Health Administration, (MHA)

Program Overview

The Master of Health Administration is an advanced professional degree preparing future healthcare executives for leadership positions  in health services delivery across all sectors of the U.S. healthcare system. The curriculum is designed to launch early careerists quickly into leadership positions and is also an excellent platform for those interested in making a career pivot into the corporate environment of hospitals and health systems, the health insurance industry, and consulting firms.

The accelerated two-year residential cohort program includes one year of full-time academic coursework followed by a full-time, 11-month compensated administrative residency with faculty preceptors designed to provide direct experience through hands-on learning. The curriculum is founded on principles of innovation and strategic problem-solving and develops the analytical, technical, and management skills required to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness, and integration of health and healthcare organizations and systems.

Program Accreditation

The program's curriculum, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), provides for the development of conceptual, quantitative, and applied skills essential to lead contemporary healthcare organizations. The program was successfully reaccredited in 2022, extending through 2029. 

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School was ranked #3 in Masters of Health Administration programs by peers in the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report Rankings. 

Program Administration

Program Director: Steve Meurer, PhD, MBA, MHS
Associate Director: Conan Dickson, PhD, FACHE
Associate Director: Karen Charron, MPH, BSN
Sr. Academic Advisor: Keasha Wormley, MA

Bachelor's/MHA

The Johns Hopkins University, in conjunction with the Bloomberg School, offers a combined Bachelor's degree and Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree. The combined degree programs have been tailored to prepare students for a range of careers, including public health, healthcare management, and medicine.

JHU undergraduate students have the unique opportunity to seek early admission to the MHA degree. The combined Bachelor's/MHA program emphasizes innovation and strategic problem-solving by applying analytical, technical, and management skills required to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness, and integration of healthcare organizations and systems. Students in this program will receive co-advising from both schools to optimize their academic experience, especially in selecting BSPH courses in the senior year of the bachelor's program.

For more information on the Bachelor's/MHA program, contact Associate Director Karen Charron or visit our website. 

MHA Program Requirements

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

Core Curriculum

The MHA program requires a minimum of 88 credits of didactic coursework. These credits are met through a full-time enrollment of a minimum 16 credits per term for the duration of the 2-year program.  All required courses must be taken for a letter grade except for courses only offered as pass/fail. The courses required to meet CEPH competencies ¹ are offered multiple times throughout the year, including the summer prior to the first year. These requirements are included in the term-by-term listings in the recommended terms for MHA student planning purposes.  Most CEPH required half-credit courses should be completed during year one, prior to starting the administrative residency. PH.552.612 Essentials of One Health must be taken in Term 2 of the second year. All courses noted in the curriculum are required for graduation. Courses taken in the summer prior to year 1 will appear on one's first term transcript and do not involve additional tuition. 

