. These courses deepen your ability to interpret data, understand cost and utilization patterns, and evaluate how payment and regulatory structures influence organizational performance and population outcomes.

In the later terms, you focus more intensively on leadership, law and ethics, quality assessment and managing patient safety, and marketing and strategy for health organizations. A required management residency integrates classroom learning with full time work in a health care organization, giving you hands on experience with operations, strategic projects, and executive level decision making.

Some of the core courses that you will take include:

• HPM 2105 – Intro to U.S. Healthcare Delivery Systems – Surveys the organization of the U.S. health care system, including hospitals, physician practices, health plans, and public programs, with attention to access, cost, quality, and the roles of key stakeholders. Provides the system level context for subsequent management and policy courses.
• HPM 2012 – Financial Management Foundations for Healthcare and Public Health – Introduces fundamental financial concepts, statements, and tools needed to understand revenues, expenses, capital investment, and budgeting in health organizations. You learn to interpret financial reports and assess the financial health of provider organizations.
• HPM 2028 – Microeconomics Applied to Health – Applies microeconomic theory to health care markets, covering demand for medical care, insurance, provider behavior, pricing, and market failures. Equips you to analyze how incentives and structures influence use of services and organizational decisions.
• HPM 2207 – Quality Assessment and Managing Patient Safety – Focuses on methods for measuring quality of care and patient safety, using performance indicators, improvement tools, and evidence based practices to design and evaluate quality initiatives in hospitals and health systems.
• HPM 2141 – Managerial Epidemiology – Uses epidemiologic methods to support managerial decision making in health organizations. Topics include rates, risks, study designs, and use of population data to plan services, allocate resources, and evaluate interventions.
• HPM 2029 – Health Management Information Systems – Examines information systems used in health care, including clinical, administrative, and analytic systems. Emphasizes data quality, system selection, implementation, and the role of information in operations and strategy.
• HPM 2017 – Quantitative Methods in Health Care – Develops skills in quantitative analysis, modeling, and decision tools for operations and strategic planning. You practice using quantitative methods to solve real world management problems and present results to leaders.
• HPM 2130 – Health Law and Ethics – Provides an overview of legal and ethical issues in health care management, including regulation, liability, consent, privacy, and governance. You explore how leaders navigate legal requirements and ethical responsibilities when making organizational decisions.

Practical Experience

A cornerstone of the Pitt MHA is the required management residency, typically completed after you have finished most of your core coursework. This residency is a full time placement of more than 400 hours in a health care organization where you work under the guidance of a senior preceptor on operational and strategic projects.

During the residency, you may conduct analyses of service lines, participate in quality improvement initiatives, assist with financial or operational planning, support implementation of new programs, or contribute to system wide strategic efforts.

You also complete a formal report and presentation that integrate your field experience with program competencies. Beyond the residency, you can engage in case competitions, networking events, and mentoring relationships with executives and alumni to broaden your exposure to the health industry.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze how the structure, financing, and regulation of the U.S. health care system influence organizational strategy, operations, access, and quality.
• Apply financial management tools and economic reasoning to evaluate budgets, capital projects, service lines, and strategic investments in health care organizations.
• Use quantitative methods, epidemiologic concepts, and information systems to interpret data, monitor performance, and support evidence informed management decisions.
• Design and lead quality improvement and patient safety initiatives that use measurement, process redesign, and change management principles to enhance care and outcomes.
• Demonstrate effective leadership, communication, and team skills in interprofessional settings, including the ability to present complex information clearly to executives and stakeholders.
• Evaluate the legal and ethical dimensions of management decisions and uphold professional standards, equity, and patient centered values in organizational practice.
• Develop and implement strategic and operational plans that align mission, market analysis, financial realities, and community health needs in diverse health care organizations.

Career Preparation & Outcomes

Graduates of the University of Pittsburgh MHA program pursue roles such as administrative fellow, operations manager, practice manager, project manager, quality improvement specialist, analyst, and early career administrator in hospitals, health systems, ambulatory care organizations, health plans, consulting firms, and other health related organizations.

The program’s strong ties to regional and national employers, along with structured professional development seminars and resume books, support a high rate of post graduation placement in management and leadership tracks.

