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personal statement for mha program

How to Write Your MHA Statement of Purpose: Success Stories

  • By Jordan Dotson
  • Updated: August 13, 2024

Doctor Gives Thumbs Up for Your MHA Statement of Purpose

MHA applications are booming on SOPHAS. No surprise, yeah? ALL healthcare fields are booming these days! That’s good news if you want to manage a hospital’s nitty gritty finances or work in Insurance Consulting. Grad schools now offer better programs and residencies than ever. Yet, this also means applications are more competitive than ever…and that’s why you need an MHA statement of purpose that makes you absolutely shine .

Fear not, future health administrator. In this article, we’ll examine the SOPs of two students who achieved insane success in recent admissions cycles. One, Cole, was a domestic US student. The other, Rishi, a self-described “average” international from India. Now, they’re both on their way to rock star careers.

Let’s learn from their amazing examples. First, we’ll review the magical WriteIvy template both students used to write their MHA statement of purpose. Then, we’ll read their essays. Then, you’ll know how to achieve the exact same success in public health.

The Students

Cole was a golden boy. With a 3.9 GPA from a top-50 public university, an excellent hospital internship, and a deadly certain goals, he was exactly the kind of students MHA programs look for. Yet, he didn’t consider himself a polished writer, and worried that his first-draft SOP was unfocused.

Rishi was a little different. A recent dental-school graduate from India, he described himself as “the most average student that has probably ever applied.” He did have a graduate certificate in Public Policy, but with his 3.3 GPA, he felt he needed a truly spectacular SOP to give him a chance.

The Results

Cole must have set an admissions speed record! Within 9 days of submitting his applications on SOPHAS , he interviewed with 3 of the top-10 MHA programs. Mind-blowingly, his #1 choice offered him admission on the spot, right there on Zoom…with a 75% tuition scholarship!

Rishi too had unbelievable success, but let him tell you the story in his own words:

“Jordan, you’re the man! I got into 2 of the top #5 programs that I applied to. Just got an acceptance from [Top-5 University] yesterday. This is a huge deal for me because I am THE most average student that has probably ever applied. My GPA is a feeble 3.33, I have no awards, no publications, no achievements . I relied on nothing but my statement of purpose and it got me to places I could not have imagined. Big thanks to you once again!”

Both and Cole and Rishi followed the Structure is Magic template, and they did so beautifully. Let’s recap:

  • Frame Narrative Intro: Both began with a personal, story-based introduction. For Cole, this was two paragraphs at 20% of his total word count. For Rishi, two long-ish paragraphs, and 33% of his word count. (In my opinion, Rishi should have edited this down to 25% or less.)
  • Academic Goals: Super important! Both applicants used their frame narratives to introduce the intellectual questions and humanistic issues that drive their goals. For example:

“ How can we prevent entire families from declaring bankruptcy due to healthcare costs? How can hospitals continuously improve the overall health of a community?”

  • Why This Program: Both wrote a highly detailed section explaining exactly which courses they want to take, which resources they’ll use, and why the schools are uniquely relevant for them . For Cole, this was two paragraphs and 24% of his word count. For Rishi, two paragraphs at 21%.
  • Why I’m Qualified: AFTER they’d fully explained their reasons for applying, ONLY THEN did Cole and Rishi describe their own credentials. For Cole, this section was 2 paragraphs and 25% of word count. For Rishi, it was exactly the same.

HOT TIP: Be like Cole and Rishi. Never put your “autobiography” of credentials at the start of the essay. Smart, super-competitive applicants never do this because it defies all logic of argumentation and annoys the crap out of your reader. It’s like clicking a YouTube video titled “How to get rich in crypto today!”, then having to wait 5 minutes as the speaker reads their CV.

“Shut up already,” you’d say. “Just tell me which dog coins to buy.”

  • Career Goals: Both applicants transitioned into their Conclusion with a paragraph explaining their hopeful careers. Rishi kept his short. Cole, however, took the chance to further expound on his larger, overarching, humanistic concerns.
  • Frame Narrative Conclusion: In their final paragraphs, both students circled back to the personal topics from their intros. For Cole, this was the story of how he transitioned from Pre-Med to Health Administration. Rishi reminded the reader of the larger healthcare problems in India, and why he wants to help solve them.

Thematic Similarity: Healthcare Disparities

I have to point out how, despite coming from opposite sides of the world, Cole and Rishi both want to solve the same problems.

“My career goal is simple: to attain a leadership position in the administrative side of a hospital or healthcare system where I can be of service to communities who, for whatever reason, are not receiving the exceptional care they need.”

Rishi says:

“World Bank data suggests that about 62% of health expenditure in India is out of pocket by patients, the economic consequences of which could be dire for families from lower income brackets…How can we prevent entire families from declaring bankruptcy due to healthcare costs? ”

In essence, both want to address an issue that’s ubiquitous today: healthcare disparities. They want to help everyone gain access to high-quality medical care, no matter their income, caste, race, or geographical location. The only difference between Cole and Rishi? One wants to make an impact in decaying US cities. One wants to help rising cities in India.

Same goals, different locations.

Same noble hearts.

Same fantastic results.

Now, what do you say we read these spectacular essays?

Cole’s MHA Statement of Purpose

My father is an internal medicine physician, and throughout my youth, I had always planned on following in his footsteps. I hoped to become a cardiologist; it seemed both challenging and fascinating. However, after I began my pre-med requirements at Metropolis University, curiously, a single class changed the trajectory of my life. The course was titled “The Science and Business of Cancer Therapies,” and it challenged my beliefs and sense of self in a way no biology or chemistry class ever had. As I delved deep into the study of cancer treatments, pharmaceutical companies, and medical patents, I faced a startling reality: the United States does not offer a singular healthcare system, but rather an array of systems in which certain populations suffer inferior outcomes for reasons as simple as their ZIP Code. Most troubling was the realization that in low-income counties not far from my home, residents face cancer recovery rates 10-20% lower than my own neighbors might.

Issues like these trouble me. Yet, they explain why I changed my major to Community Health with a concentration in Health Planning and Administration, and why I pursued an administrative internship at Kent Hospital in Smallville, KS. They also explain why I am applying to the Master of Health Administration program at Gotham University today. By becoming an administrative leader, I can play a role in improving healthcare access for far more people than I ever could as a doctor.

The MHA program at the Gotham Luther School of Public Health is my top choice for several reasons, with the yearlong residency chief among them. Far more intense than the simulations or short-terms residencies at other programs, this experience of working full-time in a healthcare setting will prove impactful as I begin my career. It is encouraging to see students from the class of 2022 being placed in residencies in locations as widespread as California, New York, and Florida. Yet, as a Midwesterner, it is also empowering to know that I could work in Kansas if this gave me a greater chance to learn and grow. At the same time, the program’s numerous finance courses interest me deeply. Though I have taken multiple undergraduate courses in healthcare finance and data analysis, I recognize the importance of preparing thoroughly for the complex quantitative aspects of a career in service to large, diverse communities. Encapsulating all of these efforts in an accelerated program will surely be challenging, but this gives me confidence that my Gotham education will make me immediately ready to contribute as a healthcare leader upon graduating.

I also look forward to numerous co-curricular opportunities at Gotham, especially those that will allow me to promote accessibility while learning about large-scale health policy applications. The American Mock World Health Organization seems particularly intriguing. Participating in simulations of the World Health Assembly stands out as an opportunity to consider policy from a macroscopic perspective, and I am excited that Gotham is one of the very few schools who participate. For all these reasons, I feel certain that the Luther MHA program is uniquely poised to offer opportunities I could not find anywhere else.

While I believe my academic record, highlighted by my 3.9 major GPA, demonstrates that I will be a strong addition to the MHA program, I think my experience in a hospital setting gives me a unique perspective that other candidates may not have. While interning at Kent Hospital in the summer of 2021, I worked with a wide range of healthcare professionals, including physical therapists, physicians, and hospital administrators. On one particularly impactful project, I was tasked with helping a team interpret three months of patient-survey data and identifying correlations. Which floor the patient stayed on, the problems that occurred most frequently (lack of communication, long discharge process, unprofessional behavior, cleanliness), and the patient’s likelihood of recommending the hospital to family – these all provided clues to improving patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. I am proud that our findings convinced leadership to address numerous concerns, including revamping their discharge process (the most frequent complaint) and creating a policy requiring physicians and nurses to walk into treatment rooms together to address a perceived lack of communication (another recurring grievance).

At Kent, I also helped launch a new policy-and-contract software that the hospital is implementing today. Their goal was to make all documents available digitally and I helped by uploading thousands of policies, vendor and physician contracts, and affiliation, sales, and licensing agreements into a new database. Yet, in the end, I feel strongly that my most important experience was shadowing both administrative and operational leaders. I spent hours, and sometimes weeks, with people in nearly every department, from the CEO’s office to patient safety, physician relations, and sterile processing. Observing their interactions made me realize how much collaboration and teamwork goes into making sure a hospital operates smoothly, and I eagerly await the chance to contribute to such teams on a larger scale.

My career goal is simple: to attain a leadership position in the administrative side of a hospital or healthcare system where I can be of service to communities who, for whatever reason, are not receiving the exceptional care they need. Metropolis, Gotham City, Cincinnati, and Detroit all interest me because 25% or more of their populations live in poverty, almost certainly reflecting unique healthcare needs. I am particularly interested in organizations whose grassroots efforts include opening more free health clinics, hiring more bilingual healthcare workers, hosting educational seminars, and incentivizing physicians and nurses to spend time helping these communities. Thus, organizations such as Stark Health in New Jersey and Shield Health in Illinois are of particular interest to me; the former because of their disease prevention initiatives, and chronic disease-care programs for the uninsured, and the latter for the way they reinvest in community benefit programs for those without the ability to pay. Of course, I realize that I am one person and that the health disparities many communities face are complex beyond reason. Yet, through steady efforts and continued devotion to educating, screening, and treating those who currently face gaps in healthcare access, I am confident that I can build the kind of career that I consider a success.

The first step to accomplishing this goal is to maximize all the resources available in the Gotham MHA program. During my internship at Kent, every leadership-team member held advanced degrees, typically an MHA, with approximately half also holding an MBA. Through my work with these professionals, I saw firsthand (and learned from anecdotes) how invaluable an advanced Healthcare Administration program can be. The majority of these administrators completed their degrees later in their career, indicating that I will face unique challenges as a recent graduate. Yet, I look forward to surmounting these challenges, knowing it will put me at an advantage professionally and provide me with all the more opportunities to make a difference in my career. Even though the Gotham University MHA program will undoubtedly present a great challenge, I know it will prepare me for a lifelong career in healthcare, and in service to my community.

Rishi’s MHA Statement of Purpose

A hallmark moment for any dental student is their first successful treatment — a denture restoring a smile, a restoration alleviating pain, or any procedure returning physiological function of the oral cavity. This is a pious and cathartic experience after three years of trials and tribulations studying dentistry in India. However, this feeling did not last long for me, as I experienced a gradual shift in perspective, a result of my close interactions with patients. My eyes opened to problems outside patient’s oral cavities, a dentist’s most common area of interest. As India and particularly richer cities like Bangalore marched ahead in their growth stories, multiple antithetical experiences in basic healthcare started to deeply plague me. Some of the recurring themes among patients, as evidenced in literature as well, were — affordability of appropriate care, impaired access to healthcare facilities, and distrust in the quality of health systems in place. This has been consistent in the feedback I receive from patients too. More perniciously, an overall unsatisfactory experience with the dental hospital system eventually drove them away, never to return or follow up. However, the holistic picture across the country is much more stark.

