9 Best MHA Programs in Texas – 2024
Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org
Hospitals and other health care systems in the Lone Star State won’t run smoothly without talented health administrators. How do you become one? By enrolling in one of the many MHA programs in Texas. While many MHA students have previous experience in a healthcare-related field, that’s not a hard and fast requirement, and many of these programs offer online learning options so you won’t have to upend your life in order to pursue professional development. As a professional with a Masters's Degree in Health Administration, you can expect to earn $118,700 a year on average. Ready to find out more? Get started by reading about the 9 best MHA programs in Texas for 2024.
FOLLOWING ARE THE 9 BEST MHA PROGRAMS IN TEXAS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2024
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 9 best campus-based and online MHA programs in Texas.)
1. Texas State University - San Marcos
About the School: Healthcare administration is one of the most promising careers in Texas. If you are keen on enrolling in one of the best MHA programs in Texas that can train you for healthcare management roles, then the master’s in healthcare administration offered by Texas State University can be given a thought. The college offers two tracks, online MHA and an on-campus Executive MHA program for experienced healthcare professionals, so depending on whether you are a fresh graduate or have work experience you can apply. The school is recognized for its employable education and has trained several graduates who are holding leadership positions in some of the prominent healthcare organizations across the country. Ranked among the top MHA schools in the nation according to the US News & World Report, here, you can be assured of receiving a quality education that matches national standards.
Program Details: The MHA program is offered online, while the executive track is an on-campus offering. Regardless of the track you enroll in, you will gain expert knowledge in healthcare organization & delivery, healthcare law, healthcare administration research methods, healthcare organizational behavior, information systems management, healthcare financial management, and policy development. While the MHA track provides a broad knowledge base in these topics, the executive track builds upon your work experience and further strengthens your expertise in these professional areas.
Admission Requirements: To be eligible for this MHA in Texas regardless of the track, you must have a baccalaureate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75. Additionally, for the executive track, you also need 5 years of work experience as a manager or healthcare provider.
Key Highlights
• The school boasts of an accomplished faculty, most of whom are holding prominent positions in private and government healthcare organizations.• Both the tracks include plenty of hands-on experience in terms of practicum, internship, and residency.
• The online MHA program can be completed either in 2 or 2.5 years.
2. Trinity University - San Antonio
About the School: If you are keen on advancing your career, then what better than healthcare leadership. Not only will you greatly increase your earning potential but also thrive in a field that offers a wide range of growth opportunities. Trinity University offers two options (MSHA and EMSHA) that are student-centered and service-oriented. These two masters of healthcare administration programs in Texas prepare you in the core competencies of leadership, communication & relationship management, professionalism, and business & analytical skills.
Program Details: To earn your MHA in Texas, all you need is 23 to 28 months, depending on the track you choose. The on-campus MSHA track comprises 16 months of didactic coursework, followed by a residency. On the other hand, the EMSHA track that offers a hybrid coursework spans 23 months. This track requires you to travel to the San Antonio campus for a three-day in-person session at the start of every semester. Regardless of the track, some of the topics you will gain knowledge on include statistical, analysis, operations management, clinical decision making, health services organizations & policy, economics and legal aspects of healthcare, financial management, conflict management, data analysis, and financial analysis for decision making.
Admission Requirements: To be eligible for the on-campus MSHA program, you must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline. Also, you must have completed undergraduate courses in accounting, economics, and statistics. Now, for the hybrid EMHSA track, apart from the above requirements, you must be currently employed at a mid-level position in healthcare.
Key Highlights
• The college reports an impressive employment rate, having almost all of its MHA graduates find suitable placements soon after completing the program.• The on-campus MSHA program includes a paid administrative residency of 12 months. The residency requires you to practice professional skills under the mentorship of senior-level executives at various settings including hospitals, consulting firms, and healthcare organizations.
• This MHA school proudly has been awarded continuous CAHME accreditation since 1968.
3. Army-Baylor University - Waco (Campus)
Program Details: Counted among the best MHA programs in Texas, to earn your master’s in healthcare administration, here, you require completing 66 credits, including didactic courses, an elective, and a 52-week residency. The program is offered in-person and takes two years to complete. The curriculum trains you in various aspects of healthcare leadership, including topics such as ethics in healthcare, the US healthcare system, healthcare informatics, organizational theory & behavior, and finance. The program also educates you on healthcare jurisprudence, advanced Excel concepts, HR management, population health, quantitative analysis, and health policy. Healthcare quality, operations management, and strategic management are some of the other areas, you will focus on. The one year of didactic coursework follows the residency which spans another year in experiential learning at a leading hospital.
Admission Requirements: To be eligible for this MHA in Texas, you must foremost be an employee of the federal services. Additionally, a baccalaureate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Also, you must submit your GRE or GMAT score, a resume, personal goals statement, and all official transcripts to fulfill the minimum admission requirements. The minimum GRE score is 310 while for GMAT it is 575.
