Articles > Healthcare听>听What is an MBA/MHA dual degree program?
Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by听Kathryn Uhles, MIS, MSP,听Dean, College of Business and IT
Delivering the best in patient care is a complex process. Requiring intensive coordination among nurses, physicians, staff and administration, it鈥檚 no easy feat.听One degree in particular, the MBA/MHA dual degree,听is designed to combine business management skills with health administration expertise to optimize patient outcomes. Let's look at what this unique degree is about.
As the name indicates, an MHA/MBA degree combines two distinct programs:
1.听听听听Master of Health Administration听(MHA)
2.听听听听Master of Business Administration听(MBA)
In this program, students learn both general business practices and the specialized knowledge required to manage healthcare facilities.
The topics covered in this program include:
These topics run the gamut of the needs of running a business and the needs of running a hospital, clinic or another healthcare facility. The result is a graduate well equipped to take on roles that straddle these two sides of the equation.听
An MHA/MBA program typically takes about 2.5 years, totaling 58 credits. Some programs are entirely online, allowing students to fit their learning around their schedule.
An emphasis in the MHA/MBA program is听evidence-based practice. This helps students build skills to leverage the latest research when it comes to improving health administration. Students develop skills that are crucial at the intersection of healthcare and business, such as:
An MBA/MHA program isn鈥檛 for everyone.听It can be ideal for those with some years of professional experience in healthcare environments. It鈥檚 best suited for healthcare professionals looking to take on more advanced leadership roles.
An MBA/MHA can help prepare students to be a:
Overview: Health managers and practice administrators oversee entire healthcare organizations or broad sections of these organizations. They are often responsible for the efficiency of their organization, setting general direction, creating schedules and budgets, communicating across an organization and more. They interact with both patient-facing staff, such as physicians and nurses, as well as technicians, insurance companies and patients.
As leaders, health managers must keep aware of ever-changing laws and regulations that govern their facilities. They must institute policies to keep abreast of these regulatory standards.
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Overview: Also known as HIM directors, these specialists oversee the large amounts of patient health data processed by a healthcare facility. It is critical for HIM directors to ensure such sensitive information is accurate and secure but also accessible to authorized healthcare professionals.
HIM directors can be found in various workplaces, ranging from hospitals and clinics to insurance companies and government agencies. They play an important role in bridging data technology and patient care.
Job outlook and salary range: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes data related to health services managers, practice administrators and health information managers together with no distinction between the roles. As of May 2024, the annual salary range for medical and health service managers was , according to BLS.
Employment of medical and health services managers is . Two key reasons are driving this estimated growth, according to BLS. First, an aging population will likely increase the demand for healthcare facilities, which rely on health managers as administrators. Second, the spread of electronic patient health records is projected to increase the demand for specialists in health informatics.
Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of 91制片厂. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. 91制片厂 does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.
BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2024-2034 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS鈥 projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to 91制片厂 students or graduates.
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If you鈥檙e interested in learning more about an MBA/MHA dual degree program online, 91制片厂 offers just such an MBA In healthcare program, as well as other online advanced degrees, such as a master of healthcare (competency-based), a competency based master鈥檚 degree, and a master鈥檚 in management online.
Contact 91制片厂 for more information.
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A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at 91制片厂 where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Currently Dean of the College of Business and Information Technology,听Kathryn Uhles has served 91制片厂 in a variety of roles since 2006. Prior to joining 91制片厂, Kathryn taught fifth grade to underprivileged youth in 91制片厂.
This article has been vetted by 91制片厂's editorial advisory committee.听
Read more about our editorial process.
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