Why study Health Administration-Executive?

The mission of the University of Cincinnati’s innovative on-line Master of Health Administration (MHA) Degree Program is to provide working professionals who might not have ready access to traditional educational routes with a high-quality experiential and practice oriented curriculum in healthcare management, preparing them to serve as innovative, transformative, ethical healthcare leaders within teams, organizations and health systems. 

We offer a competency-driven, evidence-based curriculum which, by including both academics and practitioners as faculty, is adaptive to the ever-changing healthcare environment encouraging lifelong learning. Our on-line approach is designed both to expand access and to allow mid-level and other working health professionals to develop and enhance nationally recognized competencies. Our faculty are committed to discovery, integration, application, and teaching. They create an online learning environment that is research-based and service-oriented, and which assures the best possible educational experience for all students, including individualized learning paths when necessary.  

Vision Statement:

The vision of the UC MHA program is to be acknowledged as a national leader in leveraging online educational technology to prepare future leaders for the ever-changing healthcare environment. The faculty have been nationally recognized for published and presented research.   
 
Our graduates will be further proof of our efforts:  

  • their evaluations will guide us  
  • their efforts will be recognized by their supervisors, colleagues, patients, and organizations as characterizing curious, competent, and compassionate stewards of the public and institutional trust, and
  • their performance will reflect honor upon their alma mater, their employers, and their profession 

Values Statement:

The University of Cincinnati’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program values a conception of the healthcare leader as a true health professional, rather than soley a manager. In this, we are in strong support of the American College of Healthcare Executives’ (ACHE) Code of Ethics, with its focus on the healthcare managers responsibilities to:   

  • the profession   
  • patients or others served  
  • the organization and employees  

In our faculty we value:

  • a commitment to teaching informed by research and/or practice  
  • a dedication to service, whether to university, profession, or community  
  • the understanding that our learners are adults who are working and living full lives while improving their education  
  • a cooperative, collegial approach that allows for the development and maintenance of an integrated practice-oriented curriculum  
     

Admission Requirements

Students seeking the fully online master’s degree need to choose “Executive Health Administration – Online” as their program choice when applying.

Applications for the Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree are accepted year-round with new classes starting every semester — fall, spring and summer.

Bachelor Degree

Students applying to the executive MHA program must have completed a Bachelor Degree program from a regionally accredited institution.

Transcripts

All college transcripts are required. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient to make offers of admission. However, all official and final transcripts must be received by the Graduate College to secure admission offer.

Undergraduate GPA Requirement

Executive MHA Applicants must have completed Bachelor Degree program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale).

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation that address the executive MHA applicant’s academic readiness for graduate-level work, work ethic and habits, and the applicant’s communication and interpersonal skills.

*Letters of recommendation from family, friends, current students, politicians, or clergy are not accepted.

Resume

Resume/CV of personal, professional and educational background. Executive MHA applicants are strongly encouraged to highlight experience in health care.

Personal Statement

Personal statement or brief essay (no more than three pages double-spaced) answering the following prompts:

  • What are your academic goals?
  • How will earning your MHA help you reach your professional goals?
  • How will you balance work and your online program?
  • What is your motivation for earning your MHA?

Work Experience

At least two years of work experience in a health care setting is preferred. Students transitioning from undergraduate health care degrees are encouraged to highlight experience through internships/practicums. Please highlight work experience within resume and personal statement.

Application Fee

Complete the University of Cincinnati online graduate application; $65 domestic/$70 international application fee.

International Applicant Criteria

  • TOEFL minimum
    – 580 (paper version), 237 (computer), or 93 (Internet)
  • IELTS minimum 6.5
  • Duolingo 110

International executive MHA applicants must also submit an external course-by-course evaluation of your foreign transcripts for evaluation to an agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluating Services (NACES; www.naces.org).

The University of Cincinnati Master of Health Administration program has graduates from all over the country. From presidents and vice presidents of hospital systems to chief operating officers, physicians, pharmacists, and nurses, the UC MHA program has over 750 graduates from over 20 states. Our graduates work for the Department of Labor to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Stanford Children’s Health, to the University of Cincinnati Health System. The UC MHA program is a 100% online, with no residency requirement, allowing our students to attend school while working for some of the largest health care systems in the country.

 

A Master of Health Administration degree can open the door to numerous jobs for management and leadership roles in health care settings. Jobs in health administration provide professional satisfaction along with financial security.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for health administrators in 2023 was $110,685 annually.

What can you do with an executive master’s in health administration?

An Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) degree opens the doors to a variety of jobs and leadership roles. These jobs include, but are not limited to:

  • Hospital Administrator: Senior-level staff that oversee the management and quality of health care facilities.
  • Health Policy Advocates: Health policy experts advise and write policy, work with politicians, and advocate for health care policy reform.
  • Clinical Lead: Clinical leads can be nurses, doctors, or other clinical staff who coordinate and oversee a clinic or clinical team members to ensure effective delivery or patient care.
  • Pharmaceutical Administrator: Senior-level staff that oversee the operation and quality of pharmaceutical companies.
  • Director of Finance: Senior-level staff who provide financial leadership for health care facilities.
  • Operations Manager: Health care staff who provide management in controlling costs and improving quality of service provided to patients.

