Saint Louis University's Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) works to transform talented, service-motivated students into knowledgeable, ethical professionals prepared for a range of management careers across the U.S. health sector.
To achieve this goal the program relies on competency-based education (CBE). In fact, SLU's M.H.A. program has a long history of CBE. In 2002 the program developed one of the three nationally recognized competency models that has since been adopted and adapted by health management and health administration programs throughout the country.
In keeping with CBE, classes and the corresponding learning objectives are organized to meet 21 core competencies necessary for success in health administration across the broad health sector. Similar types of knowledge, skills and abilities are grouped into five competency domains (leadership, critical thinking/analysis, management, culture and community engagement, and communication). To remain at the forefront of health administration education, the SLU M.H.A. program regularly reevaluates the model with the input of alumni and other health industry professionals.
Leadership (L)
- L1. Leadership Excellence: Demonstrate the abilities and behaviors that are characteristic of leadership excellence, which include establishing a vision and inspiring and supporting others to work towards that shared vision and related goals
- L2. Ethical Behavior: Demonstrate ethical behavior through words and actions, which include honesty, integrity and a concern for justice
- L3. Social Responsibility: Prioritize goals and policies that balance the mission, vision and values of organizational stakeholders with the values and needs of the community
- L4. Adapting to Change: Evaluate changing environments, listen to diverse viewpoints and propose effective responses that align with personal values and organizational mission
Critical Thinking And Analysis (CTA)
- CTA1. Data Analysis: Apply appropriate methods and technology to analyze data patterns, trends and relationships
- CTA2. Environmental Analysis: Evaluate political, economic, social, technological, workforce, legal and regulatory factors that impact systems, organizations, communities and individuals at multiple levels along the health care continuum
- CTA3. Translating Complexity: Translate the results of complex analyses into information that illustrates potential problems and opportunities in a persuasive, meaningful way
- CTA4. Evidence-Based Decision Making: Assemble and utilize reliable and valid information sources and data to support informed, evidence-based decision-making
- CTA5. Systems Thinking: Apply appropriate models and methods to analyze issues from a systems perspective and to design creative, flexible solutions that advance organizational goals and effectiveness
- CTA6. Ethical Analysis: Identify ethical concerns in management and policy and analyze those concerns using appropriate frameworks and principles
Management (M)
- M1. Management Functions: Apply management theories, approaches and core functions to routine operations and to current and emerging issues in the health care environment
- M2. Teamwork: Demonstrate the ability to lead and work with people and teams to accomplish planned goals and actions on time, with budgeted resources
- M3. Essential Skills: Demonstrate essential management skills, which include efficient time and resource management; conflict negotiation and resolution; coaching and motivating others; facilitating discussion, cooperation and consensus-building; delegating authority
- M4. Adapting to Uncertainty: Under conditions of uncertainty, demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality work, make decisions, adapt to changing priorities and learn from mistakes
- M5. Systems Management: Demonstrate the ability to deploy organizational resources and enforce accountability to support the implementation of systems-based management approaches
- M6. Professionalism: Demonstrate conduct characteristic of health care professionals, which includes adhering to professional expectations, workplace norms and performance standards; engaging in professional and community service; and participating in professional development opportunities
Culture And Community Engagement (CCE)
- CCE1. Cultural Competence: Build cultural competence in personal standards and practices and within the performance standards and practices of organizations, systems and communities
- CCE2. Community Engagement: Apply evidence-based approaches to engage communities and multilevel partners in working together to improve modifiable determinants of health and health outcomes
Communication (C)
- C1. Create Information: Demonstrate the ability to promptly create and organize ideas and information that are effective and customized to fulfill the needs of the target audience
- C2. Convey Information: Demonstrate formal and informal communication using traditional and contemporary modalities to convey messages that are clear and cogent for the target audience
- C3. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Foster positive interpersonal relationships with internal and external stakeholders through use of bidirectional communication techniques, which include listening and responding appropriately to the ideas and opinions of others; giving and receiving feedback; and participating in crucial conversations
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| HMP 5000 | Health Care Organization | 3 |
| HMP 5030 | Introduction to Health Care Accounting | 3 |
| HMP 5110 | Health Operations Management | 3 |
| HMP 5130 | Health Information Systems | 3 |
| HMP 5190 | Analytical Methods for Health Management | 3 |
| HMP 5200 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HMP 5300 | Management of Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HMP 5340 | Health Care Marketing | 3 |
| HMP 5390 | Ethical Leadership in Health Management and Policy | 3 |
| HMP 5400 | Legal Aspects of Health Services Management | 3 |
| HMP 5500 | Health Policy | 3 |
| HMP 5700 | Health Care Financial Management | 3 |
| HMP 5710 | Financial Aspects of Health Care | 3 |
| HMP 5800 | Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HMP 5900 | Health Management and Policy Rounds (taken 3 consecutive semesters for 1 credit each) | 1 |
| HMP 5910 | HMP Internship | 1 |
| HMP 5950 | Special Study for Exams | 0 |
| PUBH 5010 | Mission and Practice of Global Public Health | 2 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits with the MHA attribute, such as (but not limited to): | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Non-Course Requirements
- We recommend student membership in the following health care management professional organizations: American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Missouri-ACHE, Healthcare Financial Membership Association (HFMA), Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), and/or any other health care management professional organization.
