2004-06 IUPUI Campus Bulletin

Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.)

The graduate program in health administration is offered by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the country's largest school of public affairs. Recognized for its outstanding faculty, professional integration, and strong business ethics, the Indianapolis program reflects the exciting frontiers of the contemporary health care industry.

This advanced program attracts professionals and students interested in a variety of leadership opportunities in hospitals, managed care, ambulatory care, and voluntary health agencies. Opportunities also exist in consulting firms, corporate health programs, insurance, government, and other regulatory agencies. The program is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration and is a member of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.

Approximately one-third of the students in the program have professional backgrounds; the remaining two-thirds come directly from undergraduate programs. In the classroom, this mix creates a dynamic environment of fresh perspectives and practical experience. The versatile faculty teach a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum interwoven with current research and events. The M.H.A. program is comprised of 51 graduate semester credit hours.

A summer internship between the first and second year of study is an excellent opportunity to learn from a health industry leader. The internship offers students valuable experience in the health care field and is an excellent opportunity to blend academic preparation with hands-on experience. Positions are available throughout the United States.

As an option, students may choose an Administrative Residency, a 10-12 month paid residency that can assist in the transition from classroom to workplace through intensive exposure to a selected management career. It blends academic preparation with administrative practice. Students with little health administration experience may find the residencies beneficial. Residents are selected through competitive application processes.

A Mentorship Program utilizing local M.H.A. alumni and friends of the school gives students the opportunity to meet a variety of practicing health care professionals. Mentors are available in all segments of the health care field, and range from recent graduates to corporate officers and senior public officials.

Some students become involved as research assistants at the Bowen Health Research Center and the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment. These are IU's leaders in health policy and services research. The Bowen Center is a joint endeavor of the School of Medicine and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Increasingly, our students are successfully competing for national administrative fellowships after graduation. Recent fellowships awarded to M.H.A. program graduates include: Good Samaritan Health System in Nebraska, Winston Fellowship and Washington Hospital Group in Washington, D.C., and the American College of Healthcare Executives in Chicago. Most fellowships provide a two-year paid administrative experience and lead to permanent employment.

Admissions

In addition to the general requirements for admission to graduate study in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the following requirements generally must be met for admission to the Graduate Program in Health Administration:

1. Applicants must possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.0 during the last half of their undergraduate education are shown preference.
2. Applicants must complete at least 3 credit hours each of undergraduate courses in introductory accounting, microeconomics, and statistics at an accredited institution with a minimum grade of C in each course. Students who have not completed these courses but who meet all other requirements may be accepted with deficiencies. These students are not usually permitted to enroll in the classes that require these courses as prerequisites until the deficiencies are removed.
3. Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and achieve a composite score of at least 1,500 total in all three sections. An applicant with a GRE score lower than 500 in any section may be required to participate in special academic counseling and evaluation prior to any admission decision. Additional course work may be required, and admission as a provisional student may be stipulated. Applicants who have been awarded an advanced degree may petition the admissions committee for waiver of the GRE requirement.

Mid-Career Credit Option

Students in the Master of Health Administration can receive Mid-Career credit for work experience obtained up through the semester in which they complete 24 credits toward the Master of Health Administration degree. The credits are to be awarded as follows: 3 credit hours - for a least one year of meaningful work experience in health administration.

6 credit hours - for two to four years of meaningful work experience in health administration.

9 credit hours - for four or more years of meaningful work experience in health administration.

Students may apply for the Mid-Career credit option upon application to the program or may seek the credits any time up to graduation. The admission committee will have the responsibility to evaluate each student request and determine if the work experience meets the requirements for the credit hours requests.

Degree Requirements--(51 credit hours)

A minimum of 51 credit hours, divided between required and elective courses, is required in the Master of Health Administration degree program. The M.H.A. curriculum begins with a foundation of theory and skill-building courses and makes a transition to course work that requires practical application of those skills in a variety of health care settings. Part-time students must complete at least 6 credit hours each semester to remain in good standing. All students must complete the program's academic requirements within five calendar years of matriculation.

Required Courses (45 credit hours):

SPEA H501	U.S. Health Care: Systems, Policies, and Ethical Challenges	(3 cr.)
SPEA H502	Developing Strategic Capability in Health Care	(3 cr.)
SPEA H507 or SPEA V504	Management of Individual and Group Behavior Public Organizations with permission	(3 cr.)
SPEA H508	Managing Health Care Accounting Information for Decision Making	(3 cr.)
SPEA H509	Financial Management Principles of Health Care	(3 cr.)
SPEA H510	Health Services Financial Management	(3 cr.)
SPEA H514	Health Economics	(3 cr.)
SPEA H516	Health Services Delivery and the Law	(3 cr.)
SPEA H518	Statistical Methods for Health Services	(3 cr.)
SPEA H521 or SPEA V539	Management Science for Health Services Administration Management Science for Public Affairs with permission	(3 cr.)
SPEA H615	Health Care Outcomes and Decision Making	(3 cr.)
SPEA H623	Health Care Applications of Strategic Management	(3 cr.)
SPEA H628	Health Care Information Systems	(3 cr.)
SPEA H650	Strategies for Career Preparation	(1.5 cr.)
BUS M540	Service Marketing	(1.5 cr.)

One of the following courses:

SPEA H700 or SPEA H702 or SPEA H735

Residency Internship in Health Services Management Research in Health Administration

(3-6 cr.) (3 cr.) (3-6 cr.)

Electives (6 credit hours)

Choose two of the following elective courses, or other electives approved by a faculty advisor:

SPEA H515	Seminar in Health Policy: Special Topics	(3 cr.)
SPEA H517	Managerial Epidemiology	(3 cr.)
SPEA H626	Health Services Human Resources Management	(3 cr.)
SPEA H627	Seminar in Advanced Health Finance	(3 cr.)
SPEA H630	Readings in Health Services Administration	(3 cr.)
SPEA V541	Benefit-Cost Analysis	(3 cr.)
BUS A508	Not-for-Profit Accounting	(3 cr.)

Course Waivers, Substitutions, and Challenge Examinations

Students may petition the program director to waive or make substitutions for required courses based on completion of satisfactory equivalent course work or by examination (if available). The following guidelines govern the consideration of these types of petitions. Waivers of Required Courses The requirement for a particular course may be waived if the student furnishes evidence of equivalent graduate course work completed within a reasonable period of time from an accredited institution. It should be noted that credit is not given with a waiver-only an exemption from a particular course; another course is always substituted.

Substitutions As a general rule, the substitution of a course for one that is required in the M.H.A. curriculum is prohibited. On rare occasions, petitions for substitutions may be considered, and students who believe they would benefit from such a procedure should discuss the matter with their advisors.

Challenge Examination Students who believe they possess mastery of the subject matter stipulated in a given required course may request a challenge examination. If, in the opinion of the faculty, the student has demonstrated the requisite knowledge, academic credit for the course is authorized. The university fee structure for the cost of such an examination applies.