A graduate degree provides opportunity! The entry-level requirement for a management position within the health care industry is a master’s degree. Many of our students currently work in health care, but they desire to move into a management position-the M.H.A. degree will provide them this opportunity. For students with limited health care experience, or those looking to transition their career into health care, an M.H.A. degree can supplement their academic and professional experience by providing an introduction to health care delivery system and an opportunity to fine tune their business and leadership skills.

An M.H.A. degree is a focused business degree for health care services managers and leaders. DMU’s M.H.A. program focuses on the intricacies of the health care industry and prepares students to lead their organizations to meet and exceed the needs of their communities. The program’s real‐world curriculum and interaction among students and faculty equip individuals to become leaders in health care organizations and government. Financial pressures, policies and regulation, system complexities and the enduring need for effective, accessible health care all add up to great demand and opportunity for these leaders.

If your career goals include leadership or management within the health care system, then the M.H.A. is a great option. If you currently work, or plan to work, in the health care industry (hospital, health system, clinic, long-term care facility, insurance company, etc.) then you should learn as much as you can about it, right? An M.H.A. degree is a focused business degree for health services managers and leaders. An M.B.A. will provide you with a business education that focuses upon for-profit organizations and private companies. If your goal is to leave health care for another industry, then an M.B.A. or other graduate degree may be the right choice for you. DMU does not offer an M.B.A. degree.

75% of M.H.A. course work is available entirely online, while 25% of the program must be completed by attending the on-campus Executive Residency workshops. These
residencies are an essential component in preparing highly competent health care leaders. Each five‐day residency is offered twice a year on our campus in Des Moines, Iowa, allowing for greater flexibility for the working professional.

The degree program you choose depends on how you see yourself fitting into the health care system. The kind of work you do – or would like to do – will influence your degree path. Each program offers a distinct course of study. The M.H.A. Program emphasizes effective management and responsible oversight within the health care delivery system. The M.P.H. program focuses on identifying, resolving, and preventing health problems that affect communities and populations. Beyond these foundations, both programs challenge students to lead their organizations toward satisfying the future wants and needs of their communities.

Simply put, an M.H.A. program emphasizes the history, organization and professional make-up of the health care system and develops the business skills for the student to manage or lead health care organizations and cope with the changes as dictated by society, the economy, public policy and the industry itself. Successfully managing within health care demands knowledge of what makes this industry so unique. It isn’t that most health care facilities or organizations are non-profit entities, or that they employ a vast number of uniquely licensed professionals that makes it so unique. Perhaps it is the value that our society places on life and nursing back to health those who are ill. In essence the M.H.A. is a business degree that focuses on the intricacies of the health care industry and prepares students to lead their organizations to meet, and even exceed, the needs of their communities.

An M.P.H. degree is quite different. Public health takes a different view of health care-typically a more broad, community perspective. It focuses on identifying, resolving and preventing health problems that affect communities and populations. The DMU M.P.H. program is based upon nationally recognized, entry-level competencies that address changing health behaviors, the delivery of services in a culturally sensitive manner, service delivery with limited funding and protecting the environment and ensuring the safety of homes, workplaces and food and water supplies.

There is naturally some overlap between the M.H.A. and M.P.H. programs. One of our objectives is to mesh the principles of public health – intervention and prevention – with traditional health services management.

Along with sharing some course work, both programs build upon a growing awareness that prevention and community health, when integrated into the health care delivery system, offer the greatest potential for optimal health. Traditional health care (treatment of an isolated, single patient) is becoming an event of the past. The new system of delivering care needs to be built on a model that blends the fields of health care administration (designing and managing systems to deliver efficient and effective health care) and public health (a team-, data-, population-, and community-based focus). A dual M.H.A./M.P.H. degree prepares students to respond and succeed within the new demands of the system.

You will need to choose a primary program to begin your coursework at DMU. After successfully completing a minimum of 9 credit hours in your primary program (M.H.A. or M.P.H.) with a GPA of 3.0 or above, you may complete the application for admission consideration for the second program. You should plan to be in close contact with your faculty advisor if applying for the dual degree option.

The program has a recommended GPA of 3.0. Students who have a GPA below a 3.0 are carefully reviewed, and may be considered for admission. Each individual application is reviewed for the student’s ability to be successful within the program.

No, the M.H.A. program does not require submission of graduate testing scores (GMAT or GRE).

We require a bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited college or university.

Requests for transfer credit will be reviewed only after a student has been admitted to the program.

Yes. The majority of our students are employed full‐time while enrolled in the MHA program. These students have families and numerous other commitments that come with working your way up the ladder in health care administration. The program’s structure – with its mix of online and on‐campus courses also allowing for full-time or part‐time enrollment – provides exactly the flexibility needed to manage this busy lifestyle.  An additional bonus to this lifestyle is being able to apply concepts from the classroom directly to your workplace environment.

As a part-time student enrolled year-round, taking an average of two courses each semester, you can complete the program in about 3 years.  As a part-time student taking courses only during the fall and spring semesters (taking summers off), you can complete the program in about 4 years. A full-time student can complete the degree in just two years. It is important to note that your ability to complete the degree within this time frame is dependent on when you start the program, how many credits are taken each semester and your flexibility to take courses when they are offered. You have up to seven years after your date of acceptance to complete all degree requirements.

To be eligible for admission to the M.H.A. program, applicants must be either U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the U.S. International students should review the information for international students prior to application.

Applications are accepted throughout the year, and are reviewed following the posted deadlines. Only files which are complete by the deadline will be eligible for admission consideration for the upcoming term. New students are admitted to the fall and spring semesters.

Term	Application Deadline	Notification of Admission Decision	Registration Deadline	Term Start Date
Fall 2012	May 1, 2012	June 2012	August 13, 2012	August 20, 2012
Spring 2013	October 2012	Mid October 2012	December, 2012	January 2013

Visit the how to apply section of our website for information on submitting your application and materials to DMU. Applications are also accepted via HAMPCAS.