Executive Track Master of Health Administration
Advance your career in healthcare without putting it on pause. The Executive Track MHA through the Department of Health Services Policy and Management, for working healthcare professionals who want to deepen their leadership, policy, finance, management and decision-making expertise while continuing to work.
This program is built for mid-career professionals who are ready to move into higher-level
leadership roles in hospitals, health systems, physician practices, long-term care,
managed care, insurance, public health and other health services organizations.
What You’ll Study
Students will build the management, leadership and analytical competencies needed to work in complex healthcare organizations. Coursework develops competencies in critical thinking, problem-solving, management, leadership, communication, professionalism, ethics and population health management, including social determinants of health.
Students study healthcare management, accounting, finance, information technology, quantitative methods, leadership, evaluation, planning, law, policy, quality management, physician practice management and the U.S. healthcare system.
About the Program
The MHA program’s mission is to prepare healthcare administrators and leaders to have the competencies required for effectively managing health systems and the proficiencies for strategically addressing the social and population health responsibilities of healthcare organizations. The MHA program will serve to prepare the healthcare leadership workforce in South Carolina, throughout the United States, and beyond (Adopted Fall 2021).
The MHA program will aspire to be an exemplar and will be a resource for excellence in graduate healthcare management education. The program will prepare well trained graduates ready to assume or progress to leadership positions in the healthcare arena. The MHA Program will serve as a networking/integrating resource for alumni, practitioners and leaders in health services in South Carolina and beyond (adopted Fall 2021).
Community: The MHA Program actively engages and collaborates with community partners and stakeholders through experiential learning, alumni and practitioner involvement, placements in high-impact graduate assistantships, fellowships and jobs.
Diversity and Inclusion: The MHA program attracts a diverse group of individuals, supports diverse students, alumni, health systems and organizations, and embraces respect for diversity and inclusion of all persons.
Impact: Through inquiry, discovery and workforce development, the MHA program will improve health and well-being of the serving communities, population, and health systems.
Integrity: The MHA Program adheres to the highest standards of honesty, fairness, stewardship, professional responsibility, and scholarly ethics.
Learning: MHA Students are the center of the program. With its outstanding faculty and staff, strong practitioner complement, the MHA Program provides diverse and dynamic educational and experiential opportunities for all learners.
Leadership: The MHA Program equips leaders with the necessary skills to become change agents in health systems, their communities, and the field.
Student-Centric: Student bonding and cohesion is a priority for the MHA Program which provides support to ensure organic network growth among each cohort’s peers.
Professional Development: The MHA Program will drive strength of all partners, students, and alumni through continuous networking and connections and cultivate a learning environment where students thrive to be life-long learners rather than just a graduate.
The USC MHA program prepares healthcare managers with both the competencies required to manage effectively in a market–driven healthcare system and an understanding of the approaches needed to address the social and population health responsibilities of healthcare organizations. The goals areto prepare: (1) individuals without previous health services management experience for entry-level managerial positions and facilitate their advancement into senior management; and (2) experienced health service professionals for promotion and further career advancement.
Curriculum
The Executive Track MHA is a 45-credit-hour program for professionals already working in healthcare organizations. Courses are held on select weekends in Columbia, with classes meeting once per month. The program is approximately 32 months across eight semesters with students graduating at the end of the spring semester of the third year.
View the full curriculum in the Graduate Academic Bulletin.
Admissions
The Executive Track MHA is not accepting applications for 2027-2028 academic year.
Executive Track MHA applicants apply through the USC Graduate School. The track is designed for professionals already working in healthcare settings. Learn about the complete application requirements.
Where our Grads Work
Executive Track MHA graduates are prepared to advance in healthcare management and leadership roles across hospitals, health systems, physician practices, long-term care facilities, health insurance organizations, government agencies and nonprofit or nongovernmental organizations.
Graduates from our MHA program are Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)/Presidents, Chief Operating Officers (COOs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Directors and Administrators of health systems, insurance companies, and governmental /non-governmental organizations around the world. Our graduates are active, visible, and valuable members of their communities working hard to improve healthcare systems.
MHA Program Outcomes
Additional program data may be found at https://programs.cahme.org/?uscedu.
Year
2022-2023
2023-2024
2024-2025
Traditional track
100%
70%
100%
Executive track
N/A
100%
100%
Year
2022-2023
2023-2024
2024-2025
Traditional track
80%
100%
100%
Executive track
N/A
100%
100%
Year
2022-2023
2023-2024
2024-2025
Traditional track
24
24
24
Executive track
N/A
34
34
Year
2022-2023
2023-2024
2024-2025
Traditional track
90%
100%
100%
Executive track
N/A
100%
100%
Year
2022-2023
2023-2024
2024-2025
Traditional track
90%
100%
100%
Executive track
N/A
67%
100%
Each year our students obtain nationally competitive administrative fellowships at major healthcare systems or centers throughout the United States. These fellowships are designed to train new graduates across the hospital system for rapid advancement to leadership positions. In recent years the fellowship locations included UNC Hospitals, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, McLeod Health, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System, Lexington Medical Center, MUSC Health, Prisma Health, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Bon Secours Health System in South Carolina and Virginia, Atrium Health, Duke University, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kaiser Permanente, and Wake Forest Medical Center, to name a few.
Tuition
Tuition and fees are subject to change and vary based on enrollment status and program format. Learn more from the Office of Graduate Student.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Executive Track is designed for working healthcare professionals, including mid-career professionals who want to deepen their leadership, policy and management expertise while continuing to work.
The traditional MHA is full-time and 58 credit hours, while the Executive Track is 45 credit hours, designed for professionals working in healthcare organizations.
The program is approximately 32 months across eight semesters (2.7 yrs), with students graduating at the end of spring of the third year.
The Executive Track MHA requires 45 credit hours.
Yes. Executive Track applicants must have at least three years of work experience in a healthcare setting and should be currently employed in a healthcare setting.
No. The GRE is not required. GRE or GMAT scores are optional if applicants choose to submit them.
Executive Track applicants apply through the USC Graduate School.
Request Information
Learn more about the Executive Track Master of Health Administration program at USC.