The mission of the MHA Program is to provide exceptional early‐ to mid‐level careerists with a strong foundation to become leaders dedicated to improving health care services for all populations.
There are two tracks that students can choose to earn the MHA degree:
The Resident track of the MHA program is a 55-credit hour program that can be completed in 21 months (full-time) or 33 months (part-time) and is intended for applicants with limited healthcare experience. This track seeks to prepare students for competitive opportunities post-graduation, including administrative fellowships and entry-level positions in health services organizations. The Resident track curriculum includes a practicum allowing students to apply foundational knowledge in a health services organization. Application to the Resident track of the MHA program requires successful completion (i.e., a grade of B or better) of three undergraduate prerequisites: economics, statistics, and managerial accounting or finance.
The Executive track of the MHA program is tailored to individuals who are already employed within the health care industry and have demonstrated managerial and leadership experience. While no course prerequisites are required, ideal applicants will have a minimum of five years of progressive work experience in healthcare or a related industry, and are seeking to expand their formal knowledge and skill set. The Executive track of the MHA program is a 45-credit hour program and takes 21 months to complete.
The MHA degree prepares students to:
- Navigate the relationship between health care operations, communities served, and local, state, regional and national organizations and policies;
- Demonstrate motivation and empowerment of organizational resources to achieve a shared vision of health service delivery;
- Prepare to organize the delivery of health services in complex organizations; and
- Utilize effective analytic and technical skills for the successful delivery of health services.
For more details on the MHA program, see the Department of Health Policy and Management website.
This program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous or synchronous distance education technology.
Program Requirements
Student's Advisory Committee
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
After receiving admission to graduate studies, students will consult with the graduate program concerning selection of a chair and members (if applicable) for an advisory committee representative of the student’s field(s) of study and research.
The student's advisory committee for the Master of Health Administration (MHA) consists of an assigned faculty advisor.
Only members of the Graduate Committee Faculty located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee. Other members of the Graduate Committee Faculty – including those located outside the university or off-campus (if permitted by program, department, and college/school policy) – may serve as a co-chair or member.
The advisory committee as a group – and as individual members – are responsible for advising the student on academic matters. The duties include responsibility for approving the student’s proposed degree plan; research proposal (if applicable); thesis, dissertation, or record of study (if applicable); and conducting examinations (if required). The advisory committee members’ approval of a degree plan indicates their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. Additionally, in the case of academic deficiency, the advisory committee is responsible for initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.
The chair of the advisory committee, who usually has immediate supervision of the student’s degree program, has the responsibility for calling meetings at any time considered desirable.
If the chair of the student’s advisory committee is unavailable for an extended period of time in any academic period during which the student is involved in activities relating to an internship, thesis or professional paper – and is registered for courses such as 684, 691, 692, or 693 – the Department Head or intercollegiate faculty Chair may appoint an alternate advisory committee chair during the interim period.
If the chair of a student’s advisory committee is on an approved leave of absence – and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role – a written request must be submitted to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School, by the Department Head or intercollegiate faculty Chair, that the faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence be allowed to continue to serve as chair of the advisory committee – without a co-chair – for up to one year. The request must confirm that the faculty member is able to engage in the required duties as chair during the leave of absence. Extensions beyond the one-year period (if necessary) may be granted with additional approval of the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.
If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily separates from the university, and the student is nearing completion of the degree, the chair may continue to serve in this role – at the student’s request – for up to one year. Two options are available:
- The chair may continue, with a co-chair, without additional approval by the Graduate and Professional School. The student must select a current member of the Graduate Committee Faculty – from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site – to serve as co-chair of the advisory committee.
- The chair may continue, without a co-chair, with approval by the Graduate and Professional School. A written request must be submitted to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School by the Department Head or intercollegiate faculty Chair to allow the faculty member to continue as chair, without a co-chair, of the advisory committee.
For both options, extensions beyond the one-year period (if necessary) may be granted with approval of the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.
Although individual advisory committee members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, all members of a student committee cannot resign en masse.
Degree Plan
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
Students, in consultation with the advisory committee, will develop a proposed degree plan. The degree plan must be created, submitted, and approved through the online Document Processing Submission System (DPSS). The degree plan must be submitted prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college or school and approved by the Graduate and Professional School no later than 90 days prior to the date of the final oral examination or thesis defense. Students must select the appropriate program option when submitting a proposed degree plan.
Additional coursework may be added to the approved degree plan by petition through DPSS, if deemed necessary by the advisory committee, to correct deficiencies in the student’s academic preparation. No changes can be made to the degree plan once the student’s Final Examination Request or Final Examination Exemption Request is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.
Coursework included on the degree plan is subject to the requirements and restrictions detailed in the Credit Requirements and Limitations on Credits and Coursework sections in each degree program page.
Degree program time limits apply to courses listed on a degree plan. Details are available on the Time Limits section in each degree program page.
Credit Requirements
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
A minimum of 55 credit hours of coursework is required for the non-thesis Master of Health Administration resident track.
Ordinarily, students will devote the major portion of their time on work in one or two closely related fields. Other work will be in supporting fields of interest. To demonstrate integration and application of subject matter learned and the development of written and oral communication skills, a student will be required to successfully complete a capstone course and practicum as part of the culminating experience requirement to graduate.
A minimum of 45 credit hours pf coursework is required for the non-thesis Master of Health Administration executive track. This track takes 24 months to complete; courses will be taught online as either 7-week or 15-week durations, with three courses being offered each semester.
This program does not offer a thesis option.
Limitations on Credits and Coursework
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
Credit-hour requirements are subject to the following limitations:
- To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. These limitations also apply to joint degree programs.
- Transfer credits may be used toward meeting the credit hour requirements under the following limitations:
- The maximum number of credit hours which may be considered for transfer credit is 9 credit hours.
- Graduate and/or upper-level undergraduate courses taken in residence at an accredited United States or international institution (recognized by the Office of Admissions), with a final grade of B or greater, may be considered for transfer credit if – at the time the courses were completed – the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution.
- An official transcript from the institution at which the transfer coursework was taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Coursework credit submitted for transfer from any institution must be shown in semester credit hours or equated to semester credit hours.
- Up to 1 hour of credit may be obtained for each five-day week of coursework for graduate courses of three weeks’ duration or less taken at other institutions. Each week of coursework must include at least 15 contact hours.
- Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA.
- Coursework in which no formal grades were given, or in which grades other than A or B were earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.), is not accepted for transfer credit.
- Courses completed at Texas A&M University and appearing on the degree plan with grades of D, F, or U may not be absolved by transfer work.
- Except for officially approved cooperative doctoral programs, credit for thesis or dissertation research – or the equivalent – is not transferrable.
- Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for transferred graduate credit.
- Courses used toward a certificate, but not applied to an awarded degree, may be considered for transfer.
- If the course to be transferred was taken for a certificate or prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.
- A student who has earned 12 credit hours of graduate credit in residence at Texas A&M University may be authorized to transfer courses in excess of the limits upon the advice of the advisory committee and with the approval of the Graduate and Professional School.
- The maximum number of credit hours taken in post-baccalaureate non-degree (G6) classification at Texas A&M University which may be considered for application to the degree plan is 12.
- Only grades of A, B, C, and S are acceptable for graduate credit.
- Graduate courses on a degree plan may not be taken on an S/U basis except for 681 (Seminar), 684 (Professional Internship), 690 (Theory of Research), 691 (Research), 692 (Professional Study), 693 (Professional Study), 695 (Frontiers in Research), 697 (Methods), 791 (Doctoral Capstone), or SOPH 680 (Public Health Capstone).
- A student pursuing a non-thesis option Master’s degree may not enroll in 691 (Research) courses for any reason.
- A maximum of 12 credit hours may be used, in any combination, of the following:
- No more than 6 credit hours of 684.
- No more than 9 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies).
- No more than 3 credit hours of 690 (Theory of Research).
- No more than 3 credit hours of 695 (Frontiers in Research).
- A maximum of 9 credit hours may be used toward the non-thesis option Master’s degree, in any combination, of the following:
- No more than 2 credit hours of 681 (Seminar).
- No more than 9 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies).
- Certain zero-credit courses may be allowed for Master’s degree programs:
- A zero-credit 684 (Professional Internship) or 685 (Directed Studies) course is only allowed for non-thesis option Master’s programs.
- A zero-credit 681 (Seminar) course may be used for either thesis or non-thesis option Master’s programs.
- Other courses, including 691 (Research) hours, are not eligible for zero credit.
- No more than 25 percent of the total credit-hours required on the student’s degree plan may be in any combination of 684, 685, 690, 691 (if permitted), and 695.
- Undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level) may not be considered for application to the degree plan.
- No more than 50 percent of the non-research coursework required for an in-person degree program may be completed through distance education courses.
- Continuing education or extension courses may not be used for graduate credit.
Some departments may have additional or more restrictive requirements. Exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases and when petitioned by the student’s advisory committee and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.
Final Examination
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
A final comprehensive examination is not required for the non-thesis Master of Health Administration program.
Additional Requirements
Residence
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
No residence requirement exists; however, attention is directed to the rules regarding Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension and Certain Other Courses.
See Residence Requirements.
Time Limit
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
All degree requirements for a master’s degree must be completed within a period of seven consecutive years. Coursework which is over seven calendar years old may not be applied to master’s degree. Time limits for coursework on the degree plan may also apply to transfer coursework.
Scholastic Requirements
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
To maintain good academic standing, a MHA student must maintain a minimum cumulative 3.000 GPA. If a student fails to attain a cumulative 3.000 GPA, he or she is placed on academic probation. A student on academic probation must raise his or her cumulative GPA to a 3.000 or above according to requirements to be set forth in the probation letter. Typically, this means raising the cumulative GPA to a 3.000 or higher by the end of the next long semester (fall or spring). If this requirement is not met, the School’s Academic Affairs Office will recommend that the Graduate and Professional School block the student from further enrollment. If a student is blocked from further enrollment in the MHA program, he or she shall not be permitted to enroll in other MHA courses.
Foreign Languages
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
No specific language requirement exists for the Master of Health Administration degree program.
Internship or Practicum
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
Students in the MHA are required to fulfill a practicum requirement (PHPM 684). Instructions on submission and successful completion of the practicum are posted on the School of Public Health practicum website as well as with the department’s practicum coordinator. Students are to work specifically with their department practicum coordinator on meeting this curriculum course requirement. The practicum is overseen by the School of Public Health Practicum Coordinator in conjunction with the school’s master’s curriculum committee. Students must be in good academic standing, have completed all core public health courses, or be enrolled concurrently in no more than one core course at the time they enroll in the PHPM 684 course, and have no registration or university holds related to enrollment.
Application for Degree
On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs
For information on applying for your degree, please visit the Graduation section.
