Master of Health Administration (MHA)

Program Location	Distance Education/Online Master of Health Administration (MHA) - Organizational Leadership Track - Public Health Track - Project Management Track
Program Credits	Master of Health Administration (MHA): 36 Credits - Organizational Leadership Track: 36 Credits - Public Health Track: 36 Credits - Project Management Track: 36 Credits
Program Length	Master of Health Administration (MHA): 3 Trimesters, 48 Instructional Weeks or 6 Trimesters, 96 Instructional Weeks - Health Administration & Leadership Track: 3 Trimesters, 48 Instructional Weeks or 6 Trimesters, 96 Instructional Weeks - Public Health Track: 3 Trimesters, 48 Instructional Weeks or 6 Trimesters, 96 Instructional Weeks - Project Management Track: 3 Trimesters, 48 Instructional Weeks or 6 Trimesters, 96 Instructional Weeks
Time to Complete	Master of Health Administration (MHA): 12 Months or 24 Months - Health Administration & Leadership Track: 12 Months or 24 Months - Public Health Track: 12 Months or 24 Months - Project Management Track: 12 Months or 24 Months

*Program length may vary.

WCU distance education programs may not be available to residents in all states.

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 11-9111.00, 11-3011.00, 13-1111.00

Program Mission: The mission of the Master of Health Administration program at West Coast University is to provide recent graduates, early to mid-careerists, and working professionals from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds with the qualities of leadership and managerial tools required to become leaders who effect change within health care provider organizations and firms.

The MHA program provides a strong foundation in the core functional areas of Business Management with a focus on the health care industry and interprofessional education. The program prepares graduates with multidisciplinary skills required for entry-level managerial positions in hospitals, long term care facilities, medical group practices, and other health care facilities.

We deliver our program through highly qualified faculty who work within the health care field and who engage in scholarship and research, professional development, and service. The MHA program strives for student success through a community of learning enriched by professional development experiences, leveraging our relationships with local organizations, international internship partners and our alumni network.

Program Objective: The Master of Health Administration degree provides students with a strong foundation in the core functional areas of Management with a focus on the Health Care industry. The program prepares students with the multidisciplinary skills required for the supervisory and managerial positions to meet the challenges facing the health care industry and the significant social impact it has on the economy.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation students will be able to:

Evaluate the culturally diverse health care environment.
Develop plans within the health care environment.
Analyze ethical and legal practices within a health care setting.
Analyze the inter-professional relationships within a health care setting.
Demonstrate core business knowledge to develop viable health management solutions.
Assess leadership models and apply selected applications to health care management practices.
Promote innovation and entrepreneurship within a health care setting.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the Master of Health Administration must:

Complete an online application for admissions.
Participate in an interview with a University Admissions Advisor.
Complete an enrollment agreement, consisting of program policies, costs, completion requirements, and other student obligations.
Have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a 2.7 cumulative GPA or higher.
1. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA 2.00-2.69 may be considered for probationary admission after meeting the following admissions requirements:
  1. The applicant must provide a letter of intent.
  2. The applicant must be approved for admission following an interview with the Program Dean/Director.
  3. The applicant must satisfy program prerequisites and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework attempted over the first trimester (two terms). Students failing to meet these requirements following the first trimester (two terms) will be withdrawn from the university.
Provide official undergraduate transcripts of a baccalaureate degree prior to the end of the add/drop period of the first term.
1. Applicants submitting non-U.S. or non-English transcripts will be required to have their coursework evaluated by a transcript evaluation service to determine the equivalency to a U.S. degree/course. If the transcript evaluation is unclear as to the equivalency to a U.S. degree/course, the Program Dean will evaluate transcripts to determine if a minimum of 3 academic years of undergraduate coursework has been completed for admission.
2. Applicants submitting advanced degrees will be reviewed by the Program Dean to determine if a minimum of 3 academic years of undergraduate coursework has been completed for admission.
3. Master of Health Administration Transfer Credit Evaluation: Only graduate level courses in which a grade of B- or better was received, taken in a program similar to the Master of Health Administration will be evaluated for transfer credit. A maximum of nine (9) credit hours will be considered for transfer and must reflect the same content and course credit as the course for which transfer credit is requested.