- Concentration-specific comprehensive exam (HMP 5950 Special Study for Exams) In this case-based culminating experience, students receive a health care business case and a short window of time to analyze it, develop a proposal and present it to a panel. This simulates the real workplace experience of studying a business problem and presenting a proposal to the management team in an organization.
Continuation Standards
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.
Students must earn a B- or better in all required courses. Elective courses may be passed with a C or better.
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HMP 5000 | Health Care Organization | 3 |
| HMP 5030 | Introduction to Health Care Accounting | 3 |
| HMP 5300 | Management of Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HMP 5190 | Analytical Methods for Health Management | 3 |
| HMP 5900 | Health Management and Policy Rounds (Critical course: Section 01) | 1 |
| PUBH 5010 | Mission and Practice of Global Public Health | 2 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HMP 5200 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HMP 5500 | Health Policy | 3 |
| HMP 5110 | Health Operations Management | 3 |
| HMP 5700 | Health Care Financial Management | 3 |
| HMP 5900 | Health Management and Policy Rounds (Critical course: Section 01) | 1 |
| HMP 5950 | Special Study for Exams (Section 01) | 0 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Summer | ||
| HMP 5910 | HMP Internship | 1 |
| Credits | 1 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| HMP 5130 | Health Information Systems | 3 |
| HMP 5390 | Ethical Leadership in Health Management and Policy | 3 |
| HMP 5400 | Legal Aspects of Health Services Management | 3 |
| HMP 5900 | Health Management and Policy Rounds (Critical course: Section 02) | 1 |
| Critical course: Required Quality Elective | 3 | |
| Critical course: Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HMP 5340 | Health Care Marketing | 3 |
| HMP 5710 | Financial Aspects of Health Care | 3 |
| HMP 5800 | Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HMP 5950 | Special Study for Exams (Critical course: Section 02) | 0 |
| Critical course: Elective | 3 | |
| Critical course: Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
- *
The M.H.A. curriculum requires completion of 60 credits of courses as specified above. Students, who complete all of their M.H.A. requirements by the end of year two, as scheduled are eligible to be awarded their M.H.A. degree in May of year two.
Core courses in the M.H.A. curriculum are distributed across four areas, as follows:
- Public Health (College for Public Health and Social Justice) Core (PUBH): includes one 3-credit PUBH core course (= 3 credits) required of the College for all degree programs.
- Health Management and Policy (Department) Core (HMP): includes four 3-credit required HMP core courses and one 0-credit required HMP core courses (= 12 credits total).
- Health Management (MHA degree) Core (HM): includes ten 3-credit required HM core courses (= 30 credits total)
- Elective course options (ELT): includes 12 credits of elective graduate courses, which can include any graduate course offered by the HMP department, another department or program in the SPH, or any other academic unit of the University that is not part of the M.H.A. required course curriculum.
All full-time M.H.A. students must register for and satisfactorily complete three semesters of HMP-5900: Health Management and Policy Rounds during year one and year two in the two-year curriculum (students will take HMP 5900 during fall and spring semesters of year one and fall semester of year two.)
Internship: All M.H.A. students are required to complete a professional internship in health management during their course of study.
Students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 27 credits in year one M.H.A. curriculum (including both fall and spring semesters of HMP-591), be in good academic standing (i.e., have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher) and obtain the approval of the M.H.A. program director and HMP internship and placement coordinator before enrolling in the internship program. This means that students may have no incomplete coursework before being placed in the field.
Most health management internships consist of a 12-week, full-time placement with a private health provider or other health care organization during the summer prior to each student’s final year of academic course work. Placements are made by the HMP faculty, in consultation with the HMP internship and placement coordinator, who match each individual student’s experience and career interests with the nature and preferences of available placement sites each year.
The required quality elective may be fulfilled with either HMP-5100 Quality Improvement in Health Care Management or HMP-5810 Six Sigma Green Belt.
You may apply through SOPHAS or HAMPCAS
Apply for Admission Through SOPHAS
Apply for Admission Through HAMPCAS
For additional admission questions, please contact:
Bernie Backer
Director of graduate recruitment and admissions
314-977-8144
bernard.backer@slu.edu