World Bank data suggests that about 62% of health expenditure in India is out of pocket by patients, the economic consequences of which could be dire for families from lower income brackets. In addition, existing solutions are only stopgap solutions. For example, private intervention in healthcare is good; but potential market failures and information asymmetry between patients and providers is largely disadvantageous to poorer patients, leading to disastrous consequences. While I noticed these issues long before the pandemic, the second wave of Covid-19, which devastated India, brought them to the forefront. I recall making frantic calls to secure hospital beds not just for my family, but strangers as well. This left a lasting feeling of helplessness that I needed to address. Issues of oxygen supply chain, inefficient resource management in delivering timely healthcare, and feeble policymaking further deteriorated the previously problematic healthcare system. This makes a basic premise for my deep interest in studying healthcare policy and administration.

At Gotham University, I plan to study the complex nature of healthcare administration. Studying at the Health Policy & Management Department will enable me to address the following issues based on aforementioned themes: How can we prevent entire families from declaring bankruptcy due to healthcare costs? How can hospitals continuously improve the overall health of a community? These questions spring to mind as I contemplate the future, and warrant a unique set of skills including but not limited to financial management of health services, developing evolved payment methods, and analytics in healthcare.

I look forward to courses like Database Systems which will allow me to work with relational database systems, build on my elementary understanding of SQL, and help me work with data to make informed decisions. As an international student in a region with very little context of demographic and health trends, I believe Population Health Informatics will also provide an indispensable skill. Factoring appropriate epidemiological data into managerial decision-making – this is something I can take with me back home, given the apparent spatial health disparities. Furthermore, I believe it is of utmost importance for health systems to be cognizant of health trends in the communities they serve.

Thus, beyond the core curriculum, the Value-Driven Insurance Design Institute will allow me to explore pertinent concepts like alternative, value-based payment, which would be pivotal in reducing bankruptcies secondary to healthcare costs. The clinical nuances driving value-based insurance design play to my strengths as a clinician. Furthermore, I believe the Stark Leadership Center will provide valuable insight from industry practitioners, allowing me to build vital relationships, and helping me leverage cutting-edge research into the kind of decision-making that is crucial for fostering innovation. Lastly, I feel enthusiastic about participating in case competitions where I can hone high-level analytical skills while networking with peers from other schools.

I fully realize the extent of the transition I intend to make, from a clinical field of study to that of management and administration. In my mandatory internship year as a dental student, I went beyond my confined role to assist in floor-level administration duties like stock/inventory management, maintaining outpatient registries, and addressing patient complaints. Part of my daily life as a dental student involved devising and revising treatment plans to fit patients’ affordability, helping patients get through their anxiety, and managing their pain effectively.

To cement my understanding, I attempted to write on how the patient inflow at my hospital was affected due to the pandemic and the government policies put in place, taking into account stringency measures such as travel bans, school closures, etc. While the paper still needs work, I used the opportunity to teach myself basic Excel, data visualization, and entry-level data analysis. I then understood the value that regression analysis brings to the table.

With a newfound hunger for knowledge in the healthcare domain, I enrolled in a Graduate Certificate course at The Public Policy Institute of Bangalore, for which I received a scholarship for my keen interest in the field as a dental student. I gained a clearer understanding of the multifaceted nature of healthcare. The highlight of my time at PPIB was learning Bardach’s Eightfold Path to policy analysis during a rigorous workshop, where I worked with a diverse team involving IT professionals and a nuclear medicine physicist. This provided me with a strong framework to approach problem-solving.

I aim to retain a strong focus on the health system in the future, working as a healthcare management consultant to bridge gaps between providers and payers. Gotham University will be instrumental in making me a well-rounded healthcare manager, through its courses designed to cover a range of competencies like financing and strategic operations.

In an extremely heterogeneous society such as India with multidimensional divisions based on — caste, ethnicity, color, and region, a hierarchical structure backboned by the above is a lived experience to me. However, I am deeply privileged compared to most of my country in having the ability to apply to Gotham University. Beyond acknowledging this, it is my single-minded focus to work on healthcare systems to break these hierarchies.

I’m grateful to both Cole and Rishi for allowing me to republish their SOPs. Both worked incredibly hard to craft poignant, profound essays. And both hope you’ll find inspiration in their writing. These guys are true rock stars.

Cole’s essay gives us one of the best “Why This Program” sections I’ve ever seen. It’s so incredibly thorough, and so connected to his goals, that it’s no surprise he was offered a giant scholarship in his Zoom interview. He knows everything about the program, and tells them exactly how it’s going to launch his career.

Rishi shows us that it doesn’t matter if your GPA isn’t perfect. It doesn’t matter if you have no awards, publications, or achievements. Intelligent writing proves, more than anything else, that you’re an intelligent student . If you take the time to write something poignant, you can win.

As you craft your MHA statement of purpose, remember to structure your essay correctly. Use the SOP Starter Kit to shape your outline, then use the timeless lessons of Structure is Magic to polish your story till it shines.

It worked for Cole and Rishi. Both are now students at top-5 MHA programs. Why don’t you join them?

Not sure you can write an SOP that’s perfect for top-schools?

Get Admitted Using a Proven Formula

Learn my detailed, step-by-step process for writing a brilliant statement of purpose that floods your inbox with admission offers and launches the next phase of your career. WriteIvy’s courses have helped hundreds of Master’s and PhD students get accepted into their dream schools. Will you be next?

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VCU College of Health Professions

Health administration, master of health administration (mha).

MHA Class of 2025

Ranked #3 among the best health administration programs by US News and World Report and other external rating agencies, our Master of Health Administration (MHA) program is a professional degree program where students will have rigorous business and management training while learning about the unique context of the health care and nonprofit sectors.

Apply for Fall 2025 admissions consideration starting on September 1, 2024.

Leadership Focus

The VCU MHA differs from other top-ranked programs by our   singular focus on healthcare delivery organization leadership .  Our goal is for every graduate to be "Leadership Ready" in hospitals, physician practices, health systems and long-term care. Those who hire our graduates say they bring an exceptional executive presence to complement their content knowledge and skills. Successful applicants show evidence of personal achievement, scholarship, intellectual ability, compassion, and professional promise for a career in health services administration.

Student Success

Within 90 days of graduation, VCU MHA graduates have a high rate of job placement over the last five years (95.9%):

  • 2019: 100% (20 of 20 students)
  • 2020: 90% (19 of 21 students)
  • 2021: 94% (16 of 17 students)
  • 2022: 94% (17 of 18 students)
  • 2023: 92% (23 of 25 students)

As a CAHME-accredited program, we are proud of our 100% 3-year graduation rate (2021-2024).

Meet our current students !

Learn more about the VCU MHA Program:

Admissions requirements and how to apply.

Application Process

Admissions is all about the right fit. We want you to be in the right health management program for your background, career goals, learning style and personal interests. The program selects highly qualified applicants with 1-2 years of work experience, shadowing, internship, etc. preferred. If this describes you, we encourage you to attend an information session (virtual, held monthly) and email us at   [email protected]   with any questions. 

The Department of Health Administration uses a rolling admissions process -- we begin reviewing applications as soon as they are deemed complete. Applications open annually on   September 1 . The first interview days are held in November of each year and continue monthly until the class is full.

Application Checklist:

All applications for the MHA program must be submitted via HAMPCAS, the national centralized service that allows applicants to apply to health management programs across different colleges and universities throughout the U.S by way of a single, web-based application. 

To start the HAMPCAS application process visit the following link   www.hampcas.org .

HAMPCAS Application

Application Materials

A complete application must include the following items (all submitted via HAMPCAS).

Transcript:  Your transcript should show a conferred or in-progress baccalaureate or graduate degree from a fully accredited college or university. An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale in undergraduate work and/or evidence of achievement in a substantial amount of graduate-level work is required. Transcripts from all postsecondary institutions (including community or junior colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs) are required.

Resume:  Your resume should demonstrate evidence of personal achievement, scholarship, intellectual ability and professional promise for a career in health administration.

Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose: Your personal statement is your opportunity to highlight your background, interests, plans, and decision to pursue a MHA degree. Most importantly, this is your opportunity to communicate your passion for the field of health administration and demonstrate why you are a good fit for the program and VCU. Applicants can also use the personal statement to explain any inconsistencies in other components of the application. Please limit personal statements to no more than two typed pages. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Prompt:  You will be asked to respond to a DEI prompt where you will share what this topic means to you and how you envision integrating it into your future work.

Three Letters of Recommendation:  You must submit three letters of recommendation, preferably from academic and/or work supervisors who can speak to your character and leadership ability. 

Standardized Test Scores: The GRE/GMAT requirement has been waived for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. 

Next Steps: Interview                                                                                                                

Eligible applicants will be invited to an on-campus interview day. The day includes meeting with three members of the Admissions Committee (consisting of faculty, students, and alumni/ae), question and answer sessions with current students, and a tour of the campus and our building. If you are selected for an in-person interview based on your application materials, you will be notified and an interview will be scheduled between November and March, depending on when you complete your application. 

Information for International Applicants:

International students add a valuable perspective to the Department of Health Administration and enhance the educational experience for all.  We embrace diversity in our student body and encourage aspiring health care administrators from outside of the U.S. to apply.

  • Prospective students who have studied outside of the U.S.  must provide an external credential evaluation  as part of the admissions process. This report should be unopened with a seal and sent directly to international admissions. All official transcripts and relevant credentials (e.g., diplomas) will be required if admitted. Common examples of accepted evaluations include those from the   American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers ,   World Education Services   and   Educational Credential Evaluators .
  • There is a required third-year residency for the MHA Program, which must already be identified and secured as all international applicants apply to the MHA Program.  There must be a person in an accredited health care facility that agrees to oversee the third year residency requirement in an applicant’s home country where they hold citizenship. 
  • A minimum computer-based  TOEFL score  (Test of English as a Foreign Language) of 250 should be submitted through the   international graduate student application. Please see the International Admissions page for all testing options.

Learn more about applying to VCU as an international graduate student at the   VCU International Admissions website .

The required application materials are expected of all applicants. 

Upcoming Information Sessions

Virtual information sessions for prospective students.

Learn from current MHA students and faculty about why the VCU program is the right fit for you! Join us for a one-hour virtual information session where you can learn about the curriculum, our administrative residency program, admission requirements, and more.

All sessions will be held from 12-1 pm ET.

  • Monday, September 23
  • Wednesday, October 16
  • Monday, November 11
  • Friday, December 6

Sign up here !

Why Choose the MHA at VCU? 

If you really want to work in the health care service delivery industry, a master’s degree in health administration provides knowledge you need, and develops skills necessary for a leadership role in organization, financing, marketing, planning and management of health care services. 

The advantages of a traditional Master of Health Administration (MHA) program include:

  • A core curriculum of business management coursework with health care content throughout, rather than just a few elective courses specific to healthcare, as is typical in MBA programs; and
  • The opportunity to apply health care focused knowledge immediately, recognizing that health care services are unique, for the treatment of persons often experiencing one of the most difficult situations in their lives.

