Program Overview
The Master of Health Administration is a professional degree preparing future healthcare executives for management and leadership positions dedicated to improving health and health service delivery across all sectors. The Hopkins program focuses on the U.S. healthcare system and is well-suited for early careerists interested in managerial and leadership positions within hospitals and health systems, the health insurance industry, and consulting firms.
The accelerated two-year residential cohort program is designed specifically for the early careerist. The curriculum 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.
The full-time residential program has a required residency component during the 2nd year of the program. The program has partnerships with local and national organizations providing full-time paid residency positions, many exclusive to Bloomberg students. However, because the residency sites have rules prohibiting the placement of non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents, the program cannot facilitate placement of international students, which hinders the ability to successfully complete the degree program requirements for graduation. Therefore, non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. permanent residents should carefully consider these possibilities before applying to or accepting an offer of admission from the full-time MHA residential program.
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 #7 in Masters of Health Administration by peers in the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report Rankings.
Program Administration
Program Director: Mark J. Bittle, DrPH, MBA, FACHE
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.
Successful applicants will demonstrate relevant experience in the U.S. healthcare system (paid or volunteer), strong analytical skills, and/or demonstrate a passion for, and a desire to lead, health and healthcare delivery transformation in the U.S. Applicants must provide evidence of strong quantitative skills as reflected by undergraduate coursework in college algebra, calculus, and/or statistics with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
While not required, it is also strongly recommended that applicants take EN.660.203 Financial Accounting. Those who earn a "B" in this course and pass a waiver exam do not need to take the required MHA course PH.312.617 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting.
Applicants who are admitted and have not completed an undergraduate microeconomics course are required to complete a course before matriculating.
Bachelor's/MHA Application Requirements
Bachelor's/MHA degree applications should be submitted through SOPHAS Express by July 1st between junior and senior years. Bachelor's/MHA students must be accepted before the start of their senior year. Please note that admitted students must complete the Bachelor's degree before formally matriculating in the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Bachelor's/MHA applicants must submit the following:
- Transcripts from Johns Hopkins University and, if applicable, transcripts from any other college-level institutions students have attended.*
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Statement of purpose and objectives. The Statement of Purpose should provide a compelling rationale for admittance and focus on the applicant's relevant healthcare experience (volunteer or paid), leadership potential, and early career goals.
*Students may upload unofficial transcripts in the document section to expedite the application review process; however, admitted students must submit an official transcript before they can matriculate into the 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 79 credits of didactic coursework. All required courses must be taken for a letter grade except for courses only offered as pass/fail.
First Year | Credits | |
---|---|---|
Summer Term | ||
XXX.XXX | Introduction to Online Learning | |
PH.550.860 | Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH | |
Credits | 0 | |
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 | MHA Seminar | 1 |
PH.312.700 | Leading Organizations | 3 |
PH.340.721 | Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I 1 | 5 |
Credits | 21 | |
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 | MHA Seminar | 1 |
PH.313.643 | Health Economics | 3 |
Credits | 19 | |
Third Term | ||
PH.312.621 | Strategic Planning | 3 |
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.312.867 | MHA Seminar | 1 |
PH.312.869 | Healthcare Consulting Practicum | 2 |
PH.312.702 | Leading Change: Building and Empowering Teams | 3 |
Credits | 17 | |
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.312.650 | Non-Traditional & innovative Health Services Partnerships | 2 |
PH.312.670 | Negotiation in Health Care Settings | 3 |
PH.312.703 | Learning Organizations & Knowledge Management | 3 |
PH.312.861 | MHA Case Competition | 2 |
PH.312.867 | MHA Seminar | 1 |
Credits | 19 | |
Second Year | ||
First Term | ||
PH.312.810 | MHA Residency | 16 |
Credits | 16 | |
Second Term | ||
PH.312.810 | MHA Residency | 13 |
PH.309.631 | Population Health Informatics | 3 |
Credits | 16 | |
Third Term | ||
PH.312.810 | MHA Residency | 16 |
Credits | 16 | |
Fourth Term | ||
PH.312.810 | MHA Residency | 15 |
PH.312.862 | MHA Capstone | 1 |
Credits | 16 | |
Total Credits | 140 |
- 1
Course meets one or more CEPH learning objectives.
