George Mason University - Online Master of Health Administration (MHA) in Health Systems Management

The Department of Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University offers an online Master of Health Administration in Health Systems Management. This CAHME-accredited program prepares professionals for executive positions in the healthcare industry. The curriculum follows a set of targeted proficiencies in five key areas including management, professionalism and ethics, communications, healthcare systems knowledge, and critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The MHA in Health Systems Management degree is mostly online with one week-long immersion in Washington D.C., as well as a capstone practicum which provides hands-on experience through which students apply learned knowledge to a real-world setting. The program consists of 47 credits organized into two phases of learning: Leadership in the Healthcare Delivery System and Problem Resolution and Decision Making. The program can be completed part-time in just two years, however students have up to six years. Courses begin in the fall, spring, and summer, and are taken one at a time with each lasting 8 weeks.

George Mason University utilizes Blackboard as its Learning Management System (LMS). Most classes are asynchronous, with the orientation and capstone practicum being synchronous. Online interactive tools include chat rooms, discussion boards, and email, and students participate in group projects and assignments. Most courses require 8-12 hours per week.

Courses for the MHA in Health Systems Management include Statistics in Health Services Management; Introduction to Health Informatics; Human Resource Management in Healthcare; Health Economics; Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care; Quantitative Methods in Health Care Management; Quality Improvement in Health Services; Health Policy Leadership; and Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management. Note that international students who do not meet the English language proficiency requirements may need to take Graduate Communication in the Disciplines which adds four credits to the degree.

George Mason University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). The MHA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).