At the institutional level, the University of Pittsburgh reports an undergraduate graduation rate of about 84%, reflecting a campus environment that emphasizes student support, persistence, and completion. This culture of academic success and professional preparation extends into graduate programs like the MHA, where students benefit from close faculty engagement, mentoring, and robust career services.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in any field, with coursework that demonstrates quantitative and analytical readiness.
• Undergraduate GPA of atleast 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended.
• Current resume detailing academic background, work experience, internships, volunteer activities, and leadership roles.
• Statement of purpose describing your interest in health care management, career goals, and reasons for pursuing the Pitt MHA.
• Two or three letters of recommendation from academic instructors, supervisors, or other professional references who can comment on your readiness for graduate study and leadership potential.
• Evidence of quantitative preparation, such as prior coursework in statistics, economics, or finance; additional preparatory work may be recommended for applicants with limited quantitative background.
• For international applicants, proof of English language proficiency and any required credential evaluations as specified by the university’s graduate admissions policies.

Application Deadlines

The MHA program primarily enrolls new students for the fall term. Priority consideration is typically given to applications submitted in the late fall or early spring prior to the intended start term, allowing time for review, financial aid processing, and residency planning. Policy and Management or the graduate admissions office.

Pennsylvania State University

Master of Health Administration (MHA) in Health Policy and Administration – Residential and Online

The Pennsylvania State University Master of Health Administration (MHA) in Health Policy and Administration is offered through the College of Health and Human Development with two pathways: a residential program at University Park and an online program delivered through Penn State World Campus.

Both options are designed for early to mid career professionals who want to advance into leadership roles across hospitals, health systems, health plans, consulting firms, and other health sector organizations.

The online MHA requires 49 graduate credits and is structured as a cohort program completed in seven continuous semesters, typically over about 28 months. You complete 17 courses, including an integrative independent study and a four semester capstone sequence, with two in person management intensives at University Park.

The residential MHA follows a similar two year timeline for full time students, with a curriculum that mirrors the online program in its focus on leadership, finance, operations, and population health.

The curriculum blends business management with health services content so you gain a clear understanding of how health care organizations are financed, governed, and operated. Areas of study include financing health care, organizational behavior, operations management, leadership ethics, health economics, health law, quality and population health management, marketing, and information systems. This balance allows you to interpret financial and clinical data, make strategic decisions, and lead teams in complex environments.

In both formats, courses are taught by faculty from the Department of Health Policy and Administration, many of whom are engaged in health services research, quality improvement, and industry partnerships. The online program uses asynchronous learning with structured weekly activities, while the residential track combines classroom work with on campus co curricular experiences, networking events, and exposure to executives.

Because the program is competency based, learning is organized around domains such as communication, leadership, professionalism, critical thinking, and management of people, finances, and information. Assignments emphasize applied projects, case analyses, presentations, and reflective work that help you connect theory with your own organization or field site.

By graduation, you will have completed a comprehensive set of management and health policy courses, participated in management intensives or other experiential learning, and finished an applied capstone project. This combination of credit hours, structured timeline, and practical work is designed to prepare you for advancement into administrative, management, and executive pathways in the health sector.

Courses and Curriculum

The Penn State MHA curriculum begins with a foundation in financing and organization of health services. Early in the program you study how health systems are structured, how care is delivered across settings, and how money flows through payers and providers. You learn to read financial statements, understand reimbursement, and analyze the incentives that shape decisions in hospitals, physician organizations, and health plans.

As you progress, you move into organizational behavior, operations management, and leadership ethics. These courses help you understand how teams function, how to manage change, and how to design processes that support quality, safety, and efficiency. You also take courses in health economics, marketing, and human resource management so you can evaluate markets, build service lines, and support staff in a competitive environment.

Later courses emphasize population health and quality management, information systems, and health law. You develop skills in using data, designing performance dashboards, leading quality improvement initiatives, and navigating legal and regulatory requirements. Throughout, the curriculum builds toward a multi semester capstone where you integrate your learning in a project that addresses a real organizational challenge.

Some of the core courses that you will take include:

• HPA 447 – Financing Health Care – Introduces financial flows in the health sector, including third party payment programs, reimbursement practices, and revenue cycles. You learn how different payment models affect provider behavior, margins, and access, and practice using financial information to support management decisions.
• HPA 520 – Introduction to Health Services Organizations and Delivery – Provides an overview of health systems and health services organizations, focusing on structures, stakeholders, and key trends. You examine issues such as fragmentation, coordination, access, and quality, and consider how managers respond to evolving delivery and payment models.
• HPA 853 – Leadership Ethics in Health Services Organizations – Explores ethical frameworks, professional responsibilities, and leadership challenges specific to health care. Through cases and intensive discussions, you analyze conflicts of interest, resource allocation, transparency, and accountability in administrative decision making.
• HPA 503 – Health Services Organizational Behavior – Applies organizational behavior theory to health care settings, examining motivation, communication, power, conflict, and culture. You learn strategies for building effective teams, leading clinicians and staff, and managing change in complex professional organizations.
• HPA 835 – Financial Management in Health Institutions – Builds on introductory finance to address capital budgeting, long term financial planning, risk assessment, and strategic financial decision making. You work with cases and quantitative analyses that mirror decisions faced by health system executives.
• HPA 527 – Managing Health Care Operations – Focuses on patient flow, capacity, scheduling, supply chains, and process improvement tools in hospitals and ambulatory settings. You practice mapping processes, identifying bottlenecks, and designing operational changes that improve throughput, cost, and patient experience.
• HPA 854 – Population Health and Quality Management in Health Services Organizations – Integrates population health concepts with performance improvement. You examine data on outcomes, readmission, safety events, and disparities, and design initiatives to improve quality and reliability at both population and organization levels.
• HPA 836 – Health Law – Reviews legal issues facing administrators, including regulation, licensure, liability, consent, privacy, and governance. The course emphasizes how legal standards and risk shape policies, contracts, and day to day management in hospitals and health systems.