Distinctive features of management positions in health care include:

  • Legal, regulatory, and reimbursement intricacies of, and differences between, for-profit, not-for-profit and government subsidized health care;
  • The core business of patient care, and how quality health care services are  conceptualized and measured;
  • The moral basis inherent in the delivery and support of health care services; and
  • Practice settings dominated by clinical professionals.

Here are some great reasons why you should choose the MHA at VCU:

  • Reputation   – We are consistently ranked in the top 5 in health administration programs by U.S. News and World Report.
  • Administrative Residency   – MHA students are guaranteed a 12-month paid administrative residency with senior level healthcare executives.
  • Cutting-Edge Curriculum –   Our carefully planned curriculum and real-world learning experiences reflect the rapidly changing healthcare industry, and authentically prepare students for success.
  • 100% Job Placement –   Most of our MHA graduates are offered an entry-level placement with the organization where they completed their administrative residency upon graduating.
  • Outstanding Alumni –   Our students gain access to a network of over 2,500 alumni representing every sector of American healthcare.
  • Affordable Tuition –   Tuition and fees are lower than non-resident tuition for comparable top-ranked programs.
  • Internationally-Renowned Faculty –   Faculty members provide exceptional teaching while conducting nationally recognized and funded research programs.
  • Location –   Richmond provides exposure to multiple major health systems and innovative care models in an urban learning environment.
  • Student Life –   Our student-centric atmosphere and small class sizes allow students to develop meaningful and long-lasting relationships with faculty, staff, and alumni. Students entering our program are welcomed into a close-knit and caring community.

MHA Program Mission, Vision, Values & Goals

Mha program mission statement.

Through experiential learning and reflective and inclusive practice, our renowned faculty, industry-leading executives, and engaged alumni community educate practicing and aspiring leaders to reimagine healthcare delivery across the nation and continuums of care.

MHA Vision Statement

The vision of the MHA Program is to be the preeminent program developing diverse and inclusive leaders who will transform health care across the nation.

MHA Values Statement

The MHA program recognizes that the following core values and concepts are essential to the program’s success:

  • Professionalism - We value collaboration, service to the community, personal development, and growth of students, faculty, and staff. 
  • Respect - We create a culture that respects individual differences, strengths, and talents.
  • Integrity - We demonstrate ethical behavior, authenticity, and accountability to self and others.
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion - We value differences in backgrounds and perspectives, while striving to increase equity in our communities, through inclusive and diverse leadership.
  • Excellence - We exceed expectations, focusing on continuous improvement, while demonstrating high personal and professional achievement.

Program Goals

The specific mission of the Master of Health Administration program is to prepare early careerists for management and leadership positions within complex health care organizations. The program is nationally accredited and has been consistently ranked in the top five programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

The overall purpose of the Department of Health Administration in which the M.H.A. is housed is to provide top quality education, research and service related to the organization and administration of health care services. The department also has a major research program and is involved in a wide range of public service activities, including professional development programs for health services administrators and other health professionals. 

The mission of the Department of Health Administration is to   prepare, support and connect exceptional leaders who shape the health care industry. This is accomplished through:

  • Educating the next generation of health administrators and enhancing the skills of the present generation
  • Preparing a new generation of health services researchers and educators
  • Creating and disseminating basic and applied knowledge about the management, organization, financing, function and performance of the health care system
  • Serving people in the public and private sectors of the health care system

These activities, when mutually reinforced among all key people — faculty, staff, students, alumni — elevate the department to a premier status in the United States.

MHA Curriculum

MHA students are required to complete a total of 59 semester hours (including transfer credit, if any) to qualify for the Master of Health Administration degree. This requirement includes 48 hours of core coursework plus at least three semester hours of elective studies in health administration and related disciplines, such as business administration, public health, urban and regional planning, and gerontology. In addition, eight semester hours of practicum course work are required as a part of the administrative residency. The graduate program is designed to provide a balanced combination of academic studies and field experience to enable students to achieve the program’s educational goals and become well-prepared to enter the field of health administration. 

The core curriculum of the graduate program in health administration consists of 19 courses totaling 51 semester hours that must be completed by all MHA degree candidates. These courses represent an integrated series of learning experiences designed to provide students with a common body of knowledge and skills which are considered to be essential to completion of the administrative residency.

The VCU Bulletin is the official source for academic course and program information.

First Year (Fall) 

Health System Organization, Financing and Performance  (HADM 602, 3 Credits)

Data Skills Basecamp (HADM 603, 2 credits)

Population Health Management   (HADM 609, 3 credits) 

Health Care Organization and Leadership   (HADM 646, 3 Credits)

Executive Skills I   (HADM 682, 1 credit)

Approved Elective Course from another department or Independent Study in Health Administration. Independent Studies are offered to students who wish to explore areas of special interest and are conducted under the guidance of a faculty sponsor.

First Year (Spring)

Health Care Managerial Accounting   (HADM 606, 3 Credits) 

Health Analytics & Decision Support   (HADM 610, 3 credits)

Management of Health Care Organizations   (HADM 647, 3 Credits)

Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations   (HADM 648, 2 Credits) 

Executive Skills II   (HADM 683, 1 credit)

Second Year (Fall)

Financial Management in Health Care Organizations  (HADM 607, 3 Credits) 

Information Systems for Health Care Management   (HADM 612, 3 Credits)

Health Care Politics and Policy   (HADM 615, 3 Credits)

Health Economics   (HADM 624, 3 Credits) 

Second Year (Spring)

Seminar in Health Care Finance   (HADM 608, 3 Credits)

Health Care Law and Bioethics  (HADM 611, 3 Credits)

Health Care Marketing   (HADM 614, 2 Credits)

Human Resources Management in Health Care   (HADM 649, 3 Credits)

Clinical Concepts and Relationships  (HADM 681, 2 Credits)

Third Year Residency

Practicum in Health Care Administration I, II   (HADM 694 (5 credits), HADM 695 (3 credits))

3rd Year Administrative Residency

Required 3rd year administrative residency.

The residency is a ten-month, paid administrative practicum, in which students complete academic coursework and gain hands on experience in a health care setting under the mentorship of a senior level executive. All MHA students are required to complete the residency. Dual-degree students substitute the residency for a 400-hour internship.

The MHA administrative residency allows students to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in a health care setting, gain a greater understanding of the context in which health administration is practiced, and strengthen personal and professional values. In the past, the residency was a common graduation requirement for health administration programs. VCU has maintained its commitment to requiring the residency, believing that it is the hallmark which distinguishes true professional preparation in the field.

Residency site selections are made through a facilitated match process in which the Program invites organizations within our network to interview students on campus. Through this process, VCU students compete for sites of their choice and preceptors compete for students of their choice. This is in contrast to other programs in which students must compete for fellowships through a post-graduation process that is student-initiated, rather than facilitated by the program prior to graduation.

Residencies ordinarily begin   June 1 , after the completion of on-campus coursework, and are completed by the following May, just before graduation ceremonies.

Past Administrative Residency Preceptors/Placements

The Department of Health Administration is grateful to our past preceptors who have accepted administrative residents in their organizations. This list is reflective of placements made in 2021-2023 and is organized by-state.

CommonSpirit Phoenix, AZ

CommonSpirit San Francisco, CA

HCA Inc. - ASC Denver, CO

HCA Florida Northwest & Westside Hospitals Fort Lauderdale, FL

Baptist Health Jacksonville, FL

HCA Florida Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, FL

HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital Jacksonville, FL

Orlando Health Orlando, FL

HCA Healthcare - Doctors Hospital Augusta Augusta, GA

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital Atlanta, GA

Wellstar Health System Atlanta, GA

LifePoint: St. Francis Hospital Columbus, GA

LifePoint - Lake Cumberland Lake Cumberland, KY

Massachusetts

Emerson Health  Concord, MA

HCA MidAmerica Division Kansas City, MO

North Carolina

Novant Health Charlotte, NC

Siemens Healthineers - HQ Cary, NC

Duke PRMO Durham, NC

Duke University Hospital Durham, NC

LifePoint Wilson Medical Center Wilson, NC

Bon Secours Mercy - Supply Chain Cincinnati, OH

Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh, PA

South Carolina

Medical University of South Carolina Greenville, SC

HCA Behavioral Health Services Nashville, TN

Baylor, Scott, & White Dallas, TX

HCA Ambulatory Surgery Division Dallas, TX

Houston Methodist Houston, TX

UHS Edinburg Regional Medical Center Edinburg, TX

LifePoint - Sovah Health Danville, VA

Gateway Health Danville, VA

Bon Secours Mercy Health Hampton Roads, VA

Inova Health System Falls Church, VA

RSM, US McLean, VA

Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter Norfolk, VA

Sentara Health System Norfolk, VA

Riverside Health System Newport News, VA

Bon Secours Mercy Health Richmond, VA

CBRE Healthcare Richmond, VA

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU Richmond, VA

HCA Inc. - Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Richmond, VA

Hunter Holmes McGuire Richmond, VA

Pinnacle Living Richmond, VA

VCU Health System Richmond, VA

Valley Health Winchester, VA

MHA Core Competencies

The competency model utilized by the VCU MHA Program is operationalized in curricular offerings in the development of learning objectives for individual courses.  MHA graduates exhibit 25 essential leadership competencies.   These competencies, developed in and out of the classroom throughout the students' tenure in the program, cut across five domains: communication and relationship management, leadership, professionalism, knowledge of the healthcare environment, and business and analytical skills.

Communication and Relationship Managemen t

1. Interpersonal Communication (Build collaborative relationships and develop negotiation skills)

2. Writing Skills (Prepare effective business communications)

3. Presentation Skills (Demonstrate effective oral communication and presentation skills)

Leadership:

4. Leading and Managing Others (Hold self and others accountable for organizational goal attainment)

5. Change Management (Promote and manage change)

6. Ability for Honest Self-assessment (Demonstrate reflection through self-assessment)

7. Systems Thinking (Be able to assess the potential impacts and consequences of decisions in a broad variety of situations)

8. Problem-solving and Decision-making (Apply evidence-based decision making techniques to healthcare questions)

Professionalism:

9. Personal and Professional Ethics (Adhere to ethical business principles and exhibit ethical behaviors; fulfill one’s commitments)

10. Professional & Community Contribution (Participate in community service; balance professional and personal pursuits)

11. Working in Teams (Create, participate on, and lead teams, including inter-professionalism)

Knowledge of the Healthcare Environment

12. Healthcare Issues and Trends (Explain and discuss important issues in healthcare, including circumstances causing major changes and reform in U.S. health care delivery)

13. Healthcare Legal Principles (Discuss and critically analyze health-related legal principles including standards, regulation, and risk management)

14. Health Policy (Articulate the impact of health policies on the delivery of health services)

15. Population Health and Status Assessment (Understand and explain the major factors in population health status)

Business and Analytical Skills

16. Financial Management (Ability to compile and analyze financial data)

17. Human Resources (Apply methods and techniques related to the management of health care organizations, employees and professional staff)

18. Organizational Dynamics and Governance (Articulate and explain the roles, responsibilities, structures, and influence governing bodies hold in health care organizations)

19. Strategic Planning (Ability to perform environmental analysis and develop strategic alternatives; discern competitive strategy; formulate business strategy based on evidence)

20. Marketing (Analyze and assess markets, market segmentation, strategy, change and innovation)

21. Information Management/Understanding and Using Technology Skills (Apply techniques and methods to plan, design, implement and assess information management and communication)

22. Quality Improvement/Performance Improvement (Identify relevant problems and apply concepts of process improvement and patient safety)

23. Quantitative Skills (Analyze data and interpret quantitative information)

24. Planning and Managing Projects (Design, plan, implement and assess projects and develop appropriate time lines related to performance, structure and outcomes)

25. Economic Analysis and Application (Analyze and apply economic theory and concepts and decision making)

Master of Health Administration(MHA)/Juris Doctor(JD) from the University of Richmond

Students must apply separately and be accepted by both programs of interest in order to pursue the dual degree.