CEPH Required Courses
The following online CEPH required courses may be taken in either Year 1 or 2. All eight courses (an additional 4 credits beyond the MHA requirements) are required before graduation. Some courses, indicated below, may be held prior to the First Term. Those courses will count toward First Term registration.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Summer Courses | ||
PH.552.601 | Foundational Principles of Public Health | 0.5 |
PH.552.603 | The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health | 0.5 |
PH.552.608 | Biologic, Genetic and Infectious Bases of Human Disease | 0.5 |
PH.552.609 | Psychological and Behavioral Factors That Affect A Population's Health | 0.5 |
PH.552.610 | The Social Determinants of Health | 0.5 |
Term 1A | ||
PH.552.607 | Essentials of Environmental Health | 0.5 |
Term 1B | ||
PH.552.611 | Globalization and Population Health | 0.5 |
PH.552.612 | Essentials of One Health | 0.5 |
Total Credits | 4 |
Administrative Residency
In the second year of the program, students continue to register full-time while completing an 11-month full-time, paid administrative residency in a healthcare management setting. While the actual organizations may vary, the sectors include community hospitals, university-affiliated hospitals, investor-owned hospitals, physician medical practices, consulting firms, long-term care facilities, and managed care organizations.
The MHA program has a residency placement process that partners students with local and national organizations providing administrative residency positions, many of which are exclusive to JHU students. Residency "showcases" are scheduled throughout the fall of the first year for students to meet the preceptors and discuss the organization and residency prior to the interview and selection process. Residencies are only available to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. International students should consider applying to the Department of International Health programs.
The residency provides students with healthcare management experience in which they apply the knowledge and skills learned in the program's coursework. The residency experience is supervised by an on-site faculty preceptor and an MHA program adviser. During the residency year, students are required to submit reports that consist of an educational goals paper, three progress reports, a residency critique, a summary of accomplishments, and a final capstone paper. In addition, students will have the opportunity to present their capstones to their classmates and program faculty during the 4th term.
In year two, students must register for a total of 60 credits of PH.312.810, MHA Residency, in addition to other courses. A minimum of 16 credits per term is required to be considered full-time. Student evaluation is based on the completion and timely submission of all assignments as well as continued satisfactory performance in the residency site as determined by the on-site preceptor and the program directors.
Capstone Guidelines
The MHA Capstone Project represents the culminating activity within the MHA program and, as such, is required of all students in order to graduate. The MHA Capstone provides an opportunity for students to integrate the knowledge that they have gained through their coursework and residency. The Capstone structure is a case study of a major project from their administrative residency, described below. All students will register for 1 credit of PH.312.862 MHA Capstone in Term 4 and present their Capstone topics and findings in May.
A Case Study from the Administrative Residency
Students will produce a scholarly publication-quality written case study on a major initiative in which they were actively involved and led during their administrative residency.
It will be evaluated on the student’s ability to incorporate theories, concepts, knowledge, and practice relevant to the health care management field of study and the thoroughness of the analysis. (This differs from classroom-based case studies in which issues are presented and questions provided to assist the student in resolving a problem.)
While the capstone must be of publication quality, there are no requirements to publish. In cases of proprietary concerns or non-disclosure agreements, data and organizational details can be anonymized to protect privacy.
Deliverables
Students should submit their proposal for the case study to their CoursePlus portfolio by the last week of Term 2. The proposal (approximately 500 words) should describe the problem(s) facing the organization, the context of the problem within the healthcare system, the initiative undertaken by the organization, and the measures of success used by the organization. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisers throughout the year to ensure that the case study will meet expectations.
Students should submit a completed case study paper (version 1) to the CoursePlus Portfolio by the beginning of Term 3 for advisor feedback. Case studies should be written in MLA, APA, or Vancouver style format (12-point sans serif typeface, e.g., Arial or Garamond, with one-inch margins and double-spaced) and should be between 5,000 and 10,000 words (not including abstract, bibliography, tables, and appendices). Students are expected to include appropriate citations from sources outside the organization (such as peer-reviewed and scholarly journals as well as other periodicals, books, newspaper articles, and government documents). A minimum of eight peer-reviewed references are required. The Welch Library Informationists are available to assist with search terms for your literature review.