Practical Experience

The online MHA incorporates two in person management intensives at University Park that are designed to build community and deepen leadership skills. During the onboarding intensive, you meet faculty and peers, complete a leadership ethics course in a concentrated format, and begin framing your development goals. The capstone intensive at the end of the program brings you back to campus to present your final project and reflect on your growth as a leader.

A four semester capstone project sequence runs alongside your coursework. Working with a faculty mentor and often in partnership with your employer or a health organization, you identify a real management or performance challenge, gather and analyze data, develop recommendations, and present your findings. This capstone provides a structured opportunity to apply finance, operations, quality, and leadership concepts to a concrete problem.

Residential students engage in parallel applied experiences through internships, projects with health care partners, and professional development activities coordinated by the department. Both formats encourage you to use your current workplace or field placements as laboratories where you can test ideas, implement small changes, and document results as part of your portfolio.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain how health care delivery and financing systems are structured and how policy, payment, and regulation influence organizational strategy, operations, and performance.
• Interpret and use financial information to support budgeting, capital planning, pricing, and evaluation of service lines and strategic initiatives in health care organizations.
• Apply concepts from organizational behavior and leadership to build effective teams, manage conflict, and guide change across clinical and administrative settings.
• Analyze and use health services and population data to monitor performance, support quality improvement, and inform strategic and operational decisions.
• Design and evaluate quality, safety, and population health initiatives that improve outcomes, reduce variation, and enhance patient and community experience.
• Identify and address legal and ethical issues in health administration, integrating professional standards, compliance requirements, and equity considerations into policies and practices.
• Develop, implement, and communicate strategic and operational plans that align mission, market conditions, financial realities, and workforce capabilities in diverse health care organizations.

Career Preparation & Outcomes

The Penn State MHA prepares you for leadership roles such as health services administrator, clinical director, department or practice manager, operations manager, quality and population health manager, and other management positions in hospitals, health systems, medical groups, health plans, and related organizations. The curriculum’s focus on finance, operations, quality, and leadership, combined with the capstone project and management intensives, helps you graduate with a portfolio of work that demonstrates your readiness for advanced responsibility.

The program leverages the reputation and employer network of a nationally recognized MHA and a large alumni base working across the health sector. Career resources from both the College of Health and Human Development and Penn State World Campus support your job search or advancement, with services such as career coaching, employer connections, and resume and interview preparation.

Penn State University Park reports an undergraduate graduation rate of about 86%, reflecting an institutional culture focused on persistence and completion that also benefits students in professionally oriented graduate programs.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution in any discipline, with evidence of solid academic performance.
• Recommended minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; applicants with lower GPAs may be considered based on professional experience and other strengths.
• Several years of full time professional experience in health care or a closely related field are strongly preferred for the online MHA; early career applicants may be considered for the residential pathway.
• Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended.
• Current resume outlining education, work history, leadership roles, professional development, and any health sector experience.
• Statement of purpose describing your interest in health administration, career goals, and reasons for choosing the Penn State MHA and your preferred format (residential or online).
• Two or three letters of recommendation from supervisors, colleagues, or faculty who can comment on your leadership potential, analytical ability, and readiness for graduate study.
• For international applicants, proof of English language proficiency and any required credential evaluations in line with Penn State Graduate School policy.

Application Deadlines

The online MHA typically enrolls a new cohort in late summer or early fall, with a common priority application deadline around April 1 for August starts. The residential MHA follows a similar fall entry pattern, with priority deadlines earlier in the calendar year to allow for application review, assistantship consideration, and planning.

Temple University

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

The Temple University Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a professional graduate program housed in the Fox School of Business and Management.

