Most Affordable Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration Programs

WSU dedicates itself to helping busy students earn their degrees. This public university in Ogden, Utah offers online, weekend, and evening courses for nontraditional students. In fact, 79% of learners have jobs to work their schedules around and 58% enroll part time. Although 92% of the school’s degree candidates come from Utah, WSU educates learners from all 50 states and 62 foreign countries.

The school’s Dumke College of Health Professions offers an executive master’s in health administration online. While all of the coursework takes place online, learners must attend a one-day orientation on campus before classes begin. The school offers a tuition discount for distance learners to help cover this cost.

Full-time degree candidates finish the program in two years. WSU breaks each semester into two, eight-week blocks. Most of the time, full-time students take only two classes at a time, which helps working professionals stay on track. Learners take courses in areas like health systems and the healthcare economy, population health and data analysis, accounting and financial principles for healthcare managers, and executive decision-making for healthcare leaders.

Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in any subject from an accredited university with a GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants also submit GRE or GMAT scores unless they have at least five years of healthcare experience. The school prefers learners with at least two years in supervisory roles.

UNC-Chapel Hill celebrates more than 225 years of providing high-quality public education. When the school opened, it was the first public university in the United States. Since then, more than 390,000 students have earned UNC-Chapel Hill degrees. The university consists of 14 individual colleges and schools, and alumni in this network live in all 50 states and 165 foreign countries.

The UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Public Health offers an online master’s in executive healthcare administration. While most degree candidates complete most of the coursework online, they must attend five on-campus residencies for a few days each. While the curriculum requires dedication, learners may continue to work full time.

The two-year curriculum uses the cohort model and includes courses in healthcare statistics, economics of healthcare, public health concepts, and health law. Degree candidates take two courses at a time. Students attend live video conferences to discuss topics with their cohorts and professors. These meetings take place in the evenings for about two hours, typically on Tuesday and Wednesdays.

Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school with a GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants also need at least three years of experience in the healthcare or human services industries and must submit GRE or GMAT scores.

BU opened in 1966 as a private nonprofit school in Bellevue, Nebraska. The university designs programs with hands-on learning that give graduates skills that employers want. The school routinely ranks as one of the most military-friendly universities in the country and boasts an alumni network of about 50,000 graduates around the world.

The school’s online master’s healthcare administration degree uses the cohort scheduling method. Degree candidates get to know their classmates and build lasting professional relationships. The school develops their curriculum in keeping with standards set by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance. The schools also maintains membership in the Higher Education Network of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Graduates earn 36 credits through nine courses, such as legal, ethical, and compliance issues; organizational design and delivery systems; strategic management for healthcare organizations; and health information technology and administration. Learners pay the same tuition rate regardless of residency status.

To qualify for admission, candidates must provide proof they work at least part time at a healthcare organization, or that such an organization supports them through their education. This requirement ensures that learners have access to on-the-job learning, which helps in the capstone course. Candidates should also hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a GPA of at least 2.5 or a master’s degree with a 3.0 GPA. In some cases, the university may require applicants to send an admission essay.

Cal State East Bay maintains campuses in Hayward, Concord, and Oakland, California [PDF]. The university has proudly served as part of the California State University system for more than 60 years and boasts a network of more than 130,000 alumni. Some of the most prominent graduates work as top executives for healthcare and wellness organizations.

The school’s master’s in healthcare administration online follow guidelines from the Health Care Leadership Alliance. As such, graduates are proficient in workplace communication, business skills, professionalism, understanding of healthcare organizations, and leadership.

The curriculum includes 48 quarter credits in courses such as U.S. healthcare system, project and change management in health informatics, healthcare quality assessment and improvement, and evolution of healthcare units. At the end of the program, learners complete capstone projects.

While some courses take place entirely online, most require one on-campus meeting per week. These take place in the evenings, which allows learners to continue working. Furthermore, all Cal State East Bay campuses are near public transportation stops. Degree candidates take courses in quarter terms throughout the year, including summer.

Candidates must submit an undergraduate transcript that proves degree conferment and a 2.5 GPA, as well as two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources, a professional resume, and a statement of purpose.

UWF is a public university in Pensacola, with about 12,800 students and 87,000 alumni. More than one in four of those learners take courses entirely online, and more than 3,000 graduate degree candidates attend the university. Learners enjoy small class sizes and personalized education from passionate professors.

The school’s Usha Kundu, MD College of Health offers a master’s in healthcare administration online for professionals in their early healthcare careers. Learners earn 40.5 credits through classes such as management and organization behavior, business analysis and decision-making in healthcare, and human resources in healthcare.

The program begins with three management fundamentals courses that help learners with bachelor’s degrees in non-business areas. In the final semester, degree candidates must complete internships. With the exception of the in-person internet components, all coursework takes place online. Some classes require proctored exams that learners can take in testing centers near their homes.

Applicants must submit scores from the GRE, GMAT, or MAT. They must also hold bachelor’s degrees with cumulative and major GPAs of at least 3.0. The schools waives test requirements if learners hold a GPA above 3.5, an existing graduate degree, or at least three years of healthcare experience that requires a bachelor’s degree. Candidates should also submit resumes, three letters of recommendation, and personal essays.

UNLV is a public research institution located in Paradise, Nevada. Established in 1957, the school serves more than 30,000 students annually. The university offers an online executive master of healthcare administration program for distance learners.

Located in its School of Public Health, UNLV’s online MHA program readies learners for executive leadership and administrative roles. Students prepare to take on cross-functional responsibilities and meet professional demands as leaders in the healthcare industry.

Prospective students interested in applying to this healthcare administration master’s program online must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have a 3.0 GPA or higher. Complete applications also include a personal essay, a professional resume, and official transcripts. Individuals may need to submit contact information for three references. The personal essay must explain why an applicant wishes to pursue a degree in healthcare management at UNLV and a career in this particular field.

The program best serves managers and administrators who already possess at least three years of experience related to healthcare. Many successful applicants also possess up to five years of clinical experience or hold a terminal clinical degree, such as an MD.

Master’s degree seekers complete a total of 36 credits. Required classes in this program include healthcare economics, operations and quality management, advanced healthcare clients, healthcare law and ethics, and strategic management. All MHA online students complete a healthcare administration capstone course, which includes an in-depth project or a comprehensive exam.

Established in 1906, WKU is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The school offers over 100 graduate-level academic programs, including a master of health administration that students can earn online.

This executive master of health administration program prepares learners for roles in leadership, administration, and management across the healthcare industry. WKU students complete a diverse curriculum over the course of two years. Remote learners develop the organizational and interpersonal skills needed to meet consumers’ needs on a daily basis.

Distance students in this program complete courses and requirements mostly online, except for three on-campus visits. These in-person meetings take place on predetermined weekends in July and August. Visits allow students to engage with fellow classmates and professors face-to-face and develop business and personal relationships.

Online learners complete 42 credits. Popular electives at WKU include ambulatory care, healthcare preparedness in leadership, healthcare systems design in behavior, health systems informatics, and decision-making in healthcare.

Students applying to this online MHA program must complete an online application form and submit a professional resume, personal statement, and two letters of reference. Recommendations must come from the applicant’s most recent immediate supervisors and should speak to an individual’s likelihood of finding success in a graduate program.

WKU online students enjoy remote access to the university’s writing lab, math tutoring, online learning tutorials, and career and professional development services. Pupils can also take advantage of discounted software, an information technology help desk, and full-text library access.

UL Lafayette is a public research institution established in 1889. With almost 20,000 students, it ranks as the largest school in the University of Louisiana System. UL Lafayette offers over 25 master’s programs, including an online MBA in healthcare administration. This program holds programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

This MBA prepares distance students for leadership and administrative roles across the healthcare industry. The curriculum allows learners to examine the technological and economic aspects of the field, helping professionals improve patient care and business outcomes.

Distance learners complete 39 credits, including two internships. Full-time students can complete the program in as few as 18 months. As a healthcare administration program structured inside of an MBA program, distance pupils take foundational courses in accounting, finance, economics, and quantitative methods. Healthcare administration-focused courses include healthcare information systems, quality management in healthcare, healthcare delivery systems, and healthcare economics.

