Health Administration (MS)

Master of Science in Health Administration (HEADMS)
Unit: School of Public Health and Information Sciences (GH)
Department: Health Management and Systems Sciences
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): HEADMS, HEADMS_O

Program Information

This program can be completed 100% online.  Please note: The last admit semester for the EVENING TRACK/IN-PERSON OPTION (HEADMS) is Fall 2025.  

Healthcare management is a broad field serving one of the largest and most essential industry segments in the United States and Canada. Management is needed in multiple aspects of the industry which include: hospitals, nursing homes, physician’s offices, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, consulting, government and public policy, and many more.

The Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences (HMSS) offers the Master of Science in Health Administration degree for students with no healthcare experience (MSHA-evening) and a modified curriculum for working mid-careerists (MSHA-online). Evening track and Online track students may be enrolled full or part-time. HMSS recognizes the need to train and further educate skilled population health leaders and managers to meet immediate critical organizational system-wide challenges through effective, efficient utilization of healthcare resources to provide quality healthcare equitably.

Competencies

The Program will use the University of Louisville’s Population Health Leadership (PHL) Competency Model. This competency model is a modified version of the National Center for Health Care Leadership (NCHL) competency model (nchl.org).

For a complete listing of the competencies for this program, please visit the MSHA webpage for the School of Public Health and Information Sciences.

Curriculum

The curriculum has three main components beginning with an exploration of broad principles and key influencers of leading healthcare organizations, moving to an examination of evidence-based and data-driven frameworks for strategic leadership and effective management of healthcare organizations and issues, and then to an analysis of the external health care and policy environments that impact population and community healthcare management.

Accreditation

The Master of Science in Health Administration is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). 

Faculty Advisor

On matriculation, each student is assigned a faculty advisor. The faculty advisor serves as academic practicum advisor, academic mentor, and counselor on career and employment opportunities, professional development, and opportunities beyond graduate school. Evening track students are encouraged to meet at least twice each semester with their advisor. Online track students will meet with their advisor at least once each semester to ensure appropriate enrollments align with degree completion requirements. 

Dual MPH in Health Policy – Masters in Health Administration

DUAL MPH-HP – MSHA TO BE CLOSED: LAST ADMIT TERM FALL 2025

The dual MPH (Health Policy) - MSHA degree program facilitates development of advanced population and public health management professionals that may leverage knowledge and practices from both public health science and healthcare management domains to serve in leadership roles within public health institutions, federal-state-local agencies, and healthcare organizations. For more information about the dual program, please visit the program webpage.

The dual MPH - MSHA program is not available to MSHA Online track students. Only MSHA Evening track students may apply.

Dual MBA – Masters in Health Administration

DUAL MBA – MSHA TO BE CLOSED: LAST ADMIT TERM FALL 2025

The dual MBA - MSHA degree program provides select, high aptitude graduate students a pathway for rigorous, advanced competency development by providing complementary graduate management and healthcare management education over a three-year period in a dual degree format. The residential, one-year MBA provides fundamental business and management development and is followed by the residential, two-year MSHA providing advanced competencies focused in healthcare management that extend development from the MBA program through coursework, health administrative internship\practicum experiences, and extra-curricular graduate healthcare management case study and applied research competitions. Graduates of the dual MBA-MSHA program are expected to be exceptionally competitive for national administrative fellowship placement and/or seek executive-track developmental positions in healthcare finance, operations, and strategy. For more information about the dual program, please visit the program webpage.

The dual MBA - MSHA program is available for on campus MBA and Evening track MSHA students only.

This program is not accepting applications for admission in the spring 2025 term; applications for admission will reopen beginning in fall 2025.

Admission Requirements

The Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences (HMSS) offers the Master of Science in Health Administration degree for students with no healthcare experience (evening track) and a modified curriculum for working mid-careerists (online track). 

Prospective students must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent.  It is recommended that applying students have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Prospective students must also submit:

• Application
  • Graduate application submitted to the Graduate School.
  • Application Fee
• Official transcripts of all degrees
• Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
• One-page personal statement written by the applicant that is a clear, substantive description of his or her goals in public health and health care management, noting any professional or research experience.
• Three letters of recommendation written within the last twelve months.
• International applicants: Foreign credential evaluation of all degrees from non-U.S. institutions. Please contact the MSHA program prior to completing this requirement.
• Admission interviews by the HMSS Health Leadership Committee are required and are in addition to your application for admission. An interview provides the HMSS Health Leadership Committee an additional source of information and perspective about your potential fit for the University of Louisville.
• If candidate’s primary language is not English, one of the following:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam with a minimum score of 79 
  • IELTS scores of at least 6.5 overall
  • Duolingo overall score of 105
  • Degree from an accredited U.S. institution

Evening Track Admissions
Last Admit Term: Fall 2025

Students entering the MSHA Evening track are expected to have less than five years of working experience and be seeking an on-campus, synchronous learning experience. A portion (5) of the Evening track required courses will be offered online, combining course sections with Online track students.