Students wishing to pursue a dual degree must apply to both programs and be admitted separately. An admissions decision in one program does not affect the admissions decision in another program.

Law & Health Administration (Master of Health Administration(MHA)/Juris Doctor(JD) from the University of Richmond)

The Health care industry is becoming increasingly more complex in both the delivery of services and in organizational structure. Along with this has come competition among providers to a degree heretofore unheard of in health care. As the nation's third largest business sector, the health care industry accounts for about 15 percent of our GDP. As leaders of one of the most regulated industries in the United States, health care executives require extensive knowledge of state and federal regulations, reimbursement, insurance, medical ethics, contract law, mergers and acquisitions, tax laws, and antitrust laws, to name but a few areas.   This has created a vigorous demand for legal experts who understand the intricacies of the health care industry as well as health law.   To meet the demand for health law experts, VCU developed a dual degree program in law and health administration in partnership with the   University of Richmond School of Law , a program established in 1986. Created as a cooperative venture between the universities, the program addresses legal issues that affect organizations, financing, and delivery of health services.

Program Schedule & Curriculum

The JD/MHA can be completed with a minimum 4 years of coordinated study and a minimum 123 credit hours instead of 146 credit hours. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to count 11 credit hours from the JD program towards the requirements of the MHA program and 12 credit hours in the MHA program towards the requirements of the JD program, for a total savings of 23 credit hours.

The 49 semester hours to be completed in health administration include 46 hours in core curriculum, and at least three credits to be earned during a ten week summer administrative internship. Dual degree students complete this internship in lieu of the 12-month residency.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Graduates of the MHA/JD program may choose either to work in health administration or to practice law. Choices include positions in corporate offices of multi-institutional health care systems or careers in the public sector, working with various government departments that deal with health care. Many health attorneys are pursuing careers as general in-house counsel or specialty areas such as risk management or hospital personnel. For those who choose to practice health law, opportunities abound: antitrust, employment and labor law, tax law, corporate law, reimbursement consultation, fraud & abuse, administrative law, and litigation in medical malpractice are a few examples. Given the fast paced growth of the health care industry and the increasingly complex legal issues that have evolved, students will be assigned a faculty advisor from each school to help them plan a specialized program to meet their individual interests and needs. Each school has developed specialty "tracks" to help students choose elective courses that will enable the students to achieve a high degree of specialization in health administration law. 

In health administration these tracks include:

  • management of hospitals and hospital systems
  • long-term care administration
  • health planning and policy
  • health care finance.

In law the tracks include:

  • labor and employment law
  • hospital corporate counsel
  • litigation and medical malpractice
  • general health law.

The University of Richmond School of Law

Founded in 1870, the University of Richmond School of Law combines a rigorous academic program with an extensive selection of clinical placements and experiential learning opportunities to create an extraordinary legal education. The Law School’s highly regarded faculty of teacher-scholars includes nationally and internationally recognized experts, and its low student-faculty ratio reinforces a culture of professional mentoring and mutual support. Through individualized attention aimed at maximizing the personal potential of each and every student, we equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need, preparing them to make valuable contributions to the legal system. The school is located on the beautiful 350-acre campus of the University, just seven miles west of the Virginia Commonwealth University’s MCV Campus.

Program Accreditation

Each program in the cooperative arrangement is fully accredited. The graduate program in health administration is one of only a few in the nation to have been granted the maximum seven year accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The University of Richmond Law School partner is fully accredited by the recognized standardizing agencies in the United States. U of R is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and on the approved lists of the American State Board of Bar Examiners and the Virginia State Board of Bar Examiners. A law degree from U of R qualifies the holder to seek admission to the bar of any state in the nation.

Students applying for admission to the Dual Degree Program must meet the standards and be accepted by both the Department of Health Administration and the University of Richmond School of Law. Students may either 1) apply to both schools in the dual degree program simultaneously, and upon acceptance into both programs, select, with the assistance and approval of both schools, which school to start in, or 2) enroll in one of the two programs first, and then apply for the other program during that first year of study. However, applying under this latter scenario does not guarantee acceptance into the other school. For more information about the MHA application process, see the MHA Admissions Requirements section. 

The two most important considerations in evaluating a candidate for admission to the University of Richmond School of Law are the candidate's Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the candidate's undergraduate performance. The admissions committee at UR also take into consideration an applicant's leadership potential, extra curricular activities, recommendations, employment experience, maturity, motivation, and character. Interested students may familiarize themselves with the admissions standards applied by UR by reviewing the statistical information about median grade point average and median LSAT score in the Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, published annually by the American Bar Association and the   Law School Admission Council .

Information for Current Students

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Current Student Handbooks:

  • MHA Handbook Class of 2025
  • MHA Handbook Class of 2026
  • MHA Handbook Class of 2027

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Information Sessions

  • Meet our Students
  • Careers in Executive Health Administration

EXECUTIVE MASTER OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATION ONLINE

University of Southern California Admissions

Take Your Next Step

Connect with an advisor to discuss career outcomes, curriculum, and get your questions answered.

Step 1 of 2

Admissions Overview

To qualify for the program, applicants must meet the following admissions requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • GPA of 3.0 required
  • Transcripts from each institution attended; a University of Southern California alumnus does not need to submit official transcript
  • Five years of experience with progressively greater levels of responsibility in health care or a related field
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Professional resume
  • Personal statement of purpose – a brief personal statement describing your reasons for pursuing the Executive Master of Health Administration degree, how the degree will enhance or transition your career and what you hope to contribute to the field

Executive MHA Admissions Criteria

The principal admission criterion is potential for continued distinguished academic and professional achievement.

A minimum of five years of experience with progressively greater levels of responsibility in health care or a related field is required for entry into the Executive MHA program. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in undergraduate course work is required. Allowances may be made when justified by exceptional work experience and letters of recommendation.

Interested applicants should pre-qualify their application before beginning the official USC Graduate Admissions process. Applicants for the Executive Master of Health Administration apply directly to the program.

In assessing an application, the admission committee evaluates:

  • Past performance as evidenced by work experience, community service and prior academic accomplishments
  • Commitment to educational and career goals, as demonstrated particularly in the written statement
  • Ability to contribute to a collaborative learning environment

Specifically, EMHA admission criteria is based on:

  • A minimum of 5-8 years professional experience at mid to senior career level with demonstrated upward potential
  • Demonstrated managerial experience including supervisory and budgetary responsibilities
  • Strong recommendation letters from professional references
  • Strong personal statement of purpose

NOTE:  Qualified applicants are not required to take either the GRE or the GMAT to be considered for admission to the Executive MHA.

Interested applicants may be requested to schedule and complete an interview as part of the application process. The interview is particularly helpful to explore the applicant’s professional background and alignment of professional goals with the Executive MHA program.

Academic Calendar

Application Deadline: August 1, 2024

Term Start Date: August 28, 2024

Spring 2025

Application Deadline: Spring November 15, 2024

Term Start Date: Spring January 8, 2025

To ensure funds are disbursed in time for the semester, federal financial aid applications should be completed at least 6 weeks before the term begins.

Tuition and Fees

Per Unit Cost: $2,354 Per Term: $14,124 (6 units) Total Tuition Cost: $84,744 (36 units)

Application Fee: $90 Books/Supplies: Approx. $750-1,500 Residency: $1,950* *$975 charged with tuition for HMGT-520 course, $975 charged with tuition for HMGT-570 course

Other Fees : $1,000 – $2,000 depending on cost of airfare and lodging for residency

Financial Aid

The ability to pay for your education is always an important consideration. Many organizations offer tuition assistance to employees and, in some cases, cover 100 percent of tuition costs. Programs and policies vary among employers. Consult your human resources office to learn more about tuition assistance at your organization.

Many options are available to fund your graduate education. The USC Financial Aid Office administers federal and private programs to assist you.

For more information on applying for Financial Aid, please visit  USC Financial Aid .

Military Service Member Support and Yellow Ribbon Benefits

The USC Price Executive MHA online program is proud to welcome active duty, military dependents and veterans. We offer a number of dedicated resources available for military applicants and students. Active-duty military, veterans, spouses and dependents can request an application fee waiver from the graduate school and the USC Veterans Certification Office can assist with using your military tuition benefits.

We also partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide Yellow Ribbon benefits up to $5,000 for each award to qualified students. The Yellow Ribbon Program provides additional funding for veterans who wish to attend private institutions which can be used to meet any or all of unmet tuition/fee needs, but cannot exceed the total cost of tuition and fees. To qualify to receive Yellow Ribbon benefits, students must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate (100%) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (based on service requirements).

To receive the Yellow Ribbon Program benefits students must be admitted to the University and registered for classes. Once enrolled, submit the following packet to USC’s  School Certifying Official :

  • Recent Certificate of Eligibility
  • Completed Application for Semester Entitlement (ASE) Form
  • Copy of a valid photo identification

Take your certificate of eligibility to the Veterans Certification Office and ask them to certify your enrollment to the VA, including Yellow Ribbon. Per federal regulations, eligible recipients will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

Note: The college or university must certify your enrollment to the VA; you may not do so yourself.

Topics Date Time Register
Alumni Roundtable 8/27/24 6:30 PM PST
Alumni Roundtable 9/24/24 6:30 PM PST
Alumni Roundtable 10/29/24 6:30 PM PST

Learn More About Our Executive MHA Program.

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MHA Master of Health Administration Admissions

Congratulations to you for exploring career options and your interest in the mha program here at uk.

FIRST Step: Submit your application through HAMPCAS or SOPHAS not the UK Graduate School

AFTER you are offered admission to the program then, you complete the UK Graduate School application - not before.

Applications Open: End of August on HAMPCAS or SOPHAS (you may use either one).

Early Decision Applications Due: November 1st .

Final Applications Submission Date: April 1st.

Recommendation Letters and Transcripts: Obtaining these can take a long time (Maybe 8 weeks) - please plan ahead to avoid delays in reviewing your application. Ask recommenders as soon as possible to write a letter that describes how you will be successful in graduate school.

First (Primary) Application: Students applying to the Master of Health Administration program must submit a primary application to HAMPCAS or SOPHAS (for the College of Public Health). This is the only application needed until an admissions decision is made.

After MHA Program Acceptance: If you are offered MHA Program admission and accept:

Complete the UK Graduate School Application: After acceptance to the MHA Program students will be directed to submit a supplemental application to the University of Kentucky Graduate School.

