Master of Health Services Administration

The Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) degree prepares professionals for leadership positions in complex, rapidly changing structure and financing of healthcare and health service organizations. With real world internships and coursework taught by faculty and working leaders of health organizations, the program prepares graduates with the business, technological, public health and leadership foundations to lead health services organizations.

The program will serve the needs of:  1) working professionals in health service organizations seeking to advance and 2) recent graduates of healthcare administration, public health and allied health degrees. While a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for some positions in health services, earning the MHSA will position these students for leadership roles and advancement.

Successful business meeting

Program Strengths and Uniqueness

  • Faculty teaching MHSA courses will include professional health services administrators (e.g., CEOs, directors, vice-presidents) from a variety of health care organizations.
  • The MHSA requires 37 credit hours of coursework and experiential learning that will prepare graduates to plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of health care as Health Services Administrators.
  • Two integrated learning experiences, an internship and a capstone project will provide graduates with real world experience.
  • For this web-centric program, courses may be offered face-to-face in the evenings, online asynchronous, or online synchronous.
  • The curriculum, which was designed with input from executives in healthcare, incorporates the use of case studies, team projects, experiential learning, and problem-solving exercises.

Required Graduate Seminars

A total of 37 credit hours of coursework at the graduate level are required.

MHSA 6100        Managing Healthcare Complexities

MHSA 6210         Health Services Finance

MHSA 6220        Healthcare Data Analytics and Decision Making

MHSA 6230        Management for Health Information Systems

MHSA 6310        Human Resources and Leadership Development in Health Services

ECON  5250       Health Economics

MHSA 6320        Healthcare Operations and Supply Chain Management

MHSA 6400        Healthcare Law and Ethics

MHSA 6450        Quality Management in Health Services Delivery

MHSA 6820        Topics in Health Services Administration (1 cr)

MHSA 6890        Internship (S/U) (3-6 cr)

MHSA 6900        Health Services Industry – Capstone/Client Project or Fellowship

Elective Coursework (3 credit hours required)

Examples of electives

PUBH 6700          Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis

PUBH 5590          Epidemiology

MHSA 6550         Social Determinants of Health

MHSA 6820         Topics in Health Services Administration (1-3 crs) (repeatable)

Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with coursework completed in statistics, economics and accounting. Equivalent work experience covering these course areas will also be considered for an evaluation of skills for applicants without verified course credit.

  • To gain regular status admission, applicants must have a minimum of 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
  • Applicants are required to submit scanned copies of official or unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended. Upon admission, final official or notarized copies of transcripts from all institutions where degrees were earned and diplomas from international institutions must be submitted.
  • They are also required to submit official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) unless one of the following criteria is met:

                a. 3.0 out of 4.0 (or equivalent) undergraduate GPA or higher
                b. Earned master’s degree
                c. Five years of relevant work experience

  • All applicants must submit two letters of recommendation from professionals, a personal statement, and a current resume.
  • International applicants are also required to submit scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA), or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Successful completion of ELS 112 will also be accepted for this requirement.

Visit the BGSU Graduate College website at www.bgsu.edu/graduate/admissions.

Application deadline, summer term: April 1
Application deadline, fall term: August 1
Application deadline, spring term: November 1

Contact Dr. Philip Welch, MHSA Graduate Coordinator
College of Health and Human Services, at pjwelch@bgsu.edu or 419-372-0368

For questions about Professional Pathways, contact Graduate Admissions:
gradinfo@bgsu.edu | 419-372-2791 | www.bgsu.edu/graduate

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for health care administrators is expected to grow 17% from 2014-2024, which is "much faster than average."

Professional opportunities include two integrated learning experiences, an internship (300 clock hours) and a capstone project provide graduates with hands-on experience and opportunities for inter-institutional collaborations with a variety of health care organizations.

Learning Outcomes

  • Master fundamental principles in business, technology and management in healthcare settings
  • Demonstrate communication and interpersonal effectiveness
  • Master applications of technology in health care practice
  • Use analytics to solve problems in health services administration
  • Demonstrate professionalism and ethical behavior
  • Analyze and evaluate daily operations for quality and efficiency.
  • Make decisions based upon organizational priorities and financially sound business principles.
  • Apply fundamental administrative and leadership skills to solve problems, evaluate outcomes and strategically plan in health services settings

Updated: 07/02/2020 05:04PM