Program Admission

Applicants must receive favorable endorsement from the health administration faculty. Admission will be based on applicable test scores (Graduate Record Examination [GRE] or Graduate Management Aptitude Test [GMAT]); undergraduate grade point average; previous education and/or experience; and an ability to articulate career goals and education objectives via a letter of intent. Two letters of recommendation are also required, one of which should be from a professor or instructor familiar with the student’s prior academic history and abilities.

Applicants already holding a doctoral degree or its professional equivalent obtained in the United States may be exempt from the GRE requirement. Professional school standardized test scores (MCAT, DAT, and LSAT) taken in the past five years may be substituted for the GRE by applicants who are enrolled in or who have already earned post-baccalaureate degrees in areas such as medicine, dentistry, or law.

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Program Prerequisites

Students are accepted from all undergraduate disciplines and professional areas; however, the program determines if students must successfully complete up to nine hours of prerequisite course work before being fully admitted into the program.

Program Requirements

The student is required to complete a minimum of fifty-three (53) semester hours. Fifty (50) hours are taken in the core curriculum and three (3) hours of electives chosen in consultation with an advisor. The three (3) hours of electives allow the student to extend basic knowledge gained in the core curriculum and can include such areas as health administration, public health, economics, marketing, finance, public policy, public administration, and management. The comprehensive examination (HADM 7210) must be successfully completed during the semester in which the student expects to graduate.

Retention Requirements

All students enrolled in the MHA program are expected to attain high academic achievement in all courses taken. The following criteria will be used to determine retention status of students:

Students having been admitted unconditionally who maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher will be considered in good standing if not more than 2 (two) grades of 2.00 or lower have been earned.

Students must maintain a GPA of 3.00. In accordance with the Graduate School guidelines, any student not meeting this requirement will be placed on probation. The MHA Program Director will review each student’s academic record to determine whether to request permission from the Graduate School to allow a student who has not maintained a 3.00 GPA to continue to enroll in classes while on probation. The MHA Program Director must approve courses for a student on probation. Probationary status continues even if the student has a grade under appeal. If a student remains on probation for two consecutive semesters or remains on probation after taking three courses (9 semester hours) without raising the overall GPA to 3.00, the student will be suspended from the program. Appeals of suspension must be submitted in writing to the MHA Program Director.

A student who has been suspended from the MHA program will be denied enrollment in MHA and PUBH courses subsequent to suspension.

Elective courses applied to the MHA program requirements must have the advisor’s approval.