health administration- MHA - Arnold School of Public Health ...

admission to
master of
health
administration - MHA
Health Administration is an
interdisciplinary field, focusing
on the management and delivery
of public and private healthcare
services. Healthcare management
has become more challenging
with increasingly diverse and older
populations, new technologies,
higher costs, and complex payment
mechanisms.
The need for healthcare managers
has increased dramatically. Excellent
and growing career opportunities
are expected in the foreseeable
future in all healthcare settings,
including hospitals, ambulatory care
facilities, insurance organizations,
and governments.
The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program prepares
students for a career in the management of health services
organizations in the private and public sectors, ranging from
direct service providers (hospitals, clinics, long-term care settings)
through the ancillary industries (health insurers, quality review
organizations). In addition to the core public health disciplines,
the 58-hour MHA program provides training in management,
accounting, finance, information technology, quantitative
methods, leadership, and evaluation and planning – all geared for
healthcare organizations.
The MHA is offered in a full-time format for regular students,
and in a part-time format for working professionals. Most of the
courses are offered in the late afternoons and evenings, thereby
permitting people who work full time to attend with minimal
disruption of their work obligations.
The MHA program at the University of South Carolina is a
dually accredited program - by the Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and by the
Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH).
Deciding whether the USC MHA program is a good fit
The Department of Health Services Policy and Management offers
two masters programs, the MHA and the Master of Public Health
(MPH). The MHA program is more business and organizationmanagement
oriented, while the MPH program is more public
health agency/program/community health oriented in its content.
Applicants should consider their preferences and aptitudes for
managerial roles in organizations when choosing between the
MHA and MPH programs. Volunteering at a local hospital or large
physician practice (or other care setting) or interviewing healthcare
executives/managers at a local hospital can help applicants to
understand the roles of healthcare managers. This will help you to
know which degree is a good fit for your career.
What are the typical career paths for healthcare
managers?
Individuals from a wide range of undergraduate majors and minors
can expect to succeed in health administration, given the many
career opportunities the field offers. Healthcare institutions include
primary care practices, hospitals and allied services, long-term
care facilities and health insurance companies. Within a health
organization, MHA graduates can be employed in finance and
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admission to
master of
health
administration - MHA
You can discover a world of possibilities
for an exciting and challenging career
at the Arnold School. Our programs
can provide you with the specialized
knowledge and skills you need to address
current and emerging public health
issues. Our faculty prepare students to
be scholars, research specialists, teachers
and experts in a vast array of public
health professions. An advanced degree
from the Arnold School will open
doors to professional advancement,
competitive salaries, and a meaningful
career. You can become one of our
passionate and committed graduates
helping people across the nation and
around the world.
The Arnold School of Public Health
at the University of South Carolina is
one of only 43 accredited schools of
public health in the United States and
the only one in South Carolina. Located
in Columbia, SC, the school offers
reasonable tuition, day and evening
classes and one of the most beautiful
historic campuses in America.
business development, operations management, information technology
management, quality of care management, including Lean and Six
Sigma applications, human resources, community relations and field
programs, social responsibility, and many other roles.
Educational Goals and Content
The USC MHA program prepares healthcare managers with both
the competencies required to manage effectively in a market–driven
healthcare system and an understanding of the approaches needed to
address the social and population health responsibilities of healthcare
organizations. The goal is to prepare: (1) individuals without previous
health services management experience for entry-level managerial
positions and facilitate their advancement into senior management; and
(2) experienced health service professionals for promotion and further
career advancement.
MHA Curriculum and Pre-requisites
The MHA is a 58-semester-hour program. All students should have
completed an undergraduate accounting course or acquired competency
in basic undergraduate accounting through private study of a textbook
prior to enrollment. The curriculum requires:
Management............................................... 25 hours
Accounting and Finance............................... 9 hours
Biostatistics and Quantitative Methods........ 6 hours
Epidemiology................................................ 3 hours
Health Planning............................................ 3 hours
Approved Electives........................................ 6 hours
Management Residency................................ 6 hours
Admission Criteria and Application Requirements
All applications for the MHA program must be submitted through the
Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS). The link to
SOPHAS is on the Arnold School of Public Health website. (http://
www.sph.sc.edu/futurestudents/apply.htm) The Department is not
allowed to make any exceptions.
1. A Bachelor’s degree is required before enrollment, with an official
transcript of undergraduate work. Pending completion of the
degree, an official transcript of all coursework taken to date is
required.

2. Official Graduate Record Examination scores (GRE) or GMAT
scores must be submitted. Applicants with a terminal degree (MD
or JD or PhD) can be considered for waiver of GRE/GMAT scores
on a case-by-case basis.
3. Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must
submit TOEFL scores (Test of English as a Foreign Language). If
prior academic work in the United States illustrates that the student
is proficient in English, this requirement may be waived, with the
concurrence of the Graduate School.