Online Track Admissions
Students entering the MSHA online track must have a minimum of five years working experience. Preference will be given to students with healthcare-related work experience. Click here to apply to the online MSHA program.

Dual MPH in Health Policy/MSHA Admissions
Last Admit Term: Fall 2025
 

Students must apply to and be accepted into both the MPH-HP and MSHA programs. Each program will require a separate application and application fee. For more information about the dual program, please visit the program webpage.

Dual MBA/MSHA Admissions

Last Admit Term: Fall 2025
 

Students must apply to and be accepted into both the MBA and MSHA residential, full-time programs. Each program will require a separate application and application fee. For more information about the dual program, please visit the program webpage.

Application Deadlines

• Evening Track: Applications are accepted for Fall semester only.
  • March 1^st  for International applicants
  • July 1^st  for Domestic applicants
  • To be competitive for available program scholarship opportunities, applicants should apply on or before March 1^st for full consideration.
  • Spring semester: - Applications are not accepted.
  • Summer semester - Applications are not accepted.
• Online Track: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • July 1^st for Fall I Term
  • Spring semester: - Applications are not accepted.
  • Summer semester - Applications are not accepted.

For information on the application process, please contact:

MSHA Program Coordinator
Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences
School of Public Health and Information Sciences
University of Louisville
485 E. Gray Street
Louisville, KY 40292
P: 502-852-2797
Email: sphishms@louisville.edu

Program Requirements

To graduate, students must successfully complete the 46 (Evening track) or 43 (Online track) credit hour curriculum, earn a grade of B or above in the MSHA Capstone Course, and have an overall 3.0 GPA in program coursework. 

All courses within the curriculum are required and there are no electives. Students within both the evening and online tracks take the same courses except for the MSHA Practicum. The practicum is designed to expose students new to the health management field to working conditions in healthcare organizations between their first and second year in the Program. MSHA evening track students will register in the Practicum for one (1) credit hour in three consecutive semesters beginning in Spring I for a total of three (3) credit hours. Since the online track students have working organizational experience, the practicum is not required.

Academic Standing

To maintain good academic standing in the MS in Health Administration program, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all coursework in the program. A student must be in good academic standing in order to receive the degree.

Any MS in Health Administration student with a program cumulative GPA below 3.0 will be placed in probationary status. Any student who remains in probationary status for two consecutive terms may be considered for dismissal from the program.

Evening Track Requirements

Education Plan
The evening track is designed so that students can work as full-time employees and attend evening classes. The practicum courses, PHMS 686, PHMS 691, and PHMS 692, are designed to expose students new to the health management field to working conditions in healthcare organizations between their first and second year in the Program.

Coursework

* F1, F2, S1, S2 refer to 1^st or 2^nd 8-week session for Fall and Spring terms.

Online Track Requirements

Education Plan
The guiding philosophy for the online track in the MSHA curriculum design is that an online, primarily asynchronous learning basis will be used so that the mid-careerists can continue working in their current jobs while in the Program. Courses will be developed in partnership with the Delphi Center for Online Learning adhering to the Quality Matters online course development standards. Courses will be offered in five eight-week terms within the Fall (F1, F2), Spring (S1, S2), and Summer terms to facilitate year-round student enrollments and the ability for working professionals to focus on fewer courses within concentrated periods of time.

Coursework

PHMS 686 MSHA Practicum Experience I, PHMS 691 MSHA Practicum Experience II, and PHMS 692 MSHA Practicum III (three (3) credit hours total) – Evening Track only

Students develop an understanding and gain knowledge of the complex health care industry and the internal and external factors that influence decision-making in an assigned organization.

PHMS 690 MSHA Capstone Course (three (3) credit hours) 

The primary objective of the course is to assist students in the transition from theory to practice and from learner to user of management knowledge and skills. The course will emphasize the integration and application of management theory in ‘real world’ context.

Dual MPH in Health Policy/MSHA Program Requirements

The Dual program is not available to MSHA Online track students. Only MSHA Evening track students may apply.

Dual MBA/MSHA Program Requirements

The Dual program is available for on campus MBA and evening track MSHA students only .

Accreditation 

The School of Public Health and Information Sciences is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

 The University of Louisville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

 The Master of Public Health with a concentration in Population Health Management program is currently undergoing the initial Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accreditation approval process and is in “candidacy” status. Once the MSHA degree is approved, HMSS will inform CAHME of the curriculum change and the accreditation will transfer to the MSHA.

For more information, see the School’s accreditation webpage. 

Dual Master of Science, Health Administration - Master of Public Health, Health Policy

Unit: Public Health and Information Sciences
Academic Plan Code: PH_ _MPHHPC, HEADMS

Program Information

The dual MPH (Health Policy) - MS Health Administration degree program facilitates development of advanced population and public health management professionals that may leverage knowledge and practices from both public health science and healthcare management domains to serve in leadership roles within public health institutions, federal-state-local agencies, and healthcare organizations. For more information about the dual program, please visit the program webpage.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply to and be accepted into both the MPH-HP and MS-HA programs. Only MS-HA Evening track students may apply. Each program will require a separate application and application fee. 

Program Requirements