Do not complete this step or pay the fee until after you are offered and accept admission to the MHA Program.

Graduate School Application Fee: We cannot waive this fee. 

GRE/GMAT: not required and not needed for your application.

Information Sessions for Prospective Students - Meet us on Zoom!

Join us to learn more about the MHA Program and ask any and all questions about courses, applications, student experience, internships, our experiential learning framework, and much more!

2024 MHA Application and Admission Cycle

Admission Requirements

Students applying to the Master of Health Administration program must submit a primary application (for the College of Public Health) and a supplemental application (for the University of Kentucky). MHA applicants must apply through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS). Refer to the process below for detailed instructions on what and how to prepare.

  • Timeline NOTE: Obtaining documents can take several weeks therefore we strongly recommend you begin the process quite early. An application must be complete to be considered (all documents submitted).
  • SOPHAS: SOPHAS verification process can take a few weeks as well so leave adequate time to meet the deadlines.
  • 3 supportive letters of recommendations
  • Graduate of an accredited (or equivalent) undergraduate program
  • Submission of all required materials – link the Applications Checklist
  • Personal Statement per guidelines on SOPHAS

Step 1 - Three letters of recommendation

  • Letters should include at least one previous faculty member, one professional reference, and one of your choice. No family members, please.
  • Submit via the letter writer using SOPHAS or HAMPCAS.
  • Recommendation NOTE: The recommendations should speak specifically about your qualifications to enter an MHA Program. Those that demonstrate your qualities and capabilities will receive stronger consideration. This process can take some time so discuss this with your contacts well in advance. This is often the documents that hold up an application for consideration.

Step 2 - Transcripts

  • Obtain your official current transcripts from ALL previous undergraduate and graduate work. Including any school in which courses transferred.
  • Transcripts NOTE: Not including all schools often holds up your SOPHAS application
  • International Students: TOEFL or IELTS scores are required and may take many weeks.

Step 3 - Resume/CV

  • Review and revise your resume so it accurately reflect your experiences and skills as well as academic and volunteer accomplishments.

Step 4 - Personal statement

  • Compose a personal statement that is organized, edited, concise, and clearly answers the questions that have been asked.
  • addressing the following questions:
  • Your statement should be approximately two pages in length, double-spaced, and cover the specific questions found in SOPHAS.
  • Personal Statement NOTE: In addition to the personal statement, if your application is advanced, you will be invited to interview with a panel of faculty and alumni. In preparation, consider pressing healthcare issues, healthcare management challenges, and areas of healthcare of special interest to you.

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Yellow Ribbon Program Proud Participant

Mha brochure, mha student handbook, mha aet page.

See the MHA on UK's Academic Exploration Tool.

External Link

College of Public Health 111 Washington Avenue Lexington, KY 40536 [email protected]

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20 Tips for Getting into a Top MHA Program

personal statement for mha program

The master of health care administration (MHA) or master of health administration (MHA) degree is the perfect educational goal for health administrators. Getting into top MHA programs is an important goal for those who possess both a heart for patients and business smarts. Working in the business of healthcare requires a different, specialized focus than any other area. If you cut the costs in the wrong areas, it can affect lives. As the cost of healthcare continues to grow, the U.S. needs health care administrators who care just as much about patient outcomes as they do the bottom line. You probably feel drawn to the profession for several different reasons. Healthcare administrators work in a rewarding field where they can lead the charge for change in medicine without working in direct patient care. These busy professionals benefit from getting into a top MHA program and exceeding expectations every step of the way. Are you wondering how to get into a top MHA program? This article will give you 20 tips for getting into a top MHA program.

What Do Top MHA Programs Look for in Potential Applicants?

How hard is it to get into a top mha program, how to get into a top mha program, 1. find the right fit:, 2. check out the hampcas:, 3. meet the admission requirements:.

a. Obtain a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Healthcare Administration or with coursework in medical terminology, business, marketing, health care policy, human resources, leadership, and finance. b. Secure a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5. However, some programs require a 3.0 or higher, so a greater GPA will give you better odds. Request your transcripts from all postsecondary institutions. One should show a conferred baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. c. The application fee for each program you are interested in applying to usually ranges from $65 to $100. Your fees can quickly add up, so make sure to apply to programs that you will realistically attend.

4. Make sure your program is accredited:

5. prepare for the curriculum:.

a. statistics or biostatistics b. epidemiology c. healthcare legal issues d. ethics of healthcare e. healthcare strategic planning and management f. organizational leadership g. health economics h. healthcare policy i. health finance and accounting j. human resources k. health quality and information systems management l. long-term care m. health operations n. health information systems

6. Choose the best extracurriculars:

A. american association of healthcare administrative management ( aaham ):, b. medical group management association ( mgma ):, c. professional association of health care office management ( pahcom ):, d. american college of health care administrators ( achca ):, e. american college of healthcare executives ( ache ):, 7. focus on your admission packet:, 8. get at least two glowing letters of recommendation:.

a. how they know you b. relevant skills c. pertinent strengths d. specific examples they have witnessed e. applicable feedback

9. Draft a first-class personal statement:

a. What are your academic goals? b. What are your personal achievements? c. How will earning your MHA help you to reach your professional goals? d. What interests align with the MHA program? e. What are your relevant interests, knowledge, and skills? f. How will you balance your education and work? g. What is the motivation to obtain your MHA? h. What will you bring to the educational institution?

10. Brush up your résumé:

11. take the gre or gmat:, 12. get an internship:, 13. experience matters:, 14. attend conferences:, a. healthcare information and management systems society, inc. ( himms ):.

i. Digital health transformation ii. Delivering innovative care iii. The business of health iv. Follow the data v. Technology vi. Innovation

c. The Medtech conference

D. reuters’ digital health conference:, e. the institute for healthcare improvement ( ihi ):, f. world healthcare congress ( whcc ):.

i. Value-based care ii. Behavioral health iii. Self-insurance strategy iv. Policy v. Employee health & well-being vi. Member engagement vii. Social determinants of health(SDOH)

15. Network with as many colleagues as possible:

16. apply to more than one school:, 17. edit all parts of your application:, 18. connect with the admissions team:, 19. pursue a certification:, a. certified revenue cycle professional ( crcp ):, b. certified compliance technician ( cct ):, c. certified medical manager ( cmm ):, 20. prepare for your interview:, my final thoughts.

personal statement for mha program

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Master of Health Administration

FAMU

The MHA degree program was established in 2000, and graduated its first class in 2003. It is  CAHME   accredited. Administratively, the program is housed in the School of Allied Health Sciences (SOAHS), Division of  Health Care  Management. The SOAHS is one of four schools/colleges and institutes that make up the health science academic core on campus. Other components include pharmacy, nursing and public health. 

Curriculum Description

The curriculum is competency-based with forty-seven (47) credit hours distributed among core courses, including a capstone and fieldwork/residency component. Courses in finance, statistics, the application of research methods, and managerial skills development are designed to help students develop problem-solving and decision-making skills. 

The management, planning and marketing, quality, and leadership courses are included in the curriculum to acquaint students with the conceptual framework and operational aspects of health services administration. Also included are courses that develop students’ understanding of the legal and political factors affecting the healthcare delivery system. A capstone course and the administrative residency represent the integrative components of the curriculum.

MHA Curriculum

MHA Course Descriptions

Gradute Academic Policies and Procedures

Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

The MHA program utilizes a variety of teaching and learning methods based on the course competencies, and desired mastery category and level.    The mastery categories are:

The  Novice  level reflects basic skills encompassing knowledge and comprehension. The Bloom’s Taxonomy levels for Novice are 1 and 2.   Courses at the Novice level utilize lectures with discussion, guest lecturers, research papers, and some teamwork. 

The  Competent  level focuses on intermediate skills encompassing application of knowledge and problem analysis. The Bloom’s Taxonomy levels for Competent are 3 and 4.   Competent learning activities include case analysis, several team projects, integrative exercises, strategic planning, evaluating health care delivery services, simulations and quality improvement proposals.

The  Proficient  level reflects professional competency, advanced skills encompassing the ability to evaluate, judge and synthesize information.  The Bloom’s Taxonomy levels for Proficient are 5 and 6. Similar to Competent, the Proficient level  learning activities include case analysis, several team projects, integrative exercises, strategic planning, evaluating health care delivery services, simulations and quality improvement proposals.

Assessment methods range from exams, quizzes, assignments, interviews, oral presentations, papers, proposals and project deliverables.

Admission Criteria

The Program admits a cohort twice a year, fall and spring. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements outlined by the School of Graduate Studies and Research.  In addition to earning a baccalaureate degree   from an accredited college or university, applicants must have: 

  • a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours or documentation of a graduate degree,  or    
  •   a minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of 300 or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 600. 

Interested persons must submit the application, a resume, three professional references, academic transcripts, and a personal statement, electronically via the CollegeNet system.  All applicants will be interviewed by the Admissions Committee.   Both scholastic and experiential factors are considered in screening prospective students. Meeting the minimum standards does not guarantee program admission.  An applicant who does not have the required 3.00 GPA or GRE or GMAT score should enroll in an exam preparation class to facilitate obtaining an acceptable score on the exam.

Apply Today!

MHA Student Handbook

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Program Competencies

The competencies that guide the MHA Program are adopted from the Healthcare Leadership Alliance Competency Directory which identifies competencies that are important across diverse professional roles within healthcare management.  The Healthcare Leadership Alliance (HLA) is comprised of the following organizations: American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE); American College of Physician Executives (ACPE); American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE); Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA); Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSA); Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and its certifying body, the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE). 

Competency 1.1: Building Effective Working Relationships : Understanding the importance of shared decision-making, dispute resolution, determining stakeholder expectations, exhibiting integrity, and building trust.

  • Create, participate in, lead teams, facilitate group dynamics, process, meetings and discussions.
  • Identify and utilize human and technical resources to develop and deliver communications.
  • Describe stakeholder needs and expectations.
  • Formulate and communicate organizational mission, vision, objectives and priorities.

Competency 1.2: Developing Effective Communication Skills : Understanding the importance of effective communication, cultural competency, non-verbal communication, listening skills, and appropriate utilization of communication methodologies.

  • Recognize, value, and demonstrate correct behavior when communicating with diverse internal and external cultures.
  • Prepare and demonstrate effective written communication, oral communication, and presentation skills using the principles of communication and their specific applications.
  • Provide and receive constructive feedback.
  • Demonstrate and utilize applicable business communications practices and principles including meeting agendas, presentations, business reports, and project communications plans.

Competency 2.1: Regulatory Environment : Knowledge and understanding of the health care and business regulatory environments.

  • Articulate legal and regulatory standards for health care professionals and organizations.
  • Examine and assess the organization including corporate values and culture, business processes and impact of systems on operations.
  • Interpret and develop basic business contracts from a legal and financial perspective.

Competency 2.2: Leadership Theories : Knowledge of leadership theories, ability to conduct self-assessment, understanding of theory application.

  • Recall and value leadership theory, styles, techniques, and use situational applications.
  • Ability to incorporate and apply management techniques and theories into leadership activities.

Competency 3.1: Ethical Behaviors : Knowledge of ethical professional expectations, standards, and behaviors.