Capstones are expected to include:
- a thorough analysis of the situation or problem that the organization faced;
- a description of the alternative approaches that the organization considered (if it did so);
- a description of the initiative that was adopted, a presentation of data regarding the results of the initiative; and
- thorough analysis of whether or not the initiative succeeded (including lessons learned); and
- as well as the management and leadership implications.
- Outcome as to whether the initiative succeeded, when appropriate.
- Provide appropriate citations throughout the paper.
- Bibliography
Examples of excellent case studies from previous students and grading rubrics are posted in the Portfolio library.
Evaluation of Case Studies
Faculty will evaluate the case study using a quality rubric posted on the CoursePlus Portfolio focused on these four areas:
- Central idea
- Literature review and analytical support
- Organization
- Mechanics
Capstone Symposium
All students are expected to present the Executive Summary of their Capstone to classmates and faculty in May. The content should be no more than 10 minutes, with approximately two (2) minutes of Q&A.
MHA Program Policies
Please view the HPM Departmental Policies for details on the program's satisfactory academic progress, course waivers, and the Master's Tuition Scholarship (MTS).
The following program prerequisites apply to students enrolled in the HPM MHA program only.
- Incoming students who have not completed an undergraduate microeconomics course are required to complete a course in this area before matriculating. The MHA program office will provide online course options to help you fulfill this prerequisite. Please contact the program office for more information.
-
Incoming students may want to consider completing a business accounting course, similar to the Hopkins course EN.660.203 Financial Accounting, prior to matriculation. Those who earn a "B" or better and pass a waiver exam will not need to take the required course PH.312.617 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting.
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
- Legal and Regulatory Environment: Explain federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting the delivery of health care and related services.
- Financing Environments: Analyze the healthcare financing and economic environments, including regulations and processes applicable to public and private payers.
- Health Policy Environment: Analyze the effects of health policy on providers, payers and populations and its implications for organizational response and change.
- 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.
- 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
- Financial Capability: Apply financial and accounting information and analytical tools to evaluate short and long-term options and goals and monitor financial performance.
- Budget Management: Apply key accounting principles to prepare, monitor and manage budgets.
- Market Analysis: Apply economic models to analyze healthcare sector events, developments and trends, and plan accordingly.
- 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.
- Knowledge Management: Create management structures that apply, analyze, evaluate, and convey information (gathered from both human and technological sources) to facilitate organizational decision-making.
- 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.
- Workforce Systems: Organize and manage the workforce utilizing key performance indicators and employee engagement metrics.
- Workforce Management: Direct the operation of a business segment through the development of the workforce's knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies.
- Health Services Management: Explain the various organizational structures of health care delivery, funding mechanisms, and the way that health care services are delivered.
- 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.
- Systems Thinking: Describe and analyze an organization from a systems perspective (i.e., as a complex set of cause-and-effect relationships).
- Governance: Explain how to create and maintain a system of governance that ensures appropriate oversight of the organization.
Leadership
- 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.
- Leading Change: Promote ongoing organizational learning, champion organizational change when necessary, and manage the resources necessary to accomplish the change.
- 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.
- 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.
- Organizational Leadership: Articulate and communicate the mission, objectives, and priorities of the organization to internal and external stakeholders and entities.
- 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
- Interpersonal Understanding: Exercise the use of empathy, listening, and diagnostic behavior in order to understand others' interests, concerns, needs, and nonverbal behavior.
- Relationship Management: Develop and maintain collaborative relationships and shared decision-making with key leaders, colleagues, and stakeholders to achieve organizational and personal goals.
- 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
- Professionalism: Demonstrate high ethical conduct, integrity, transparency and accountability for one's actions, and respect for others.
- Initiative: Take action without being asked and offer solutions/options when presenting problems.
- Advocacy: Advocate for the rights and responsibilities of patients and their families.
- Professional Development: Demonstrate commitment to self-development including continuing education, networking, reflection, and personal improvement.
- Self-Awareness: Be aware of one's own assumptions, values, strengths, and limitations.
- 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.