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Master of Health Administration
(MHA)
The primary purpose of the MHA Program curriculum is to provide
graduate-level education that equips students with enduring and transferable
skills, values and conceptual abilities sufficient to facilitate entry into
and advancement within management and leadership roles in health care,
health policy and public health. Upon graduation, students seek positions in
Post-graduate Residencies and Fellowships or seek employment in
institutional and system/network management.
The curriculum requires 60 credits of full-time study over five academic
terms including a full-time Management Residency for the MHA degree. The
program can also be completed on a part-time basis and students are expected
to make forward progress toward the completion of the degree on a timely
basis.
Requirements for the MHA Degree: In order to be eligible for graduation,
students must complete 60 credit hours with a B (3.0) average or better
including a supervised management residency (which is typically scheduled
during the summer term), prepare a scholarly master’s essay relating to the
culminating experience, and clear all debts and obligations to the
University of Pittsburgh.
The Curriculum consists of the GSPH School’s public health core courses, a
broad array of courses in health care system organization and management,
health policy and economics, leadership, and professional development
activities. The MHA Program also provides the student opportunities for
transition to the world of practice through the Executive in Residence, the
required Management Residency, assignment of a professional health care
leader as a Mentor, and an expanded orientation program.
The Master’s Essay is a requirement of the MHA program and the Graduate
School of Public Health. No MHA student can graduate without successfully
completing a Master’s Essay. It is an important educational component of the
MHA program since the essay provides students an opportunity to integrate
the major components of the GSPH learning experience. Students apply the
principles of public health, health administration, and health policy to a
formal inquiry and analysis of a problem or issue relevant to health
administration and their career interests. The essay allows the student to
demonstrate his/her mastery of health policy and management concepts,
principles, and theoretical models gained from formal coursework. The
student is expected to demonstrate professional-level proficiency in
expository writing, clear and logical thinking, and appropriate use of
analytical tools and research methods.
The Management Residency is a required one-credit course of approximately
three months in duration, taken at the midpoint of the curriculum, usually
scheduled for Summer Term (May through August). This course is designed so
that students spend one academic term in a health care organization, serving
in an educationally appropriate career development position under the
direction of a preceptor. A preceptor is a professional in the field of
health management or administration who is respected by peers and willing to
mentor and to share knowledge and insights with students. The Residency may
be served in a variety of health care, public health or related settings. |
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