Answers to Your Questions About the MHA

Not necessarily. While many students come from clinical, public health, or life sciences backgrounds, we welcome career changers from any field. If you don't have direct healthcare work experience, you'll complete a hands-on practicum during the program—we're designed to onboard you. What matters most is your commitment to healthcare leadership and your willingness to learn operations and management.

No. We don't require GRE, GMAT, or MCAT scores. If you want to submit scores, you can, but it's completely optional.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Completed application form (via applygs.mssm.edu)
• Current résumé or CV
• Transcripts from all colleges/universities (unofficial copies okay for initial review; official required upon admission)
• One letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your ability to succeed in graduate-level study (ideally a supervisor or academic advisor)
• Personal statement (max 500 words) explaining why you want the MHA and what you hope to do with it
• TOEFL or equivalent (IELTS, CAE, PTE) if English is not your first language and you didn't earn a degree from an English-speaking university (minimum score 100 or equivalent)

No application fee.

Most students finish in 16–24 months, depending on your path:

• Typical (full-time): 20–22 months starting in the fall
• With transferable credits (up to 9): 18–20 months (can shorten your timeline by a semester or more)
• Accelerated (rare): One year if you have transferable credits, healthcare experience, and can jump straight into capstone. Not the typical track.

We confer degrees 2–3 times per year, aligned with our trimester schedule. Your graduation date depends on when you start and your pace through the program.

Classes generally meet Monday–Thursday, 5pm–9pm. Course length varies by number of credits, so your specific meeting times will depend on the courses you take each term. Always check your course schedule for exact times.

Yes. We offer HyFlex learning, which means every class is available both in-person (at our NYC campus in Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) and online. You choose what works for your life—and you can switch between formats from term to term.

Absolutely. Your format is flexible and can change based on your work schedule, personal circumstances, or preferences.

No. The MHA (Master of Health Administration) is designed specifically for healthcare management and leadership. Unlike an MBA, the curriculum focuses on healthcare law, healthcare finance, quality improvement, and health policy—not general business. Many of our students come from clinical or scientific backgrounds and need healthcare-specific operational and leadership skills, not broad business training.

Beyond your MHA degree, you'll complete coursework preparing you for:

• Lean Management certification
• PMP/CAPM (Project Management Professional/Certified Associate)
• IHI Quality (Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
• Tableau (data visualization)
• SAS (statistical analysis)

These certifications are embedded in your curriculum and add real market value to your degree.

Yes. The program culminates in a healthcare improvement capstone project—action learning work addressing a real management problem in healthcare. You'll apply Lean principles and course material to develop solutions to actual delivery challenges, either at your employer or at a host institution. These projects create a knowledge repository that your cohort can learn from.

Only if you have zero direct healthcare work experience when you start. If that's you, you'll complete a supervised practicum—hands-on experience in a healthcare setting to build foundational knowledge. This is built into the program; it's not an extra barrier.

Yes. We coordinate placements within Mount Sinai Health System and partner organizations across the NYC area. These hands-on experiences are central to the program.

Only if you're entering the program with no direct healthcare work experience. For most students, real-world healthcare experience is built in through internships and capstone projects.

If you're already employed in a healthcare setting, your current role often counts as your experiential component. You can apply learning directly to your workplace and potentially use projects from your job as capstone work.

The MHA program is accredited by the New York State Education Department and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education—both recognized accreditation bodies that ensure program quality and rigor.

Up to 9 graduate credits can potentially transfer, subject to review and approval by the program director. This can shorten your timeline by a semester or more.

Life happens. Contact us early. We work with students on deferral options, leaves of absence, and academic planning to fit your circumstances.

Admissions is rolling, meaning we review applications and make decisions on an ongoing basis as they arrive—not all at once on a single deadline date. This works in your favor: apply earlier, get a decision earlier, and secure your seat sooner.

MHA graduates move into healthcare leadership roles across settings: hospital management, clinic administration, health system operations, quality and safety leadership, health policy, public health administration, consulting, and more.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Plan and direct healthcare services and operations
• Manage departments or entire facilities—clinical areas, hospitals, clinics, or medical practices
• Improve efficiency and quality in healthcare delivery
• Lead teams: recruit, train, and supervise staff
• Manage finances: budgets, billing, patient fees, cost control
• Ensure compliance with healthcare laws, regulations, and accreditation standards
• Represent the organization to boards, investors, and stakeholders
• Drive innovation: introduce new programs, technologies, and improvement initiatives

Most MHA graduates move into management roles with higher pay and responsibility than entry-level clinical or administrative positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong demand for healthcare managers through the next decade, with median salaries and career growth well above average.

Yes. We track career outcomes and have alumni in hospitals, health systems, consulting firms, government agencies, and startups. Reach out to healthcaremasters@mssm.edu and ask to connect with an alumnus in your field of interest—we facilitate these conversations.