Program Outcomes

The post-graduation employment rate was 89% for the 2023-2024 academic year. The following data reflects career outcomes for the graduates who completed the program between Fall 2021- Summer 2024.

Pie chart showing career outcomes for graduates of the Master’s in Health Administration program between Fall 2021 and Summer 2022. The majority, 37 graduates, are employed in Health/Hospital Systems. Other employment sectors include: Consulting (4), Health Sector: Other (4), Home Health Agency (3), Military Health System (2), Physician Practice (1), Governmental Agencies (1), and Information Technology/Analytics (1). Health/Hospital System employment comprises the largest portion of the chart by far.

Health Sectors include: Foundation or Voluntary Agency (1), Insurance/HMO (1), and Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Medical Device Company (2)

Pie chart displaying career outcomes for graduates of the Master’s in Health Administration program between Fall 2022 and Summer 2023. Most graduates, 33 in total, are employed in Health/Hospital Systems. Other sectors include: Consulting (4), Home Health Agency (3), Information Technology/Analytics (3), Health Sector: Other (3), Physician Practice (2), Military Health System (2), and Governmental Agencies (1). Health/Hospital System remains the dominant employment category.

Health Sectors include: Insurance/HMO (1) and Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Medical Device Company (2)

Pie chart showing career outcomes for graduates of the Master’s in Health Administration program between Fall 2023 and Summer 2024. The largest portion, 25 graduates, are employed in Health/Hospital Systems. Other employment outcomes include: Physician Practice (4), Military Health System (2), Governmental Agencies (2), Long-Term Care Facility (2), Health Sector: Other (2), and Information Technology/Analytics (1). Health/Hospital System employment remains the most common outcome among graduates.

Health Sectors include: Foundation or Voluntary Agency (1) and Insurance/HMO (1)

The Executive MHA degree is great for those with experience in:

  • Physician/Doctor
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Health Care Finance
  • Hospital Management
  • Human Resources
  • Information Systems
  • International Care Organizations
  • Marketing and Public Affairs
  • Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Material Management
  • Medical Staff Relations
  • Nursing Administration
  • Patient Care Services
  • Planning and Development
  • Public Health
The information provided is sourced from a third party, Lightcast. Their product, called Career Coach, combines extensive labor market data from Lightcast and the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides insights on industry, occupation, compensation, and projected growth for each profession. Economic and workforce information is available for various geographic regions. Some careers may require additional training or education.

  • The University of Cincinnati has online enrollment services advisors (ESAs) available to help learners complete their application and get started in the Online Master of Health Informatics program.  If you have not already, please use the request information form above to be connected to an ESA today! 

  • Upon starting the program, a dedicated student success coordinator (SSC) will be assigned to all learners to help them achieve their academic goals. You will be introduced to your SSC as your first semester approaches, and they will be your primary liaison to the university all the way through graduation. 

  • Executive MHA Advisory Board 

  • The Executive Health Administration National Advisory Board is comprised of members who are leaders from the healthcare and business communities. They provide vision and guidance to ensure the Executive MHA program addresses the current and future issues that the healthcare industry is faced with. 

  • As a CAHME (Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education) accredited program, it is important that we provide our students with real-world insight into the challenges they will face when they graduate.  UC is dedicated to bringing this resource to its students while maintaining relationships that help grow and enrich the curriculum. 

Please see the UC Graduate College Student Handbook.

Students who have earned graduate credits from accredited institutions may be eligible to apply some of those credits towards their pursuit of the online Executive Master of Health Administration. Please contact your Enrollment Services Advisor (ESA) for specifics about the policy. 

  • Students living abroad are eligible to pursue this program, but will not be qualified for an F-1 Visa for this online program

  • Applicants with college coursework completed outside the United States are required to provide a course-by-course foreign credential evaluation for each college or university you attended outside the United States. This evaluation must be obtained from a service listed on the NACES member website. 

  • Applicants who completed their studies outside of the United States may also be required to supply proof of English Proficiency. More information about requirements for English proficiency and potential waivers can be found here: English Language Proficiency Requirements

    • For the College of Allied Health Sciences and the Executive MHA program, the following minimum scores and test types are acceptable for English Proficiency. 

      • TOEFL minimum – 580 (paper version), 237 (computer), or 93 (Internet) 

      • IELTS minimum 6.5 

      • Duolingo minimum 110  

Explore unique opportunities, faculty, and resources available in School of Social Work

The University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at the University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

 

Contact Information

UC Online
45 W Corry Blvd.
Cincinnati, OH 45221
(513) 556-6826
onlineenrollment@uc.edu

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Program Code: 35MAS-HADM-MHA-.HADM-DL