A Flexible, Hands-On master of healthcare administration (MHCA) Degree Taught by Industry Experts

Gain practical leadership skills from esteemed faculty with a flexible master of healthcare administration program.

  • 100% Online
  • 24 Months
  • Career Support
Valparaiso University is recognized as a Best College by the Wall Street Journal
Valparaiso University is recognized as a Top College by Forbes

Take The First Step Toward Your MHCA Degree

  • Application Deadline
    January 7, 2026
  • Start Date
    January 14, 2026

Program Overview

Valparaiso University’s flexible online MHCA program equips you with strategic planning, leadership, and operational skills to excel in roles like hospital administrator, health services manager, or nursing home director. Whether managing teams or overseeing healthcare operations, our MHCA degree prepares you for a thriving career at the intersection of business and healthcare.

  • Program Details

  • Career Outlook
  • Curriculum

  • Admission

  • Tuition Cost

  • FAQ

Program Options

Program Length and Pricing

Full-Time Track

  • Complete in 24 months
  • 9-12 credits per semester
  • Traditional academic schedule

Part-Time Track

  • Complete in 36 months
  • 6-8 credits per semester
  • Flexible for working professionals

Excellence and Recognition

Accreditation

Accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission

The Wall Street Journal

Ranked a 2025
Best College

Forbes Recognition

Ranked a 2024
America’s Top College

Take the Next Step in Your Healthcare Career

Applications are now open to join our next cohort of occupational therapy leaders. Apply by January 7, 2026.

Hands-on Learning Opportunities

Gain practical experience through a structured internship in healthcare settings such as hospitals, clinics, or healthcare organizations.

Healthcare Administration Career Outlook

The career outlook for those interested in healthcare administration is on the rise. This promising career field shows to be growing year-over-year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the next decade, the number of jobs in health management and other healthcare administration-related careers is projected to grow by 28%, a much faster rate than the national average for all occupations (3%).

Career Growth Statistics

32%

Industry Growth Rate

133,000

Job Openings

$98,000

Median Salary

95%

Employment Rate

Comprehensive Career Support

Top Jobs with a Master of Health Administration

  • Average Salary: $153,000/year

  • Average Salary: $127,000/year
  • Average Salary: $98,000/year

Curriculum

At Valparaiso University, our master’s degree in healthcare administration (MHCA) offers a comprehensive exploration of the field, providing the perspective of a healthcare administration professional.

Our coursework ensures a well-rounded education that equips you to excel and make a meaningful impact in your future healthcare administration career, covering critical subjects such as:

Financial Management in Healthcare

Healthcare Information Systems

Healthcare Management and Leadership

Healthcare Policy and Ethics

Quality Improvement in Healthcare

Course Requirements

HADM 501 – Understanding Healthcare Organizations (Credits: 3)

An introduction to the field to establish professional identity and understand healthcare systems. This course also exposes students to the many issues and challenges, including those dealing with ethics, surrounding the healthcare field. Topics may include organizational structures, legal and ethical issues, government policies, community health, managing information, managing people, and managing resources.

HADM 517 – Leadership and Team Building in Healthcare Administration (Credits: 2)

This course defines qualities of a true leader, with the goal of helping individuals find their style of leadership. It deals with the difference between managing and leading, as well as the roles of coaching and mentoring in leadership. Motivation, communication, visioning, team development, and situational-based leadership in healthcare settings are covered. May be repeated for credit, provided that the topics are different.

HADM 520 – Financial Management in Healthcare (Credits: 3)

A survey of financial management. Topics include the financial environment, working capital management, the time value of money, financial statement analysis, capital structure, capital budgeting, and assessment of risk in a healthcare setting.

HADM 601 – Research and Program Evaluation (Credits: 3)

Understanding research protocols, designs, and strategies used to garner and verify knowledge in the field of healthcare, with special attention to procedures designed for program evaluation.

HADM 602 – Managing and Analyzing Healthcare Information (Credits: 3)

Practice and use with software systems that enable organizing, managing, analyzing, and interpreting data, with emphasis on the types of data required for reporting to federal, state, and local governments, as well as data that drive the decision-making process.

IPE 640 – Applications in Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, and Population Health (Credits: 3)

Course is focused on meeting the 8 core domains of competency for the National Association of Healthcare Quality’s (NAHQ) Healthcare Quality Competency Framework. Students will learn and apply recognized parameters demonstrating competencies in the domains of quality review & accountability, professional engagement, quality leadership & integration, performance and process improvement, population health & care transitions, health data analytics, patient safety, regulation & accreditation, and quality review & accountability. Special emphasis will be focused on patient safety and population health competencies incorporating Healthy People Curriculum Task Force’s Prevention and Population Health curriculum framework and the World Health Organization’s Patient Safety curriculum guide. (Prerequisite IPE710)

HADM 650 – Managing People and Human Resources (Credits: 3)

Focus on recruiting, training, and developing human resources thereby enabling employees to be competent performers within organizations. In addition, strategies for developing as an effective leader and team member in the field of healthcare are covered.