Plan of Study Grid

First Year		Credits
Online Pre-Term 1 (Summer)
XXX.XXX	Introduction to Online Learning
PH.550.860	Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH
PH.552.601	Foundational Principles of Public Health 1	0.5
PH.552.608	Biologic, Genetic and Infectious Bases of Human Disease 1	0.5
PH.552.610	The Social Determinants of Health 1	0.5
PH.552.611	Globalization and Population Health 1	0.5
	Credits	2
First Term
PH.140.611	Statistical Reasoning in Public Health I 1	3
PH.300.651	Introduction to the U.S. Healthcare System	4
PH.312.602	Applied Methods for Optimizing Performance in Health Care Organizations	2
PH.312.617	Fundamentals of Financial Accounting	3
PH.312.867	Pathways in Health Administration	2
PH.312.700	Leading Organizations	3
PH.340.721	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I 1	5
	Credits	22
Second Term
PH.312.601	Fundamentals of Management for Health Care Organizations	3
PH.312.603	Fundamentals of Budgeting and Financial Management	3
PH.312.604	Quantitative Tools for Managers	3
PH.312.651	Principles and Applications of Advanced Payment Models in Population Health Management	3
PH.312.701	Strategic Leadership and Decision Making	3
PH.312.867	Pathways in Health Administration	2
PH.313.643	Health Economics	3
PH.552.603	The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health 1	0.5
PH.552.609	Psychological and Behavioral Factors That Affect A Population's Health 1	0.5
	Credits	21
Third Term
PH.312.650	Non-Traditional & innovative Health Services Partnerships	2
PH.312.623	Financial Management in Health Care I	3
PH.312.675	Medical Practice Management	3
PH.312.678	Introduction to Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety: A Management Perspective	2
PH.312.702	Leading Change: Building and Empowering Teams	3
PH.312.868	Professional Development in Health Administration	2
PH.312.869	Applied Concepts of Operations Management	2
PH.552.607	Essentials of Environmental Health 1	.5
	Credits	17.5
Fourth Term
PH.306.663	Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Services Management	3
PH.312.624	Financial Management in Health Care II	3
PH.312.635	Human Resources in Health Organizations	2
PH.312.670	Negotiation in Health Care Settings	3
PH.312.621	Strategic Planning	3
PH.312.703	Learning Organizations & Knowledge Management	3
PH.312.861	MHA Case Competition	2
PH.312.868	Professional Development in Health Administration	2
PH.300.840	Special Studies and Research in HPM (with faculty identified with MHA program)	1
	Credits	22
Second Year
First Term
PH.312.810	MHA Residency	16
PH.552.612	Essentials of One Health 1	0.5
	Credits	16.5
Second Term
PH.312.810	MHA Residency	16
PH.309.631	Population Health Informatics	3
	Credits	19
Third Term
PH.312.810	MHA Residency	16
	Credits	16
Fourth Term
PH.312.810	MHA Residency	16
PH.312.862	MHA Capstone	1
	Credits	17
	Total Credits	153

¹

Course meets one or more CEPH learning objectives.

Administrative Residency

Most students begin their residency between June 1 and July 1 after their first year of the program. Students complete the 11-month full-time, paid administrative residency where they apply their academic training in a professional healthcare management setting.  Students continue to develop and hone their skills and competencies in this setting to complete the MHA degree requirements. 

Unique to this program are the many healthcare partners from local and national organizations who are approved to provide residencies to our students.  New organizations are added each year.  The Preceptors in each of our healthcare partners are faculty mentors trained in the MHA competency model. They are committed to mentoring a JHU student through the 11-month residency to ensure each student meets the competency requirements needed for graduation.

Organizational showcases are scheduled throughout the fall of the first year for students to meet the C-Suite and/or director-level preceptors to discuss each organization and residency.  Students are expected to attend all organizational showcases to learn about these organizations and residency options.  

The match process begins in December with student-adviser meetings to discuss skills development and potential organizations to interview. Final interview lists are completed in early January.  In the spring, from January through March, the program facilitates, and schedules student interviews aligned with their interests and abilities.  

Matching outcomes are greatly influenced by the preparation and interviewing skills of the candidates as well as student and preceptor rankings.  Each residency organization establishes its own application criteria and experience levels.  Some  organizations require or prefer 1-2 years of post-undergraduate work experience and are not suitable for all students in the MHA cohort.  Final match placements are announced in early April. 

The program has partnerships with local and national organizations providing the full-time paid residency positions, many exclusive to JHU students. Because the residency sites have rules prohibiting placement of non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents, the program cannot place international students thereby preventing them from successfully completing the degree program requirements for graduation. Non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. permanent residents should not apply to this program. 

Culminating Experience: Residency Deliverables and Presentation

Full-time student registration is required while participating in the residency and students are required to participate in MHA program activities all year.