It is designed for working health care professionals who want to strengthen their business, leadership, and strategic skills so they can move into higher level management roles in hospitals, health systems, group practices, insurance organizations, and other health sector settings. The program is built specifically for part-time students who are already in the workforce and need flexible scheduling.

The MHA is a 30 credit program delivered on a part-time basis. You complete a set of required core courses plus graduate business or health related electives that allow you to tailor the degree to your interests. Courses are offered in the evening and in hybrid and fully online formats, with classes available on Temple’s Main Campus, Center City campus, and online, giving you several options for how and where you complete the curriculum.

Most students follow a structured four semester sequence that makes it possible to finish the degree in about two years of part-time study, although you may take up to six years if you need a slower pace. This format is intended for professionals who have at least three years of relevant experience and want to continue working full time while they earn the degree.

The curriculum combines core business disciplines such as accounting, quantitative methods, risk management, and data visualization with health sector courses in systems organization, leadership, and financial management. This combination helps you understand both the technical side of running a health care organization and the broader context of health systems and population needs.

Faculty members bring a mix of academic and executive experience, and many are practicing leaders in hospitals, health plans, and related organizations. They use real cases from their own work to illustrate how financial decisions, risk management, and leadership choices play out in practice so that course content stays current with industry trends.

By the time you complete the 30 credit program, you will have developed a foundation in business and health services management, built a network of peers and industry contacts, and completed applied projects that you can use to demonstrate your capabilities to current or future employers.

Courses and Curriculum

The Temple MHA curriculum is organized around a concise set of core courses that build business fundamentals in a health care context. Early courses introduce managerial accounting and financial concepts, health systems organization and development, and healthcare leadership and strategy. You begin by learning how health services are structured and financed, while also gaining the skills to read financial statements and understand the language of accounting and finance.

Subsequent coursework focuses on financial management of health care organizations, quantitative methods for business, and risk management. These courses push you to work with numbers and data in a more rigorous way, using spreadsheets and analytic tools to evaluate budgets, model scenarios, and understand the financial and operational impact of decisions. You also examine risk in both clinical and business terms, looking at how organizations identify, measure, and respond to risks in insurance, operations, and compliance.

Throughout the program you also develop skills in data visualization and communication so that you can present information clearly to clinical leaders, executives, boards, and external stakeholders. The curriculum encourages you to link quantitative analysis with persuasive storytelling and strategic thinking, and you use electives to go deeper into areas such as informatics, biostatistics, technology for population health, emergency management, or quality and safety.

Some of the core courses that you will take include:

• ACCT 5001 – Accounting for Managerial and Investment Analysis and Planning – Introduces financial statements, cost concepts, budgeting, and investment analysis from a managerial perspective. You learn how to interpret income statements and balance sheets, analyze costs and revenues, and use accounting information to support planning and control in health care organizations.
• BA 5687 – Advanced Professional Development Strategies – Focuses on professional communication, career planning, leadership presence, and networking. Through workshops and assignments you refine your resume, practice presentations, and develop a plan for advancing in the health sector.
• HCM 5101 – Health Systems Organization and Development – Provides an overview of how health systems are structured, governed, and financed, including hospitals, ambulatory care, long term care, and integrated delivery systems. You examine how historical development, regulation, and markets shape access, cost, and quality.
• HCM 5102 – Healthcare Organizational Leadership and Strategy – Examines leadership roles, strategic planning processes, and organizational design in health care. You explore how leaders set direction, build alignment, and manage change in environments subject to payment reform, competition, and policy shifts.
• HCM 5103 – Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations – Builds on accounting fundamentals to cover capital budgeting, ratio analysis, working capital management, and long term financial planning. You work with cases and models that reflect real financial decisions in hospitals and health systems.
• RMI 5051 – Managing Risk – Introduces concepts and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing risk in organizations. You study risk financing, insurance, loss control, and enterprise risk management, with applications to clinical, operational, and financial risks in the health sector.
• RMI 5103 – Health Risks – Focuses on risks specific to health care, including clinical risk, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and emerging threats. You analyze how organizations measure health risks and design strategies to mitigate them while maintaining high quality care.
• STAT 5001 – Quantitative Methods for Business – Covers basic statistical methods, forecasting, and decision analysis. You learn to summarize data, build simple models, and interpret results in ways that support managerial decisions in finance, operations, and strategy.
• STAT 5602 – Visualization: The Art of Numbers and the Psychology of Persuasion – Teaches principles of data visualization and communication. You practice designing charts, dashboards, and presentations that make complex quantitative information understandable and persuasive for different audiences.