HADM 672 – Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare (Credits: 3)

This course will discuss the broad coverage of the challenges and dilemmas facing the healthcare enterprise using the case study method to arrive at ethical and moral decision-making. Includes examination of personal beliefs and prejudices that often influence actions. Topics include access, cost, and quality of care; organizational ethics and risk; professional codes of conduct; principles of patient autonomy and rights; and issues within the community. Additional topics include coverage of health laws and regulation from both the patient and corporate viewpoints, including regulatory laws, labor law, patients’ rights, liability, third-party providers, and contract law. May be repeated for credit, provided that the topics are different.

HADM 675 – Organizational and Governmental Policy in Health Care (Credits: 3)

A course that addresses the economics and financing of health policy, need, and demand by the public, and quality and effectiveness of the services, including issues of public health preparedness, prevention, long-term care, and mental illness.

MBA 505 – Marketing Management & Consumer Experience (Credits: 3)

An exploration of the practice of marketing as it is currently evolving. Attention is given to the fundamental concepts and tools of marketing as they apply in an increasingly dynamic, complex, and uncertain environment. Marketing’s role as a driver of an organization’s value will be emphasized as value chains are increasingly shaped by consumer demands, expectations, experiences and loyalty. Attention is also given to the topics of one-to-one marketing strategy, market segmentation, experiential marketing, globalization, corporate social responsibility, and green marketing.

IPE 710 Leadership in Quality and Patient Safety (1 Credit)

This seminar course provides the student with an introduction to quality, safety, population health, equity, healthcare leadership, and person and family-centered care. Course includes on-line learning through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and will culminate with the IHI’s Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety upon successful completion of the course.

IPE 518 – Global Health Issues (Credits: 3)

Immerses students in an interprofessional education (IPE) opportunity that explores social determinants of health from a global perspective. Students will engage in a team-based comparative analysis of selected healthcare delivery systems from around the world.

HADM 665 – Population, Community, and National Health (Credits: 3)

Course reviews the current health status of the United States population. Current policies and approaches to population health and community health are studied as emerging contributors to improving the country’s health status. Comparative international health status benchmarks are analyzed.

HADM 686 – Internship (Credits: 3)

Placement in a work setting related to health administration, in which the students acquire practical experience through the internship totaling 240 hours (3 credits at 80 hours per credit)

Required for all new international graduate students in their first semester of enrollment.

This course is designed to help students from diverse cultural backgrounds learn and adjust to the expectations and requirements deemed necessary for academic success across all Valparaiso University graduate programs. This course will build upon information presented at the international graduate student orientation. Sequenced opportunities for collaboration and communication (verbal and written) will be integrated throughout the curriculum sequence.

Total MHCA Requirements (39 Credits)

Specific Skills for Healthcare Leadership

Master these essential competencies to excel in healthcare administration and leadership

Take the Next Step in Your Healthcare Career

Applications are now open to join our next cohort of occupational therapy leaders. Apply by January 7, 2026.

Admission

Priority Deadline

December 17, 2025

Application Deadline

January 7, 2026

Start Date

January 14, 2026

Admission Requirements

  • A completed graduate studies application form

  • Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work

  • An undergraduate GPA of 2.75

  • Two letters of reference, at least one of which needs to be from an employer or academic advisor

  • An essay indicating reasons for studying healthcare administration

  • Please note: A non-native English speaker is required to have a minimum TOEFL (iBT version) 82 or IELTS 6.5

Ariana Baldwin

Get Personalized Guidance

SPEAK WITH A GRADUATE ADMISSION COUNSELOR

Our experienced graduate admission counselors are here to answer your questions about the MHCA program, guide you through the application process, and help you achieve your career goals.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition Cost

$650 per credit hour

Financial Aid Available

Various financing and scholarship options

Flexible Payment Plans

Spread tuition into monthly payments

Want to Talk With Someone?

We are here to help you navigate the financial aid process and make your education at Valparaiso University both successful and affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for medical and health services managers is $115,160. Depending on the industry, the mean annual wage can jump as high as $124,180.

The curriculum has both online and on-site components and is designed so that full-time students can complete the degree in 18–24 months. Part-time students will typically require about 30–36 months.

International applicants must complete an application profile, write a reflective essay, provide recommendation letters, provide transcripts and credential evaluations from a NACES member institution, demonstrate English proficiency, provide proof of financial support, provide a passport copy, and pay the application fee before the deadline.