Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA)
The healthcare industry is massive and complex, requiring managers with specialized knowledge and skills to solve problems and develop innovations related to the access, cost, and quality of healthcare.
Berkshire’s Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) offers a career-focused curriculum designed to prepare you for an important role in a burgeoning industry. You’ll develop the conceptual and analytical skills you’ll need to understand and manage challenges faced by today’s healthcare organizations.
What sets NU’s MHA degree apart from other programs is our partnership with San Diego Organization of Healthcare Leaders (SOHL), the leading professional membership society for all current and future healthcare leaders in San Diego and Imperial Counties. As you study and learn, you’ll have access to an international network of more than 30,000 healthcare executives and a means by which to pursue unique career advancement opportunities.
Program Requirements
HCA 600 U.S. Healthcare System – 4.50
US healthcare system overview, including terminology, components of healthcare delivery systems, financing, personnel, regulation, delivery and consumers. Consideration of the effects of public policy on services.
HCA 610 Health Policy – 4.50
Prerequisite: HCA 600
Focuses on the development of public policy concerning medical care and public health and the relationship between public decisions and the market place. Using contemporary policy issues as case studies, examines the role science, ideology, culture, and history play in influencing the structure of and changes to a nation’s health system.
COH 602 Biostatistics – 4.50
An introduction to the use of statistical analysis in public health. Provides an understanding of the basic methods and underlying concepts of statistics that are used in public health decision-making. Among topics explored are descriptive statistics, probability, sampling, hypothesis testing and non-parametric statistics.
HCA 620 Health Organization Management – 4.50
Prerequisite: COH 602
Healthcare organization theories and structure, including analyses of managerial functions, relationships, and operations for service delivery. Development of effective service delivery systems. Appreciation of external influences including community, financial institutions, socioeconomic environment, and regulatory agencies. Examination of professional roles, responsibilities, and accountability. Understanding of organizational mission, goals, objectives and priorities.
HCA 626 Healthcare Information Systems* – 4.50
Information Systems (4.50)
Prerequisite: ANA 630
Effective data and information technology utilization to improve performance in healthcare organizations: including information systems, databases and analytical tools to structure, analyze and present information; legal and ethical issues affecting management of healthcare information.
HCA 622 Quality Appraisal & Evaluation – 4.50
Prerequisite: HCA 600 and HCA 620
Theoretical and practical frameworks to facilitate the continuous improvement of quality in healthcare organizations. Includes data collection, data planning and evaluation. Introduces multiple approaches, including strategy and outcome measurement. Team development, analytical statistics, and process knowledge are central themes, along with culture transformation.
COH 606 Epidemiology – 4.50
Prerequisite: COH 602, or ANA 630
The study of determinants and distribution of disease and disability in human populations. Empirical analysis of population data related to morbidity and mortality. Investigation of disease outbreaks, risk factors, health outcomes and causal relationships. Critical evaluation of public health literature and study design.
HCA 660 Health Economics – 4.50
Application of healthcare economics to decisions regarding the amount, organization, and distribution of healthcare services. Examine the structure, organization, activities, functions, and problems of healthcare from an economic perspective. Emphasis on management problems and policy issues in healthcare with regard to allocation of scarce resources.
HCA 628 HA Human Resources Management – 4.50
Study of healthcare organization, training, motivation and direction of employees while maintaining high level productivity and morale. Includes selection, compensation, financial incentives, work standards, and leadership principles in healthcare organization.
HCA 630 Healthcare Law & Ethics – 4.50
Legal, regulatory, and ethical dimensions of healthcare examined. Development and application of laws and regulations analyzed. Interpretation of uses of policy, law, and regulation changes and needs. Analysis of statutes and court decisions affecting healthcare. Ethical dimensions of healthcare organizations, their personnel and professionals considered.
HCA 624 Healthcare Planning &Marketing – 4.50
Prerequisite: COH 611
Strategic planning for healthcare organizations based on the analyses of secondary quantitative and qualitative data about technological, social, political, regulatory, and competitive aspects of the healthcare market. Marketing principles and tools for the development of a healthcare organization marketing plan.
