Health Administration, M.H.A.

Saint Louis University's nationally ranked Master of Health Administration program prepares students to be leaders in a variety of health care organizations such as hospitals, health systems, insurance companies, pharmacy-benefit management organizations, consulting firms and physician organizations.

SLU has been a pioneer in health management education since 1947. As leaders in developing competency-based and practice-integrated education, our spirit of innovation endures as we continually develop new options for students to explore in health administration. Join us in continuing this mission of excellence in teaching, research and service for the next 75 years.

From the premier learning experiences and professional development exposure, to the faculty and staff who pour their entire hearts into helping students reach their full potential, I feel blessed to be a part of this program and family. I will be taking all my experiences and training with me to my fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, and I look forward to remaining connected to the program and pouring back into it any way I can!" 

-Michalia Dix, M.H.A. Class of 2022

Program Highlights

• The Health Administration, M.H.A. and Business Administration, MBA or Health Administration, M.H.A. and Law, J.D. dual-degree programs allow you to earn two degrees in a compressed timeline.
• Our competency-based model focuses on how you will apply your skills rather than simply what you learn in class
•  A structured professional development curriculum prepares you for administrative fellowships and leadership roles in complex health systems.
• Earn a certificate in health care quality and performance excellence at no additional cost.
• Students benefit from an engaged alumni network that provides mentorship and actively supports students' professional development
• Our comprehensive curriculum and leading internship program prepare you to launch your career in health administration. 

Curriculum Overview

As one of the nation’s most established M.H.A. programs, SLU's M.H.A. connects students to a national network of internship partners and engaged alumni leaders across diverse health care organizations. The program is triple-accredited: the M.H.A. program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME); the College for Public Health and Social Justice is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH); and Saint Louis University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). 

The curriculum's foundation is the SLU competency model, pioneered early in health care pedagogy's shift to competency-based education, and the cornerstone of CAHME accreditation. A competency-based health care management education emphasizes not only what you learn, but how effectively you apply your skills and lead in complex health care environments. 

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

SLU's program offers students a practice-integrated education that combines rigorous coursework with immersive real-world experience. Students complete a 10-week, full-time summer internship working directly with senior leaders across leading health systems and health care organizations nationwide. Internship experiences are tailored to each student's professional goals and interests. In addition to the summer internship between the first and second year, students engage in applied projects throughout the curriculum, partnering with health care organizations to address real-world challenges.

Through this integrated approach, students graduate as knowledgeable, ethical, and practice-ready professionals prepared to lead across the health care sector. 

Internship placements are available nationwide and include organizations such as:

• HOPCo
• SSM Health St. Clare Hospital
• BJC Christian Hospital
• Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
• SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - Lake Saint Louis
• Cleveland Clinic
• BJC Alton Memorial Hospital
• SIHF Healthcare
• Ascension
• Mercy Primary Care
• Barnes Jewish Hospital
• UCHealth Colorado Springs
• A5 Healthcare
• Family Care Health Centers
• BJC St. Louis Children's Hospital
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
• Washington University in St. Louis

Careers

Graduates of SLU's M.H. A. program assume leadership and management roles across diverse health care settings nationwide. Alumni serve in health systems, academic medical centers, physician organizations, consulting firms, insurance providers, and mission-driven nonprofit organizations. 

The program maintains a 100% graduation rate, and graduates consistently achieve strong career outcomes, launching leadership-track careers, beginning administrative fellowships, or pursuing advanced degrees within months of completing the program. 

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree, preferably with a 3.00 grade point average. The GRE is not required. Applications are reviewed on a holistic and rolling basis. 

Application Requirements

• Application form and fee (apply at HAMPCAS)
• Transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Interview (on-campus interviews are preferred, but phone or Zoom options are available for situations where travel to SLU is not feasible)
• Professional goal statement

Requirements for International Students

All Saint Louis University admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students applying to SLU must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Demonstrate English language proficiency
• Academic records must include an English translation. Unofficial copies may be accepted in some cases for initial admission review, however official copies must be received prior to enrollment. Course-by-course transcript evaluations are accepted and are required in some cases.

Students must submit financial documents to be issued an I-20 for their F-1 visa application. Proof of financial support must include:

• A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
• A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University

Application Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until classes are full.

Review Process

All applications are considered on an individual basis with a balanced approach. Candidates may be invited to an on-site or virtual interview and/or a meeting with an alum of the program.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The College for Public Health and Social Justice offers several ways to help finance graduate education. Opportunities include a limited number of merit-based scholarships and public health scholar positions. Awards are made to the strongest candidates who complete their applications by the priority deadlines.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Accreditation

Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). To see our most recent accreditation documentation, please visit the College for Public Health and Social Justice website.

The Master of Health Administration is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, the Council on Education for Public Health and the Higher Learning Commission.

Saint Louis University's Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) works to transform talented, service-motivated students into knowledgeable, ethical professionals prepared for a range of management careers across the U.S. health sector.

To achieve this goal the program relies on competency-based education (CBE). In fact, SLU's M.H.A. program has a long history of CBE. In 2002, the program developed one of the three nationally recognized competency models that has since been adopted and adapted by health management and health administration programs throughout the country.

In keeping with CBE, classes and the corresponding learning objectives are organized to meet 20 core competencies necessary for success in health administration across the broad health sector. Similar types of knowledge, skills and abilities are grouped into five competency domains (leadership, critical thinking/analysis, management, culture and community engagement, and communication). To remain at the forefront of health administration education, the SLU M.H.A. program regularly reevaluates the model with the input of alumni and other health industry professionals. 

