Earn Your Master of Health Administration (MHA) Degree Online
Become an effective manager who can take the lead in a wide range of health services organizations. In this student-centric, online Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, you can develop the leadership skills needed for health care management, organization, financial management, health care delivery and performance.
At Saint Joseph’s College, we take a competency-based approach to the online MHA curriculum while fostering ethically minded health care professionals who can handle the complex intellectual and emotional challenges of this ever-changing and growing industry.
Ready to advance your health care career? Request information today
Accreditations
An affordable and flexible NAB-accredited MHA program for working professionals
This master's degree program is one of the few in the country to be accredited by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), and the only NAB-accredited program available online.
The first 100% online MHA program in New England accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) has served the public interest by advancing the quality of healthcare management education globally. CAHME accredits academic programs in management which has broadly been defined to include healthcare quality and safety, and population health.
Ranked #1. The best Online MHA program in the country for 2024 by EduMed.
This program will allow you to:
- Complete your MHA in less than two years: Take two courses per term, enroll every term and be on your way to career progress.
- Juggle career, family, and education: All graduate health administration courses are offered in 10-week terms. Courses start five times a year – in January, March, May, August, and October– making it easy to study on your schedule.
- Enjoy flexibility, with structure and support: Submit weekly assignments and interact live with your instructors and classmates via distance-learning technology.
- Skip common barriers to enrollment: No application fees, and no GMAT or GRE scores required.
- Pursue career advancement and personal fulfillment: Programs emphasize business and leadership acumen while ensuring students approach their careers from an ethical and moral standpoint.
Enhance your skills and advance your career. Apply now to take the next step.
How much will this program cost?
Total Cost: $25,578*
*Excludes textbooks and fees. Assumes no transfer of credit, and, at the graduate level, that all preparatory requirements have been met. Prices are subject to change. Click here for full tuition and fee details.
How long will it take?
- MHA*: Full-time, 1 yr 9 mo. Part-time, 3 yr 6 mo.
* These timelines assume all prep classes have been met and that the student takes no breaks between terms. Full-time is two courses per term, part-time is one course per term.
*The overall average time that it takes a student to complete the program is 36 months. This is based on 2021-2022 program data.
What are the program outcomes?
Read about the goals, objectives, and performance outcomes of our MHA program.
Student Achievement Data
As a CAHME Accredited program, the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at Saint Joseph’s College tracks and maintains current student outcomes data within the CAHME Advance Search Tool. The data that is maintained in within the CAHME Advanced Search Tool is updated annually by CAHME, using the data that is tracked and reported by the MHA program at Saint Joseph’s College. Student outcome measures can be found at the following link: https://cahme.org/programs/?
Student stories
Curriculum
What are the courses for the Master of Health Administration program at SJC?
The Master of Health Administration program (42 credits) curriculum emphasizes organizational and financial management, human resources, ethical behavior and leadership – skills important to developing effective health care managers for today and tomorrow. Curriculum includes 10 core health administration courses, two elective courses and a capstone course.
Health Administration Core – 30 credits
Courses build upon the foundation of experience students bring to the program and incorporate case studies to help ensure curriculum aligns with industry best practices. Students are required to become student members of ACHE, ACHCA, CCHCL or another relevant industry association and must participate in mentorship programs within these associations.
Electives – 9 credits
Students have flexibility in tailoring their programs by supplementing core curriculum courses with a selection of relevant elective courses that reflect their own needs and interests.
Capstone – 3 credits
Students will complete a scholarly article to fulfill the capstone course requirement.
See the course catalog to learn more about program outcomes.
Fast-track, specialization and certificate programs
Still working on your bachelor’s degree? Consider fast-tracking your MHA. MHA Fast-Track Option allows students in specific Saint Joseph’s College undergraduate health administration programs to substitute courses from the MHA program in lieu of comparable undergraduate courses. Students may then count these graduate courses toward graduate degree requirements, earning their MHA faster.
Looking for a way to inject faith into your MHA studies? The Catholic Health Leadership Concentration is designed for health care administrators, department managers and leaders working in Catholic health care organizations who wish to advance their careers or upgrade their skills. Here, your faith can inform your ability to help people through trying times in their lives.
Need a stepping stone into health administration? By earning one of our Health Administration Certificates, you can acquire stand-alone credentials focused on a specific area of health administration. Credits earned in your certificate program can also later be used toward a relevant undergraduate or graduate degree.
Have more questions about which MHA track suits you? Contact our online admissions office.
Classroom skills learned – applied to career now
Christina Maguire, Master of Health Administration
Recently promoted to CEO of a Maine hospital, Chrissy articulates the issues related to healthcare in a critical access hospital and how Covid-19 is impacting them, and describes the challenges she faced.
Working on Florida’s State Strategic Team
With 35+ years in Long-Term Care Administration, Deborah Franklin ’20, Master of Health Administration (MHA), serves as Senior Director of Quality for the Florida Healthcare Association. Her MHA Capstone Research: COVID: Governmental Actions Impact Nursing Home Outcomes. She speaks to us about her research.