4. Two letters of recommendation must be submitted from persons
who can reflect upon the applicant’s prior academic and/or
professional performance.
5. A career goal statement and a current resume must be provided.
Grades and standardized test scores
In general, applicants to the MHA program should have an
undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0 and combined verbal and
quantitative GRE scores of at least 1,000 (or the equivalent GMAT
score). However, we use a portfolio approach to evaluate applicants,
assessing each applicant’s GPA in undergraduate and previous graduate
work (if applicable), GRE/GMAT scores, reference letters, previous
professional experience, and career goal statement. This approach allows
us to accommodate the limitations of standardized tests. It allows us
to balance a somewhat lower GRE score with a much higher GPA,
experience in or motivation for a healthcare career, and/or strong letters
of recommendation.
USC in Focus
For 200 years, USC has distinguished
itself as a center of learning with a
tradition of leadership and service in
higher education. USC offers a diverse
and talented student population, a
dedicated and successful faculty, a
highly regarded library, outstanding
research programs, and a campus
that has been named one of the most
beautiful in America.
The University offers more than
350 degree programs. Many of
these programs are nationally and
internationally ranked, from the arts,
humanities, public health, physical
science, law, business, and engineering.
If you want to learn more about the
University of South Carolina visit the
Web site at www.sc.edu.
Information about the city of Columbia
can be found at www.columbiasc.net.
Conditional Admission to the MHA Program
When certain strengths in an applicant’s portfolio are encouraging,
but standardized test scores or GPA are lower than requirements, a
conditional admission is offered. Conditionally admitted students
must attain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the first semester in order to
continue in the program. To ensure adequate written communication
skills, incoming MHA students with a verbal GRE score below 450
combined with a writing test score below 4.0 (or an analogous GMAT
score) should satisfy another condition: They should complete English
463, Business Writing, an advanced technical writing course offered in
the Darla Moore School of Business, or an equivalent course with prior
approval by the MHA Program Director. Students with a conditional
admission are asked to undertake no more than 10 hours a week of
graduate assistantship work in the first semester to maximize their
success.
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Tuition and fees
Applicants are advised to review the tuition and fees carefully. There is a
one-time matriculation fee for HSPM graduate students over and above the
university fees and Arnold School of Public Health fees. The fee is billed
to students about the middle of the first semester. Applicants should also
plan for summer enrollment and tuition because required courses are offered
in summer. For tuition and fees refer to the link at http://www.sph.sc.edu/
currentstudents/.
“Earn while you learn” - Opportunities
A key strength of our MHA program is that, subject to availability and to
economic conditions, we identify opportunities in healthcare organizations in
the greater Columbia area for students to interview for compensated graduate
assistantship (GA) positions (10-20 hours a week). Graduate assistantships
provide a small stipend, usually ranging from $1,500-$2,000 per semester for
10 hours a week, prorated to the hours worked up to a maximum of 20 hours
a week. In addition, out-of-state students who have a graduate assistantship
have their tuition reduced to in-state rates.
Additional Information about
the Arnold School
If you have questions or need additional
information on how you can receive a
rewarding degree from the Arnold
School of Public Health visit our Web
site at www.sph.sc.edu/futurestudents or
e-mail the Office of Student and Alumni
Services at: www.sphstsrv@mailbox.
sc.edu Phone: 803-777-5031
Historically, almost all full-time students have been hired as GAs beginning
with their first semester and all were placed at least in some semesters.
However, applicants should note that placements and locations are affected by
general economic conditions, the needs of potential sponsoring organizations,
the student’s educational background (major) and work experience, and the
student’s initiative and enthusiasm displayed during the interview. It can
take until the middle of the first semester (or beyond depending on the
above factors) to complete GA-ship interviews and placements. To maximize
chances of being placed in a healthcare or allied organization, applicants are
encouraged to volunteer at a healthcare organization if they do not have prior
work or internship experience.
Job placement benefits of graduate assistantships
Because of the near-universal placement of students in GA-ship positions
in the past, our graduates’ job acquisition rate has been very high, many
within 0-3 months of graduation, and most graduates within six months. All
applicants should be aware that the graduate assistantship will cover only a
portion of the tuition and fees. Applicants should plan financially accordingly
and also plan to finance their living costs during the program. (We are
working to increase funds available for scholarships. At present, we have
limited scholarship opportunities.)
For more information
For additional information please review the weblink to the MHA program
and to the Graduate Student Handbook at www.sph.sc.edu/hspm/mha.htm.
For application-related or other information please contact Mitchell Taylor,
MHA program coordinator at (803) 777 1627 or taylormw@mailbox.
sc.edu.
The University of South Carolina does not
discriminate in educational or employment
opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on
the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
ASPH 1001-017