2023 Best Online Master's Degrees in Healthcare Administration

Northwestern University is a private, nonprofit, Christianity-affiliated institution offering an online Master of Science in Health Informatics - Health Administration Informatics that requires 36 credit hours. It can take one year to complete the program. Northwestern’s acceptance rate is 9%, and it has a 95% graduation rate.

At Northwestern, online students complete coursework asynchronously and synchronously through Canvas, a popular learning management system (LMS). A master’s in healthcare administration combines business concepts with healthcare organization and finance. Sample courses are American Health Care System, Introduction to Health Informatics, and Health Analytics Leadership. A capstone or thesis is required for graduation. Future career opportunities for graduates are health insurance managers, clinical supervisors, and healthcare marketing managers.

Georgetown University is a private, nonprofit, Catholic and Jesuit-affiliated institution that offers an Executive Master's in Clinical Quality, Safety, and Leadership totaling 32 credit hours. The program offers two tracks: (1) Quality and Safety and (2) Human Factors. Full-time students can expect to complete the program within 16 months. The university accepts 17% of applicants, with 94% of Georgetown students graduating.

The school facilitates asynchronous and synchronous online learning via Canvas. The program dives into healthcare quality and organizational leadership concepts. Sample courses are Quality Improvement Methods, Introduction to Patient Safety and Quality, and Effective Leadership in Healthcare Organizations. A three-day residency on Georgetown’s campus and a capstone are required. Potential career options for graduates are hospital administrators, clinical managers, and health service administrators.

At the University of Southern California (USC) — a private, nonprofit institution — prospective students can pursue an online Executive Master of Health Administration, which requires 36 credit hours. Full-time students can expect to complete the program within one year. USC’s acceptance rate is 16%, and it has a 93% graduation rate.

USC students complete coursework online that's delivered asynchronously and synchronously through the LMS Canvas. This program is designed for healthcare professionals looking to advance their careers. Some of the program’s courses are Health Information Systems, Managing and Improving Health, and Quality of Care Concepts. Two four-day residencies on USC’s campuses are also required. Graduates may pursue careers like medical and health services managers, directors, and senior managers.

Loyola University Chicago (LUC) is a private, nonprofit, Jesuit Catholic-affiliated institution that offers an online Master of Arts in Health Care Mission Leadership totaling 36 credit hours. Full-time students can potentially finish this program in just one year. The university’s acceptance rate is 71%, with a graduation rate of 73%.

LUC facilitates asynchronous and synchronous online learning via Sakai. The program’s curriculum prepares students for senior leadership roles in healthcare administration. The program’s courses are Advanced Concepts in Health Systems Management, Fiscal Management in Health Organizations, and Moral Theology for Bioethics. Students must complete a research capstone or practicum to graduate. Prospective careers for graduates include health information managers, pharmaceutical project managers, and nursing home administrators.

Ohio University - Main Campus (Ohio) is a public institution offering an online Master of Health Administration that totals 36 credit hours. Full-time students can expect to complete the program within one year. The program also offers five specializations students can choose from, including Business Analytics and Leadership. The university accepts 87% of applicants, with 65% graduating.

At Ohio, online students complete coursework asynchronously and synchronously on the LMS Blackboard. A master’s in healthcare administration curriculum is composed of courses to help students become leaders in the healthcare industry. Sample courses are Health Policy, Health Care Finance, and Health Law. Some potential job opportunities available to alumni of the program include clinical supervisors, medical billing managers, and practice administrators.

Based in Salt Lake City, Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering only distance learning. This includes an online Master of Science in Healthcare Administration through the Leavitt School of Health. The program culminates in a capstone project, where students collaborate with healthcare industry leaders to identify and solve a problem affecting the healthcare system. Graduating requires completing 34 credits — 12 courses — and generally takes full-time students a year.

WGU uses a learning management system powered by Salesforce to deliver its online curriculum to distance learners. Online healthcare administration courses include Innovative Solutions in Healthcare Leadership, Enterprise Risk Management, Quality Improvement in Healthcare, and Challenges in Community Healthcare.

The historically-located University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public institution offering an online MSN - Nursing Health Systems Administration with a curriculum built around the unique needs of the nursing administration workforce. Admission is limited to summer entry only. While coursework is primarily online, on-campus intensives may be required. Students must complete 36 credits which generally takes two years of full-time study. This includes 28 credits of didactic coursework (virtual classroom) and an eight-credit clinical practicum. Additionally, UAB offers an online MPH - Health Care Organization and Policy and an online MS in Healthcare Quality and Safety.

