Master of Health Administration
Placement
Many students choose to complement their academic training with an administrative internship between the first and second year and a postgraduate Fellowship or Residency. Such experiences afford a valuable means of observing, developing and demonstrating practical management techniques and skills as well as developing career networks of valued colleagues.
The Department takes an active role in assisting students to identify and secure internship, fellowship and residency positions. The Department has an outstanding placement record because of the high caliber of its students and its academic and professional reputation.
Summer Internships
The University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy prepares individuals for leadership roles in health care management, planning and policy. A summer internship complements the classroom by offering an opportunity for more comprehensive and extensive involvement in the field.
A summer internship between the first and second years allows students to apply management theory, health care knowledge, and technical and analytical skills to projects and engage in problem-solving in actual health organizations. The summer internship provides opportunities for the student to explore their career aspirations, begin their professional development and establish a performance record within the field.
Interns benefit from observation, direction and evaluation by a preceptor; contact with diverse health care practitioners, attendance at various management meetings, and direct participation in management, administration, and/or planning projects. Given the focus on individual development, however, the experience should remain flexible. Past students from the department have participated in summer internships at such diverse organizations as community-based hospitals in both urban and rural settings, academic health centers, and children's hospitals. In all instances, preceptors have reported that their organization and the student benefited from the field experience.
Internships are full-time positions and generally last 10-12 weeks. Students normally receive a salary or stipend and in some cases, assistance with living arrangements. Students can opt to earn 3 semester hours.
Fellowships
After graduation, MHA and MPH students are encouraged to complete a fellowship that provides one to two years of full-time work experience. The preceptor, in conjunction with the fellow, devises a framework for the experience that outlines rotations, possible project assignments, and attendance at key administrative board/planning/professional meetings. Fellowships afford a valuable means of observing, developing and demonstrating practical management skills while developing career networks of valued colleagues.
The post-graduate fellowship is a comprehensive learning opportunity which refines the individual's analytic, technical, decision-making, interpersonal, and management skills, while providing broad exposure to health care issues within an organizational setting.
These fellowships concentrate on translating educational experiences into applied health care settings, and often leads to advanced positions in finance, marketing, operations, planning and strategic management.