Popular Elective Courses

• EPBI 5001 Biostatistics for Health Professions
• HIM 5101 Fundamentals of Health Informatics
• HIM 5102 Applications of Computer Programming in Health Informatics
• HIM 5106 Technology for Population Health
• HPM 5007 Principles of Emergency Management
• HPM 5122 Healthcare Quality and Safety

Practical Experience

While the MHA does not require a formal residency, the program is intentionally structured for working professionals so that you can apply concepts directly in your current organization. Many course projects encourage you to use your own workplace as a case site, analyzing service lines, financial performance, or process flows and presenting recommendations to faculty and classmates.

The Fox School of Business and Temple University maintain strong relationships with hospitals, health systems, insurers, and other health sector organizations in the Philadelphia region. Through guest speakers, networking events, and career programming you are exposed to executives and managers who share practical insights and may provide project or career opportunities. Students who are looking to change roles or sectors can use elective projects and networking to build experience beyond their current job.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe how health systems are organized, financed, and regulated and explain how these structures affect strategy, operations, and risk in health care organizations.
• Apply accounting and financial management tools to interpret financial statements, build budgets, evaluate investments, and support decisions that affect the financial health of health care organizations.
• Use quantitative methods and data visualization to analyze operational, financial, and market information and communicate findings clearly to clinical and administrative stakeholders.
• Demonstrate leadership and professional skills needed to manage teams, influence colleagues, and guide organizational change in complex and diverse health care environments.
• Identify and assess clinical, operational, and financial risks and propose strategies for managing risk and enhancing resilience in health care organizations.
• Evaluate and design organizational structures, strategies, and processes that align mission, resources, and market conditions in hospitals, health systems, and related organizations.
• Recognize ethical and legal issues in health administration and integrate professional standards, regulatory requirements, and patient centered values into management decisions.

Career Preparation & Outcomes

Graduates of the Temple MHA program are typically experienced professionals who move into advanced management and leadership roles in hospitals, health systems, ambulatory care networks, long term care organizations, health plans, and consulting and risk management firms. Roles may include department or service line manager, operations director, practice administrator, risk manager, quality and safety leader, or business and strategy manager in health care organizations.

The program leverages Fox School career resources, including coaching, networking events, and employer connections, to help you translate classroom learning into new responsibilities or career advancement.

Temple University reports an undergraduate graduation rate of about 75%, reflecting an institutional environment that supports completion and student success, which can be an important factor as you balance graduate study with ongoing professional work.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor degree from an accredited college or university.
• Undergraduate GPA of atleast 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Minimum of three years of professional leadership or health care experience, as documented in a current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Completion of a graduate application to Temple University and the Fox School of Business, including required program specific questions.
• One letter of reference, preferably from a current or former professional supervisor; academic references are also acceptable.
• Statement of goals or personal essay outlining your professional background, reasons for pursuing the MHA, and your career objectives.
• Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended; applicants with international degrees may need a credential evaluation.
• GMAT or GRE scores may be requested depending on academic and professional background; applicants with lower undergraduate GPAs are more likely to be asked to submit scores.
• For international applicants, proof of English language proficiency such as TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores that meet Temple Graduate School minimums.

Application Deadlines

The Temple MHA admits students for both fall and spring terms on a part-time basis. Typical application deadlines are:

• Fall entry – December 15 (early admissions), March 1 (scholarship and international deadline), and June 30 (final deadline).
• Spring entry – August 1 (early admissions) and November 1 (final deadline).

Drexel University

Master of Health Administration (MHA) – Online with On Campus Residency

The Drexel University Master of Health Administration (MHA) is an online graduate business degree offered by the LeBow College of Business for experienced health professionals who want to move into leadership and senior management roles. The program focuses on the business side of health care, while keeping health policy, systems, and population needs in view, so you learn to make decisions that are financially sound and clinically aware.

The curriculum consists of 10 core courses, one residency, and two electives for a total of 45.0 to 46.0 quarter credits. All coursework is delivered online, with the exception of a short intensive residency on the Philadelphia campus, giving you the flexibility of distance education and the added value of in person collaboration. This credit structure provides a focused pathway into health administration without unnecessary courses.

You can complete the MHA in as little as 18 months with a full pace of study, or extend your timeline up to about three years if you prefer a lighter course load while working. Multiple entry points in fall and spring terms allow you to start when it fits your schedule, and the quarter calendar helps you progress steadily through the sequence of classes.

Drexel organizes the program around three broad domains of learning – the business of health management, health methods and analytics, and health policy and systems. Within these areas you develop skills in finance, strategy, planning, human resources, epidemiology, economics, policy analysis, and quality improvement, all applied to health care organizations rather than generic businesses.

Courses are taught by faculty who have experience in health management, consulting, public health, and policy analysis. Online classes use a mix of readings, recorded lectures, threaded discussions, applied assignments, and group work, so you regularly connect theory to situations that mirror the challenges you face in hospitals, health plans, long term care, or other health services settings.