UAB delivers its online curriculum via Canvas. MSN in nursing health systems administration distance learners take courses such as Advanced Quality and Patient Safety, Developing the Advanced Nurse Leader, Evidence-Based Practice and Management, and Nursing Financial Management.

The George Washington University (GWU) in our nation's capital is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Health Administration. While most of this program is online, two on-campus immersions, one capitol hill immersion, and one health organization immersion are required. Graduating requires 50 credits and takes two to four years to complete. GWU also offers an online Master of Science in Health Sciences in Correction Health Administration, a one-of-a-kind program focusing on the incarcerated population's unique and often overlooked needs.

Blackboard is the learning management system GWU uses to deliver its online programming to distance learners. Online master's courses in health administration include Medical Informatics and Decision Management; Leadership and Ethics, Law, and Policy; and Quality and Performance Improvement.

The University of St. Francis (USF) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a Roman Catholic institution guided by Franciscan values. It offers an online Master of Healthcare Administration, which has 12 concentration options, such as Healthcare Management, Healthcare Operations, Higher Education Administration, and Marketing. Students complete 36 credits, culminating in a comprehensive exam. Due to short eight-week sessions and six annual start dates, it generally takes full-time students less than two years to complete this online graduate degree.

USF distance learners access Canvas to receive instruction and participate in class remotely. Depending on the concentration, online MHA graduate students may enroll in courses, Fraud Examinations, Healthcare Marketing, Principles of Managed Care, Healthcare Operations Management, and Technology Innovations.

New England's Norwich University (NU) in Vermont is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Science in Nursing - Healthcare Systems Leadership (MSN - Healthcare Systems Leadership) designed to meet critical industry demands and help students pursue advanced healthcare systems leadership roles. Students take 18 credits in the core curriculum and 18 in the leadership specialty. Class sizes are small, with a maximum of 15 students, and it generally takes those attending full-time 18 months to complete this 36-credit program.

NU delivers its online coursework and instruction via the Nuoodle learning management system. Courses in this online MSN program include The Nurse Leader's Role in Healthcare Systems, Strategic Planning in Healthcare, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Healthcare, and Healthcare Resource Management - Human Resources.

George Mason University (GMU) in the Washington D.C. suburbs is a public institution offering an online Master in Public Health, with eight concentrations, including Food Security and Nutrition, Public Health Practice, Health Equity and Social Justice, and Global Health. This 42-credit online program generally takes full-time students about three years to complete and includes fieldwork. The curriculum also helps prepare students to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam. An online Master of Health Administration in Health Systems Management is also available.

GMU's online students use Blackboard to participate in class and complete coursework. Depending on the concentration, MPH distance learners engage with instructors and peers in classes such as Rural Public Health, Environmental Health, Behavioral Health Interventions Across Systems, and Perspectives on Food Security.

Colorado's University of Denver (UD) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Science in Healthcare Management - Healthcare Policy and Regulatory Leadership that aims to help graduate candidates prepare for career advancement and to sit for the National Association for Quality Healthcare Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality accreditation exam. Graduating requires completing 32 credits — 12 courses — which full-time students may be able to do in 1.5 years.

UD provides access to Canvas so distance learners can receive instruction and complete assignments remotely. Depending on career goals and interests, online healthcare policy and regulatory leadership program courses may include Comparative Healthcare Systems, Ethical Considerations in Healthcare, Implementation and Evaluation of Healthcare Public Policy, and Healthcare Public Policy and the Legislative Process.

The University of Washington - Seattle (UW) is a public institution in the Pacific Northwest offering an online Master of Public Health through the College of Professional and Continuing Education so students can acquire the competencies needed to become leaders in public health, promote equity, and support social justice. Students complete approximately 42 credits, taking full-time students 18 months and part-time students 27 months on average. While most coursework is online, three in-person sessions are required.

Canvas is the learning management system UW distance learners use to access online programming. Those enrolled in the online MPH program participate in courses such as Programming Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation; Determinants of Health; Implementing Public Health Interventions; and Environmental and Occupational Health for Public Health Practitioners.