Students who request to transfer credits from previously attended institutions must submit sealed official transcripts to the Registrar's Office from originating institutions prior to their first day of class. If students are unable to submit transcripts or transcripts are unavailable, students may be conditionally enrolled for a period of one (1) term through the submission of unofficial transcripts, submitted no later than four (4) days after the start of a student's first term. Students failing to submit official transcripts prior to the final day of the first term may be denied transfer credit for prior courses. In addition to official transcripts, copies of course descriptions, school catalogs, and course syllabi may be requested for evaluation purposes.

Individuals who are concurrently enrolled at another institution at the time of their matriculation to West Coast University, may be allowed to request transfer credit for courses that are in-progress. In this situation, official transcripts must be received by the end of the first term of matriculation to receive transfer credit.

Please note all veteran students are required to submit all postsecondary transcripts. Please see the Veterans Educational Benefits policy in the Financial Policies and Information Section of the Catalog.

Eligible for Reentry

A student who has been academically dismissed from West Coast University may apply for reentry to the University's MHA program if:

The applicant was in good standing with the University excluding previous Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or GPA requirements at the time of their dismissal. If any other "good standing" issues exist, the individual would be admitted to the university on probationary status. If a student in probationary status is not in "good standing" after completing their first trimester of coursework in the MHA program, they would be dismissed from the University. If an applicant was previously dismissed from West Coast University for any conduct violations, he/she would not be admitted into the program. Please refer to the "Good Standing" policy for specific information on the terms.

Individuals granted reentry would have their successfully completed WCU credits, and credits previously transferred from other institutions, considered for applicability to the MHA degree. Decisions regarding transferability of credit are made by the MHA Program Dean.

An individual who is readmitted by this clause will not be considered for dismissal due to the course failures in other WCU programs. Any failures that occur after the student has reentered the university into the MHA program would be subject to the university dismissal policy.

Health Administration Progression Requirements

A minimum grade of a “C-” will be required to receive course credit in the MHA Program. Should a student receive below a “C-“ grade, it will not be considered a passing grade for the MHA program and the student will be required to retake the course. The earned grade will be counted into the student’s CGPA and will be replaced once the course is repeated with a passing grade. The student will be placed on an academic action plan to repeat the course and may be required to meet with the program Dean.

Health Administration Curriculum

To achieve the graduation requirement of 36 credits, all students must complete 36 credits of core and track courses. Core courses provide students with the specific discipline experience required for the degree. All students will complete at least 27 core course credits as detailed below. The remaining 9 credits are based on the program track the student is enrolled in. The currently available programs are:

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

- MHA – Organizational Leadership Track

- MHA – Public Health Track

- MHA – Project Management Track

Core Courses:

Core Courses to be completed by all students (27 credits)

HA 500	Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care Management	3
HA 505	Information Systems for Health Care Programs	3
HA 520	Financial Management for Health Care Managers	3
HA 530	Managerial Epidemiology	3
HA 535	Health Research Methods	3
HA 540	Strategic Planning in Health Care Organizations	3
HA 545	Hospital Administration and Management	3
HA 550	Leadership Models for Health Care Managers	3
HA 565	Capstone Course: Cases in Health Care Management	3
Total Credit Hours:		27

Core courses to be completed if no track chosen (9 credits)

HA 525	Marketing Management for Health Care Professionals	3
HA 555	Project Management	3
HA 560	Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Health Care Industry	3
Total Credit Hours:		9

Track Courses:

Organizational Leadership Track

Track courses to be completed in the Organizational Leadership Track (9 credits)

BUS 525	Principles of Management	3
BUS 535	Organizational Behavior and Leadership	3
BUS 545	Fundamentals of Operations Management	3
Total Credit Hours:		9

Public Health Track

Track courses to be completed in the Public Health Track (9 credits)

PH 500	Foundations of Public Health	3
PH 515	Cultural Diversity & Health Disparities in Public Health	3
PH 536	Environmental and Occupational Health	3
Total Credit Hours:		9

Project Management Track

Track courses to be completed in the Public Management Track (9 credits)

BUS 545	Fundamentals of Operations Management	3
HA 555	Project Management	3
HA 557	Project Management II	3
Total Credit Hours:		9

MHA Program Costs

For program costs, please see the Graduate Tuition and Fees section.