Across the program you work toward a group based Applied Management Project that serves as your culminating experience. This project requires you to integrate what you have learned in strategy, finance, policy, and methods to address a real administrative problem, preparing you to think and act at the organizational level when you graduate.

Courses and Curriculum

The Drexel MHA curriculum begins with foundational courses that explain how the U.S. health system took its current shape and how that history affects the way services are organized and financed today. You also build early skills in epidemiology and data interpretation, so that you can read and use health statistics in planning and management work.

Mid program courses turn toward ethical and legal issues in management, hands on practice issues in running health organizations, and analysis of national health expenditures, politics, and resource decisions. These courses help you understand the pressures that leaders face when balancing budgets, regulation, quality expectations, and staff needs, and how policy choices filter down to daily operations.

Later courses focus on strategic planning, human resources and workforce planning, the business of health care, and your Applied Management Project. You learn to design strategic plans, align people and resources with those plans, and communicate business cases effectively to senior leaders and stakeholders. The project brings all of these elements together in a single sustained piece of work for a health organization.

Some of the core courses that you will take include:

• HSAD 500 – Historical Influences on the U.S. Healthcare System – Reviews key events, policies, and social changes that shaped the structure and culture of American health care. You examine how insurance, hospital growth, technology, and regulation developed over time and how those patterns still drive today’s financing and delivery arrangements.
• HSAD 501 – Managerial Epidemiology – Introduces epidemiologic concepts and measures for managers, such as incidence, prevalence, risk, and association. You learn to interpret health data, use simple analytic techniques, and apply population information to service planning, quality initiatives, and resource allocation.
• HSAD 505 – Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare Management and Policy – Explores the legal frameworks and ethical principles that guide health administration. Topics include patient rights, consent, privacy, governance responsibilities, compliance, and policy debates, with an emphasis on how leaders navigate real ethical dilemmas.
• HSAD 515 – Practice Issues in Healthcare Management – Focuses on day to day management problems such as staffing, supervision, process flow, communication, and coordination among clinical and non clinical departments. You work through cases that mirror operational challenges faced by administrators in hospitals and health systems.
• HSAD 525 – National Health Expenditures – Examines patterns and drivers of health spending in the United States, including payer sources, cost trends, and value concerns. You analyze national data and consider how spending patterns affect policy decisions and the financial strategies of provider organizations.
• HSAD 530 – Politics and Policy of Healthcare Resources – Studies how political forces, legislation, and regulation affect the distribution of health resources. You look at the roles of federal, state, and local governments and learn how policy processes shape funding, coverage, and investment in health services.
• HSAD 540 – Resources, Recruitment and Retention in Healthcare – Addresses human resources in health care, including workforce planning, hiring, training, performance management, and retention strategies. You consider the impact of shortages, turnover, and staff development on quality, safety, and organizational success.
• HSAD 550 – Strategic Planning for Healthcare Administration – Serves as a key strategy course where you learn to conduct environmental scans, assess markets, define mission and vision, and develop strategic plans for health organizations. You practice turning analysis into actionable plans with measurable goals.
• IPS 564 – The Business of Healthcare – Provides an integrative view of health care as a business, covering revenue models, cost structures, competition, and value creation across different health sectors. You link concepts from finance, operations, marketing, and policy to understand how organizations stay viable and deliver value.

Popular Elective Courses

• HSAD 527 Introduction to Long Term Care and Post Acute Care Administration
• HSAD 555 Aging and Disability Policy in the U.S.
• HSAD 560 Advanced Healthcare Marketing
• HSAD 561 Risk Management
• HSAD 562 Group Dynamics and Leadership in Health Care Management
• HSAD 566 Evaluation and Assessment of Healthcare Systems

Practical Experience

The signature experiential component of the Drexel MHA is the Applied Management Project paired with an intensive on campus residency. During a designated week early in the summer term you come to the University City campus for a residency course that combines workshops, group work, and engagement with health care organizations. This in person experience is designed to build teamwork, communication, and leadership confidence while you work on real management challenges.

Following the residency, you continue the Applied Management Project online with your group, using tools and feedback from faculty and practice partners. You apply management and research methods to a specific administrative problem such as service redesign, process improvement, policy implementation, or evaluation of an existing program. By the end of the project you produce a report and presentation that demonstrate your ability to think at the organizational level and propose workable solutions to complex problems.