  • Assess and determine conflict of interest and unethical situations as defined by organizational and professional bylaws, policies, procedures, and codes of ethics.
  • Recall and apply organizational business and personal ethics and adherence to ethical principles, e.g. patient’s rights and responsibilities.
  • Compose, develop, and participate in personal career planning.
  • Explain and describe the implications of human subject research.
  • Complete self-assessments, acquire, and remain current with the professional body of knowledge.
  • Demonstrate appropriate industry-specific normative interpersonal behaviors.

Competency 4.1: Healthcare Milieu : Aptitude and knowledge of the health care infrastructure and key stakeholders.

  • Identify and compare the various providers and their roles, interdependencies, integration, competitive, and regulatory forces guiding health care delivery.
  • Compare and contrast the patient perspective and employee perspective.
  • Assess and explain the relevant trends in health care delivery.
  • Evaluate and interpret the interrelationships among access, quality, cost, resource allocation, accountability, and community.

Competency 4.2: Health Care Policy : Knowledge of policies affecting the health care industry and the role of regulatory agencies.

  • Evaluate the governmental, regulatory, professional, and accreditation forces guiding health care delivery.
  • Examine the public policy matters and legislative and advocacy processes.
  • Advocate and participate in healthcare policy initiatives.

Competency 4.3: Technology Advancement : Knowledge and understanding of the use of information and decision-making technologies.

  • Explain healthcare technological research and advancements.
  • Design and develop information systems continuity including disaster planning, recovery, backup, and natural disasters.
  • Explore the role and function of information technology in operations and health informatics.
  • Discuss and apply technology trends and clinical applications.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of administrative systems and programs.
  • Develop and analyze technology security requirements.
  • Discuss the changes in information systems and technology trends.

Competency 4.4: Health Care Economics, Quality, Performance Management and Measurement : The ability to understand and analyze individual and aggregated data.

  • Seek and apply information from a variety of sources to stay current with market and industry.
  • Utilize quality improvement theories, frameworks, planning, and management.
  • Employ basic statistical analysis used to conduct needs analysis, identify and prioritize requirements.
  • Demonstrate cause and effect relationships.
  • Ability to collect, manipulate, analyze, understand, and explain data from internal and external sources relevant to each situation to support a decision or recommendation.

Competency 5.1: Financial Management Skills : Knowledge of finance and accounting, ability to create and manage budgets, and proficiency with decision-making skills based on financial data.

  • Distinguish among the various funding, payment, and reimbursement methods and standards.
  • Apply basic accounting principles, cost accounting, and financial statements.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of financial management, revenue generation, and financial analysis principles.
  • Develop, prepare, and manage budgets, including annual operating budgets, project budgets, and capital budgets.
  • Explain reimbursement methodologies, principles, techniques, and ramifications including rate setting and contracts.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking skills and analysis.

Competency 5.2: Human Resources Management : Knowledge of regulations and laws governing human resources, ability to make strategic decisions based on resources, understanding of organizational structures, designs, awareness, and governance.

  • Explain and apply human resources laws and regulations, worker safety, security, and employee health.
  • Discuss organizational policies and procedures, systems theory, governance theory, and structuring.
  • Design and develop recruitment, selection, and retention techniques and compensation and benefits practices.
  • Define staff roles, responsibilities, and job descriptions and manage departmental processes.
  • Identify the principles and practices of management and organizational behavior.
  • Develop and apply employee satisfaction measurement, motivational and improvement techniques.
  • Compare and contrast performance management processes.

Competency 5.3: Strategic Management : The ability to understand and analyze the relevant components of the external market impacting business decision-making, understanding of market dynamics, ability to integrate demographic, cultural, political, regulatory environments, and market resources into decision-making.

  • Explain and apply characteristics of strategic decision support and strategic planning principles.
  • Analyze and integrate organizational mission, vision, objectives, and priorities into strategic plan.
  • Utilize comparative analysis strategies.
  • Demonstrate techniques for business plan development, implementation and assessment.
  • Ability to integrate information from various sources to make decisions and recommendations.

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MHA Program Frequently Asked Questions 

The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) is the organization that accredits graduate programs in health administration.    Accreditation is a two phase process:    candidacy and accreditation.    The program is preparing for the initial accreditation site visit in spring 2020.    Obtaining full accreditation is our goal.

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Yes. The background screening is required prior to residency/fieldwork placement. Students are  required  to pay for their background screening.  The  minimum cost  is about $100.

Students are admitted twice a year, fall and spring.

The deadline for fall admission is July 1 and the deadline for spring admission is November 15.

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Writing the Personal Statement

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories: 

The general, comprehensive personal statement:  This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms. 

  • The response to very specific questions: Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions. 

What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story? 

What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants? 

When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained? 

How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field? 

If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth? 

What are your career goals? 

Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)? 

Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life? 

What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics? 

What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess? 

Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants? 

What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you? 

If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar. 

Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked. 

  • Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.
  • Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of a specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.
  • If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.
  • The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.
  • The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you'll have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgement.
  • There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).
  • If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.
  • Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills are command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.
  • A medical school applicant who writes that they are good at science and want to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

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The online Master of Healthcare Administration from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health offers four starts each year, in the summer, fall, winter and spring.

Upcoming start date

Winter 2025: -

Application deadline: November 18, 2024

Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to the online MHA program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, comparable in standard and content to a bachelor’s degree from the University of California
  • Cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.0. (Please contact a program representative to discuss your eligibility if you do not meet this requirement)
  • Three years of professional work experience in any industry

Application Materials

  • UCLA Graduate Division online application
  • Applicants do NOT need to complete SOPHAS application
  • Nonrefundable application fee, submitted with application:
  • $135 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents
  • $155 for all other applicants
  • Official copies of transcripts from each institution attended
  • Upload unofficial transcripts to online application to begin review process
  • Mail physical, official transcripts to the MHA program office (see address below) OR electronic transcripts may be submitted to the MHA program office ( [email protected] ) ONLY if they are sent directly from the university.
  • Statement of purpose
  • Upload to the online application
  • Focus on your professional goals and reasons for pursuing an MHA. Describe any experience from your career in contributing to the fields of healthcare administration or public health. Discuss your objectives after you receive your MHA.
  • Personal statement
  • Discuss the personal experiences that brought you to apply for an MHA, focusing on any challenges or barriers that have influenced your decision. 
  • Professional résumé
  • Résumé should show a minimum of three years of professional experience.
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Letters may be from professional or academic sources on letterhead
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only)
  • Self-reported scores can be submitted to the online application
  • Have testing service send official scores directly to UCLA (ETS School code: 4837)

MHA Program Mailing Address:

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Fill out the fields to download a program brochure and request more information about the online Master of Healthcare Administration from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. You can also contact a program representative with your questions by calling toll-free at (877) 819-5033 .

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GET AN IMPRESSIVE MHA PERSONAL STATEMENT TO STAND YOU OUT

Mha personal statement: general aspects, ins & outs.

While most of the US population is located in the South, most Southerners tend not to have insurance, which is directly translated into a need for free healthcare. It demands more and more professionals in healthcare administration, so more people can enjoy an efficient public health service. Yet, someone who wants to graduate from an MHA program needs to have a previous undergraduate program, enough professional achievements and experience, and finally be able to pass the MHA personal statement. The personal statement for masters in healthcare administration is a personal statement like any other, where the applicant needs to portray their enrollment aims and what makes them stand out from other MHA program candidates. And as said before, studying in such a program helps the student achieve a higher level of education that can eventually help both take care of and save millions of people’s lives who don’t have insurance.

Some of the MHA Programs in the US Where Students Can Apply

Having a well-composed personal statement for healthcare administration gives everyone a great chance to strengthen their application and be accepted successfully. Among numerous educational options, there are some top ones that consider candidates based on this application document.

  • University of Minnesota MHA: Focusing on the development of each health professional, the program offers a more practical curriculum to graduate more efficient and productive professionals.
  • George Washington University MHA: Located in the Milken Institute of Public Health, the program which can be taken both physically or online, requires students to have a minimum of 3 years of experience.
  • John Hopkins MHA: Bloomberg School of Public Health offers a professional, rigorous, and top-notch program that also allows students to receive accreditations and memberships to CAHME and AUPHA.
  • Harvard T.H Chan HPM: Harvard’s Healthcare Policy and Management program is an incredibly efficient and professional experience students are able to obtain in theory, practice, and applied skills.
  • Georgetown University MHSA: A full-time learning program that focuses on practice and competency as well as offering accreditation to the CAHME.
  • University of Michigan MHSA: Focuses on the financing, management, marketing, and organization of healthcare services and providers – a top-notch program to gain more professional qualifications.

Get Started With Good Healthcare Personal Statement Examples

Before starting with your personal statement MHA, we highly recommend stocking up on a couple of good examples. This will not only illustrate writing guidelines well, but it will also give you an idea of what the winning document should look like.

healthcare administration personal statement sample

Each of the healthcare personal statement examples presented here is a genuine MHA document that we have been kindly allowed to use by past clients. They have achieved their goals with these samples, so feel free to use them to get inspired and know more about proper structure & context.

However, we do not recommend directly using the text from the sample statement of purpose for healthcare administration. Your own must be a unique piece of writing, well-personalized and adapted to the specifics of a particular MHA program.

How to Write a Personal Statement MHA

Due to the high responsibility related to the importance of this document, creating an MHA personal statement may be challenging. If you don’t take care while writing one of these, you may as well fail and make yourself a less-than-average applicant for the admission committee. That’s why we recommend you follow these steps:

  • Read the personal statement instructions carefully: Every university has a set of instructions for each personal statement MHA. Take a good look at your desired career and ensure it goes according to what’s needed.
  • Create a good structure: A good personal statement structure should be based on an introduction, a body & a conclusion. Tell your life as a doctor and your previous experience in the introduction and body, then talk about your future goals, expectations from the MHA program & hopes in conclusion.
  • Start and conclude strongly: An efficient way to create an MHA personal statement is by starting and concluding strongly. Make good remarks and statements about your passion and personal motivations while starting, and then conclude with your goals and the belief that you are the best fit.
  • Ask help from other people: People with previous knowledge of MHA personal statements can help you create a better one. They will allow you to know where you are less efficient and where you are good enough. Improve accordingly.
  • Avoid silly remarks and generalizations: Silly comments like putting yourself like a good doctor, a strong worker, someone with grit, and such can make you look less engaging. Avoid this in an MHA personal statement and focus better on your experience, practical cases, motivations & goals.

Alan Bullock, a Career Advisor from Which? University also recommends showcasing your skills as a professional, “But don’t simply list off the skills you think you have – think about which ones relate most readily to the course you’re applying to. Then demonstrate how you’ve developed, used and continued to strengthen these.”

