Graduate Schools in Health Care Management

Virginia Commonwealth University

• Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is one prominent university offering programs in the healthcare administration field. Whereas many programs emphasize the master of business administration degree with an emphasis in healthcare administration, VCU takes the opposite approach. Instead, VCU emphasizes its master of healthcare administration (MHA) degree and its master of science in health administration (MSHA) degree that it offers through distance education. The school also offers a Ph.D. in the field of health services administration. The MHA is a 59-credit hour degree that takes three years to complete. The third year is a one-year residency in the field. The distance education MSHA degree requires 41 credit hours. Both programs emphasize studies in health economics, healthcare leadership and organization, politics and policy, bioethics and the law, marketing and human resources. The doctoral program requires two years of full-time study in many of the same fields and nine dissertation hours.

  Virginia Commonwealth University
  Department of Health Administration
  1008 East Clay St.
  Richmond, VA 23298
  804-828-9466
  had.vcu.edu

University of Alabama Birmingham

• The University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) also offers graduate-level degrees in the healthcare administration field. Administered through its School of Health Professions, UAB offers a Master of Science degree in health administration (MSHA). The program takes approximately three years to complete, as students attend the UAB campus for 21 months before moving on to a nine- to 12-month residency program. The school also offers students the opportunity to pursue the MBA in conjunction with the MSHA. A second joint-degree option is also possible. Students can pursue a master of science in healthcare informatics (MSHI) in conjunction with the MSHA. The student pursues the degree in informatics almost entirely online while completing the program in healthcare administration.

  University of Alabama Birmingham
  School of Health Professions
  Webb Building, Room 506
  1675 University Blvd.
  205-934-1583
  main.uab.edu

University of Iowa

• A third option for training in the healthcare management industry is the University of Iowa's program offered through its Department of Health Management and Public Policy. The university offers various degree programs that translate well into the job market for healthcare administration. The most common degree path is that of the master of healthcare administration (MHA) degree offered in conjunction with the MBA. What distinguishes Iowa from many other programs is its various degrees in public health. Students can pursue the master of public health (MPH) degree in several different areas of specialization: biostatistics, occupational and environmental health, behavioral and community health, ergonomics, epidemiology, health policy and health communication.

  University of Iowa
  Department of Health Management and Policy
  200 Hawkins Dr.
  Iowa City, IA 52242
  319-384-5122
  public-health.uiowa.edu