Learning Outcomes

• Summarize and interpret health and epidemiological data and use appropriate methods to analyze quantitative information for management decisions.
• Identify ethical principles and legal requirements relevant to health care and apply them when evaluating policies, administrative issues, and management options.
• Evaluate and select quality management approaches that fit specific health care environments and improvement goals.
• Use economic concepts to examine health care expenditures and propose financially sound strategies for delivering health services.
• Analyze organizational structures, missions, and cultures and apply human resource tools to recruitment, development, and performance management in health care organizations.
• Apply financial management techniques for planning, budgeting, and financial analysis within health care delivery systems.
• Conduct policy analysis that accounts for political, legal, and regulatory forces at federal, state, and local levels and explain how historical developments have shaped current health system performance.

Career Preparation & Outcomes

Drexel’s online MHA prepares you for leadership roles in hospitals, health systems, group practices, health insurance and managed care, risk and compliance functions, and related health sector organizations. Graduates pursue positions such as practice administrator, service line manager, operations director, project manager, quality and performance improvement leader, policy analyst, or planning and strategy specialist.

The curriculum’s focus on strategic planning, practice management, team building, project coordination, and financial oversight is aligned with expectations for mid level and senior administrators.

Drexel University reports an undergraduate graduation rate of about 77%, with strong retention across cohorts. While this rate is based on bachelor level programs, it reflects an institutional environment that emphasizes persistence, student support, and completion, which benefits working professionals completing a rigorous online master’s degree such as the MHA.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution in any discipline.
• Professional experience in health care or a closely related field, typically at least two to three years, is strongly preferred.
• Minimum recommended undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, with consideration of overall academic record and career achievements.
• Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended.
• Current resume describing professional roles, responsibilities, leadership activities, and any previous exposure to health care management.
• Personal statement outlining your interest in health administration, reasons for choosing Drexel’s MHA, and short term and long term career goals.
• Letters of recommendation from supervisors or professional colleagues who can comment on your leadership potential, analytical ability, and readiness for graduate study.
• For international applicants, proof of English language proficiency and any required credential evaluations as specified by Drexel University’s graduate admissions policies.

Application Deadlines

The MHA program uses a quarter calendar and typically offers fall and spring term entry. Application review is often conducted on a rolling basis until cohorts are filled, with recommended priority deadlines several months before the start of each term to allow for advising, registration, and financial aid processing.

University of Scranton

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

The University of Scranton offers a CAHME-accredited MHA program through its Panuska College of Professional Studies, designed for individuals seeking leadership and management roles in health services – including hospitals, long-term care, clinics, health systems, payer organizations, and public-health agencies.

The program allows some flexibility: you can follow a traditional full degree route or choose a specialization (Health Informatics, Global Health, Population Health Management, or Post-Acute Care) to tailor your studies.

For the online format, the MHA requires a total of 47 credit hours, including foundational courses, core curriculum, electives, and a required applied practical experience (internship or fieldwork).

Depending on pacing and prior experience, many students complete the degree in about 2 to 2.5 years. The program is structured to be accessible for working professionals, with online delivery of coursework, asynchronous learning modules, and the flexibility to arrange the applied practical experience in your own community or workplace. :

The curriculum blends foundational knowledge – such as health system structure, finance, statistics and research methods – with advanced topics in law, ethics, operations and quality management, human resources, information systems, and strategic administration. This combination aims to prepare graduates who can lead across different types of health organizations, adapt to evolving policy and regulatory environments, and address both organizational and population-level health challenges.

The specializations (Health Informatics, Global Health, Population Health Management, and Post-Acute Care) allow students to focus electives and applied work on areas such as data and information management, global or community health contexts, long-term and post-acute care settings, and population-oriented program administration.

By graduation, you will have completed coursework across management, policy, finance, and health services, plus a supervised practical experience (internship/fieldwork) – giving you both academic preparation and applied experience needed to enter or advance in health administration careers.

Courses and Curriculum

The curriculum begins with foundation courses that ensure all students – regardless of prior background – have a solid understanding of how health care organizations are structured and financed, how statistical and research methods support data-driven decision making, and how health services and systems operate in the U.S. context. Typical foundation courses include Health Care Organization and Administration, Health Care Financial Management I, Health Care Statistics and Research Methods, and Health Services and Systems.

Core courses then build managerial, legal, operational, and strategic competencies. Subjects include healthcare law and ethics, human resources management, operations and quality management, health economics and policy, leadership in health administration, and health information technology management. These courses use case studies, data analysis, group assignments, and strategic planning exercises to help students apply theory to realistic health-care settings. The program emphasizes administrative skills, ethical decision making, regulatory understanding, and quality improvement.