Key Highlights
• The college also offers a dual degree in MHA and MBA which comprises 78 credits in healthcare administration and business courses. This combined degree can open up exciting employment opportunities, quickly taking you straight to the highest level in a healthcare organization.• If you are keen on pursuing this dual degree, you must apply and fulfill the admission requirements of both, the MHA as well as the MBA program.
4. Texas A&M University-College Station - College Station
About the School: Texas is a land of opportunities and when it comes to healthcare there is no dearth of exciting job positions. Whether you are aspiring to enter healthcare administration or already working as a mid-level executive, enrolling in one of the best MHA programs in Texas can shape your career as a successful leader in various work environments, including hospitals, nursing homes, consulting firms, and health insurance companies. Texas A & M University-College Station offers one such MHA program that grooms you for healthcare leadership in just 21 months. The college provides a solid foundation through two paths, the resident track meant for students aspiring to kickstart their career, and the executive track designed for professionals currently employed at mid-level positions in healthcare.
Program Details: The resident track is offered on-campus with part-time and full-time schedule options. On a full-time basis, this 55-credit coursework can be completed in 21 months, whereas if you opt for part-time, you can earn your degree within 33 months. On the other hand, the 48-credit executive track is delivered through on-campus instructions, one weekend every month, for 24 months. Regardless of the track you enroll in, the curriculum consists of all important competencies, the framework of which is healthcare environment & community, leadership, management, and analytic & technical skills. The resident track is one of the MHA programs in Texas that enrolls students directly from their undergraduate college, and if you are one among them, then the college strongly encourages part-time healthcare experience at an organization in the Bryan-College area during the program.
Admission Requirements: To qualify for either of the tracks, you must have an accredited undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Other requirements include submission of a resume, letters of recommendation, and all official transcripts. Additionally, for the executive track, you must have at least five years of work experience within the healthcare field. Also, you are required to submit employment verification along with other required documents.
Key Highlights
• The college has partnerships with a wide range of healthcare organizations across the state and nation. Also, it boasts of a successful and strong MHA alumni network. These connections can prove to be beneficial in finding suitable internships and employment opportunities.• The resident track includes a 10-week summer practicum. This experiential learning experience completed in the summer helps towards finishing the program faster than other MHA programs in Texas.
5. Texas Woman's University - Denton (Hybrid)
About the School: Not many masters of healthcare administration programs in Texas offer concentration options that can further help you gain specialized knowledge in an area of focus. Texas Woman's University can be your go-to school if you are interested in gaining skills in either business analytics or global health to become a visionary healthcare leader. The college’s MHA program offers flexible study schedules through a combination of online and on-campus learning. Furthermore, its expert faculty is supportive and provides individualized attention to help you reach your goals. If you are excited to learn about other economies and cultures, then through the Global Health track, the college provides you with study abroad opportunities where you can gain international exposure in healthcare management. In fact, you can even use these experiences to add up to your elective credit hours.
Program Details: This MHA in Texas comes with two concentrations in Business Analytics and Global Health. While the analytics track prepares you to use information data to make informed decisions in the management of healthcare organizations, the global health track is aimed towards providing you a better understanding of various international health issues. Both these tracks are an extension of the regular MHA and require completing credits ranging from 48 to 60, depending on the track you choose. While the required MHA coursework comprises 45 credits, the additional credits are to be completed in your area of emphasis. Both the tracks require you to first complete the MHA courses in health systems organization, management & leadership, quantitative methods, finance & accounting, after which you will be complete courses in your area of emphasis.
Admission Requirements: To be considered for either of these two accredited MHA programs in Texas, you must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2. For students with a lower GPA, a GRE/GMAT score is also required.
Key Highlights
• Should you choose the global health track, you will require to travel internationally to fulfill the graduation requirements.• The analytics track prepares you for the CAHIMS exam. Eligibility into this exam requires an MHA plus 3 years of work experience, but because you have completed this concentration along with an MHA, you can take it as soon as you graduate.
6. University of the Incarnate Word - San Antonio (Campus or Online)
Program Details: This accredited master of healthcare administration program in Texas is offered in the online as well as on-campus format, so depending on your preference you can choose. The program requires completing 48 credits and takes 21 months to complete. Whether you enroll in the on-campus or online program, the curriculum remains the same for both. While the on-campus program offers classes two nights per week, in the online track, you will attend the same classes synchronously via Zoom. Besides, with the online track, you must also attend three on-campus sessions, when you start, halfway through, and towards the end of the program. The coursework mainly emphasizes vital areas of healthcare administration, including human resource management, budgeting & financial decision making, legal & ethical issues, quality improvement, information management, marketing, and health policy.
Admission Requirements: The admission process of this program is competitive as the college seeks only highly qualified candidates. To fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria, you must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5. Also, you must submit all official transcripts, one letter of recommendation, and a statement of purpose.
Key Highlights
• The graduate assistantship allows you to immediately apply theoretical skills to practice by working 15 to 20 hours in a healthcare organization, simultaneously while taking the didactic courses. This experience is meant for students entering the MHA program without any healthcare experience.• Graduates of this accredited MHA program in Texas are working in varied settings, including hospitals, medical clinics, military, and healthcare consulting. Furthermore, approximately 11% of them have gone ahead to pursue further education.
