The College of Health Sciences offers an online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree. The MHA program is built upon the foundation of USF’s commitment to its identity as a Catholic university and to the Franciscan Values as a guide for living lives of character and integrity. The mission for the MHA Program emphasizes the application of business knowledge to healthcare settings while offering the opportunity to reflect on the compassionate and healing nature of the provision of quality patient care.
Effective leaders in the highly regulated healthcare sector develop the competencies required to successfully address the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Triple Aim of improving population health and patients’ experience of care while reducing the per capita cost of health services. The MHA degree at the University of Saint Francis offers healthcare professionals the unique opportunity to develop these competencies in an environment that goes beyond the business aspect of healthcare administration to incorporate reflection on healthcare administration as a ministry.
The competencies are based on the National Center for Healthcare Leadership’s (NCHL) Competency Model, which addresses competencies needed by all healthcare administrators, regardless of their field. The key competency domains are:
- Values & Self-Awareness - Professional & Social Responsibility
- Health System Awareness - Healthcare Systems & Finance/Budgets
- Relations - Leadership & Talent Management
- Execution - Communication, Project Management, & Quality Improvement
- Boundary Spanning - Community Collaboration
- Transformation - Strategy
The combination of a competency-based approach with an emphasis on the healing mission of healthcare equips healthcare professionals to identify innovative ways to improve healthcare delivery systems that offer patients health and pastoral care.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Students reflect upon and evaluate the application of the Franciscan Values, the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, and Catholic Social Teaching to healthcare settings for ethical decision making and responsible stewardship.
- Students use data, including accounting, financial, budgeting, and economic data, to inform operational and capital investment decisions involving the allocation of resources.
- Students demonstrate basic knowledge of employment management principles, policies, and law while working cooperatively and committing to understanding and positively supporting others.
- Students develop well-reasoned written arguments supported by evidenced-based research and give effective oral presentations.
- Students demonstrate an understanding of the principles of clinical measures to promote high reliability and continuous quality improvement.
- Students identify a needed change initiative taking into account population-based wellness needs and health policies. Students then develop a plan by assessing internal and external factors (competitive, financial, structural, and people) and recommending strategies for improvement.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The MHA is an online degree that is offered in an accelerated course format, which can be completed in 12 to 24 months. The six start dates per year offer the flexibility for students to pursue the degree based on their schedules.
The program is 36 credit hours with 27 hours of core MHA courses and nine hours of concentration courses. The concentrations (listed below) are designed to allow MHA students to tailor their degree to their current career needs or future career aspirations. There are no prerequisites. Students can choose to go full-time and complete the degree in one year or to go part-time for two years.
Through the MHA completion track, the MHA degree is also available to students who have already earned an MBA. The MBA to MHA Completion Track requires 24 credit hours in addition to the 12 credit hours achieved through an accredited MBA program.
PROGRAM OF STUDY
- 27 MHA core hours: MHA 500, MHA 510, MHA 520, MHA 545, MHA 560, MHA 566, MHA 570, MHA 575, and MHA 599
- 24 MBA to MHA Completion hours: MHA 500, MHA 520, MHA 545, MHA 560, MHA 566, MHA 570, MHA 575, and MHA 599
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants to the MHA program must meet the following criteria:
- Possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale or a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- If the cumulative GPA is below 2.75, applicants must also complete directed essay questions, which will be reviewed for admission consideration.
- If the bachelor’s degree was from a non-regionally accredited institution, the applicant must take the GMAT or GRE for admission consideration. GMAT scores of 500 or GRE scores of 300 or above are required for admission.
To apply for the Master of Healthcare Administration Online, students must:
- Submit an online application for admission.
- Submit official transcript(s) for the most recent bachelor or graduate degree conferred. Transcripts are official only if sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the registrar of the institution attended.
- Submit a current résumé.
Note: Transcripts will be evaluated for evidence of basic knowledge of Common Professional Competencies. Based on this review, completion of appropriate course pre-requisites may be required.
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