Balancing Work and Finishing her Degree During a Pandemic
Elisabeth Brewington is a supervisor with the Maine CDC serving on the Infectious Disease/Field Epidemiology team. For her senior capstone project, she researched the true cost of cancer care.
“My coursework and research through Saint Joe’s kept me grounded in perspective and was an active reminder of why I’ve chosen healthcare as my lifelong career.”
Career moves
What can you do with an MHA degree?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for medical and health services managers are projected to grow at the much-faster-than-average rate of 20 percent by 2026. Applicants who have work experience in health care and possess in-demand skills sought by health administration employers will be well positioned for leadership roles and career advancement in this growing industry.
A master's degree is the standard credential for health administration positions in a variety of health care settings, although a bachelor's degree may be adequate for some entry-level positions.
Other Health Care Job Opportunities
Long Term Care Jobs
Radiology Jobs
Learn more about Career Development at Saint Joseph’s.
Learn more about SJC’s Alumni Association.
Faqs
Frequently asked questions about earning a Master of Health Administration degree
Why become a health care administrator?
Data points to a favorable career outlook for individuals seeking roles in health care administration. But, beyond the job prospects, health care administrators also enjoy the personal fulfillment they experience by working in a field that impacts patients’ lives and health care outcomes.
As this industry becomes increasingly complex, health care organizations will need competent and effective leaders to continue providing quality services to patients in need of care. As a health care administrator, you can be part of the team that impacts the patient experience on an organizational level.
What are the requirements for admission into the online MHA program?
Online MHA program applicants are required to:
- Have at least two years of experience working in a health care setting
- Have a bachelor's degree with a cumulative grade point of 2.5 or better
- Complete the online application and submit the following documents to the admissions office:
- Professional resume
- Letter of intent, which discusses two of the identified competencies for this program, including why the competency is important to the health care industry, where you are in terms of your development in this area and your career objectives
- Two letters of reference from a supervisor or other professional reference, indicating the applicant possesses the aptitude and ambition to complete this course of study
- Interview with Program Director or Designee
Note: Effective 10/7/2019, the following courses must be completed with a C or better prior to full-acceptance to the MHA program and graduate course enrollment: a three-credit undergraduate level accounting course and a three-credit undergraduate statistics course. Students who have not yet completed these courses may do so through our online offerings. Submission of GMAT or GRE score is not required.
What is the role of professional memberships in this MHA program?
Our active participation in industry associations strengthens the curriculum in our health, long-term care and radiologic science administration programs by providing opportunities for us to understand the changes in the industry and better prepare our students. Professional memberships currently active at the organizational level or through individual program directors include:
- American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA)
- American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE)
- National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB)
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)
- Association of Radiologic Technologists
If I am looking to complete my MHA and want to be a Long-term care administrator or Nursing Home Administrator, is this possible?
The first item to address is what is a Long-term care administrator and what do they do.
Long-term care administrators may take on various titles, such as licensed nursing home administrators (LNHAs), assisted living administrators, directors of nursing – long-term care or clinical directors – long-term care. These positions have similar responsibilities as general health care administrators, with an added focus on issues specific to nursing homes, assisted living centers, home-based care organizations and other long-term care facilities.
Administrators may be responsible for financial management, budgeting, upholding quality standards across a department or organization, ensuring regulatory compliance, hiring and training personnel, collaborating with social workers, health care facilities management, etc.
The next step to take is to find out what are the long-term care licensure requirements in my state.
Long-term care administrator and nursing home administrator licensure requirements vary across states. Each state licensing board determines the length and requirements for an administrator-in-training (AIT) mandate. Students are encouraged to confirm with that State Board on the requirements for an AIT. Take a look at state-by-state licensure requirements that are located on the NAB website.
If you need additional clarification, feel free to contact our online admissions office. Or, if you are already in the MHA program, and are interested in pursuing a Long-term care administrator’s license, please contact our online advising office. We are happy to help.
Does Long-term Care Administrator licensure require an internship?
For students interested in pursuing a career as a long-term care administrator, there are specific issues and requirements to consider in order to take courses in the Long-term Care program. Learn more
Make a difference in an industry that needs effective leaders
Looking to step into a leadership role that builds on your work experience and positions you for real-world impact? Earning your MHA can help you get there. Request more information today to learn more or apply now if you are ready to get started.
Related programs
MHA term schedule
Need to find out what course to take next?
MHA program competencies
Program Mission and Vision statements
Read our program's mission and vision statements.
Some of the faculty
MS, Independence University (formerly California College for Health Services)
BS, LaSalle College
BSN, Loyola College
BS, Health Information Management, Temple University
In the news
Congrats to MHA alumna Esther Muna on being a nominee for Business Person of the Year in Micronesia. Muna is Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. → Read about the nomination