7. University of North Texas Health Science Center - Fort Worth
About the School: Do you seek to serve in healthcare, albeit in an indirect patient care role? If so, a career in healthcare administration can be right for you, more so in the Lone Star State where there are opportunities galore. University of North Texas Health Science Center offers one of the best MHA programs in Texas that can prepare you with marketable skills to work in diverse work environments such as hospitals, long-term facilities, VA facilities, and clinics, to name a few. The program is offered by the university’s public health school that passionately works towards improving the health of the community. If you are keen on launching a bright management career, then this school prepares you with rigorous training that aims to impact change in health systems and thereby improve outcomes. Here, you can enter with or without any prior healthcare experience and complete your training either through an on-campus or online format.
Program Details: The 54 credit on-campus program is designed for someone without any prior experience. Whereas if you are a working professional, searching for online MHA programs in Texas, then the 48-credit online track will be right for you. The 54-credit track provides broad-ranging knowledge in various topics, whereas the 48-credit online curriculum builds on your work experience and further deepens your professional knowledge. If you enroll in the full-time on-campus program, you will progress through it as part of a cohort. Whereas the online program is offered part-time, with classes being in the eight-week format, delivered 5 times a year. The on-campus MHA spans 5 semesters, while most students enrolled in the online program earn their degree within 3 years. Both the programs are guided by 12 vital competencies and mainly educate you on healthcare data management, communication, health finance, health economics, process improvement, healthcare law, population health analysis, health finance, organizational leadership, and foundations of public health.
Admission Requirements: To be eligible for either of the MHA formats, you must have an undergraduate degree or its equivalent. This is one of the few MHA programs in Texas where there are no specific minimum scores for GPA or GRE as the college reviews applications holistically, giving credence to every factor listed. Now, if you are applying for the online format, you must also have at least two years of work experience as a healthcare professional.
Key Highlights
• This MHA is the only program in North Texas to receive the CAHME accreditation.• The college’s partnership with the National Association for Healthcare Quality makes you eligible to pursue the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality certification.
• If you enter the program without any prior experience, then you are required to complete an internship in the last two semesters. This hands-on learning at a local hospital will provide you an opportunity to manage a project wherein you will use your MHA knowledge to influence change in a system-level process.
8. LeTourneau University - Longview (Online)
Program Details: Out of all the accredited MHA programs in Texas, the coursework here prepares you for a flourishing career in healthcare administration by requiring a much lesser number of credits. Through the 36-hour coursework, you learn about population health management, health care finance, economics, health systems management, insurance and managed care, healthcare leadership, and healthcare law, policy & ethics. You also learn about healthcare operations management, healthcare marketing, and healthcare quality. The comprehensive curriculum also includes a course in healthcare informatics & data analysis and understanding the Christian vocation. Towards the end of the program, you complete a 15-week capstone.
Admission Requirements: Similar to most other masters of healthcare administration programs in Texas, to apply for this program, you must have completed your undergraduate education. Now to qualify for this MHA, you must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.50. If you do not meet the GPA requirement, then a GRE score will be necessary.
Key Highlights
• Here, most students take courses one at a time and complete them anywhere from three to seven weeks. This means you can pace your study, based on your life schedule.• At this MHA school, more than 90% of students receive some sort of financial aid, so if eligible, you can avail yourself of funding and make your education affordable.
• This MHA program has professional affiliations with prominent associations, including the AUPHA, MGMA, HFMA, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
9. The University of Texas at Arlington - Arlington (Campus)
Program Details: This accredited master of healthcare administration program in Texas requires completing 39 credits. Offered in a cohort format, here you will find ample opportunities to network with peers and industry leaders. The program expands your professional knowledge and educates you on healthcare law, ethics, leadership, the economics of health, strategic management, healthcare finance, marketing management, economics of health, and health care quality assessment. Upon earning this degree, you will be well-versed with evidence-based management, how to manage cost & quality of care, public health care structures, handling legal issues, and several advances in research and technology.
Admission Requirements: To be considered for admission, the college requires you to have a minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 undergraduate hours. Also, GMAT and GRE scores are required. You must also have at least five years of work experience as a healthcare manager. Additionally, the college requires you to submit a resume, personal statement, and three letters of recommendation.
Key Highlights
• If you already have a master’s in a related healthcare field, you may be eligible for a GRE and GMAT waiver. The waiver also applies to students with more than five years of work experience, provided their undergraduate GPA is at least 3.0.• Now, if you already have a master’s degree and are keen on a career in healthcare administration, the college offers a 12-credit certificate as an alternate path instead of the MHA degree. This certificate program trains you in healthcare administration, finance, marketing management, economics, and healthcare information systems.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the Total Number of Accredited MHA programs in Texas?
As per the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), currently there are 7 accredited Master’s in Healthcare Administration programs in Texas.| Total MHA Programs in Texas |
| 7 |
MHA Programs in Other Cities & States