The College of Health and Human Sciences offers a Master of Health Administration (MHA) program. The MHA is a professional degree that focuses on developing and applying the skills needed in executive management careers within the healthcare industry. Our program is designed to develop health care leaders for a rapidly changing world by equipping students with conceptual, analytical, and leadership skills. The MHA curriculum provides students the opportunity to expand their educational experiences through courses specific to management, human resources, organizational behavior, compliance, law and ethics, information systems, population and community health, finance, and economics in the health care industry. The MHA will prepare students to combine educational knowledge and health-related work experience to expand qualifications to lead change in our dynamic healthcare industry.
Accreditation
The Master of Health Administration is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, including Colorado and 18 other states. The MHA program at Metropolitan State University of Denver is also an Associate Graduate Member of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA).
Mission and Goals
The mission of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program is to enhance the practice, management, leadership and policy of the health and wellness industry by educating a diverse population of students, utilizing professional competencies and enabling them to contribute to solving the health challenges facing our society. The program goals are:
- To offer a curriculum that meets accreditation standards and the needs of the healthcare industry.
- To apply industry competency models and current evidence on teaching and learning to provide the best education possible.
- To prepare individuals for entry or mid-level management position in various sectors of the healthcare industry, for graduate school, and/or for life-long learning in the field.
- To employ competent faculty members who demonstrate expertise in their area of healthcare management.
- To develop and maintain strong ties with alumni, the community, local healthcare organizations, and the University.
Competencies
The competencies for the Master of Health Administration (MHA) graduate program have been established based on best practices recommended by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). “The NCHL Health Leadership Competency Model™ was developed to provide the field with a comprehensive, validated competency model that will be suitable as the foundation for a breadth of leadership assessment and development applications. To ensure relevance to leaders from across disciplines, the Model was developed and validated utilizing interdisciplinary subject matter experts and was refined in collaboration with industrial and educational psychologists” (nchl, 2018).
Admissions Criteria
Program acceptance requires students to have a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited University acceptable by MSU Denver and a minimum 3.0 GPA (in and out of major).
To apply for the MHA, students need to complete and/or submit the following:
- Graduate admissions application
- Graduate application fee
- Submit official transcripts from all previous college or universities attended
- Resume
- Contact information from three (3) professional references
- Personal Statement essay
- Program interview
Exceptions may be considered at the discretion of the MHA Program Director and/or Chair.
The MHA Admissions Committee, which is comprised of faculty members, will review complete applications only. Applicants who submit incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the admissions committee and will be denied from the program.
After the MHA Admissions Committee receives and reviews the application, the applicants will be notified in writing (via e-mail) of their status. Applicants may be regularly admitted, regularly admitted with requirements, waitlisted, or denied admission. Students should check the MHA Program website for application timelines.
Prerequisite Requirements
Prior college level coursework in accounting, statistics, and economics is required. Students may complete the requirements via Peregrine Academic Services (online learning modules) in addition to the core 42 credits. Additionally, experience with technology, computer applications, and applicable computer systems and applications are highly encouraged. Students lacking required prerequisite coursework may be regularly admitted with requirements. Students will be granted acceptance and permission to begin the MHA program. Students must successfully complete the required prerequisites with a “C” or better by the end of the first semester of year one.
Non-Degree Seeking Students
Students may be admitted to any of the graduate degree programs with a non-degree-seeking status. For detailed information, refer to the non-degree admissions policies and procedures located on the program’s website and/or specific program’s section of the catalog. Completing coursework as a non-degree-seeking student does not guarantee admission into a degree-seeking program.
Prior Learning Assessment
Prior learning assessment is not offered in the MHA program.
Transfer Students
No more than nine (9), graduate-level, transfer credits (semester hours or equivalent) will be accepted for the MHA program. These credits must have been completed no longer than six years prior to the admission term and must be from a regionally accredited, U.S. institution or equivalent.
The MHA Program has discretion over acceptance of transfer courses. A minimum grade of “B” is required for each transfer course. Applicants should check the program website and/or contact a program advisor for details.
Advancement to Candidacy
Students must successfully complete all courses comprising 42 credit hours. MHA students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in any academic term. Any student falling below a 3.0 in any given term will be placed on academic probation and be required to develop a remediation plan with an academic advisor. Students who fail to raise their GPA over 3.0 after 15 credits will be dismissed from the program. No grade lower than a “B” counts toward degree completion. Students receiving a “C” or below will be required to repeat the course. Students must be aware that the sequential coursework policy will often require students to take time off to repeat the coursework. Students who do not successfully complete an MHA course with a “B” or better after the second attempt will be dismissed from the program. Exceptions may be considered at the discretion of the MHA Program Director and/or Chair.
Students may enroll in no more than fifteen (15) credit hours per semester. Students who wish to take over 15 credits must seek approval. For additional information, please contact the MHA Program Coordinator at 303-615-1200 or mha@msudenver.edu.
Only students who are formally accepted into the MHA program or non-degree-seeking status may register for any graduate-level MHA courses.
Graduate students are considered full-time if they are registered for six (6) credit hours, half-time if registered for three (3) credit hours, and less than half-time if registered for two (2) or fewer credit hours. Financial aid requires students to be registered for a minimum of three (3) credit hours.
Students must complete the master’s degree within six (6) calendar years from the semester of initial enrollment.
Students not enrolled for three (3) consecutive semesters (including summer) must submit a re-admission application. Students requesting re-admission must be in good academic standing and must submit their application for re-admission to the master’s program in which they have been enrolled. Students who readmit into the MHA Program will be held to the policies and curriculum of the later term in which they officially restart the MHA Program. An approved re-admit application is valid for one academic year from the re-admit semester. Students who are not in good academic standing are not eligible for the readmit application process and must fully apply to the MHA Program. For additional information, please contact the MHA Program Coordinator at 303-615-1200 or mha@msudenver.edu.
Academic policies and the Student Code of Conduct will be employed to all MSU Denver students, regardless of level. Access the Student Code of Conduct .
The University residency requirement for master’s programs is the total number of semester hours required for the program minus nine (9).
MHA Program student should refer to the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the Graduate Catalog for a listing of all grades and notations including incompletes and withdrawals.
Master of Health Administration Program Requirements
Courses will be offered in a sequenced format. The sequential coursework framework means not all courses will be offered each semester. Student advising is essential for effective course planning.
