Healthcare Administration, M.H.A

• Curriculum

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Program Description

The Master of Healthcare Administration is a two-year program that develops leaders who possess the values, knowledge, and skills needed to work in a highly-competitive, market-driven environment. Students will learn about the management of healthcare from experienced administrators. They will also learn to conceptualize, analyze, and apply vital concepts when dealing with multifaceted healthcare administrative issues. All classes are offered in the evening and one Sunday per course to accommodate the working professional.

Policies

Applicants with fewer than two years of experience in healthcare, and who are admitted to the program, will be required to complete a three-credit residency during the final trimester of the program.

Mental and Physical Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the Master’s degree in the Healthcare Administration program must:

• Be able to speak in a clear and concise manner.
• Have communication abilities sufficient to interact professionally with others in verbal and written form.
• Possess critical thinking skills sufficient to think clearly and act appropriately in stressful situations.
• Possess interpersonal skills sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Healthcare Administration program must:

1. Submit an application online and nonrefundable $50 application fee.
2. Present evidence of a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
3. Present current official transcripts from all undergraduate and/or graduate institutions attended. Admission GPAs will be calculated based on credits and grades from regionally accredited institutions only. Transcripts must be mailed or delivered electronically to the Office of Admissions from each institution attended. Transcripts will be considered official only when received directly from the institution and not hand-delivered by the applicant or faxed by the institution attended. Failure to disclose all colleges previously attended could result in denial or dismissal. Additionally, transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by approved credential evaluation companies. Please see Foreign Transcript Evaluations for more information.
4. Present official transcripts for each College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) examination taken only if the applicant would like them to be considered for fulfillment of prerequisite requirements. CLEP scores reported on an official college transcript are also acceptable for this requirement.
5. Present a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
6. Present an updated résumé. Two years of professional experience in healthcare are preferred. Applicants with fewer than two years of experience in healthcare and who are admitted to the program will be required to complete a three-credit residency during the final trimester of the program.
7. Provide an essay or goal statement outlining career goals, reasons for choosing to attend a faith-based institution, and reasons for specifically choosing AdventHealth University.
8. Provide two recommendations using AHU Recommendation Forms. Two recommendations should be from professional references and one from an academic reference.
9. Present the following undergraduate courses either as having been completed in the applicant’s undergraduate program or taken post-baccalaureate but prior to admission to the MHA program: 
   1. ACC 220 - Principles of Financial Accounting  
   2. ECON 255 - Principles of Economics   
   3. FNCE 350 - Principles of Healthcare Finance    

Note: Competency in computer skills is assumed.

1. Successfully complete the personal interview process. (See below.)

Applicants are reminded that, due to the competitive nature of the admission process, meeting the minimum standards for admission does not guarantee admission to the program. After the initial screening of the applications, some applicants will be invited to campus for a personal interview (see requirement above).

Each applicant accepted to an on-campus professional program is expected to pay a nonrefundable deposit of $500 to reserve his or her place in the program. The applicant’s acceptance letter will contain a deposit amount and a deadline, indicating when the deposit must be received by the University. Once the student enrolls in the program, this deposit will be applied toward the student’s account. Students who have paid the deposit, but decide not to enroll in the program, will forfeit the deposit. If that student is admitted to the same program at a later date, he or she will be required to pay the full deposit amount again. If an applicant is admitted to a program with prerequisites in progress and becomes ineligible for admission due to his or her grades, a full refund will be provided. A professional program deposit is not transferable to another department. Distance Education students are not required to pay a program deposit.

Note: Competency in computer skills is assumed.

Reapplication Process

Applicants who are not admitted to the Master’s in Healthcare Administration program during a specific admission cycle may reapply to the program for the next admission cycle as long as they have successfully met the minimum admission requirements. Reapplicants are expected to meet the published admission deadlines by submitting the following additional information to the Office of Admissions.

1. Submit an application online with a non-refundable $50 reactivation fee.
2. Updated official transcripts from any accredited institutions attended since the original application was submitted.
3. Provide an updated resume.

