Master of Healthcare Administration

Roughly half of your online M.H.A. coursework is completed on your schedule. The rest of your time is spent in live evening sessions where you discuss, debate, and make decisions on case studies with faculty and classmates. You’ll gain expertise in:

• Healthcare systems & operations: Examine patient flow and process improvement, including how an operational change affects teams and resources.
• Epidemiology & biostatistics: Use health data to identify patterns and mitigate public health challenges.
• Leadership & management: Learn how to guide a team through uncertainty, practice negotiating agreements and explaining difficult decisions clearly.
• Legal & ethical frameworks: Apply health law and ethical principles to protect patients and drive compliance for your organization.
• Emerging technology & AI in healthcare: Build the analytical and ethical grounding to evaluate how technologies like AI are reshaping healthcare operations and lead an organization through those changes responsibly.
• Innovation & resource development: Study a healthcare setting or intervention, supported by evidence and present your findings during the final Dallas immersion.

Explore the curriculum

To complement your online coursework, we include two short on-campus immersions at SMU that place you at the table with peers, faculty and policy leaders:

• The first immersion gives the online program a shared starting point. You take part in workshops and network with fellow students, faculty and healthcare professionals from the region.
• In the final term, you present your capstone, explain the evidence behind your recommendation and respond to questions from faculty and people in the field.

Learn more about the immersion experiences

With guidance from faculty, you will identify a healthcare challenge or opportunity to explore across two capstone courses. You will gather evidence, develop recommendations and turn your findings presented at your final immersion in Dallas.

The finished project gives you a concrete example of your decision-making and communication skills that you can discuss with employers or draw on when making the case for an idea at work.

The M.H.A. is a healthcare leadership degree that provides targeted education for leadership roles in healthcare settings or health-related industries. An M.B.A. is relevant to leadership careers in multiple sectors but usually doesn’t provide the industry-specific knowledge necessary to lead healthcare organizations.

Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.)

Focuses on the business, management and leadership of healthcare organizations, emphasizing healthcare policy, organizational strategy and data analytics in patient care systems.

• Business, management and leadership in healthcare organizations
• Healthcare policy, regulations and compliance
• Data analytics in patient care and health systems
• Strategies tailored to the evolving healthcare landscape

Who is the ideal M.H.A. candidate? Professionals aiming to lead in hospitals, health systems, public health agencies, healthcare consulting and other healthcare-focused organizations.

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Provides a broad education in business principles and management with applications across various industries:

• Finance, marketing, operations and general management
• Business strategy and leadership across sectors
• Not healthcare-specific, but offers transferable skills

Who is the ideal M.B.A. candidate? Professionals seeking leadership roles across various industries.

Read a full degree comparison.

While both degrees are healthcare-centered, they have two distinct focuses. An M.H.A. is centered on leading healthcare organizations and services, while an M.P.H. addresses broader public health challenges, such as epidemiology, environmental health and health education.

Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.)

M.H.A. students gain foundational knowledge in public health, but the program emphasizes the strategic, legal and operational aspects of healthcare delivery. The curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles within healthcare organizations such as hospitals, health systems and private healthcare firms.

A healthcare administrator’s ultimate goal is to make a healthcare organization work better so patients receive safe, effective care. They focus on the systems behind care including staffing, operations, quality, compliance, technology and patient experience.

Who is the ideal M.H.A. candidate? Aspiring healthcare executives, administrators and operational leaders focused on improving organizational performance and patient care systems.

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

Focuses on population health and disease prevention, preparing professionals to design and implement public health programs. Graduates are equipped to work in public health agencies, nonprofits, research institutions and government organizations.

A public health professional’s ultimate goal is to improve health across an entire population. They focus on preventing illness, reducing health risks and addressing the social, environmental and policy conditions that shape community health.

Who is the ideal M.P.H. candidate? Professionals committed to advancing community health, policy and population-level preventative care.

A Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) is a specialized graduate degree designed for individuals seeking leadership roles in healthcare organizations. It provides comprehensive, healthcare-focused training in policy, management principles, communication and negotiation, financial administration, organizational behavior and strategic planning.

Students will learn to expertly navigate complex regulatory environments, improve operational efficiency, manage healthcare teams and departments, implement technological innovations and address ethical concerns within healthcare environments. SMU’s M.H.A. degree also supports clinical professionals transitioning to administrative positions, as well as business professionals interested in applying their valuable expertise to the rapidly evolving healthcare industry.

Earning a Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) is a strategic investment for professionals pursuing leadership roles in healthcare. M.H.A. graduates often see expanded career opportunities and increased earning potential within the dynamic and growing healthcare industry.

Unlike general business leadership programs, the M.H.A. provides specialized knowledge in healthcare policy, finance, operations and leadership. This gives graduates a competitive edge for executive and management roles in hospitals, health systems and consulting firms, which require very specialized knowledge of both operational best practices and regulatory policy.

SMU’s online M.H.A. program offers fully online coursework, so students can advance their education without pausing their careers.

The program also includes engaging live virtual sessions held once per week in the evenings to remain accessible for working professionals. These, coupled with two on-campus immersions, offer valuable opportunities to build lasting professional connections with peers, faculty and industry leaders.

Faculty interaction is part of the weekly rhythm. Roughly half of your coursework takes place in required evening sessions, where you discuss cases and work through healthcare decisions with your professor and classmates. Between sessions, instructors typically respond to emails and course messages within 48 business hours, so you know support is never far away.

Find more information about your professors.

Yes. Applicants must have at least two years of experience in a healthcare or healthcare-adjacent role. Visit our admission page to learn more.

No. SMU does not require GRE or GMAT scores for admission to the M.H.A.

The cost per credit hour is $1,000, and the program consists of 36 credits. Total tuition for the program is $36,000 without including fees. Learn more about our tuition and funding options on our tuition and financial aid page.

Yes! Students enrolled in SMU’s online master’s programs are encouraged to request federal and state financial aid by completing their FAFSA. Scholarships may be awarded by academic departments during the admission process. Any scholarships awarded will be submitted to the Graduate Financial Aid Office to be included in your total financial aid offer.

Eligible students may receive the following tuition reductions:

• 20% tuition reduction for City of Dallas employees
• 20% for HCSC employees
• 10% for SMU alumni and faculty or staff
• 10% for employees of participating AllCampus Workplace organizations

An enrollment specialist can help you determine whether your employer or SMU affiliation qualifies.

Active-duty military service members, veterans and their spouses and dependents have access to additional funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Yellow Ribbon Program can cover tuition expenses and other costs, including books and fees. Learn more about our funding opportunities on our tuition and financial aid page.