Program Information

The Master in Health Administration (MHA) academic requirements group into four categories:

1. Foundation courses
2. Core courses
3. Elective courses
4. Internship

Foundation courses

The program is a part of the Department of Management Programs within the College of Business. Graduates of the program will have a knowledge of basic business tenets. However, many of our students have taken few or no business courses as undergraduates. In the health administration program we are most interested for you to have a good foundation in accounting and marketing. If you had an introductory financial accounting course and/or an introductory marketing course as an undergraduate, and earned a “C” or better, you have almost certainly met one or both of the Foundation Course requirements. If you have not had one or both, we offer introductory versions in the graduate program. Also incoming students can meet the accounting requirement with courses taken at one of our excellent local community colleges.

It is not necessary to have completed this Foundation course requirement before starting the MHA program. However, it is recommended they are taken as soon as possible because they are direct prerequisites for two of the core courses.

Core courses

Core courses are the heart of the program; there are two varieties: a skills course and several knowledge courses.

The skills course focuses on communication abilities, writing and making presentations. Virtually everyone earning any type of Master’s degree in the College of Business takes Graduate Business Communications and the organizations that hire our graduates appreciate it. As the name implies, the course is a refresher, or reclamation, of your business writing and presentation skills.

The remaining seven core courses offer knowledge about the culture of the healthcare industry and doing business in the healthcare industry. There are courses in management, marketing and planning, finance, research methods, law, policy, and one that provides a thorough overview of all the pieces that make up the industry. They are listed and described in the University Catalog.

The MHA addresses industry culture and advanced business skills.

Electives

The program offers a variety of electives within the MHA program. In addition, there is a list of other graduate courses, some in the College of Business, others in Nursing, Public Administration and Social Work that blend nicely with healthcare management, depending upon your personal interests. One of the electives available is:

• HSA 6930 - Special Topics

Special Topics are current elective; for example: Human Resource Management, Introduction to Public Health, Disaster Management in Healthcare, and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Internship

This is a key feature of the program. It is required of most students, anyone who has not had significant management positions (hire/fire authority and budget responsibility) in healthcare organizations for two or more years. Once you have a general idea of the sector of the healthcare industry you find most appealing either you locate, or we help you locate, an organization in that sector here in South Florida. Students spend 15-20 hrs/week working with upper level management in the organization learning about how the organization does business and the continuing balance between regulation, revenue, and responding to patient needs.

Internships are a one credit class and, in fact, there isn’t a formal class meeting. Students doing their internships communicate with the intern coordinator through weekly memos. Internships are typically 15-20 hrs/week, the program and the organizations tend to be very flexible in scheduling to accommodate students’ academic schedules.

Health Administration's Provost Fellowship

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business is offering merit-based tuition awards to two outstanding incoming Master of Health Administration candidates. Deadline: May 1 of each year. Click here to view.

Scholarships

The South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum (SFHEF), Inc. Board of Directors has established the funding of two (2) health management scholarships. Click here to view most current openings.

Certificate in Health Administration

Graduate students can earn a Certificate in Health Administration by taking four courses listed here.

Graduate student must first apply as a Non-Degree Seeking Student and register for course(s) during the appropriate dates assigned by the Registrar's Office. Student should contact a graduate academic advisor for assistance. *Note: if a student chooses the Certificate option, the courses used to earn the Certificate cannot later be counted toward a Master of Health Administration degree.