HCA 663 Healthcare Accounting/Finance – 4.50
Prerequisite: HCA 628
Application of healthcare accounting and finance theories to decisions in healthcare environments. Emphasis on management problems and policy issues regarding allocation of resources, payments systems, capital investments and budgeting.
COH 611 Public Health Research Methods – 4.50
Fundamentals of research methods and statistical analysis of public health data. Includes principles of research investigation, research design, sampling, measurements, and the use of descriptive and inferential statistics for data analysis and hypothesis testing. Focuses on health survey design, sampling methodologies, questionnaire construction and administration, interviewing, and coding procedures.
HCA 670 Healthcare Leadership – 4.50
Prerequisite: HCA 624
Concepts of leadership related to current healthcare organizations. Communications – including public relations – team building, negotiation, and conflict resolution considered. Strategic aspects such as vision, viewpoint, and mission included. Managing uncertainty emphasized.
HCA 691 Healthcare Internship – 4.50
Prerequisite: HCA 600; COH 602; HCA 610; HCA 620; HCA 622; COH 606; HCA 624; HCA 626; HCA 628; HCA 630; HCA 660; HCA 663; COH 611; HCA 670 and permission by instructor
Minimum of 120 hours of structured work experience in a healthcare organization under the direct supervision of one or more experienced healthcare managers. Grading is S or U only.
HCA 692 Healthcare Capstone – 4.50
Prerequisite: HCA 691 or permission by instructor.
Three-month capstone project focused on a relevant problem in healthcare administration theory or practice. Planning and completion of either a data-based research project or a scholarly and creative activity related to healthcare administration.
Degree and Course Requirements
To receive an MHA degree, students must complete at least 72 quarter units of graduate work. A total of 13.5 quarter units of graduate credit may be granted for equivalent graduate work completed at another institution, as it applies to this degree and provided the units were not used in earning another advanced degree. Refer to the section on graduate admission requirements for specific information regarding application and evaluation.
Program Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate critical thinking skills and apply decision-making technology to evaluate information and to discover evidence-based solutions that are reliable.
Communicate effectively in all forms of expression to relate facts, simplify complexity, customize, and create persuasive arguments for the target audience to improve organizational function and/or to transform organizational vision for all stakeholders.
Use and analyze corporate financial management concepts (e.g., rate of return, net present value, and cash flow analyses); analyze trends in population, disease, and utilization data; understand principles of insurance rating, actuarial risk, and shared risk to make decisions.
Assess the business, demographic, ethnocultural, political, and regulatory implications of decisions and develop strategies that improve the long-term success and viability of the organization.
Evaluate political, economic, social, technological, workforce, legal, ethical and regulatory factors that impact systems, organizations, communities and individuals at multiple levels along the health care continuum.
Implement care and processes for better outcomes with the attendant evidence-based best practices in the full scope of healthcare operations and delivery.
Demonstrate leadership excellence through abilities and behaviors, which include establishing a vision and motivating and supporting others to work towards that shared vision and related goals.
Evaluate alternative organizing structures and use organization structure to design performance improvement strategies.
Apply evidence-based approaches to engage communities and multilevel partners in working together to improve modifiable determinants of health and health outcomes to achieve optimal population health.
Employ organizational integrity by examining organizational behavior for honesty and fair dealing with all constituencies, including employees and community stakeholders
Exercise professional behaviors consistent with self-awareness, accountability, continuous learning, and ethical and social responsibility for the greater good.
Admissions
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To that end, we’ve simplified and streamlined our application process, so you can get enrolled in your program right away. Because we accept and review applications year round, you can begin class as soon as next month, depending on your program and location of choice.
Learn more about undergraduate, graduate, military, and international student admissions, plus admissions information for transfer students. You can also learn more about our tuition rates and financial aid opportunities.