Dual Degree in Business Administration and Health Administration, M.B.A./M.H.A.

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Return to: 7140 Institute of Health Administration

Andrew Sumner, Faculty Director, 404-413-7634, asumner@gsu.edu

The purpose of the Master of Business Administration/Master of Health Administration dual degree program is to prepare future executives to assume responsible managerial positions in health care and business organizations. To accomplish this purpose, the M.B.A./M.H.A. curriculum is structured to provide (1) the basic theoretical knowledge needed to develop as a manager in a variety of health care and business organizations; (2) an understanding of the pragmatic applications of theoretical concepts applied to operational issues through health casework and involvement with health care facilities throughout the program; (3) the technical skills appropriate to successfully function as a health care or business manager; and (4) an understanding of the values, traditions, ethics, and attitudes basic to excellence in health care leadership roles.

The strength of this M.B.A./M.H.A. program lies in the fact that it applies the theoretical concepts of business administration to health administration. The curriculum is designed around a set of competencies that define the knowledge, skills and abilities students should possess upon completion of the program.

Business knowledge and skills

Financial Management
Operations Management
Strategic Management
Human Resource Management
Analytics

Knowledge of the Healthcare Environment

Clinical Professions and the Continuum of Care
Legal, Regulatory and Policy Environment
Healthcare Economics and Financing
Organizational Performance and Quality
Health Information Systems and Technology

Leadership and Professionalism

Strategic Communication
Emotional Intelligence
Team Leadership and Participation
Innovation and Change Management
Ethics, Honest and Integrity

Admissions

The application procedures and admission criteria are given in the “Master’s Admissions” section of this chapter. Applicants must be accepted by the Institute of Health Administration in addition to receiving admission to the Flexible MBA program in the Robinson College of Business. A personal interview is required for all applicants but may be waived by the director of the institute in exceptional circumstances.

Admission to the M.B.A./M.H.A. degree programs occurs each semester. Early application is advised, since the number of applicants each year exceeds program capacity. Applicants should note that health administration courses are offered during the evening.

Regulations for the Degrees

The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)/Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) dual degrees are comprised of 54-66 semester hours of 8000-level graduate courses; a one-semester administrative residency is included. The residency (three semester hours) must be satisfactorily completed at a site approved by the Director of the Institute. A maximum of twelve semester hours of MBA coursework can be exempted based on previous completion of equivalent coursework.

The time limit for completing the M.B.A./M.H.A. joint degrees is five years.

Applicants who have already completed an AACSB accredited M.B.A. degree program may request to complete the M.H.A. portion of the dual degree and earn only the M.H.A. degree. These requests must be approved by the faculty of the Institute of Health Administration. The program of study for students approved for this option includes the 36 semester hours of health administration courses listed in items 4 and 5 below and the three-hour experiential learning requirement described in item 6 below.

Degree Requirements

The M.B.A./M.H.A. Curriculum

The M.B.A./M.H.A. degrees meet all M.B.A. core requirements. In cases where a health-oriented course is available, students will substitute this course for the standard M.B.A. requirement. Health courses are taken to complete M.B.A. elective requirements and M.H.A. core requirements. Following completion of all core requirements, an elective is selected from available health administration courses to meet the student’s interests, career objectives, and academic requirements. The course requirements for the M.B.A./M.H.A. degrees and the format of the program follow.

One academic semester of experiential learning is required to provide an opportunity for synthesizing and applying the curriculum. Students who are responsible to identify the appropriate setting for their experiential learning subject to the approval, oversight and assistance of the Institute of Health Administration. The IHA then works with the preceptor to develop student protocols and evaluations. The 3 credit hour residency is subject to matriculation/tuition fees and may not start until all or most academic work has been completed with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students must meet all report/evaluation assignments.

Note: If changes to the MBA curriculum are implemented, students are advised to contact the Robinson College of Business Academic Advisor and the Institute of Health Administration for impact on degree requirements.

Cornerstone Core Courses (7.5-13.5 Hours)

These courses provide a solid intellectual grounding within an integrative framework that sets the stage for the entire program. MBA 8000 - Managing in the Global Economy, MBA 8040 - Data Driven Decision Making and MBA 8045 - Analytics Experience cannot be waived. Waiver of Strategic Business Communications and Financial Statement Analysis may be waived based on education or work experience. Once a course is waived, it may not be taken later for credit. Foundation courses and Cornerstone Core courses may be taken concurrently.

MBA 8000 - Managing in the Global Economy 3 Credit Hours
MBA 8015 - Strategic Business Communication 3 Credit Hours
MBA 8025 - Financial Statement Analysis 3 Credit Hours
MBA 8040 - Data Driven Decision Making 3 Credit Hours
MBA 8045 - Analytics Experience 1.5 Credit Hours

Functional Core Courses (4.5-10.5 Hours)

The functional core offers curricular breadth. Up to 6 hours (two courses) in this category may be waived based on a student’s undergraduate degree (see Section 7090.60 for details). Once a course is waived, it may not be taken later for credit. MBA 8000 and MBA 8025 are prerequisites for every Functional Core course, and MBA 8015, MBA 8030, MBA 8040, and MBA 8045 are co-requisites.

MBA 8115 - Managerial Accounting and Control Systems 1.5 Credit Hours
MBA 8135 - Corporate Finance 3 Credit Hours
MBA 8145 - Marketing Management 3 Credit Hours
MBA 8165 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior 3 Credit Hours

Business Elective Course (3 Hours)

At least one business elective chosen from this list are required of all students

MBA 8125 - Digital Innovation 3 Credit Hours
CIS 8000 - Information Technology Project Management 3 Credit Hours
MGT 8730 - Project Management 3 Credit Hours

Required Courses in Health Administration (24 Hours)

HA 8160 - Introduction to the Health Care System 3 Credit Hours
HA 8190 - Health Policy and Ethics 3 Credit Hours
HA 8440 - Executive Leadership in Health Care 3 Credit Hours
HA 8450 - Legal Environment of Health Care 3 Credit Hours Replaces MBA 8030 - Legal Environment: Ethics and Corporate Governance in the MBA curriculum.
HA 8550 - Healthcare Planning and Financial Management 3 Credit Hours
HA 8620 - Operations Management and Quality in Health Care 3 Credit Hours Replaces MBA 8155 - Operations Management in the MBA curriculum.
HA 8670 - Health Information Systems 3 Credit Hours
HA 8990 - Strategic Management in Health Care 3 Credit Hours Replaces MBA 8820 - Global Competitive Strategy in the MBA curriculum.

Electives in Health Administration (6 Hours)

At least two 8000-level health administration electives chosen from this list are required of all students:

HA 8680 - Care Management and Delivery Systems 3 Credit Hours
HA 8750 - Predictive Analytics in Health Care 3 Credit Hours

Administrative Residency Experiential Learning (3 hours)

One academic semester of experiential learning is required to provide an opportunity for synthesizing and applying the curriculum. Students are responsible for identifing the appropriate organizational setting for their experiential learning subject to the approval, oversight and assistance of the Institute of Health Administration. The 3 credit hour residency is subject to matriculation/tuition fees and may not start until all or most academic work has been completed with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students must meet all report/evaluation assignments.

HA 8810 - Administrative Residency and Survey I 3 Credit Hours