Master’s in Healthcare Administration (MHA) Programs

Earning a master’s in healthcare administration or an MHA is one way you can learn to coordinate medical services and manage human and financial capital. According to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), graduates work in settings that include hospitals, long-term care facilities, health insurance companies, government agencies, professional societies and more.

Admissions Requirements for an MHA Program

Dozens of schools across the country offer master’s in healthcare administration programs. Graduate programs in health administration generally last two years, according to AUPHA, though the time it takes can vary by program and by whether you enroll full time or part time.

Each school will have its own set of admissions requirements for the program they are offering, but there are a few similarities among those requirements, a bachelor’s being one of them, according to AUPHA. Certain institutions look for students with a bachelor’s in healthcare or related field, while others will consider students with a bachelor’s in another discipline. Schools may also ask for your GRE scores, a personal statement, and some work experience in the field of healthcare. For example, UNC’s online MHA asks for one personal statement and at least three years of prior experience in a health or human services profession, and it does not require GRE scores. The HAMPCAS application service treats GRE score submission as program specific.

Curriculum

As a degree that focuses on both management and healthcare, a master’s in healthcare administration program typically combines management and business coursework, such as financial management, economics, law and organizational behavior, with healthcare-specific topics, according to AUPHA. An MHA may include courses covering the following topics, which appear across AUPHA’s 2024–2025 Body of Knowledge contents, UNC’s online MHA and Purdue’s online MHA courses, though curricula vary by program:

• Accounting & Budgeting
• Health Economics
• Health Information Systems (HIS)
• Health Services Management
• Human Resources
• Health and Human Behavior
• Law and Ethics
• Strategic Planning

Some MHA programs also include a supervised internship, residency or fellowship, AUPHA notes. This allows students to gain hands-on training in a real-world setting.

Online Masters in Healthcare Administration Programs

Some colleges and universities offer master’s in healthcare administration programs online, and the format varies by program. Loma Linda University, for example, offers online courses that are both synchronous and asynchronous, while UNC’s online MHA holds live classes online, typically two evenings a week, and brings students to its Chapel Hill campus three times a year for residential sessions. Before you apply, check each program’s class schedule and any in-person requirements.

Here are some online MHA programs for you to consider. This list was updated in October 2026; please be sure to check with your preferred university for the most current information:

Why Pursue a Masters in Healthcare Administration?

Medical and health services administrators and managers are core members of any healthcare community or system. They usually possess a thorough understanding of current best practices within their healthcare settings, as well as healthcare regulations, according to O*NET’s profile of medical and health services managers.

If you have strong analytical, interpersonal, communication skills that you want to put to use to benefit both patients and healthcare professionals, then the career path of a healthcare administrator may be for you.

What Can I Do with a MHA?

A master’s in healthcare administration prepares graduates for management work across a range of healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, health insurance companies and government agencies, according to AUPHA.

Healthcare Administration Careers

Professionals who hold an MHA may pursue roles such as the following, though some of these roles call for other education or credentials, as noted below:

• Administrative Services Managers
• Clinical Managers
• Health Services Managers and Executives
• Healthcare Social Workers (an MHA alone does not replace the social work degree that NASW’s practice standards specify for social workers in health care settings)
• Medical records and Health Information Technicians
• Nursing Home Administrators

These roles require different skills. O*NET’s profile of medical and health services managers lists job titles such as clinical director, nurse manager, health information manager and medical records manager, and the BLS Standard Occupational Classification lists administrative services managers as a separate management occupation. Medical records and health information technician roles are different from management roles: O*NET places medical records specialists and health information technologists in a job zone where most occupations require vocational training, related on-the-job experience or an associate’s degree.

State boards license nursing home administrators, and each state has its own requirements, according to the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards.

Salary for Healthcare Administration Professionals

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, medical and health services managers (SOC 11-9111) had a median annual wage of $123,860 nationally in May 2025. The 90th percentile annual wage was $224,340, meaning 10 percent of workers in the occupation earned more than that amount. BLS estimated that the occupation employed 597,080 wage-and-salary workers in May 2025.

These figures cover everyone in the occupation, not only those with an MHA, and wages for MHA graduates vary depending on many factors, including location, experience, and specific job responsibilities.

Still wondering what your educational and professional journey might entail as an MHA holder? Here are a few questions and answers to help you figure that out: