Health Administration-MHA
Our MHA programs are ranked #7 in the nation by US News and World Report.
The mission of the GW Master of Health Administration (MHA) program is to train the next generation of leaders in the healthcare industry to improve health and health systems on a local, national, and global scale. Graduates will contribute to the improved efficacy of healthcare. They will use research and evidence to inform decisions about policies that affect diverse populations. In addition, the MHA coursework prepares students to become skilled executives in healthcare delivery systems. Attending a school situated in Washington D.C., the nation’s health policy and management epicenter ensures that graduates will become transformational leaders in healthcare.
An MHA degree incorporates coursework in business and medical informatics training, knowledge of health care systems, management theory, finance, quality, law, policy, critical values in decision making and much more. At the George Washington University, we are proud to educate students who are committed to improving healthcare and health policy and engaging in and promoting improvements in programs and services. We emphasize these qualities in the MHA program because they are essential for future leaders in healthcare delivery. Students who graduate with a Master of Health Administration degree will be able to:
- Effectively manage organizational change and promote organizational and clinical excellence.
- Manage health services organizations under alternative financing mechanisms.
- Lead and manage human resources in diverse organizational environments.
- Manage information resources to assist in effective administrative decision making and clinical management.
- Use statistical, quantitative, and economic analyses.
- Utilize leadership skills to improve both business and clinical outcomes of health services organizations.
The only prerequisite for matriculation into the MHA program is an undergraduate course from an accredited source in introductory statistics earning a "B" grade or better. You do not have to have completed the statistics course before you apply or to be accepted into the program. You just have to complete it before you arrive for courses your first semester.
Program Parameters, Information, and Outcomes
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Program Completion Rate | 100% | 100% | NA |
| Placement within 60-90 Days of Program Completion | 100% | 100% | NA |
What types of positions do our graduates take?
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| Management | 15 | 26 |
| Administrative Staff | 4 | 9 |
| Additional Fellowship | 7 | 0 |
| Not Placed | 0 | 0 |
How well are our students compensated for fellowships/residencies? What are their starting salaries following this training?
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| Fellowship/Residency | $63,000 | $60,000 |
| Median Starting Salary | $80,500 | $86,000 |
How likely are our graduates to recommend our program to a friend or an acquaintance looking to advance their career?
| Rating | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
| 0 (not at all likely) | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 (neutral) | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | 3 | 7 |
| 9 | 11 | 4 |
| 10 (extremely likely) | 11 | 9 |
| Net Promotor Score | 81 | 54 |
If our graduates had to do it all over again, would they still choose our program?
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| No | 1 | 2 |
| Yes | 25 | 22 |
Located just blocks away from the White House and the Lincoln Memorial
We also offer our Master of Health Administration (MHA) program online.
- MHA Requirements
HSML 6202 | Introduction to the US Health Services Delivery (2 credits)
HSML 6203| Introduction to Health Management (2 credits)
HSML 6204 | Quality & Performance Improvement (2 credits)
HSML 6206 | Quantitative Methods & Epidemiology in Health Services (3 credits)
HSML 6207 | Health Services Information Applications (2 credits)
HSML 6208 | Medical Informatics (2 credits)
HSML 6209 | Accounting and Health Services (3 credits)
HSML 6210 | Health Services Financial Applications (2 credits)
HSML 6211 | Health Economics (2 credits)
HSML 6212 | Community Health Management & Advocacy (2 credits)
HSML 6213 | Health Services Marketing & Planning (2 credits)
HSML 6215 | Health Law for Managers (2 credits)
HSML 6216 | Human Resources Management & Organizational Behavior (2 credits)
HSML 6218 | Seminar in Health Services Management & Leadership (2 credits)
HSML 6254 | Ethics in Health Services Management (2 credits)
PUBH 6080 | Pathways to Public Health (0 credits)** PUBH 6080 - Find FAQs on the Advising page here.
CORE TOTAL: 32 CREDITS
Health Policy Selective (choose one 2-credit course from list below)
PUBH 6012 | Fundamentals of Health Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6325 | Federal Policymaking and Policy Advocacy (2 credits)
PUBH 6367 | Population Health and Public Health Care Reform (2 credits)
PUBH 6354 | Substance Use Disorder Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6356 | State Health Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6399 | Cost-Benefit Analysis in Health Care (2 credits)
PUBH 6399 or PUBH 6561 | Maternal and Child Health Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6370 | Medicare/Medicaid Law and Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6374 | Pharmaceutical Policy (2 credits)
PUBH 6378 | HIV Policy in the U.S. (2 credits)HEALTH POLICY SELECTIVE: 2 CREDITS
- MHA Electives
MHA students must choose 8 credits of electives. Please see the Program Guide for a list of electives available in the GW School of Public Health.
ELECTIVES: 8 CREDITS
- Field Experience
The required Residency between the 1st and 2nd year awards 3 credits.
