Online Master of Health Administration

Online Master of Health Administration Degree

The health care system of the future must focus on greater efficiency and quality through improved technology, organization, and management. There is growing demand for new leaders who can find solutions to the problems we face, both now and in the future.

A Master of Health Administration in Health Policy and Administration (MHA) can help you combine your health-related work experience with a strong business management education, expanding your qualifications for challenging leadership positions in health care and giving you the tools to lead change in a dynamic environment.

Penn State has over 25 years of experience in providing quality graduate level health administration programs and currently offers a residential MHA program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The expertise and curriculum currently offered in our residential program is now being offered in the online format to meet the unique needs of working professionals.

Penn State World Campus: An online MHA from Penn State can provide opportunities for advancement in your career as a health care professional. The degree program is a collaboration between Penn State World Campus and the Penn State Department of Health Policy and Administration in the College of Health and Human Development. This partnership connects you with faculty from a highly ranked program, with 25 years of experience guiding student learning. Experienced faculty, the residential MHA program's 4,000+ alumni, and professional contacts help maintain the focus on emerging and complex health care leadership challenges.

Our online program is built on the experience and excellence of our nationally ranked residential MHA program, established more than twenty-five years ago and recently awarded a seven year re-accreditation (the highest achievable) by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

The online learning format offered by Penn State World Campus makes it possible for you to fit a degree program into your life. The flexibility of studying when and where you want can give you the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge you need to make critical decisions that can affect the lives of patients and employees while maintaining your current role.

Courses: The MHA curriculum provides you with a fundamental understanding of management and health services. The courses have been designed to prepare you for the requirements of increased accountability, organization, and management. View the full listing of the eMHA curriculum.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Steady job growth in health care is projected for the next several years. As a graduate of the program, you could obtain an administrative, management, or executive position in one of several health care-related organizations, including:

hospitals and health systems
medical group practices
clinics and outpatient care centers
home health care agencies
skilled nursing facilities
insurance companies
consulting firms
federal regulatory and public health agencies

Who Should Apply?: The rapid evolution of the health care environment through changes in population demographics, legislation, regulation, policy, and technology means that updating your education is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. If you have work experience in health care and want to enhance your applied business management skills, Penn State's online MHA program was designed for you.

"The beauty of the online MHA program is that it provides students who are living all over the world the same educational opportunity as students who attend the residential program, but without having to relocate to University Park," - Chris Calkins, Ph.D., director of MHA programs

How to apply: For more information on how to apply to the Online MHA program, please visit Penn State’s World Campus website.