MHA Curriculum and Degree Requirements

The master’s degree program at Iowa prepares students for a wide variety of executive positions in health organizations. The design of the curriculum reflects the program’s conviction that today’s healthcare administrator needs both a comprehensive understanding of the issues involved in patient-centered healthcare delivery organizations and strong business skills.

A total of 60 semester hours of graduate credit (generally 21 months of full-time study) are required to complete the master’s degree.

Students work carefully with advisers to create plans of study that incorporate required core courses such as management, economics, law, managerial finance, financial accounting, as well as foster career goals.

First year students are familiarized with the social, political, economic, and financial environments of healthcare organizations. The concepts, tools, and techniques of effective managerial decision making, planning and control also are introduced.

Second year students pursue in-depth applications of management concepts and develop skills in areas relating to their special interests and early career objectives.

MHA Core Courses (54 s.h.)

NumberCreditsCourse Title
HMP:50004Professional Development Seminar (1 credit taken each semester)
HMP:50053Intro to Healthcare Org. & Policy
HMP:52003Healthcare Management
HMP:53153Health Information Systems
HMP:54023Corporate Financial Reporting
HMP:60553Topics in Health Administration:  Value-based care and Payment Methods
HMP:52303Population Health
HMP:53103Healthcare Quality Management and Operations Management
HMP:53203Analytics for Healthcare Management
HMP:54103Health Economics I
HMP:63103HR and Performance Improvement
HMP:64103Healthcare Financial Management
CPH:61002Essentials of Public Health
HMP:56103Health Policy
HMP:61103Strategic Planning & Marketing
HMP:66102Legal Aspects of Healthcare
HMP:58101MHA Internship
HMP:61503MHA Integrative Capstone
HMP:63553Healthcare Ethics and Leadership

MHA Electives (9 s.h.)

The MHA degree contains 9 elective hours, up to 6 elective hours may be taken outside HMP if they are directly related to the students’ career goals and approved by the faculty advisor in consultation with the MHA Director.

NumberHoursCourse Title
Fall
HMP:53703Health Informatics I
HMP:75503Cost Effectiveness and Decision Analysis
HMP:68552, 3Administrative Practicum
HMP:63603Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I
HMP:68501Independent Study and Research
Spring
HMP:53502,3Hospital Organization and Management
HMP:57503Medicare and Medicaid Policy (only offered in odd years)
HMP:63503Medical Practice Administration
HMP:54503Health Insurance and Managed Care
HMP:68552, 3Administrative Practicum
HMP:67103Federalism and Health Policy (only offered in even years)
HMP:56503Health Policy Analysis
HMP:63653Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II