Curriculum
14 - 15 Courses
42 or 45 Credits
Program Length
Full-time in as few as 16 months
Part-time in as few as 20 months
Foundation Courses (6 Credits)
| HLTH-705 | Health Systems I: Healthcare in the U.S. | 3 |
| HLTH-707 | Evidence-Based Healthcare Management | 3 |
MHA Core Level 1 (12 credits)
| HLTH-710 | Healthcare Accounting and Financial Management | 3 |
| HLTH-720 | Health Systems II: Economics, Law, and Policy | 3 |
| HLTH-730 | Healthcare Operations Management and Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HLTH-740 | Healthcare Management and Human Resources | 3 |
MHA Core Level 2 (12 credits)
| HLTH-805 | Big Data Strategies for Health and Healthcare | 3 |
| HLTH-810 | Quality, Patient Safety, and Patient Experience | 3 |
| HLTH-820 | Leadership, Ethics, and Organizational Change in Healthcare | 3 |
| HLTH-840 | Innovation and Strategic Management in Healthcare | 3 |
Required MHA Capstone Course (3 credits)
Must be taken in the last or next-to-last semester.
Internship (3 credits)
Required for students without professional experience in the U.S. Healthcare System.
Electives (9 credits)
MHA students must take a total of nine (9) credits in electives. This requirement may be fulfilled by either taking all nine (9) credits from the Healthcare Administration Electives list, or by taking at least one three (3) credit HLTH elective, and the remaining credits from the Approved MHA Electives list.
Healthcare Administration Electives
| HLTH-807 | Innovation: The Future of Healthcare | 3 |
| HLTH-842 | Global Health | 3 |
| HLTH-855 | Advanced Quality, Patient Safety, and Performance Improvement | 3 |
| HLTHIB-870 | Global Travel Seminar: Comparative Analysis of the Healthcare Systems in England and United States | 3 |
| HLTH-880 | Directed Individual Study | 1-3 |
Approved MHA Electives Outside the Healthcare Department
| ISOM-730 | Python for Business Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
| ISOM-825 | Enterprise Data Management | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Storytelling | 3 |
| ISOM-851 | Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| ISOM-861 | Project Management: Gaining Competitive Advantage | 3 |
| MBA-660 | Marketing: the Challenge of Managing Value | 3 |
| MBA-730 | Innovative Thinking | 3 |
| MBA-920 | MBA Student Business Clinic | 3 |
| MGOB-835 | Managing Difficult People at Work | 3 |
| MGOB-841 | Bldg Inclusive Organizations | 3 |
| MGOB-855 | Conflict & Negotiation | 3 |
| MGT-860 | Leading Teams | 3 |
| P.AD-717 | Organizational Change | 3 |
| P.AD-718 | Leadership Strategies for an Interconnected World | 3 |
| P.AD-815 | Nonprofit Management | 3 |
| P.AD-819 | Grant Writing and Management | 3 |
Waiver Policy
The academic advisor of the Healthcare Administration Department evaluates each request for a course waiver and transfer credits. Such a request must be made in writing following an individual’s acceptance into, and decision to attend, the MHA Program and before the start of the student's first semester of courses. Waivers are limited to a total of 6 credits.
Any required course in the MHA Program is eligible to be waived and substituted for an approved elective, except for HLTH-705, HLTH-720, HLTH-840, HLTH-892, and HLTH-885 (for students who are required to do an internship).
To be eligible for a course waiver, a course must have been completed in a recognized undergraduate or graduate program in healthcare administration in an accredited U.S. college or university; been completed within the three years prior to the student being enrolled in Suffolk’s MHA Program; and be assessed as equivalent to the Suffolk course for which the waiver is sought, based on a review of the syllabus by the chairperson of the Healthcare Administration Department. The grade for a completed course must be a "B" or better.
All MHA students must complete 42 graduate credits (or 45 credits if an internship is required) in the Sawyer Business School. The number of credits approved for waiver are limited to a maximum of 6 credits.
Transfer Policy
A student can transfer courses in lieu of elective courses, thereby reducing the number of credits required to earn an MHA degree. The MHA Program limits the number of transferred courses to two 3-credit courses (6 credits).
To be eligible for transfer credits, a course must have been completed at the graduate level in a recognized graduate program in healthcare administration in an accredited U.S. college or university; been completed within the three years prior to the student being enrolled in Suffolk’s MHA Program; and be assessed as equivalent to the Suffolk course for which the transfer credits are sought, based on a review of the syllabus by the chairperson of the Healthcare Administration Department. The grade for a completed course must be a "B" or better. In addition, the credits for a course for which a transfer is sought must not have been applied toward a previously completed degree.
All MHA students must complete 42 graduate credits (or 45 credits if an internship is required) in the Sawyer Business School. The number of credits approved for transfer is limited to a maximum of 6 credits.
Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete
Occasionally, a Suffolk MHA student must leave the Boston area before completing their degree. The Sawyer Business School has several options available to enable completion of the Suffolk MHA Program. A student may be able to transfer in six credits of elective courses from a recognized graduate program in healthcare administration in an accredited U.S. college or university close to the new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by the chairperson of the Sawyer Business School Healthcare Administration Department and have a grade of “B” or better.
A student who leaves the area may also be able to complete their Suffolk MHA degree on a part-time basis online.
Transfer Credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management's Certificate Program
Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may have an opportunity to reduce credit requirements to an SBS graduate degree program (MBA, MMS, MSA, MST, MHA, MSBA, or MSM). All course waivers and/or transfers for the MHA Program must be reviewed by the chairperson of the Healthcare Administration Department.
In order for a course to be considered, the following criteria must be met: must have an MHA Program course equivalent, and the student must have received a grade of "B" or better and successfully completed the certificate prior to enrolling in the MHA Program.
Applicants must also meet the admission standards for the MHA Program.