Program: Health Administration (Executive MHA) - University of Southern California

Mar 29, 2025

USC Catalogue 2024-2025

The Executive MHA Program offers clinical and management professionals an opportunity to advance their careers in health care and to more effectively improve health services within their communities. Mid- to senior-level professionals who have the ambition and potential to serve as industry leaders in the highly dynamic and competitive health care environment are encouraged to consider the Executive MHA degree. The Executive MHA is geared to those who have demonstrated capabilities, yet who will benefit from expanded skills and competencies that will enable them to lead.

Participants sharpen their business acumen by gaining exposure to and in-depth knowledge of the latest theories and the best in contemporary health management practice. A practical, problem-solving approach ensures that skills can immediately be applied on the job.

Requirements for Admission

Applicants for the Executive Master of Health Administration apply directly to the program. A minimum of five years of experience with progressively greater levels of responsibility in health care or a related field is required for entry into the Executive MHA program. Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in undergraduate course work is required. Allowances may be made when justified by exceptional work experience and letters of recommendation.

Prerequisites

Accounting

A basic competence in accounting is required for the Executive MHA program. The accounting prerequisite must be satisfied before enrolling in HMGT 565 Managing the Organization’s Financial Health . This prerequisite may be met in one of three ways: (1) completing the non-credit Executive MHA accounting workshop with a passing score; (2) demonstrating prior work experience or (3) completing prior course work at an accredited academic institution in accounting and finance.

Curriculum

The Executive MHA offers a hybrid online/in-residence executive education program that will prepare the graduate to meet career objectives. The program provides students with the flexibility to meet program requirements while maintaining full-time administrative positions, but also emphasizes the importance of an integrated approach to executive education. In addition to the synchronous and asynchronous learning modules included in each course, students will participate in five-day, in-residence sessions at the University Park Campus twice during the program. The first in-residence session will occur before the midpoint of the program, and the second session will be a capstone experience in the last semester of the program. The Executive MHA degree program does not require a supervised field placement (residency) in a health care organization.

The curriculum of the EMHA is organized around five themes: thriving in transformational times through innovative leadership; delivering cost-effective care in an era of value-based purchasing; providing efficient management and administration; developing and implementing strategies to enhance patient safety and quality of care; and demonstrating organizational and clinical effectiveness through health information technology. These integrated themes and the associated content provide graduates with a comprehensive approach that expands their understanding of the key principles and applications necessary to function in a senior administrative leadership role.

Required Courses (36 Units)

HMGT 512 Information Technology and Patient Engagement Units: 2
HMGT 520 Leading People and Health Care Organizations Units: 4
HMGT 540 Health Economics, Financing and Reimbursement Units: 4
HMGT 565 Managing the Organization’s Financial Health Units: 4
HMGT 570 Strategic Management Units: 4
HMGT 575 Managing and Improving Health Units: 4
HMGT 600 Managing Risk Units: 2
HMGT 601 Operations Management for Accountability Units: 4
HMGT 602 Operational Efficiency Processes in Health Care Organizations Units: 2
HMGT 603 Developing and Monitoring of Quality and Patient Safety Outcomes Units: 2
PPD 511 Health Information Systems Units: 2
PPD 518 Quality of Care Concepts Units: 2

Additional Requirements

Participants in the executive program gain practical skills. Emphasis is given to executive decision-making; development of sound planning, analytical and leadership capabilities; and strong interpersonal communication. More specifically, Executive MHA graduates will achieve advanced competency in disciplines which include economics and finance, health care regulation, business development, operations, strategic analysis and management, organizational design, quality and outcomes assessment and information management. Our graduates will model effective leadership and management in a rapidly evolving health care environment.

The core faculty is drawn from the USC Price School of Public Policy and includes senior, experienced faculty, along with nationally renowned academic specialists and health care experts. The opportunity to interact with health care’s leading thinkers, policymakers and practitioners is an essential component of the Executive MHA program.

The Executive MHA office is located in Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall, Room 307, Price School of Public Policy, (213) 740-2984, email emha@usc.edu.