If you want to work in the healthcare industry, but don’t have the desire to become a doctor or a nurse, you may want to complete an MHA degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you only need to have a bachelor’s degree to become a healthcare administrator, but earning a master’s degree will help you get a better-paying job with the right employer.
Average Time to Complete Degree
If you already have your bachelor’s degree and are planning on going to school full-time, it should only take you about two years to get your Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree. Depending on the program, you’ll have to take anywhere from 45 to over 60 credit hours throughout your career as a graduate student – while some schools go as low as 45, though, it’s much more common to require between 60 and 70 credit hours. Since you’ll have to take so many courses to earn your degree, most 2-year programs will require that you work on your degree during the summer, too. If you can’t go to school during the summer, look for programs that spread out the requirements so that you can take three years to complete the program.
Prerequisites
Many people aren’t aware that you can study a subject in graduate school even if you didn’t major in it for your bachelor’s degree program. While having an undergraduate degree in business or science might be helpful, you can earn your MHA even if you have a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, English or art history. Keep in mind, though, that if you majored in something unrelated to the healthcare administration field, you might need to take certain prerequisite courses before really delving into your program of study. Prerequisites vary by university, but in general, you’ll need to have had at least some exposure to subjects like statistics and microeconomics. This means that you may need to add a semester onto your gradate degree timeline if you haven’t already taken these types of courses.
Part-Time Enrollment
Many MHA students have families or jobs. While some of these individuals may be able to squeeze in a full-time course load, many cannot. While the amount of time it will take you to complete an MHA part-time will depend on the school that you go to, expect it to take three or four years to get your degree. If you’re able to work year-round – including summers – you’ll probably be able to finish all of your requirements within three years. If you’re only able to attend school during the fall and spring semesters, however, fours years is a more accurate estimate. If you want to get your degree as quickly as possible, but don’t want to have to quit your day job, look for programs that offer evening or online courses so that you can take courses around your work and family schedules.
There’s no definitive timeline to get your MHA degree. While you could complete an MHA in as little as two years, if you’re able to attend full-time and have already taken any prerequisites, it could take as long as four years.
