The Department of Health Care Administration offers the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) to provide evidence-based training in micro and macro theory and practice to advance the health of individuals and communities—local, national, and international. The program enables students to understand the complex interrelationships between health organizations, societal and cultural contexts, and biological systems, and emphasizes the well-being of the individuals and populations affected by these complex interrelationships. The UWM MHA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and is the only CAHME-accredited MHA program in the State of Wisconsin.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements and submit the following materials:
- Resume or CV
- Transcripts: All applicants, including UWM students, must upload transcripts from all academic institutions where a bachelor's degree or above has been or will be earned.
- Reason Statement: An essential part of your application, the reason statement is used to determine the appropriateness of your educational and professional goals and serves as an example of your ability to express yourself in writing. In the statement:
- Explain your reasons for pursuing graduate study.
- Describe specific interests and your background in the field.
- List any relevant skills or training you have acquired.
- List relevant academic awards or honors you have received.
- Two Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation should come from academic sources and/or supervisors. The letters should address the applicant's academic and professional strengths, and the applicant's potential for success in graduate study.
Credits and Courses
MHA Options
There are four options for the MHA:
Option 1: Face-to-Face Program
(39 credits required for graduation)
All courses are offered in face-to-face sections; 30 credits of required courses, a 2-credit internship, 1-credit MHA capstone course and 6 credits of electives are required.
Option 2: Online Program
(39 credits required for graduation)
All courses are offered online; 30 credits of required courses, a 2-credit internship, 1-credit MHA capstone course and 6 credits of electives are required.
Option 3: Executive Online Program
(33 credits required for graduation)
All courses are offered online; 30 credits of required courses, a 2-credit internship and 1-credit MHA capstone course required. Admission to the Executive Online program requires previous health-related administrative experience and/or an advanced professional degree. Examples of acceptable degrees include MBA, PharmD, PhD, MD, JD, DO, DPT, and APRN.
Option 4: Executive Online Program with the Pharmacy Leadership Academy
(30 credits required for graduation)
All courses are offered online; 27 credits of required courses, a 2-credit internship and 1-credit MHA capstone course required. Admission to this program requires concurrent enrollment in the Pharmacy Leadership Academy (PLA) program. *HCA 866 is not a required course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| HCA 801 | Design of Health and Human Service Systems | 3 |
| KIN 702 | Statistical Analysis in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| or HCA 843 | Quantitative Methods for Healthcare Administrators | |
| HCA 821 | Operations Management in Healthcare Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 822 | Human Resources Management for Healthcare Executives | 3 |
| HCA 823 | Strategic Planning in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 865 | Financial Management for Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| HCA 866 | Leading Change & Innovation in a System | 3 |
| HCA 867 | Global Population Health Management | 3 |
| HCA 813 | Health Regulatory Policy and Politics | 3 |
| HCA 868 | Health Law and Ethics | 3 |
| Required Internship | ||
| HCA 870 | Internship in Health Care Administration | 2 |
| Required Capstone | ||
| HCA 871 | MHA Capstone | 1 |
| Focus Area Electives: | ||
| BUSMGMT 705 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| BUS ADM 775 | Financial Strategy | 3 |
| or NURS 620 | Global Food Security and Systems | |
| NURS 708 | Global Maternal and Child Health: From Evidence to Action | 3 |
| or HI 723 | Health Care Systems Applications - Administrative and Clinical | |
| HI 743 | Predictive Analytics in Healthcare | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Approved General Electives | ||
| HCA 835 | Patient-Provider Communication: Strategies & Practices | 3 |
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
A student must have a major professor to advise and supervise the student’s studies as specified in Graduate School regulations. Initially, the director of the MHA Program advises and supervises newly admitted students. Students are then assigned faculty advisors according to faculty advising loads.
Time Limit
All degree requirements must be completed within seven years of the first enrollment semester as a degree student.