Mistakes in Sample Statement of Purpose for Healthcare Administration

Writing your MHA application document may seem like an easy job, but it can be extremely difficult and sometimes make the applicant nervous and anxious. But if you take a look at the following common mistakes in the sample statement of purpose for healthcare administration, you may avoid this anxiety and nervousness:

NOT KNOWING WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT

Sometimes applicants forget what a personal statement MHA is and how it can help them be admitted into a nursing program like this. Simply, a personal statement for masters in public administration consists of explaining the reasons and motivations to apply. Additionally, you can explain briefly your interest in the field, your love for the career, and something you must do no matter what – talk about personal experience and how it may help you advance professionally. As simple as this, but it usually makes students feel confused, like in this MHA personal statement example:

As you see in the example, the applicant forgot about the purpose of his MHA personal statement and started to write about his experience in a specific way – something that is not recommended, especially when you talk about getting sick…

BEING UNORGANIZED

Even though the previous example could also be used here, we have an even better example of how an unorganized personal statement MHA with a wrong format and null writing skills can harm your admission. Take a look:

“I started working as a doctor in 2010 and from then I’ve taken care of more than 1000 patients in the course of 6 years. I graduate in 2009 but my studies weren’t enough so I took a course on nursing for 1 year. My experience has been vastly helpful but I still think I need more studies to become better. Not a single life has been lost thanks to my skills and patients are always satisfied with my treatments.

From here I want to keep going in my career and professional knowledge. My family has been greatly honored and supportive from and for me. As a doctor, I’m accomplished and happy but keep my studies is a must now. Hope I can get into this program. Thanks!”

By simply skimming through this fragment of a sample statement of purpose for healthcare administration, you can see how the applicant didn’t work on the format, text polishing, and content organization. Thus, his writing has no flow and is a little tricky to read. Avoid this and try to be more engaging for better MHA admission opportunities.

Get Expert Help With Personal Statement for Healthcare Administration

When considering the need for professional help, would you risk your maybe only opportunity to be admitted? If not, hiring a proficient expert who is able to assist with an MHA personal statement creation will be a wise decision. And our specialists can be the best choice to make because of their:

  • Qualifications and expertise – due to the harsh screening, there are only top specialists with checked backgrounds, genuine writing talent, deep knowledge of MHA admission process nuances & pitfalls, and hundreds of university essay prompts written.
  • Dedication to #1 results – we don’t aim to simply create an MHA personal statement but develop a well-personalized one targeted to your win.
  • Ability to create masterpieces – we produce each text from scratch based on your materials and particular program features we gain after meticulous research.
  • Reliability and responsibility – which are strengthened by strict deadline adherence, 24/7 support, and an opportunity to revise your personal statement MHA until you’re totally satisfied with it.

Hire a professional to do their best with your Masters in Health Administration application, creating the document that impresses the MHA admission committee and proves your excellence. With our experienced writing service and good MHA personal statement examples, you will leave your competitors no chance and be able to get admission effortlessly.

Contact us today and receive the best help with your personal statement!

Fall Registration is Open

Online Master of Health Administration

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Move Into Senior or Executive Leadership with MU’s Online MHA Degree

100% Online

Affordable Tuition

No GRE/GMAT Required

Request More Information

If you’d like to learn more about Methodist University’s application process, admissions requirements, tuition and financial aid or specific program details, fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch shortly.

  • Duration 18 months
  • Cost per Credit $545
  • Credit Hours 36

Program Benefits

  • Convenient online format
  • Enter a field with 32% job growth 1
  • Learn from seasoned health care practitioners
  • Eight-week terms
  • Request Info

High Growth, High Pay, and High Rewards

It’s no surprise that health care administration is one of the largest job sectors in our economy, and health care leaders are needed to support the medical professionals who save our lives and keep us healthy.

Methodist University’s online MHA program provides health care administration and organization coursework that will give you the strategies, tools, and techniques you need to lead teams, make important decisions, understand organizational effectiveness, and change processes to improve performance.

Completing an MHA program can lead to opportunities for advancement and higher earnings in health care administration and health management positions. Top leaders are earning six figures 1 and enjoying roles within a growing industry with numerous career options. Consider positions such as chief executive officer, chief operations officer, clinic manager, department or division director, and more to impact public wellness.

Career Outlook: Pursue Senior- and Executive-Level Roles

Graduate ready to achieve upward mobility in one of the most in-demand and lucrative industries with your online MHA degree from MU. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for medical and health services managers is in the six-digit range, and the number of positions with this title are expected to grow 28% by 2031. 1 Upon graduation, you’ll be well-poised to compete for these opportunities and many others.

nurse talking with healthcare administrator

Curriculum: A Rigorous, Achievable Program

There’s no question that the online Master of Health Administration program is rigorous — it has to be, given the nature of environments in health care. But alongside the outstanding faculty at Methodist University, you can learn all you need to know across health management and leadership, policy issues, marketing, legal and ethical issues, statistics, organizational behavior, and more. Completing our MHA program will prepare you with the skills necessary to advance into high-paying leadership positions.

Program Outcomes

In the online Master of Health Administration, you’ll:

  • Prepare to manage, lead, and improve a changing health care system.
  • Meet the needs of a dynamic United States health care system.
  • Create and apply evidence-based knowledge to enhance the health of individuals and communities.
  • Learn to lead and manage in today’s contemporary health care environment that is rapidly evolving and challenging social dynamics.
  • Be able to successfully build on undergraduate-level knowledge and skills to successfully compete for mid- and senior-level positions.

Admissions Requirements

No GRE or GMAT is required to apply for the online MHA degree from Methodist University. For admission, you’ll need:

  • Completed application .
  • Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university before starting the first term of the program.
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Two letters of recommendation, and one letter must be from a professor or employer.
  • Complete a typed personal statement including your background, interest in attending Methodist University, interest in the program, and your career goals.
  • Official transcripts.

Tuition Details

The online Master of Health Administration costs $545 per credit hour and has 36 total credit hours. If you or a family member are a veteran or active-duty service member, your education at Methodist University could be even more affordable. Visit our Military Support page .

Why Study Online?

Enjoy an online learning environment that offers the same quality as in-person courses, including dedicated faculty members and an overall caring, friendly atmosphere for achieving your professional and personal goals.

You’ll also have access to all of MU’s academic support services. That means you’ll get personalized assistance you need, such as access to the tutoring and writing centers. Experience a distinctive education in a flexible environment that fits your schedule.

Financial Aid

You can earn a high-quality education from a private institution without worrying about the cost. As a Yellow Ribbon school and a university where 97% of students qualify for financial aid, Methodist is committed to affordability.

Learn more about federal student loans and grants, military benefits, and scholarship opportunities. We’re proud to make your goals as affordable as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have other questions not answered here? Request more information or call 910.212.4956.

The estimated total tuition is $19,620, not including fees or other costs you may incur. Learn more at the Master of Health Administration tuition page .

*This is an estimate of the total tuition based on the current school year and is subject to change.

Yes. You may transfer up to nine credits toward this degree. Methodist University generally accepts credits for courses completed with a grade of C or higher from other regionally accredited institutions of higher education. To find out whether or not you are eligible, you can request more information or call us at 910-212-4956 .

To apply to the online Master of Health Administration, applicants need a bachelor’s degree, an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, three letters of recommendation, a typed personal statement, and official transcripts.

See the online Master of Health Administration admission requirements page for more details.

A variety of scholarships are available for Methodist University’s online programs. Learn more about scholarships here .

  • “Medical and Health Services Managers.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on August 30, 2022 from https://www.bls.gov/ .

Statement Writing Help

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I invite you to fill out my I nterview Form at this link. Even if you have a draft, the information on the interview form is often helpful and serves as the basis for me to make creative improvements to the statement. I spend more time with the statement for my premium service customers at US$299.00 ; this is especially true when it comes to making major contributions to creative ideas. My standard service at US$199.00 is for clients who already have a well-developed draft that they need to have tweaked. My premium service is for those clients who want my ultimate effort and further revision after making changes. 

All samples publshed on this website are anonymous and at least two years old.

MHA Health Administration Personal Statement Example

Updated: Jul 11

I decided as a child that I wanted to ‘make a difference’ rather than merely ‘make a living’ and had vague intentions of working in some health-related field, especially since I was fascinated by science. However, for several reasons, this goal was postponed, and I began my working life in retail, followed by a period as a medical secretary and then a brief period working in banking. At that point, having become a mother, I carefully considered my career situation, my skills and interests and decided to pursue my original goal of following a career in healthcare and to acquire a relevant degree.

MHA Health Administration Personal Statement

After some research, I chose to pursue a bachelor's degree in medical technology in which I earned the BS in 2012. This was an excellent decision and one that I shall never regret. I thoroughly enjoyed my studies and subsequent work in the field.

However, I have reached a point at which I wish to make a greater impact in the field of healthcare. During my work to date, I have become increasingly aware of the remarkably close relationship between excellent administration and the excellence of care provided to patients. It is now my objective to advance the quality of healthcare by acquiring the skills and knowledge required to provide the excellent administration that underpins it. My current work requires excellent planning skills, meticulous record keeping and close cooperation with other healthcare professionals all of which provide a good basis for understanding the ‘bigger picture’.  

MHA Health Administration Personal Statement

My ultimate objective is to hold a senior executive role in health administration. I would see my role primarily as providing a platform to enable and encourage healthcare providers of all specialties and grades to perform their roles at optimum effectiveness for patient benefit.

I see the removal of any administrative obstacles as being a basic matter and one that should be subject to constant monitoring and action as appropriate. I would seek to minimize the administrative demands on clinicians while simultaneously enabling them to have easy access to relevant, accurate, reliable, and up to date patient, statistical and other relevant information.

MHA Health Administration Personal Statement

I am originally from the Dominican Republic and am aware that poor healthcare administration in that country and others is a crucial factor in the poor standard of available care.

Lax management encourages the corrupt practices that abound, and I would hope that I might have the opportunity to provide training for healthcare administrators to improve attitudes, procedures, and systems to improve the situation.

I have happily worked, studied, and socialized with people from many cultures and social backgrounds. I get on easily with others and am regarded as a calm person who takes challenges in her stride and seeks to help colleagues whenever possible. I am enthusiastic about my work and like to encourage others to give their best and to recognize and seek to fulfill their career potential.

Recently a situation arose in which an unusually heavy workload coincided with the arrival of a new Laboratory Chief who wanted to introduce various changes that involved our supervisors in having to concentrate on administrative work instead of aiding us in our day-to-day work. Most team members resented the imposition of momentous change during a period of heavy workflow, and some decided to work more slowly than usual to exaggerate the effects and so force management to recruit extra staff, redirect the supervisors to ‘bench work’ or to postpone administrative changes.

I have always focused on the fact that the work that we do relates to anxious patients and their relatives but it was clear that some of my colleagues were failing to make this connection and I sought, in a gentle but determined manner, to remind them that we could not permit our problems to impact detrimentally on the lives of patients and that we should do all that we could to provide quality output as quickly as possible while handling the changes as well as we could.

I cannot claim that I was alone in these efforts, but I did take a leading, if informal, role in resolving a potentially serious situation which was finally resolved.

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Mission Statement

The Master of Health Administration program is located in the Department of Health Policy and Management within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The Master of Health Administration program prepares a diverse group of early careerists to become future managers and leaders within healthcare provider organizations and consulting firms who are committed to improving the delivery of health services throughout the U.S. Students obtain this training through an accelerated, one-year didactic curriculum followed by a career building, 11-month administrative residency. Located in the world-renowned and oldest school of public health in the nation, the program provides students with a wide range of enriching professional development experiences both within the Johns Hopkins medical enterprise and the greater Baltimore healthcare community.

Program Vision

The program’s vision is for its graduates to provide leadership and improve healthcare throughout the U.S.