In the final phase of the program you complete a required applied practical experience (internship/fieldwork) and a capstone administrative issues course where you integrate knowledge across management, policy, finance, operations, and ethics. This applied component ensures that you graduate with not just academic knowledge, but hands-on experience and a project portfolio that reflects your ability to contribute to actual health organizations.

Some of the core courses that you will take include:

• HAD 500 – Health Care Organization and Administration – Introduces structure, governance, and delivery models of U.S. health care systems. You examine how hospitals, clinics, long-term care, and payer systems operate, and explore roles of managers and administrators in different organizational contexts.
• HAD 501 – Health Care Financial Management I – Covers financial accounting, budgeting, revenue cycle, and cost analysis for health-care organizations. You learn to interpret financial statements, understand reimbursement, and evaluate fiscal viability of service lines or departments.
• HAD 505 – Health Care Statistics and Research Methods – Teaches methods for data collection, statistical analysis, research design, and health-services evaluation. You learn to use data for planning, monitoring, decision making, and assessing organizational performance.
• HAD 519 – Health Services and Systems – Examines delivery systems, payer structures, regulatory environment, and systemic challenges in health-care delivery. You learn how policy, financing, and organizational design affect access, cost, and quality.
• HAD 508 (or similar) – Human Resources Management in Health Services – Focuses on staffing, workforce planning, leadership, staff development, and organizational behavior as they apply to health-care organizations. You study management of clinical and nonclinical teams, retention, and development strategies.
• HAD 504 (or similar) – Healthcare Operations and Quality Management – Covers operations planning, quality assurance, patient safety, process improvement, and performance measurement. You practice designing and evaluating quality and safety initiatives for provider organizations.
• HAD course in Health Care Law and Compliance – Reviews legal frameworks, compliance, regulatory requirements, patient rights, privacy, and ethical aspects of administration. You analyze how law and ethics shape organizational policies and managerial decisions.
• Applied Practical Experience (HAD 580/581) + Capstone – Administrative Issues – A structured internship or fieldwork placement followed by a capstone project that integrates learning across finance, operations, policy, quality, and leadership to address a real problem or initiative in a health-care organization.

Practical Experience

All MHA students at University of Scranton complete an applied practical experience (internship or fieldwork), often taken under course code HAD 580 or HAD 581 depending on prior experience. This fieldwork is supervised by faculty and a site preceptor in a health-care organization, long-term care facility, clinic, or related setting. The experience gives you the opportunity to engage in real administrative tasks such as financial analysis, operations review, quality improvement, staffing and human resources tasks, compliance audits, or strategic planning – applying classroom learning directly in practice.

After fieldwork, you complete a capstone course, which involves a comprehensive project – often analyzing an existing problem in a host organization and delivering recommendations or a strategic plan. This work becomes a part of your professional portfolio, useful when applying for management or administrative positions after graduation.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain how health-care delivery systems, financing, and regulatory structures influence organization design, service delivery, and administrative decisions.
• Interpret financial information, budgets, and reimbursement models to assess fiscal performance and make financially sound management decisions.
• Use statistics, research methods, and health-services data to support planning, evaluation, quality improvement, and evidence-based decision making in health organizations.
• Apply human resource and organizational behavior principles to lead teams, manage staff, and support workforce development in a health-care context.
• Design and implement operational and quality improvement initiatives, including process redesign, patient safety, and performance monitoring in provider organizations.
• Understand legal, ethical, and compliance requirements in health administration and integrate them into organizational policy and management practices.
• Develop and present strategic or project-based plans that address real organizational challenges and align services, resources, and mission with community or population health needs.

Career Preparation & Outcomes

Graduates of the University of Scranton MHA program are prepared for roles such as hospital administrator, long-term care administrator, clinic or practice manager, operations manager, quality and compliance officer, health informatics coordinator, health-services manager, or project/ program manager in hospitals, health systems, long-term care, payer organizations, community health agencies, and public health settings.

The specialization options, applied practical experience, and capstone projects help you build a tailored skill set and a professional portfolio ready for such roles.

At the institutional level, the University of Scranton reports a strong record of academic support and institutional commitment. According to public data, the undergraduate graduation rate is about 68%. While this figure refers to bachelor level programs, it suggests a campus climate where student support and completion are valued – a factor that can benefit graduate students pursuing the MHA as well.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Submission of official transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
• Completed online application (with no application fee).
• Resume or curriculum vitae outlining academic background, any work or volunteer experience, and relevant interests.
• Personal statement describing your interest in health administration and career objectives.
• For students with less than 3 years of health-care or related experience, completion of a required applied practical experience course (HAD 581) as part of the degree requirements.

Application Deadlines

The University of Scranton offers rolling admissions for the MHA, meaning new cohorts may start several times per year (often corresponding with traditional academic terms).