Student evaluation is based on the completion and timely submission of all assignments as well as continued satisfactory performance in the residency. Deliverables include:

• Live Talk participation each term
• Progress reports and VoiceThread presentations  each term
• Project Based Competency Assessments (baseline, December and April)
• 360 Professional evaluation
• Residency Critique
• Formal presentation 

Capstone Presentation, Competency Reflection and Skills Demonstration

Presentation Objective:
Students will select one competency from the provided list and explore its relevance to healthcare administration. They will reflect on how they developed this competency through their coursework and administrative residency experiences, culminating in a 12-minute presentation and demonstration. This assignment encourages students to critically analyze one of the key MHA program competencies designed to prepare them for leadership roles in healthcare administration and integrates self-reflection with practical examples from their educational journey.  

Presentations are expected to include:

• Selection: Choose one competency from the Project-Based Competency Assessment. 
• Relevance: Describe why this competency is crucial for healthcare administration. Consider its impact on organizational performance, patient care, and policy implementation. 
• Application: Students provide a specific example from their coursework and/or administrative residency that demonstrates how they developed and applied this competency. 
• Presentation: Each student develops a 10-minute real-time demonstration “class” to teach a critical skill (related to the selected program competency) developed during the residency. Presentation software is not permitted (i.e. PowerPoint, Canva), but students can use tools available for real-time demonstration. Use of a Zoom whiteboard, opening a tool, or pulling up a spreadsheet during the demonstration is encouraged if it is important to teach the skill.
• One-Page handout 
  • Create a one-page information handout with links to their references. (Not PowerPoint Slides).  
  • Submit as a PDF document

Formal Residency Symposium: Competency Reflection and Skills Demonstration

All students are expected to present to classmates and faculty in May. The presentation should be no more than 12 minutes long, with approximately five minutes of Q&A.

MHA Program Policies

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory academic progress is measured by the following:

• To maintain satisfactory academic performance and good academic standing, all master's students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.75, and grades of A, B, P (pass), or S (satisfactory) in all courses required by the school or by the student’s department.
• Written documentation of successful completion of all Bloomberg School and departmental degree requirements within the established time limitations
• Confirmation of satisfactory performance by the student’s department and/or adviser as required. Each term, the progress of each student is reviewed, and those not making satisfactory progress in terms of the cumulative grade point average and completion of requirements within established deadlines are identified. Students may not graduate unless in good academic standing. Continuation in the program while not in good academic standing falls under the purview of the department and program leadership. In Health Policy & Management, a grade of D in required courses is not considered passing.  Whether a D is considered acceptable to serve as a prerequisite will be determined by the course’s sponsoring department.

IMPORTANT: Students receiving federal loans and federal work-study funding must adhere to the Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy posted on the Financial Aid Office website.

Students enrolled in the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program who do not achieve the minimum GPA by the end of the 4th term in the first year or have not successfully complete all year 1 required coursework, may be prevented from initiating their 2nd year placement or residency. Program Directors, in consultation with the HPM Student Matters Committee, will determine the appropriate course of action.

Master's Tuition Scholarship (MTS)

The Master's Tuition Scholarship (MTS) provides eligible MHA students with a tuition scholarship worth 75% of one year's tuition. The scholarship can be applied in one of two ways: (1) All 75% applied in Year 2; or (2) 25% applied in Year 1 and 50% applied in Year 2. Students in the program must declare which option they prefer in the summer before matriculating. Once a preference has been selected, students may not change their scholarship allocation. Upon completion of the 2nd year field placement or residency, the scholarship will be concluded. Students are not permitted to enroll in courses using the scholarship once they have completed the program.

MHA Learning Outcomes

Program Competencies

It is the program's goal that by the time students have successfully completed the coursework and administrative residency, they will have mastered the competencies outlined in the following domains.

Health and Healthcare Environment

1. Legal and Regulatory Environment: Explain federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting the delivery of health care and related services.
2. Financing Environments: Analyze the healthcare financing and economic environments, including regulations and processes applicable to public and private payers.
3. Health Policy Environment: Analyze the effects of health policy on providers, payers and populations and its implications for organizational response and change.
4. Provider Environment: Describe the array of key provider organizations and health professions and their implications for the quality and cost of care of individuals and populations.
5. Public Health: Establish goals and objectives for improving health outcomes that incorporate an understanding of the social determinants of health and the socioeconomic environment in which the organization functions.

