Indeed, there are fully online MHA programs designed for healthcare professionals who want to advance their careers or enter the field in a leadership or administrative role.
Individuals without any experience in healthcare can take these programs as well as those who have some experience and extensive experience in the field.
MHA programs are offered by many universities since the need for healthcare administrators increased as a result of easier access to healthcare and the aging population in the US.
With Internet access, students can take MHA programs online and complete them anywhere.
Career-changers, healthcare professionals, and recent graduates can continue working while earning the degree.
Although, they can also choose full-time programs.
In online MHA programs, web-based tools are used to deliver coursework to students and promote interaction between professors and students.
These can include chat rooms, discussion boards, and video-conferencing.
Some programs are designed in an asynchronous format to allow students for more flexibility to access materials and complete the tasks at their convenience.
Other programs combine the asynchronous format with synchronous, real-time activities, where students are required to log in at a certain time of the day or week.
The requirements and formats of MHA programs may vary, but they have some common features.
Additionally to online coursework, many programs require students to complete a practicum and issue-based research project.
Some programs require students to visit the campus for several days to complete certain practical activities.
Other, 100% online, programs have virtual residencies that allow students to gain a similar experience from home or another off-site location.
In most programs, core classes are combined with electives, so students can focus on a particular area of healthcare they are interested in.
Some programs even have specialized tracks in various subjects, such as health informatics or long-term care.
They allow students to tailor their learning to the administrative needs of the healthcare organization type they plan to work.
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Fully Online MHA Programs with No Professional Experience Requirement
George Mason University
GMU has a fully online MHA program in health systems management.
The curriculum is the same both in on-campus and online programs and includes the same five competencies:
- Management and leadership.
- Knowledge of healthcare systems and management.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving.
- Communication and interpersonal skills.
- Professionalism and ethics.
Each online course takes eight weeks to complete.
Learning activities include lectures, presentations, problem-solving, and case studies, moderated group discussions, projects, and reports, reflective papers.
The final experience of the program is a practicum that involves becoming a part of a health system, such as a healthcare agency, a hospital, consulting firm, as well as offering a solution to a relevant issue in the organization.
Admission to this online program is competitive.
Applicants who qualify for it are invited to a faculty interview either in-person or online through video-conferencing.
- Location: Fairfax, VA.
- Program length: Two years.
- Tuition: $895 per credit.
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
Utica College
Utica College offers the online MHA in healthcare administration that prepares students for managerial and leadership roles in a variety of healthcare settings.
The curriculum features include interactive online forums, in-depth discussion, the applied study of real-world healthcare cases, and related projects.
The program is fully online and has a virtual residency as well as a final project.
Students gain skills in organizational development, staff management, healthcare accounting methods, administrative strategy development and implementation, and more.
They can also choose to specialize in acute care, long-term care, or service organizations.
Every core curriculum class in the programs includes three dimensions: leadership, management, and the continuum of care.
- Location: Utica, NY.
- Program length: Dependent on prior educational background, required credits, and course load.
- Tuition: $690 per credit.
- Accreditation: Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Fully Online MHA Programs with Professional Experience Requirement
Queens University of Charlotte
This online MHA program teaches skills in business and healthcare to prepare graduates to manage, structure, and lead healthcare facilities.
The goal of the program is to develop confidence in the abilities of graduates to assess and improve healthcare policies and implement strategic initiatives aimed at improving healthcare practices and outcomes for individuals, communities, and families.
This program is designed for physicians and MBA-holders.
It includes several core parts: leadership, healthcare knowledge and expertise, communication and relationship management, professionalism, and business knowledge and expertise.
The practical curriculum includes a hands-on approach with a focus on the direct application of theory to relevant issues in healthcare.
The admission requirements mandate applicants to have two years of experience in healthcare.
- Location: Charlotte, NC.
- Program length: Two years.
- Tuition: $735 per credit.
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University offers the executive MHA program, which is a 15-month accelerated format designed for busy healthcare professionals.
The program is online and 100% asynchronous, which allows for maximum schedule flexibility.
Students can take courses at any time from any location with internet access.
The program doesn’t have any residency requirements.
Students progress as a cohort, which brings networking opportunities and a set of shared experiences.
The program includes 30 credits and is offered at the same tuition for in-state, out-of-state, and international students.
Applicants who have a 3.0 GPA and four years of experience in healthcare may qualify for a GRE/GMAT score waiver.
The GPA score should be acquired in the last 60 credit-hours of their previous degree.
- Location: Boca Raton, FL.
- Program length: Two years.
- Tuition: $261.29 per credit.
- Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
Online MHA Programs with Minimal On-Campus Requirements
George Washington University
The program at GW is an online MHA for experienced professionals in healthcare aiming at overseeing the global changes in healthcare.
The program uses a variety of tools, such as live chat, HD streaming video, and break-out rooms to make the learning environment interactive while incorporating both asynchronous and synchronous activities in every class.
MHA program of GW is housed in the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
The program incorporates online learning and four in-person immersions.
The three of them take place on the GW campus in Washington, D.C.
One is held at a notable healthcare facility in the US or abroad.
Online students can access more than 450 workspaces around the world, which are equipped with Wi-Fi, office supplies, printers, kitchen, and coffee spaces.
Applicants should have either two years of full-time healthcare experience or three years of full-time residency.
However, those who don’t meet the experience requirement can take an online admission exam.
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Program length: Two years.
- Tuition: $1,765 per credit.
- Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