- Non-Academic Requirements
Professional Enhancement
Students in degree programs must participate in eight (8) hours of Professional Enhancement. These activities may be Public Health-related lectures, seminars, or symposia related to your field of study.
Professional Enhancement activities supplement the rigorous academic curriculum of the SPH degree programs and help prepare students to participate actively in the professional community. You can learn more about opportunities for Professional Enhancement via the Milken Institute School of Public Health Listserv, through departmental communications, or by speaking with your advisor.
Students must submit a completed Professional Enhancement Form to the student records department [email protected].
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Training
All students are required to complete the Basic CITI training module in Social and Behavioral Research prior to beginning the practicum. This online training module for Social and Behavioral Researchers will help new students demonstrate and maintain sufficient knowledge of the ethical principles and regulatory requirements for protecting human subjects - key for any public health research.
Academic Integrity Quiz
All Milken Institute School of Public Health students are required to review the University’s Code of Academic Integrity and complete the GW Academic Integrity Activity. This activity must be completed within 2 weeks of matriculation. Information on GWSPH Academic Integrity requirements can be found here.
- Graduation Requirements
- Graduate Credit Requirement: 45 graduate credits are required.
- Grade Point Requirement: A 3.0 (B average) overall grade point average is required.
- Time Limit Requirement: The degree must be completed within five years.
- Transfer Credit Policy: Up to 12 graduate credits that have not been applied to a previous graduate degree may be transferred to the Master of Public Health program. External credits must have been earned from an accredited institution in the last 3 years with a grade of 3.0 (B) or better. SPH Graduate Certificate students can transfer as many credits as meet program requirements, up to 18 credits, to the MPH. Graduate Certificate students wishing to transfer to a degree program may apply to do so via the online change of concentration petition after completion of 3 or more courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. A grade of B or better is required for a course to be eligible for transfer.
- Residency: Successful completion of a three-credit Residency.
- Program Guides
Upcoming Program Guides
Past Program Guides
Students in the MHA in Health Administration program should refer to the guide from the year in which they matriculated into the program. For the current program guide, click the "PROGRAM GUIDE" button on the right-hand side of the page.
There are numerous opportunities for MHA degree program graduates as new healthcare programs and providers expand. Master of Health Administration degree graduates are in high demand at healthcare providers such as hospitals, clinics, outpatient centers, and mental health organizations. In addition, health sector organizations focusing on pharmaceutical and biotechnology, health insurance organizations, and healthcare policy groups are in need of employees with MHA degrees. Our graduates with an MHA find careers in leadership, research, and consulting.
Click on the map below to explore the organizations at which our graduates have obtained fellowships. Best viewed on a computer or tablet.
Students pursuing an MHA have access to a world-class faculty with relevant expertise and diverse experience in nonprofit, governmental, and clinical settings. The many areas of interest and research experience for professors and lecturers in the Master of Health Administration degree program include finance, policy design and evaluation, compliance, economics and policy, and public relations.
We’re pleased to introduce you to these MHA faculty members:
Robert Bonar, Program Director
Melissa Goldstein
Elizabeth Gray
The Milken Institute School of Public Health residential Master of Health Administration (MHA) is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). It is the only CAHME accredited MHA in the nation's capital and is ranked 7th in the U.S. News & World Report 2023 graduate school rankings of healthcare management programs.
For cost of attendance, please click here.
Program Parameters, Information, and Outcomes
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Program Completion Rate | 100% | 100% | NA |
| Placement within 60-90 Days of Program Completion | 100% | 100% | NA |
What types of positions do our graduates take?
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| Management | 15 | 26 |
| Administrative Staff | 4 | 9 |
| Additional Fellowship | 7 | 0 |
| Not Placed | 0 | 0 |
How well are our students compensated for fellowships/residencies? What are their starting salaries following this training?
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| Fellowship/Residency | $63,000 | $60,000 |
| Median Starting Salary | $80,500 | $86,000 |
How likely are our graduates to recommend our program to a friend or an acquaintance looking to advance their career?
| Rating | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
| 0 (not at all likely) | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 (neutral) | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | 3 | 7 |
| 9 | 11 | 4 |
| 10 (extremely likely) | 11 | 9 |
| Net Promotor Score | 81 | 54 |
If our graduates had to do it all over again, would they still choose our program?
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| No | 1 | 2 |
| Yes | 25 | 22 |
MHA Student Association
Our board's central theme is "Connection," aiming to strengthen bonds with alumni, among ourselves, and within the community. We are thrilled to serve our students and faculty and look forward to an amazing year!
Pictured from left to right: Dhara Patel, Riya Bagi, Sydney Hillman, Ishita Rana, Ian Molloy, Siddharth Kelvekar, Hope Kim, Anna Grace Shepherd, Zehra Ahmed, and Eesha Dave.
President – Ian Molloy
Vice President – Hope Kim
Communications Chair – Dhara Patel
Recruitment Chair – Ishita Rana
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://www.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://www.
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: https://www.
Email: siddharth.kelvekar@gwu.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharth-kelvekar-33b997169/