Management

1. Financial Capability: Apply financial and accounting information and analytical tools to evaluate short and long-term options and goals and monitor financial performance.
2. Budget Management: Apply key accounting principles to prepare, monitor and manage budgets.
3. Market Analysis: Apply economic models to analyze healthcare sector events, developments and trends, and plan accordingly.
4. Operations Management and Performance Measurement: Apply quantitative and qualitative tools and models to analyze, evaluate and improve an organization's service orientation, patient safety, and quality processes and outcomes.
5. Knowledge Management: Create management structures that apply, analyze, evaluate, and convey information (gathered from both human and technological sources) to facilitate organizational decision-making.
6. Population Health Management: Apply epidemiological, biostatistical, and evidence-based methods to improve health system performance at the population level. Use vital statistics and core health indicators to guide decision-making and analyze health trends of the population to guide the provision of health services.
7. Workforce Systems: Organize and manage the workforce utilizing key performance indicators and employee engagement metrics.
8. Workforce Management: Direct the operation of a business segment through the development of the workforce's knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies.
9. Health Services Management: Explain the various organizational structures of health care delivery, funding mechanisms, and the way that health care services are delivered.
10. Strategic Thinking and Management: Provide overall direction to the enterprise, including specifying the organization's objectives, developing policies and plans designed to achieve these objectives, and then allocating resources to implement the plans.
11. Systems Thinking: Describe and analyze an organization from a systems perspective (i.e., as a complex set of cause-and-effect relationships).
12. Governance: Explain how to create and maintain a system of governance that ensures appropriate oversight of the organization.

Leadership

1. Innovation and Creativity: Facilitate diversity of thought in pursuit of developing new ideas, creating an entrepreneurial spirit, and identifying breakthrough opportunities to significantly enhance organization performance.
2. Leading Change: Promote ongoing organizational learning, champion organizational change when necessary, and manage the resources necessary to accomplish the change.
3. Influence: Promote the ideas and help shape the opinions and actions of others by understanding their needs, interests, and concerns through questioning thoughtfully and listening empathetically, communicating clearly both in writing and orally, and delivering persuasive and organized presentations.
4. Team Leadership: Develop team-oriented structures and systems to promote team performance, balance giving direction and support for team processes, and promote consensus to achieve goals.
5. Organizational Leadership: Articulate and communicate the mission, objectives, and priorities of the organization to internal and external stakeholders and entities.
6. Cultural Engagement: Create an organizational climate built on mutual trust and transparency, establish and communicate a compelling vision and hold oneself and others accountable for achieving organizational goals.

Relationship Management

1. Interpersonal Understanding: Exercise the use of empathy, listening, and diagnostic behavior in order to understand others' interests, concerns, needs, and nonverbal behavior.
2. Relationship Management: Develop and maintain collaborative relationships and shared decision-making with key leaders, colleagues, and stakeholders to achieve organizational and personal goals.
3. Collaboration: Facilitate a work environment focused on a shared purpose or goal, encouraging colleagues to work effectively with others, demonstrating enthusiasm for a collaborative solution, and communicating a shared sense of ownership and autonomy.

Standards of Professional Behavior

1. Professionalism: Demonstrate high ethical conduct, integrity, transparency and accountability for one's actions, and respect for others.
2. Initiative: Take action without being asked and offer solutions/options when presenting problems.
3. Advocacy: Advocate for the rights and responsibilities of patients and their families.
4. Professional Development: Demonstrate commitment to self-development including continuing education, networking, reflection, and personal improvement.
5. Self-Awareness: Be aware of one's own assumptions, values, strengths, and limitations.
6. Mentoring: Develop others by mentoring, advising, coaching, and serving as a role model.

CEPH-Defined Foundational Public Health Learning Objectives

According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type.