Leadership (L)

• L1. Leadership Excellence: Demonstrate the abilities and behaviors that are characteristic of leadership excellence, which include establishing a vision and inspiring and supporting others to work towards that shared vision and related goals
• L2. Ethical Behavior: Demonstrate ethical behavior through words and actions, which include honesty, integrity and a concern for justice
• L3. Social Responsibility: Prioritize goals and policies that balance the mission, vision and values of organizational stakeholders with the values and needs of the community
• L4. Adapting to Change: Evaluate changing environments, listen to diverse viewpoints and propose effective responses that align with personal values and organizational mission

Critical Thinking And Analysis (CTA)

• CTA1. Data Analysis: Apply appropriate methods and technology to analyze data patterns, trends and relationships
• CTA2. Environmental Analysis: Evaluate political, economic, social, technological, workforce, legal and regulatory factors that impact systems, organizations, communities and individuals at multiple levels along the health care continuum
• CTA3. Translating Complexity: Translate the results of complex analyses into information that illustrates potential problems and opportunities in a persuasive, meaningful way
• CTA4. Evidence-Based Decision Making: Assemble and utilize reliable and valid information sources and data to support informed, evidence-based decision-making
• CTA5. Systems Thinking: Apply appropriate models and methods to analyze issues from a systems perspective and to design creative, flexible solutions that advance organizational goals and effectiveness
• CTA6. Ethical Analysis: Identify ethical concerns in management and policy and analyze those concerns using appropriate frameworks and principles

Management (M) 

• M1. Management Functions: Apply management theories, approaches and core functions to routine operations and to current and emerging issues in the health care environment
• M2. Teamwork: Demonstrate the ability to lead and work with people and teams to accomplish planned goals and actions on time, with budgeted resources
• M3. Adapting to Uncertainty: Under conditions of uncertainty, demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality work, make decisions, adapt to changing priorities and learn from mistakes
• M4. Systems Management: Demonstrate the ability to deploy organizational resources and enforce accountability to support the implementation of systems-based management approaches
• M5. Professionalism: Demonstrate conduct characteristic of health care professionals, which includes adhering to professional expectations, workplace norms and performance standards; engaging in professional and community service; and participating in professional development opportunities

Culture And Community Engagement (CCE)

• CCE1. Cultural Competence: Build cultural competence in personal standards and practices and within the performance standards and practices of organizations, systems and communities
• CCE2. Community Engagement: Apply evidence-based approaches to engage communities and multilevel partners in working together to improve modifiable determinants of health and health outcomes

Communication (C)

• C1. Create Information: Demonstrate the ability to promptly create and organize ideas and information that are effective and customized to fulfill the needs of the target audience
• C2. Convey Information: Demonstrate formal and informal communication using traditional and contemporary modalities to convey messages that are clear and cogent for the target audience
• C3. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Foster positive interpersonal relationships with internal and external stakeholders through use of bidirectional communication techniques, which include listening and responding appropriately to the ideas and opinions of others; giving and receiving feedback; and participating in crucial conversations

Students must earn a B- or better in all required courses. Elective courses may be passed with a C or better.  

Non-Course Requirements

• We recommend student membership in the following health care management professional organizations: American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Missouri-ACHE, Healthcare Financial Membership Association (HFMA), Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), and/or any other health care management professional organization.
• Concentration-specific comprehensive exam (HMP 5950 Special Study for Exams)  In this case-based culminating experience, students receive a health care business case and a short window of time to analyze it, develop a proposal and present it to a panel. This simulates the real workplace experience of studying a business problem and presenting a proposal to the management team in an organization.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.

Roadmap notes:

• This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
• Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
• Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

*

The M.H.A. curriculum requires completion of 60 credits of courses as specified above. Students, who complete all of their M.H.A. requirements by the end of year two, as scheduled are eligible to be awarded their M.H.A. degree in May of year two. 

Core courses in the M.H.A. curriculum are distributed across four areas, as follows: 

• Health Management and Policy (Department) Core (HMP): includes four 3-credit required HMP core courses and one 0-credit required HMP core courses (= 12 credits total).
• Health Management (MHA degree) Core (HM): includes ten 3-credit required HM core courses and one 2-credit course (32 credits total)
• Elective course options (ELT): includes 12 credits of elective graduate courses, which can include any graduate course offered by the HMP department, another department or program in the SPH, or any other academic unit of the University that is not part of the M.H.A. required course curriculum.

All full-time M.H.A. students must register for and satisfactorily complete HMP 5901: Health Administration Professional Development 1 (Fall Y1-1 credit), HMP 5902; Health Administration Professional Development 2 (Spring Y1-1 credit), HMP 5903: Health Administration Professional Development 3 (Fall Y2-1 credit) during year one and year two in the two-year curriculum .

Internship: All M.H.A. students are required to complete a professional internship in health management during their course of study for one credit.

Students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 27 credits in year one M.H.A. curriculum, be in good academic standing (i.e., have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher) and obtain the approval of the M.H.A. program director and HMP internship and placement coordinator before enrolling in the internship program. This means that students may have no incomplete coursework before being placed in the field. 

Most health management internships consist of a 10-week, full-time placement with a private health provider or other health care organization during the summer prior to each student’s final year of academic course work. Placements are made by the HMP faculty, in consultation with the HMP internship and placement coordinator, who match each individual student’s experience and career interests with the nature and preferences of available placement sites each year.

The required quality elective may be fulfilled with either HMP-5100 Quality Improvement in Health Care Management or HMP-5810 Six Sigma Green Belt.

You may apply through SOPHAS or HAMPCAS:

Apply for Admission Through SOPHAS

Apply for Admission Through HAMPCAS

For questions about applying to one of our graduate programs, contact the College for Public Health and Social Justice admissions via cphsjgrad@slu.edu.