The required internships last eight weeks and take place at an approved healthcare organization. One internship centers around a student’s original research project, while the other allows learners to explore executive roles and various services offered through healthcare facilities.

Students interested in earning this online master’s in healthcare administration degree must submit a resume and official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities. Successful applicants typically possess a 3.0 GPA or higher, and UL Lafayette favors applicants with three or more years of relevant work experience.

Established in 1927, MSU Billings ranks as the third-largest university in Montana. The school offers over 100 academic programs, including an online master of health administration degree.

Distance learners in this MHA online program develop the skills and knowledge needed to assume leadership positions in health services management and administration. The curriculum focuses on the growing rural-frontier healthcare delivery area.

In total, distance pupils need to earn 51 credits for graduation. MHA students complete several online classes, a two-day on-campus seminar each semester, and an internship. Distance learners also complete a capstone project. Full-time participants often finish this program in 20–24 months.

Faculty deliver synchronous classes entirely online. The department recommends students take 3–5 eight-week classes per semester, as well as three classes during a summer session. Required classes for this MHA online degree include rural-frontier healthcare management, statistics for healthcare administration, managerial accounting and budgeting, and health quality techniques.

Prospective students must submit two copies of official transcripts from previously attended undergraduate and graduate programs. MSU Billings expects applicants to possess a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants should also turn in GMAT or GRE scores, a professional resume, a letter of application, and contact information for three individuals who can speak to their potential for success in a health administration career.

Distance students can apply for internal scholarship awards through the graduate school. These merit-based awards require applicants to possess a minimum 3.25 GPA.

Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Southern Miss serves more than 14,0000 students each year. This public university, which was established in 1910, offers an online master of public health with a concentration in health policy and administration.

Individuals who complete this healthcare administration master’s program online take an 18-credit core that covers epidemiology, environmental health, social and behavioral aspects of health, and biostatistics. The health policy administration concentration requires 21 credits. Specialized courses for this track include healthcare financial management, health economics, healthcare marketing, and healthcare organizational behavior.

Distance students also complete an internship as part of the core requirements. The internship consists of 400 hours of supervised, hands-on fieldwork. Students complete all required courses entirely online, while the internship takes place at an approved health facility near a student’s home. Participants work with an academic advisor to find an appropriate internship site.

Online master’s students must pass a comprehensive exam to graduate. Full-time students who take four or five synchronous classes per semester typically finish the program in 15 months.

This graduate program prepares students to work as health services managers, hospital administrators, program managers, healthcare consultants, clinic managers, and health policy analysts.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is a state school that was established in 1947. The university’s business college offers four graduate degrees, including an online master of business administration with a concentration in healthcare administration. The program holds programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Distance students must complete 36 credits to graduate, and full-time learners typically finish the program in 12 months. Designed for working professionals who wish to advance their careers, this MBA program helps students obtain basic business knowledge and a foundational understanding of healthcare administration.

The degree requires four healthcare administration concentration classes, including health economics and policy, health law and ethics, healthcare financial management, and healthcare systems. Core business administration classes include managerial finance, software-based business solutions, and managerial economics.

Upon completion of the program, graduates should understand salient aspects of the American healthcare system, modern issues related to healthcare delivery, and principles of healthcare economics and their effects on public policies. Online pupils also acquire the necessary managerial and financial management skills to assume administrative and leadership roles in the healthcare sector.

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, earned with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Individuals should submit GMAT or GRE scores, a current resume, a personal essay, and official transcripts. Students with non-business undergraduate degrees can still apply, but they must have completed prerequisite classes in accounting, economics, management concepts, and statistical and decision analysis.

FSU is a public institution that was established in 1884 in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school hosts approximately 15,000 students annually. FSU offers a variety of graduate degrees, including a master of healthcare administration that students can complete online.

Distance learners in this online MHA program prepare for leadership roles in healthcare organizations by following a curriculum focused on healthcare industry business essentials. The 40–46-credit degree track covers important areas of the field, including financial management, human resource management, quality improvement, resource efficiency, and marketing. Online students complete all classes remotely with no on-campus obligations. Faculty deliver courses asynchronously through interactive and collaborative web-based programs and Blackboard.