Program Values

  • Excellence—Valuing excellence means setting the highest standards for our students, faculty and program. To that end, we encourage and acknowledge achievement and accountability.
  • Innovation—Change is both expected and welcomed; we encourage flexibility, initiative and creative thinking in both classroom and program activities.
  • Professionalism—Personal integrity, ethical behavior, service, and professional development are integral to the success of our students.
  • Collaboration—Cooperation, respect and being part of a team are central to our classroom and program activities.
  • Diversity—Valuing different backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches combine to create optimal learning experiences for our students and faculty.
  • Lifelong Learning—A commitment to lifelong learning is essential in order to continuously develop the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the dynamic and changing health care sector.

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Master in Health Administration / MBA

Systemic challenges inherent in today's health care delivery, including inefficiency, over capacity, labor shortages, and unchecked litigation, have resulted in higher costs and lower standards of care. Higher insurance premiums and taxes make U.S. firms less competitive in the global marketplace, creating fewer jobs. Personal health is declining, with more lifestyle-induced illnesses, such as obesity, lost productivity, shortened longevity, and reduced quality of life.

Hence the ever rising demand for managers and leaders who not only have sound business skills, but who also possess substantial insights and function as change agents to effectively manage limited resources in a rapidly evolving health care environment.

Students who are enrolled in the MHA/MBA program can earn both degrees in three academic years. If earned independently, these degrees would require four years of study.

Applicants to the MHA/MBA Program must complete the application requirements of both Fisher College of Business and the College of Public Health separately, applying independently to each school. In order to enter the combined MHA/MBA program, students should indicate to both program offices their intent to study in the dual degree program. An applicant who is admitted to only one degree program may elect to pursue that particular degree separate from the dual degree program format. Further, while it is possible after beginning either program to apply for admission to the other, this may not permit the usual dual degree schedule efficiencies.

Both colleges have small classes, approximately 30 students in the MHA program and 120 students in the MBA program, and start in the fall of each calendar year. The business school follows rounds admissions process; for the MHA, you are expected to send in your application by December 1. For both programs, it is in an applicant's best interest to submit application materials early.

MHA admissions requirements:

  • Completed SOPHAS or HAMPCAS application
  • WES evaluations for all non-U.S. transcripts (SOPHAS requires that all students obtain a WES evaluation of non-U.S. transcripts)
  • Official transcripts from any previous or current college coursework taken within the U.S.
  • Official TOEFL scores (SOPHAS code: 5688)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume or CV
  • Ohio State University Supplemental Application (this will be emailed to you from Ohio State once your centralized application is complete)

MBA admissions requirements:

  • A completed online application
  • Application fee
  • Admissions essay
  • Updated resume
  • Official university transcripts
  • GRE or GMAT scores ( test waivers available )
  • Optional letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency ( TOEFL)
  • Video Interview
  • Live Interview (by invitation only)

Students admitted to the dual degree program may pursue the MHA/ MBA according to this schedule:

YearMHA ProgramMBA Program
0 percent100 percent
100 percent0 percent
50 percent50 percent

To complete a MHA, you need to take 60 semester credit hours. For the MBA, you are expected to earn 60 semester credit hours. In a dual degree scenario, you will be able to leverage part of your MHA electives toward your MBA degree and vice versa.

The Fisher MBA program accepts 12 semester hours of MHA coursework towards the completion of MBA electives. The MHA program accepts 16.5 semester hours of MBA coursework towards the completion of MHA electives shortening the overall curriculum for both programs by 27 semester hours.

Career Placement

The career management offices of both Fisher College of Business and the  College of Public Health are available to our MHA/MBA graduates.

In addition to the more than 300 companies that recruit from Fisher's Office of Career Management, a wide array of firms, corporations, government agencies, and health care institutions work with the placement office of the College of Public Health, resulting in a nearly 100 percent placement rate at graduation.

The majority of graduates with the dual degree initially take initial positions in the health care industry that include consulting, clinical research, academic detailing, and product management. Companies that have hired from the College of Public Health in the past include:

  • Ernst & Young
  • Emory Healthcare
  • Kaiser Permanente Northern California
  • Kurt Salmon Associates
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Stanford Children's Hospital
  • The Mayo Clinic Foundation
  • United Health Care
  • U.S. Airforce Medical Corps

Contact Information

For more information and an application for the MBA program contact: The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business MBA Admissions 100 Gerlach Hall 2108 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH 43210, USA +1 (614).292.8511 [email protected]

For more information about the MHA program, contact: The Ohio State University College of Public Health MHA Admissions 100 Cunz Hall 1841 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH 43210, USA Telephone: +1 (614).292.8350 [email protected]

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IMAGES

  1. 📌 Personal Statement on Master in Human Resource Management

    personal statement for mha program

  2. an info sheet with the words how to write a personal statement in blue

    personal statement for mha program

  3. MHA Personal Statement

    personal statement for mha program

  4. How to Write Your MHA Statement of Purpose: Success Stories

    personal statement for mha program

  5. psychiatric nurse practitioner statement of purpose letter example

    personal statement for mha program

  6. How to Get an MHA Degree: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

    personal statement for mha program

COMMENTS

  1. How To Write An MHA Personal Statement

    Step 3: Draft. After taking the time to brainstorm and outline your statement of purpose, the process of writing your first draft should go smoothly. Return to your outline, and use your brainstorming notes to fill out each section. Think of this as the part of the process where you tell a story. Add relevant details to make your personal ...

  2. How to Write Your MHA Statement of Purpose: Success Stories

    As you craft your MHA statement of purpose, remember to structure your essay correctly. Use the SOP Starter Kit to shape your outline, then use the timeless lessons of Structure is Magic to polish your story till it shines. It worked for Cole and Rishi. Both are now students at top-5 MHA programs.

  3. PDF Sample Personal Statement

    Sample Personal Statement. As I reflect back on my path to health administration, one word defines my journey: perseverance. Whether in my personal or professional life, I have been faced with situations that required a high level of focus, hard work, and maturity to see them through. These experiences first led me to healthcare administration ...

  4. How to Write a Personal Statement for Graduate School

    Five Steps. 1. Brainstorm. With the degree outcomes and application requirements in mind, start a brainstorming session. Think about how a master's will advance your career. Then, collect highlights from your education, professional training and work experience to validate how the program will accelerate your career.

  5. MHA Program

    Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose: Your personal statement is your opportunity to highlight your background, interests, plans, and decision to pursue a MHA degree. Most importantly, this is your opportunity to communicate your passion for the field of health administration and demonstrate why you are a good fit for the program and VCU.

  6. PDF Personal Statement Example

    Personal Statement. I was naturally drawn to the medical field because of my early exposure to health implications faced by family members and myself. My father's Type 2 Diabetes and insulin pump was often a conversation starter, as my friends inquired about his new state of the art beeper. During my sophomore year of high school, I was ...

  7. University of Southern California Admissions

    Personal statement of purpose - a brief personal statement describing your reasons for pursuing the Executive Master of Health Administration degree, how the degree will enhance or transition your career and what you hope to contribute to the field; Executive MHA Admissions Criteria.

  8. Admissions (MHA)

    Personal Statement NOTE: In addition to the personal statement, if your application is advanced, you will be invited to interview with a panel of faculty and alumni. ... The Master of Health Administration degree program at the University of Kentucky is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. The most ...

  9. 20 Tips for Getting into a Top MHA Program

    9. Draft a first-class personal statement: A personal statement discusses why you are pursuing an MHA degree and what you plan to do with it after graduation. This statement is an essay about your experience, qualifications, and why you want to attend this institution. It can give you a competitive edge over other potential applicants.

  10. School of Health Care Administration Admissions

    Upload a Personal Statement (see details below under 'Personal Statement Instructions'). Deadlines. ... Program Manager/Advisor. MHA, Global Health, Grad Certificates. OSU Center for Health Sciences. 1111 W. 17th St, Tulsa, OK 74107. 918-561-1402. [email protected]

  11. PDF Master in Health Administration Program Guide

    The Master of Health Administration Program at UAMS is the only CAHME-accredited program in Arkansas, and we are very proud of the more than forty-year history of educating future healthcare ... • Personal statement or letter of interest (1-2 pages) detailing reasons for seeking this degree including previous work experience, career goals ...

  12. Online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)

    Fill out the fields below to download a program brochure and request more information about the online Master of Healthcare Administration from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. You can also contact a program representative with your questions by calling toll-free at (877) 819-5033. Step 1. Step 2. Step 3.

  13. How to Write a Personal Statement for a Masters in Healthcare

    Step 2. Develop a structure for your personal statement, starting with a basic introduction, body and conclusion. As you prepare this draft, remember that you are telling a story -- the story of a life you've already lived as well as a story of your future that you can only envision for now. Remember that there is no one "right way" to ...

  14. Master of Health Administration

    The MHA degree program was established in 2000, and graduated its first class in 2003. ... three professional references, academic transcripts, and a personal statement, electronically via the CollegeNet system. ... Recall and apply organizational business and personal ethics and adherence to ethical principles, e.g. patient's rights and ...

  15. Writing the Personal Statement

    Writing the Personal Statement. The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories: The general, comprehensive personal statement: This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school ...

  16. Admissions

    You can also contact a program representative with your questions by calling toll-free at (877) 819-5033. Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. View admissions requirements and application materials for the online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program at UCLA.

  17. MHA Admissions

    Office of Graduate Admissions. George Mason University. 4400 University Drive, MSN 4C8. Fairfax, VA 22030. All degrees completed outside the U.S. must be evaluated by World Education Services International Credential Advantage Package (WES ICAP). Also Required: Personal Essay. Two Letters of Recommendation.

  18. MHA Personal Statement

    MHA Personal Statement: General Aspects, Ins & Outs ... Your own must be a unique piece of writing, well-personalized and adapted to the specifics of a particular MHA program. How to Write a Personal Statement MHA. Due to the high responsibility related to the importance of this document, creating an MHA personal statement may be challenging. ...

  19. MHA Online

    To apply to the online Master of Health Administration, applicants need a bachelor's degree, an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, three letters of recommendation, a typed personal statement, and official transcripts. See the online Master of Health Administration admission requirements page for more details.

  20. Master of Health Administration (MHA)

    The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program is uniquely designed for future health care executives early in their careers. The two-year accelerated curriculum includes one year of full-time academic coursework followed by a full-time, 11-month compensated administrative residency in one of many Hopkins affiliates and partner institutions across the country.

  21. MHA Health Administration Personal Statement Example

    MHA Health Administration Personal Statement Example. I decided as a child that I wanted to 'make a difference' rather than merely 'make a living' and had vague intentions of working in some health-related field, especially since I was fascinated by science. However, for several reasons, this goal was postponed, and I began my working ...

  22. Mission, Vision, and Values

    Mission Statement. The Master of Health Administration program is located in the Department of Health Policy and Management within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ... The program's vision is for its graduates to provide leadership and improve healthcare throughout the U.S. ... Professionalism—Personal integrity, ethical ...

  23. Master in Health Administration / MBA

    Personal Statement; Resume or CV; Ohio State University Supplemental Application (this will be emailed to you from Ohio State once your centralized application is complete) ... The MHA program accepts 16.5 semester hours of MBA coursework towards the completion of MHA electives shortening the overall curriculum for both programs by 27 semester ...