Progression

​A. Academic Status and Notification. A student who is advancing in the program is considered in good academic standing. Students on probation are not considered in good academic standing. Please refer to the AHU Catalog for the complete definition of academic probation. 

B. Academic Concern Process.

1. Unsatisfactory progress indicators include:

   a. Falling below a 3.00 Grade Point Average

   b. Grade of C or below in any course

   c. Unprofessional conduct (as reported by the Department Chair, a course instructor, or other faculty)

   d. Disciplinary problems and other conduct and professionalism infractions that fall within the scope of AHU’s Code of Conduct.

2. Academic Alert. An Academic Alert is issued by the department of Healthcare Administration and applies to students in good academic standing that may have failed one graduate level course. Students that receive an Academic Alert will be notified in writing by the department chair that they are at risk for dismissal from the program.  There are instances that students would not receive an Academic Alert and instead be dismissed from the program. This is detailed in section ‘C’ below.

3. Withdrawal.
   a. If a student withdraws (W, WF) from a core course, the student will only be permitted to retake the course one time.
        i. Withdrawal from the same core course for a second time will be considered withdrawal from the program.
   b. In accordance with university policy, a student may also be academically dismissed for:
        i. Displaying a high degree of academic irresponsibility and academic dishonesty (see the Academic Integrity section of the AHU catalog)

4. Provisional Grades and Remediation. The incomplete (I) grade is a transcript grade which may be replaced by a passing grade should the student successfully pass the course meeting all the requirements therein. Please see the Grading Policy for all grading definitions.

   If a student earns a C in the course, a grade of C will be recorded on the transcript. Students that earn a C will be notified in writing by the department chair that they are at risk for dismissal from the program and this will trigger an Academic Alert. Students that earn a D or F will automatically be dismissed from the program.

   If a student withdraws from a course, the student will only be permitted to retake the course one time. Withdrawal from the course for a second time will be considered withdrawal from the program.

C. Dismissal 

1. Academic failure is taken seriously at AHU. Academic failure within the Healthcare Administration department is defined as follows:

   i. Any student that earns a second ‘C’ would trigger an automatic dismissal.

   ii. Any student that earns a ‘D’ or ‘F’ would trigger an automatic dismissal.

   iii. Any student with documented unprofessional behavior. 

D. Remediation. A student failing to receive a minimum acceptable grade in a course for graduate credit may not continue his/her program of studies without permission of the Department Chair. The Chairs decision, along with an appropriate explanation and justification, must be filed in the Graduate Studies Office. This may include a requirement to retake the course. Students may be given the opportunity to repeat no more than two courses during their progression. 

E. Petition for Readmission. If an individual who has previously been dismissed from the AHU MHA program due to academic failure desires to return to the MHA program, he or she must re-apply during the normal application cycle for the next available class. Should a vacancy occur in the MHA program which is compatible with matriculation of the academically failed/dismissed student, the department chair may extend an invitation for reapplication to the MHA program. Individuals/ applicants must submit required admission paperwork and fees. An invitation for application does not signify acceptance into the MHA program. Academically/dismissed individuals desiring to be considered to reapplication should submit a letter of intent to the department chair. If an individual is accepted into the Healthcare Administration program again, at the time of readmission, the department chair will design an individualized course plan of study for the readmitted student, which may include repeating coursework successfully completed previously and directed study classes. 

Completion

AdventHealth University will consider students for graduation with a Master’s in Healthcare Administration when they have:

1. Students must complete the required credit hours for their graduate degree program.
2. Total time from matriculation to graduate cannot exceed 72 months. 
3. Students must attain the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a healthcare administration leader. 
4. Students must comply with the standards of conduct, professionalism, and academic integrity as outlined in the university catalog, student handbook, and related policies.
5. Only students in good academic standing are eligible for graduation.

I. Exceptions

Deviation from the aforementioned policies will require a petition to and approval by the department chair.