Master of Science in Health Administration
Earn Your Master’s in Health Administration (MSHA)
Grand Canyon University’s Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA) provides students with the skills and experience necessary to perform as middle- and upper-level managers in a variety of health organizations. This degree, from the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, helps students gain the skills and experience necessary to serve as innovative change agents, as well as leaders of organizational improvement and adaptation within the health administration industry.
Students will learn how to effectively communicate and manage employees, use critical thinking skills and respectfully recognize the diversity of their patients and populations while abiding by the health organization’s rules. Additionally, they will learn how to collect and analyze evidence and information that can be applied to improve patient safety, clinical processes and health outcomes.
Topics Covered in GCU’s MSHA Program
Program Courses Include:
- Analysis of contemporary health care delivery models
- Legal and ethical principles in health care
- Health care policies and economics
- Health care research methods, analysis and utilization
- Organizational structure, dynamics and effectiveness
- Leadership styles and development
- Essential health care business analysis
Through the topics covered, we also put an emphasis on our Christian worldview, as well as the value of servant leadership. As a Christian university, we inspire students to find their purpose by integrating a religious model of servant leadership into the curriculum.
Become a Leader in Health Administration
Graduates of GCU’s Master of Science in Health Administration program are prepared to manage their employees in an effective and respectful manner. Graduates often go into administrative positions in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities, physician offices, mental health agencies, insurance companies, public health agencies, as well as other types of health organizations. Graduates may go on to hold titles including healthcare manager, corporate director, health information management director, nurse manager and healthcare administrator.
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the health care professions. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course allows students to develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary health care models from financial, economic, quality, access, and disparity perspectives, and to relate the ethical, cultural, political, and financial factors that drive and support them. It is from this broad, integrative, and comparative perspective that students begin defining their role and perspective as administrators within the health care system. Students begin to investigate their options and define their potential to serve as leaders of systematic improvement, within their health care discipline, based on changes in these driving factors.
Course Description
This course focuses on the recognition, analysis, and resolution of ethical dilemmas in health occupations. Students examine legal liabilities involved in health care administration, including workplace safety and a health care facility’s obligation to provide protection from injury for patients, their families, and staff.
Course Description
This course focuses on health care economics and policy. The core principles of health economics are studied, and students begin to explore practical financial-analysis skills that have immediate application within the health care industry. Students also study managerial decision-making processes based on cost, service, and other economic variables as well as how those decisions influence outcomes. Students will investigate health care policy and reform to understand the impact it makes on everyday practices of health care organizations.
Course Description
This course focuses on the critical analysis of health care research and its application to the administration and delivery of health care services. Emphasis is placed on strategies to access current and relevant data, synthesize the information, and translate new knowledge into practice. Students are introduced to concepts of measurement, reliability, and validity, as well as ethical issues in the design and conduct of research through an evaluative process of health care initiatives and projects.
Course Description
This course focuses on the analysis of health care organizational structure and effectiveness. Topics include the distributive leadership model, decision making through collaboration and teamwork, and the integrative analysis of how change impacts other components of the system.
Course Description
This course explores the nature of business leadership models and theories, examines these models through a broad variety of insights and viewpoints, and provides a description and analysis of these approaches to leadership, giving special attention to how the models can improve leadership in real-world organizations.
Course Description
This course focuses on the critical analyses of health care business operations and performance. Topics include analysis of financial performance, operational process analysis, and quality of service evaluation.
Course Description
This course focuses on essential managerial communication skills. Human resource topics include conflict management, negotiation, mediation, and coaching, as well as change management principles and the types of communication required for paradigm modification. Interdepartmental, cross-discipline, and external partner marketing topics are included. Consumer communication and collaboration techniques are also discussed.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students to meet the professional standards of practice related to their future discipline within the industry. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, utilization of resources, communication strategies, and goal setting. Students prepare a professional portfolio and resume. Students apply various networking techniques and practical interview skills to ensure professional readiness for their chosen health care careers.
Course Description
The focus of this course is to begin integrating all previous study and to identify the focus of students' final capstone project. Students evaluate and integrate the methodologies, considerations, and strategies for project or program design, planning, implementation, and evaluation that are relevant or specifically required by their specific health care discipline. Topics of investigation and consideration include (but are not limited to) financial and economic impact; resource allocation; competition; public and private educational requirements; availability of information technology; impact assessment of change; process improvement assessment; social, behavioral, and environmental impact; legal/ethical issues; and any other factors that impact the provision of care or subsequent outcomes within an organization and community. A collaborative group project approach is emphasized to enhance contribution and consideration from diverse experiences within the health care field. Prerequisite: HLT-610, HCA-610, or HIM-650.
Course Description
This capstone course provides an opportunity for students to complete the development of a comprehensive evidence-based project, plan, or proposal that addresses a problem, issue, or concern in their professional practice and can be implemented upon completion of the program. Projects address a problem amenable to research-based intervention; include a relevant and comprehensive literature review; propose a solution; and include a fully developed program, project, or business plan. The project also contains all the necessary information to implement the proposed solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings.
Course Description
This course promotes the synthesis and application of knowledge and skills from the Master of Health Administration (MS-HA) program. Students identify a mentor and develop a relationship through which they examine the connection between theory and practice. Students engage in leadership and administrative activities (e.g., committees, projects, staff education, and quality improvement) and, through reflection and writing, analyze and evaluate leadership behaviors and processes. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisite: HCA-650.
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
Grand Canyon University’s evening programs cater to the demands of working professionals who prefer an in-person learning environment. Our night classes meet just once per week and offer the interaction and discussion of a typical college classroom.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.