Print
Master of Healthcare Administration

Program Coordinator: Brandi Sillerud, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA_BC
School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership
216M Lommen Hall, (218) 205-6781
brandi.sillerud@mnstate.edu

The Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program provides students with the skills and experience to be competitive in a variety of professional settings. Building on students' existing leadership skills, management styles and current understanding of healthcare policy in the highly regulated healthcare industry, students will be able to dynamically contribute to the improvement of the delivery of services throughout the healthcare continuum.

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission
The mission of the Minnesota State University Moorhead Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program is to provide early to mid-careerists an exceptional, online, graduate-level educational experience focused on preparing a generalist leader with a solid administrative foundation encompassing organization, financing, delivery and improvement of healthcare services. Students receive academic and experiential experiences to prepare them to assume progressive healthcare leadership/administrative positions in a variety of settings, such as: long term care, public healthcare, acute care, outpatient care and community healthcare organizations.

Students will achieve these skills through:

  • Incorporating evidence throughout coursework; working on collaborative, interprofessional projects as well as completing individual assignments within the online environment leading to a solid, general foundation and preparation for future healthcare leadership/administrative roles.
  • Participate in a capstone experience in which students are exposed to real-world projects and relationships within healthcare organizations. This experience connects coursework/theory to organizational experiences to allow students to witness the confluence of theory and practice.
  • Receive rigorous education from faculty that are actively engaged in scholarly work, practice and bring industry experience to life in the online classroom.

Students in the program are representative of the changing healthcare world with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our students bring grit, humility and heart to the MHA program as they prepare to transform the ever-changing healthcare landscape.

Vision

The vision of the MHA program is to prepare innovative and transformative leaders that will enrich and advance the communities in which they serve with their knowledge and passion for quality, safe, just, and efficient healthcare that can help improve the health of a population.

Values

  • Excellence - the program establishes the highest standards for qualifications, experience and professionalism. This is expected of faculty, staff and students to assure optimal learning experiences.
  • Academic Excellence - the curriculum and program are founded on academic integrity and rigor that lead to a strong educational base. Faculty focus on competency-based learning experiences to allow students to emerge prepared to lead in the ever-changing world of healthcare.
  • Professionalism and Ethics - professional behavior is expected of faculty and students. Honesty, integrity and ethical behavior are the cornerstones of the MHA program. Faculty and students practice professional and ethical behavior at all times.
  • Diversity - faculty and students understand each person comes to the program with unique perspectives and backgrounds leading to enhanced learning experiences. The program encourages diversity of thought to bring new ideas and foresight into healthcare delivery.
  • Lifelong Learning - students are given opportunities to engage in healthcare community activities, professional organizations, and ongoing educational opportunities creating lifelong learning practices.
  • Transformation/Innovation - students are prepared to utilize innovative thinking to transform healthcare organizations and their communities. Students are encouraged to envision new methods to lead and deliver healthcare.
  • Collaboration - students are exposed to interprofessional experiences by working with others from different professional and academic backgrounds. Students emerge from the program prepared to collaborate to find solutions to current and future healthcare challenges and opportunities.

Master of Healthcare Administration

Description
The Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) - 43 credits

Admission Requirements

Information on admission requirements can be found on the Graduate Studies webpage.

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Domains and Competencies:
The Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) program at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is focused on a creating a board-based knowledge platform from which to launch future healthcare leaders. Students will focus on gaining a greater understanding of elements related to healthcare leadership and administration. The program is guided by five domains with accompanying competencies. The major domains include: (a) leadership, (b) professionalism, (c) communication and relationship building, (d) knowledge of the healthcare environment and (e) business skills. The curriculum and courses are built to reflect these key domains and associated competencies.

Current Student Learning Outcomes

  • Utilize a systems approach as an organizational leader to effectively plan resource use, guide ethical decision-making, role model critical reasoning, build relationships, promote evidence–based practice to improve systems, and assure safe, high quality patient care outcomes.
  • Apply safety and quality principles, methods, performance measures, and standards to transparently and continually improve health outcomes across the continuum of care.
  • Analyze, incorporate, promote, and evaluate current/emerging patient care, informatics, and communication technologies to deliver and enhance healthcare outcomes.
  • Evaluate, advocate for, and support organizational/governmental policy to improve health care delivery and population health outcomes.
  • Collaborate as leader/member of interprofessional teams to optimize care management, coordination, and administrative practices.
  • Develop clear and concise communication methods as an emerging healthcare leader.
  • Demonstrate strategic thinking through project management methods with the implementation of a scholarly capstone project.

Domain #1: Leadership

Competencies:

  • Utilize a systems approach as an organizational leader to effectively plan resource use
  • Build and facilitate relationships within the healthcare environment
  • Employ ethical decision-making when encountered with a problem
  • Improve system outcomes by implementing evidence based practice to organizational issues
  • Provide innovative thinking and critical reasoning on issues that impact health care organizations
  • Use change theory to implement change to assure safe, high quality patient outcomes

Domain #2: Professionalism

Competencies:

  • Uphold ethical principles and corporate compliance standards
  • Advocate for optimal health care in the community
  • Demonstrate professional norms and behaviors
  • Engage in continued professional development

Domain #3: Communication and Relationship Building

Competencies:

  • Develop clear and concise communication methods as an emerging healthcare leader
  • Collaborate as leader/member of interprofessional teams to optimize care management, coordination, and administrative practices
  • Establish cultural competency in the workforce
  • Create a shared vision that strategically aligns with an organization
  • Collaborate with community stakeholders to enhance healthcare decision making

Domain #4: Knowledge of the Healthcare Environment

Competencies:

  • Apply safety and quality principles, methods, performance measures, and standards to continually improve health outcomes across the continuum of care
  • Develop and articulate organizational performance improvement programs and goals
  • Prepare projects that align with governmental, regulatory, professional and accreditation agency requirements
  • Evaluate, advocate for, and support organizational/governmental policy to improve health care delivery and population health outcomes
  • Utilize evidence for establishment of standards, practices and patient care models within an organization

Domain #5: Business Skills

Competencies:

  • Integrate information from various sources to make decisions and recommendations
  • Utilize data to drive business decisions
  • Utilize technology to support improvement of clinical and financial performance
  • Apply basic financial management and analysis principles
  • Evaluate the strategic, financial, human and operational management of organizational resources to improve care outcomes.
  • Demonstrate strategic thinking through project management methods with the implementation of a scholarly capstone project.

Program Delivery Mode
Online Exclusive: must be completed entirely online; no face-to-face options available

Core Requirements ( 43 credits )

ECON 610 Healthcare Economics (3)
MBA 611 Marketing Management (3)
MBA 641 Human Resource Management (3)
MBA 671 Healthcare Delivery Science (3)
MBA 682 Operations Management (3)
MHA 605 Healthcare Quality and Regulatory Management (3)
MHA 615 Research and Evidence Based Practice (3)
MHA 618 Healthcare Law and Ethical Decision Making (3)
MHA 619 Applied Healthcare Financial Management (3)
MHA 625 Health Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
MHA 628 Healthcare Policy and Reimbursement (3)
MHA 638 Health Information Systems (3)
MHA 650 Operational Strategy and Systems Leadership (3)
MHA 692A Capstone I (1)
MHA 692B Capstone II (3-6)

Related Requirements

An education, business or healthcare statistics course at the undergraduate (300/400 course, 3000/4000 course) or graduate level prior to registering for MHA 615. Any other alternative must be approved by the MHA Graduate Program Coordinator. A course within the last 5 years is highly recommended.