Known globally for its healthcare curriculum, research, and medical school, Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is a private institution offering an online Master of Science in Health Care Management targeted at helping students build skills to gain confidence in making informed decisions on health care economics through the Carey Business School. Students may finish this 36-credit part-time program in two years. JHU also offers an online Master of Applied Science in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality and an online Master of Applied Science in Community-Based Primary Health Care in Global Health. Choosing the best online master's degree depends on a student's career goals.

JHU delivers online coursework and instruction via Canvas. Courses in the online master's in health care management curriculum include Pharmaceutical Strategy; The U.S. Health Care System: Past, Present, and Future; The Wire: Business Solutions for Community Health Improvement; and Emerging Frontiers in Health Technologies and Strategies. A consulting practicum is also required.

As one of the top schools in the country, the prestigious New York University in Greenwich Village is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Master of Health Administration through the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. While this part-time program is primarily online, an intensive, in-person immersive in Skill-Building for Healthcare Managers is required during the second term. Graduating requires 45 credits, and this online degree program is designed to be completed in 28 months.

NYU uses Brightspace to deliver its online curriculum to distance learners. The online MHA program requires a combination of asynchronous classwork via Brightspace and live virtual class sessions two evenings per week. Online Master of Health Administration students take classes such as Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations, Analyzing Data for Healthcare Management, Data Visualization, and Advanced Topics in Health Policy.

Delaware's Wilmington University (WilmU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online MBA in Health Care Administration focusing on issues including health policy, insurance, service demand, and current legal and ethical issues in the global environment. Students complete 36 credits, including 21 in the MBA core and 15 in the health care administration specialization. This accelerated program consists of seven-week courses, enabling some full-time students to finish in under two years. WilmU also offers an online MS in Management - Health Care Administration.

WilmU delivers its online programming through Canvas. Distance learners log into Canvas for remote access to health care administration courses such as Managerial Decision-Making, Marketing in the Health Care Sector, Seminar in Health Care Administration, and Survey of Data Analytics.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) is a public institution offering an online Master of Health Administration to help prepare students to become innovative, transformative, and ethical healthcare leaders in various environments. MHA curriculum uses the National Center for Healthcare Leadership Competency Model, version 3.0. This part-time, 40-credit program culminates in a two-part capstone project. Courses vary between a 7-week and a 14-week format. Students take six to nine credits per semester and finish in a little over two years.

UC distance learners use Canvas to access the program curriculum remotely. Online MHA students participate in a range of courses, such as Health Economics, Global Health Systems, Total Quality Management, Health Policy and Regulation, and Evidence-Based Decision-Making for Managers.

Clarkson College (CC) in Nebraska is a private, Episcopal-faith-based institution offering an online Master of Science in Healthcare Administration designed to build upon expertise and experience while preparing while helping prepare for career advancement. This 39-credit program takes four to seven semesters to finish. Courses are six weeks long, and students focus on one at a time. They complete a business plan as a capstone project at the end of the program.

CC delivers its online coursework and instruction via Canvas. Online healthcare administration courses include Fundamentals of Informatics, Healthcare Project Management, Healthcare Law and Policy, and Healthcare Information Systems. Completing a three-credit internship is also required as part of the program curriculum.

North Carolina's Pfeiffer University (PU) is a United Methodist, private institution offering an online Master of Health Administration as a sequentially-designed program focusing on topics such as Organizational Communication and Behavior, Leadership, and Health Economics. Graduating requires completing 39 credits in a specific order, and full-time students may be able to meet program requirements in under three years. Field experience is required. Students also have an opportunity to study abroad for up to 10 days between semesters.

PU's distance learners access Blackboard to receive coursework and instruction remotely. The online MHA program courses include Comparative International Health, Health Economics, Leadership Perspectives in Health Policy, and Legal and Ethical Perspectives in Healthcare Administration. Students also complete a comprehensive exam to graduate.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond is a public institution offering an online Master of Science in Health Administration that aims to prepare working healthcare professionals for leadership roles in complex healthcare organizations. Students complete 42 credits — 14 courses — generally taking two years for those attending full time. While most of the curriculum is online, students must meet on campus for two days in October and March.

VCU uses Canvas to deliver its online programming to distance learners asynchronously. However, two synchronous Zoom sessions are required throughout the program during long weekends. Those enrolled in this online master's program participate in courses such as Health Analytics and Decision Support, Health Care Marketing, Health Care Politics and Policy, and Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations.