The Master of Health Care Administration (M.H.A.) Program prepares students to become leaders in today's complex health care environment. This 48.0 credit hour program emphasizes health system and business literacy, management, leadership, and professional development. All courses may be completed online, although some courses may be completed in person during our "on-campus experiences".  Students have five years from admission to complete the MHA Program.

Mission

To develop professionals who are innovative, critical thinkers, committed to a rigorous evidence-based leadership resulting in a radically improved health care delivery system.

Vision

To engage professionals who create radical improvements in health care through leadership, scholarship, and service to the profession.

Values

• Integrity: Adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
• Excellence: Having enough knowledge, skill or ability to do something well.
• Communication: Connecting with others to lead productive conversations and achieve desired outcomes.
• Lifelong learning: A promise to improve.

Program Requirements

To be eligible to apply for admission to the Master of Health Care Administration program at DMU, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.  A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is preferred, though all applications will receive a thorough review.

Additional information regarding admission to the program can be found on the MHA Program Admissions Requirements website as well as the MHA Program Admissions Criteria website.

Program Application Process

Application to the Master of Healthcare Administration program is accepted through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) or directly through the DMU website.

Detailed information regarding the process can be found on the MHA program admissions website.

Applicants will receive a response to their application status after files have been reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

A student may request up to 12.0 hours of graduate credit from a previously-attended, accredited institution. The request should be submitted by completing the MHA Transfer Credit Request form.  Approved transfer credits will be entered on the student’s permanent record by the Registrar’s Office. Additional information is outlined in the MHA/MPH Transfer Credit policy.

Curriculum Overview and Outline

The program’s three block design allows students to master foundational skills that may be applied to their real-world professional experiences on day one, while building advanced competencies throughout the curriculum. The program culminates in a field based learning project in which students act as consultants to a health care organization to apply what they've learned through a collaborative project. Students may choose to complete a long term care internship or a field based learning project.

Program Outcomes

To review various programmatic outcomes statistics (e.g., assessment information, completion rates, graduate survey data, student satisfaction information, etc.), please visit the program’s outcomes webpage.

Nursing Home Administrator License

The MHA Program is the only graduate program in Iowa approved by the Iowa Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. Completing the MHA degree can fulfill the board criteria to sit for the licensure exam in Iowa. For licensure, the state of Iowa requires a specialized field-based learning experience in long-term care along with the completion of required course work. Long-term care offers growing opportunities in Iowa and other states.

Technical Standards for Admission, Academic Promotion and Graduation

The purpose of this document is to specify the technical standards the University deems necessary for a student to matriculate, remain in good standing and ultimately achieve all the competencies necessary for graduation within their program. The University, therefore, requires candidates to confirm their ability to comply with these standards, with or without accommodation, as a condition of admission and on an annual basis thereafter.

Fulfilment of the technical standards for graduation does not guarantee that a graduate will be able to fulfill the technical requirements of any specific residency program or employment setting.

A candidate who is seeking a MPH or MHA degree at Des Moines University must be capable of completing core educational requirements and achieving all Foundational Knowledge items (MPH only), all core competencies (MHA and MPH), and all concentration competencies (MPH) to qualify for graduation. DMU seeks to develop candidates who will acquire a deep and robust knowledge base with the ability to apply it, effectively interpret information, and contribute to decisions across a broad spectrum of public health and/or health care management settings. The critical skills required to be successful are outlined below, and include the ability to observe, communicate, understand, integrate core knowledge and skills, and to behave appropriately in varied educational and professional situations. 

Reasonable accommodations may be required by otherwise qualified individual candidates to meet the technical standards specified below. Requests for University-provided accommodations will be granted if the requests are reasonable, do not cause a fundamental alteration of the education program, do not cause an undue hardship, are consistent with the standards of the public health and/or health care management profession, and are recommended by the Accommodations and Educational Support Specialist.

1. Observation: Candidates and students must be able to acquire required information from readings, lectures, educational materials, and demonstrations. 

2. Communication: Candidates and students must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language such that they can communicate effectively in oral and written form with all members of the public health and/or health care team. Candidates and students must be able to communicate with others in order to elicit and share information. They must have the capacity for comfortable verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills that enable effective collaboration within a multidisciplinary team. In any case where a candidate’s ability to communicate is compromised, the candidate must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to communicate.

3. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities: Candidates and students must have the ability to accurately measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, problem solve, and think critically. They must also have the ability to participate and learn through a variety of modalities including, but not limited to, digital learning and communication environments, classroom instruction, small groups, teams, and collaborative activities. Candidates and students must be able to concentrate, timely analyze and interpret data, and make decisions within areas in which there is a reasonable amount of visual and auditory distraction.

4. Behavioral Attributes, Social Skills, and Professional Expectation: Candidates and students must be able to effectively utilize their intellectual abilities, exercise good judgment, timely complete all responsibilities, and develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with others. Candidates and students must be able to professionally manage heavy workloads, prioritize conflicting demands, and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments; to display flexibility, to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in public health and health care management settings, and to not engage in substance abuse. Candidates and students must be able to interact with all individuals in a respectful and effective manner regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other protected status. Professionalism, compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all qualities that are required throughout the educational process.

Reasonable Accommodations

Des Moines University welcomes qualified candidates and students with disabilities who meet the technical standards of the program, with or without reasonable accommodations. Students with a disability who may need accommodations during their educational career at DMU will be asked to reaffirm their need for accommodations when acknowledging the ability to meet technical standards annually.  The student is responsible for requesting accommodations through the Accommodations and Educational Support Specialist in the Center for Educational Enhancement in person, by phone (515-271-4452) or by email (accommodations@dmu.edu). The Accommodations and Educational Support Specialist reviews all requests for accommodations through an individualized, interactive process.

The use of an intermediary may be a reasonable accommodation while performing some non-essential physical maneuvers or non-technical data gathering. However, an intermediary cannot substitute for the candidates’ or student’s interpretation and judgement. Intermediaries may not perform essential skills on behalf of the candidate or student, nor can they replace technical skills related to selection and observation.

Process for Assessing Compliance with the Technical Standards

Candidates are required to attest at the time they accept an offer to matriculate that they meet the applicable technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, and annually confirm they continue to meet these standards. These standards are not intended to deter any candidate or student who might be able to complete the requirements of the curriculum with reasonable accommodations.

The University will, if requested, provide reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified students and candidates with disabilities unless: (1) such accommodations impose an undue hardship to the University; or (2) such accommodations result in a direct threat of substantial harm to the health or safety of the student or candidate, or others; or (3) such accommodations fundamentally alter the educational program or academic standards.

A student whose behavior or performance raises questions concerning his or her ability to fulfill these essential functions may be required to obtain evaluation or testing by a health care provider designated by the University, and to provide the results to the Center for Educational Enhancement to be considered as part of the interactive process to determine possible reasonable accommodations.

Technological compensation can be made with respect to certain technical standards, but candidates and students should be able to perform these standards in a reasonably independent manner.

Physical Health

In addition to the technical standards set forth below, candidates and students must possess the general physical health necessary for performing the duties of a student in the health sciences and a health professional in training without endangering the lives of patients and/or colleagues with whom they might have contact.  A candidate or student who abuses alcohol or other substances is not qualified for admission, continuation, promotion or graduation.

Course Sequence

Block I

Block II

Block III

Required Courses

Elective Courses

There are no required elective hours.

Graduation Requirements

A student is scheduled for graduation after successful completion of all degree requirements and upon recommendation of the program faculty for graduation. To be eligible for graduation, students must have demonstrated competence on all MHA key competencies by obtaining a minimum of 70% one or more times for each competency. All students graduating from the MHA program are required to submit a graduation petition form prior to their intended graduation date.  Students must submit this form and pay all fees in order to receive their diploma.