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Healthcare Admin Master’s Degrees in Pennsylvania

If you are a person who keeps up with national trends, you will be aware of the dynamic changes taking place in the healthcare industry. The major scientific, technological, consumer and social trends occurring in the world today are altering the very concept of health care delivery in Pennsylvania

Graduate programs in health administration have taken innovative steps to meet these changes and to prepare a new crop of healthcare administrators to take on tomorrow’s healthcare delivery demands. If you are a problem solver drawn to challenges in management requiring creative solutions, this is a career that offers exciting opportunities today and in the near future. Contact the schools you see below to learn more about graduate healthcare administration degree programs in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, a number of universities provide the Masters in Health Administration (MHA) program in different formats and lengths. Several of these programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the accrediting body recognized by the federal government. Characteristics of these and other programs are summarized below.

Master’s in Health Administration Programs in Pennsylvania

If you are looking to earn you MHA, Pennsylvania universities offer these graduate degrees within schools of Business Administration, Public Health or Human Services. Although differing in emphasis, length and format, the programs share the aim of producing graduates with the knowledge and competencies to take on leadership roles in various healthcare settings.

Residential programs are one or two years in length, requiring 33 to 60 credit hours; evening and Saturday classes accommodate part-time working students. You can also earn your Masters in Healthcare Administration online. Pennsylvania online MHA programs usually consist of 33 to 44 credits are supplemented with weekend courses or workshops to provide opportunities for face-to-face contact with faculty and other students.

Pennsylvania MHA Program Requirements

Admissions requirements are similar for all healthcare administration masters programs in Pennsylvania and usually consist of the following:

  1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA; in some programs, 2.5 or 2.75
    2. GRE or GMAT if the GPA standard is not met
    3. Two or three letters of reference
    4. Resume
    5. Statement of career and educational goals
    6. Personal interview

Programs for part-time professionals require, in addition, three to seven years of work in healthcare settings or in supervisory experience.

Health administration graduates are expected to become problem solvers who have developed:

  • Knowledge of the healthcare system and environment
  • A capacity for ethical leadership and management in different settings
  • Communication and relationship management skills
  • Ability to use appropriate analytics and information systems to solve problems
  • Business skills and knowledge
  • Professionalism

Courses common to master’s level health administration programs in PA can include:

  • Health Care Organization and Administration
  • Organization Behavior
  • Financial Management
  • Health Care Economics
  • Marketing
  • Health Care Statistics and Research Methods
  • Health Care Law
  • Human Resources Management
  • Health Care Ethics

Both residential and online MHA programs provide opportunities for learning directly from preceptors in an internship or residency, or from courses and workshops where students interact with faculty and practice strategic problem solving and policy generation.

Career Opportunities for Healthcare Administrators in Pennsylvania

The job outlook for healthcare administrators is good, and many universities report close to 100 percent placement of graduates within a few months after graduation. Medical and health service manager jobs in Pennsylvania are forecast to grow by 20 percent between 2018 and 2028. The MHA degree qualifies the graduate for positions in hospitals and health systems, medical practice and ambulatory care organizations, long-term care facilities, mental health organizations, consulting firms, insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms and government agencies.

Nationally, medical and health service managers earn an average yearly salary of $118,800. In Pennsylvania the average is $107,710. Three communities reporting relatively high average wages in Pennsylvania are: Harrisburg-Carlisle at $106,760, Williamsport at $113,400, and Philadelphia at $120,550.

Pennsylvania universities have come up with a variety of MHA programs to accommodate graduate students with different interests, backgrounds and life/work situations. If this career interests you, contact the schools on our site to find a program that will suit you and can escort you toward a most exciting and rewarding journey in the world of health care.

 

2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers.

Job growth projections sourced from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028) database. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expressly refers users to this source for state-specific job market data. Salary figures and job market projections reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2021.

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