Master of Health Administration, M.H.A.
Associate Dean for Graduate Business Programs: Patsy Norman
Director for the Army-Baylor Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX.: COL Dan M. Wood
The Master of Health Administration degree is awarded after sixty-six semester hours of study which includes five semesters of graduate courses, a comprehensive oral examination, a twelve-month administrative residency, and a graduate management portfolio (GMP). The objective of this program is to prepare students for a professional career in health services administration, with particular emphasis on middle and senior level management in federal health care systems. Through the course of study, students gain a broad knowledge of the theories, concepts, managerial tenets and techniques fundamental to effective administration of health care delivery.
The Executive Clinical Leadership (ECL) MHA track is a program that entails a 54-week didactic phase in which the student completes 66 credit hours, including a Graduate Management Project (GMP). Since the administrative residency year required for the traditional MHA is waived, substantial clinical experience is a prerequisite (generally 10 years). Students are either a senior Major or junior Lieutenant Colonel.
Preface:
- All applicants must follow the application procedures established by their appropriate service's regulations. For specific information about services' procedures, contact your respective career activities/education office(s).
- U.S. military officers, Department of Defense Civilians, and VA employees must first be approved by their respective services to attend the Army-Baylor Program. Attendance to the Army-Baylor Program will likely result in an individual additional service obligation.
- For example, U.S. Army officers serving as Army Nurse, Medical Service, Medical Specialist or Veterinary officer must apply and be selected through the Long-Term Health Education Training.
Admissions Criteria:
- Federal Service employment and approval from the respective service for attendance
- Baccalaureate degree or first professional degree from an accredited educational institution
- Standardized test (GRE or GMAT). The optimal GRE score for the MHA program is 300, while the optimal GMAT score is 530. Applicants who possess a terminal degree from an accredited program do not require a standardized test score to apply for the MHA program. For the joint MHA/MBA degree option, the minimum acceptable GRE score is 310 while the minimum GMAT score is 580. Note: waivers for standardized test scores will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Cumulative 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale from degree granting institution
- Executive Clinical Leadership (ECL) track (compressed into one-year) must have previous clinical experience in excess of 5 years with 10 preferred.
- Submit the required documentation to the Army-Baylor Program Administration Office:
- Officer record brief (U.S. Army Officers) or equivalent for other services
- Resume (civilian-style)
- Purpose Statement
- Official transcripts from accredited degree-granting institutions. Transcripts for transfer credits are not required.
- Test scores (GMAT or GRE) (Select 6032 for Baylor University and 68631 for U.S. Medical Center of Excellence)
The Army-Baylor Program can admit up to 55 single-track MHA students and up to 30 dual track MHA/MBA students.
The respective services often select officers for the MHA degree track. If any of these officers are interested in pursuing the dual MHA/MBA, Army-Baylor may provide an admissions waiver.
The Army-Baylor Program maintains an admissions committee to process any waivers into the MHA or MHA/MBA program. The admissions committee considers a holistic view of the candidate using the required documentation to include compelling purpose statements in their waiver recommendation to the Program Director. The Program Director may schedule interviews as necessary.
The Master of Health Administration degree will be granted upon completion of graduate course work (one year), the comprehensive oral examination, the administrative residency (one year), and the GMP.
Class Composition and Curriculum
Each class is tri-service in composition, and most classes include Coast Guard, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Navy civil servants. Class members typically include physicians, dentists, nurses, allied health professionals, and administrators, making the year an invaluable, multidisciplinary learning experience. The M.H.A. program of study consists of 18 core courses and one required elective.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| HCA 5105 | Ethics in Health Care | 1 |
| HCA 5106 | Fundamentals in Graduate Studies | 1 |
| HCA 5150 | Federal Health Seminar | 1 |
| HCA 5301 | U. S. Health Care Systems | 3 |
| HCA 5306 | Foundations in Healthcare Quality and Safety | 3 |
| HCA 5309 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HCA 5310 | Quantitative Analysis I: Statistics & Research Methods | 3 |
| HCA 5314 | Fundamentals in Health Policy and Policymaking in the United States | 3 |
| HCA 5317 | Digital Health Strategy | 3 |
| HCA 5322 | Organizational Behavior and Theory | 3 |
| HCA 5329 | Leadership in Complex Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 5336 | Healthcare Law | 3 |
| HCA 5350 | Finance I: Financial and Managerial Accounting in Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 5353 | Finance II: Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 5358 | Quantitative Methods II: Modern Data Science | 3 |
| HCA 5359 | Human Resources Management | 3 |
| HCA 5360 | Operations Management in Healthcare | 3 |
| HCA 5389 | Population Health and Emergency Management | 3 |
| MMGT 5325 | Strategy | 3 |
| MMKT 5371 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| Required Elective Hours for Didactic Year | ||
| Select three hrs. from elective course options offered by program. | 3 | |
| Residency Year | 9 | |
| Standard Track: | ||
| Administrative Residency | ||
| Executive Clinical Leadership Track: 1 | ||
| Graduate Management Study Development 1 1 | ||
| Graduate Management Study Development 2 1 | ||
| Graduate Management Study Development 3 1 | ||
| Residency Rotation I 1 | ||
| Residency Rotation 2 1 | ||
| Total Hours | 66 | |
- 1
Students approved for Executive Clinical Leadership Track will complete HCA 5101, HCA 5102, HCA 5103, HCA 5305, and HCA 5307 during the didactic year in lieu of completing the residency year course HCA 5961.
Electives
Electives are subject to change based on instructor availability. Students enrolled in the Army-Baylor M.H.A. program may take electives from both the H.C.A. and the M.B.A. courses.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HCA 5211 | Quantitative Analysis III: Decision Making with Statistics and Research | 2 |
| HCA 5308 | Lean Six Sigma | 3 |
| HCA 5356 | Organizational Ethics | 3 |
| HCA 5V92 | Special Studies in Health Care Administration 1 | 1-3 |
| MBUS 5101 | Seminar in Business Foundations | 1 |
| MBUS 5151 | Seminar in International Marketing | 1 |
| MBUS 5152 | Seminar in International Management | 1 |
| MBUS 5153 | Seminar in Macroeconomic Analysis in the Global Economy | 1 |
| MBUS 5154 | Seminar in World Economic Systems | 1 |
| MBUS 5155 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation | 1 |
| MBUS 5310 | Selected Topics in Business Law | 3 |
| MBUS 5320 | Organizational Ethics | 3 |
| MBUS 5330 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MBUS 5350 | International Business | 3 |
- 1
May be repeated with a different topic for up to 12 credit hours
Residency
Degree candidates are required to serve an administrative residency in a selected health care institution. During this residency, performed under the guidance of a qualified preceptor, students study and analyze all the functional elements of the organization. They develop managerial skills through experience in the performance of administrative tasks and through direct participation in the problem-solving process. Additionally, students perform special studies as directed and conduct a portfolio of graduate management projects. Approval of proposed projects must be secured from the preceptor and the student’s faculty advisor at the Medical Center of Excellence.