The School of Global Health Management and Informatics offers a Master of Health Administration (MHA) program with a residential option, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The Residential Track requires 57 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree and prepares students for leadership roles across the continuum of healthcare delivery.
Healthcare remains one of America’s fastest-growing industries, creating strong demand for leaders equipped to manage complex health systems, long-term care organizations, and consulting practices. The MHA program provides a comprehensive understanding of healthcare organization structure, management, and policy, with a focus on developing competencies in leadership, finance, operations, strategy, and information management.
The program emphasizes the business and management aspects of healthcare, including human resources, financial management, quality improvement, data analytics, and strategic planning. Coursework integrates classroom instruction with applied learning through case studies, simulations, and professional internships, ensuring students graduate with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
The Residential Track is structured to accommodate the needs of working professionals through multiple course delivery modalities. All classes feature reduced seat-time and are offered face-to-face during both daytime and evening hours. Evening courses are also available in a video livestream format via Zoom, allowing students to engage in real-time, interactive learning from any location. Students may pursue the program on a full-time or part-time basis, depending on their professional and personal commitments.
Professionals with three (3) or more years of healthcare management experience may also consider the Executive Master of Health Administration (e-MHA), designed for experienced leaders seeking to advance their strategic and operational expertise.
The residential track in the Health Administration MHA program requires 51 credit hours of core coursework, 3 credit hours in a capstone course, and 3 credit hours in an internship, totaling 57 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Knowledge of personal computers is also required.
Track Prerequisites
There are no track prerequisites. No specific undergraduate major is required; however, students should demonstrate a strong interest in and passion for pursuing a career in healthcare administration and leadership.
Degree Requirements
Prerequisites
0 Total Credits
- Students must complete prerequisite coursework, including knowledge of finance and economics. Upon admission to the MHA program, students will be required to complete 2 prerequisite assessment tests. Students that receive a passing score of 80% or higher will be exempt from taking the prerequisite in the respective area. - HSA 5177 - Foundations of Health Care Finance 3 Credit Hours - HSA 5436 - Foundations of Health Care Economics 3 Credit Hours
Required Courses
45 Total Credits
Core
42 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- HSA5198 - Health Care Decision Sciences and Knowledge Management (3)
- HSA6119 - Health Care Organization and Management (3)
- HSA6128 - Health Care Services Management (3)
- HSA6155 - Health Economics and Policy (3)
- HSA6195 - Management and Health Information Systems (3)
- HSA6342 - Health Care Human Resources (3)
- HSA6385 - Health Care Quality Management (3)
- HSC6636 - Issues and Trends in the Health Professions (3)
- HSC6911 - Scientific Inquiry in the Health Profession (3)
- PHC6000 - Epidemiology (3)
- PHC6146 - Health Planning and Policy (3)
- PHC6160 - Health Care Finance (3)
- PHC6164 - Health Care Finance II (3)
- PHC6420 - Case Studies in Health Law (3)
Capstone (See Program Details For Note)
3 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- HSA6925 - Capstone in HSA (3)
Elective Courses
3 Total Credits
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- HSC6656 - Healthcare Ethics (3)
- HSA6112 - International Health Systems (3)
- HSA6512 - Health Care Leadership (3)
- HSA6536 - Health and Medical Terminology for Health Administrators (3)
- HSA5509 - Health Care Risk Management I (3)
- PHC6183 - Health Care Emergency Management (3)
- PUP6607 - Politics of Health (3)
- NGR5660 - Health Disparities: Issues and Strategies (3)
- GEY5648 - Gerontology: An Interdisciplinary Approach (3)
Internship
3 Total Credits
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: HSA 6946 Internship - offered every semester (Prerequisites: 24 credit hours completed in the program and completion of the internship orientation WebCourse) As a requirement for the Master of Health Administration, students must complete an internship within the administrative realm of an actual healthcare organization. Students will work directly with the Director of Internships to select an organization of interest. Students are required to fulfill 240 contact hours within their selected organization over the course of the semester, or approximately 18-20 hours per week. Many healthcare organizations will require that students complete a background check, which may include but is not limited to, law enforcement fingerprinting, state driving records, credit reports, and criminal records check. The cost of the background check is the student's responsibility. Background checks may take time to complete and, subsequently, could delay the student's internship placement. It is advised that, in the semester before the internship, the student contact the organization directly to obtain further information on the organization's background check requirements. Students who have potential background issues must contact the Director of Internships to schedule an interview to discuss the impact on field placement. The Health Services Administration Program cannot guarantee internship placement or subsequent degree completion for students who do not pass background checks In rare circumstances, students with three or more years of relevant healthcare management experience may qualify for an elective or independent study internship option and are required to contact the Director of Internships and the MHA Program Director for approval.
Grand Total Credits: 51
Application Requirements
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
Additional Program Requirements
Students must maintain a program of study and graduate program GPA of 3.0 or higher and can only graduate with a graduate program GPA of 3.0 or higher. Additionally, students may not earn more than six credit hours of "C" grades while in the program. Students who receive more than six credit hours of "C" will be dismissed from further study in the major. A student who earns a grade of "D" or below will be dismissed from further study in the MHA program. In any course repeated, a student must earn a grade of "B" or better. The Health Services Administration program generally does not use plus/minus grading.
Capstone is offered every semester.
A final written examination experience is required of all students in the program. This requirement will be met through the successful completion of the capstone course (HSA 6925). To successfully pass this course, students must earn a grade of "A" or "B." There is one exception: students who earn no other "C" grades while in the MHA program will be permitted to pass this course with a grade of "C."
Independent Learning Independent learning is demonstrated throughout the curriculum through the process of inquiry and dialogue. Tangible research projects, scholarly papers, internships, and the capstone experience also contribute to the self-development of our students.