Distance students must complete a four-credit capstone research project. Other major requirements include classes in healthcare administrative law, healthcare informatics, healthcare marketing, and finance management. Additionally, online learners choose six elective credits to tailor the degree to fit their personal needs.

Upon completion of the degree, students can design and implement various projects to improve healthcare delivery in practical situations. Graduates should also possess the ability to create innovative marketing plans for healthcare settings, manage healthcare information systems, and follow evidence-based plans for enhancing patient care.

Prospective students must submit a personal statement, contact information for three professional references, a professional resume, and their official transcripts. Competitive applicants possess a 3.0 GPA or higher. Incoming students should be able to demonstrate a history of coursework in the social and natural sciences, including biology and chemistry.

Online students at FSU can take advantage of personal and academic advising, student financial services, information technology assistance, Blackboard support, and veteran services. FSU also offers students professional and career development services.

Baker is a private school located in Flint Township, Michigan. It offers more than 150 academic programs, including a healthcare management MBA that students can earn online. This graduate program holds programmatic accreditation from the International Accreditation Council for Business Education.

Students who earn an MBA with a concentration in healthcare management prepare for leadership positions where they can leverage business management skills, improve the quality of patient care, reduce costs, and create a positive environment for employees. Graduates typically seek careers in a health or medical services facility, doctor’s office, clinical specialty facility, or group medical practice.

Distance learners complete 36 credits, taking required courses like healthcare finance, law and ethics, quality management in healthcare organizations, healthcare administration, and programs and policies. Students also complete classes in economic environments, research and statistics for managers, human resource management, and human behavior management of organizations.

Prospective students must submit an online application that includes an admissions essay, a resume, and official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities. Baker expects applicants to possess a 2.5 GPA or higher. Applicants with a lower GPA may still apply if they also submit a supplemental letter explaining their academic performance.

Accepted transfer students pursuing this master’s in healthcare administration online can bring in up to 12 credits; the registrar considers classes completed with a B or higher on a case-by-case basis.

APSU is a four-year public institution located in Clarksville, Tennessee. Established in 1927, the school currently serves approximately 10,000 students annually. Distance learners can take advantage of its online master of healthcare administration program.

Students can complete this graduate program remotely, without ever visiting campus. APSU uses a cohort learning format in which individuals progress through coursework in lockstep with their classmates on a predetermined schedule. Students begin in the fall semester and can graduate in 10 months.

Online MHA students need to complete 30 credits for graduation. Students who progress through the one-year degree plan with their cohort take 12 credits during the fall and spring semesters and six credits during the summer semester. Required courses for the major include an introduction to research methods; statistics and assessment; healthcare economics; human resource management; strategic healthcare management; and law, policy, and advocacy.

Alternatively, MHA online students may choose to follow a two-year degree plan, in which they take six credits during the fall and spring semesters and three credits during the summers. Regardless of their chosen degree pathway, healthcare administration students must meet a series of prerequisites and earn a C or better in each required class. During their final semester, all master’s students must also pass an oral exam.

Prospective students should hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, earned with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Incoming students with a 3.5 GPA or higher receive a GRE waiver.

USI is a public university that was founded in 1965. The school offers more than 80 academic programs, including a master of health administration online program. This degree track best serves professionals already working in the healthcare industry who wish to obtain additional credentials and skills to help them further their careers.

Distance students complete the majority of requirements for this degree online, although the program requires three on-campus visits in August, January, and May. In-person requirements allow students to attend faculty presentations and lectures, engage in leadership exercises, and network with their peers. These visits also feature guest speakers, class sessions, and on-campus meals.

Interested students must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college. USI expects incoming pupils to have at least two years of relevant work experience and a minimum 3.0 GPA. The school favors applicants with a documented history of experience in basic economics, statistics, and accounting. Applications also include a resume, letter of intent, admissions essay, and three letters of recommendation. Interested students may submit either their GRE scores or three essays written in response to a list of prompts.

In most cases, online learners complete this 39-credit program in six semesters. Remote coursework uses a cohort learning format, and students progress through courses such as biostatistics, health informatics, healthcare finance, and epidemiology with a group of their peers. Learners also take three capstone courses that result in one final project.