Master of Healthcare Administration (Global Health)

Website: https://twu.edu/health-care-administration/graduate-degrees/mha-global-health/

The M.H.A. with an emphasis in Global Health Administration is designed for those graduate students wishing to gain more experience in international health delivery.  Globalization is taking place across all fields and affects healthcare management programs. Many large healthcare systems have global health programs and international sites. It is no longer sufficient for healthcare managers to know only about the healthcare system of their own local geography.  To be visionary leaders as well as effective managers, healthcare executives must have a breadth of knowledge and understanding about other international health issues and solutions. This emphasis builds the skills required to gain a better understanding of international health issues and opportunities, the role of cultural differences in health and wellness, comparative health systems, and cross-cultural communication. This program option requires travel to international locations to better understand global health concepts in action, along with course work related to international health systems and services. 

The emphasis in Global Health Administration is an extension of the regular M.H.A. degree program and is available only to those students enrolled for the M.H.A. degree.  All regular M.H.A. admission requirements apply.  A student can declare their interest in the Global Health Administration emphasis at any time through their advisor.  This emphasis requires an additional three courses (9 credit hours).  However,  two of these three courses can be substituted for two required electives in the overall M.H.A. degree; so the net increase for this emphasis is only three credit hours.

The emphasis does not impact the Program’s accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Appropriately use information, data, and sound judgment to inform management decisions. Students will be able to apply critical thinking and analysis to solve healthcare problems.  They will apply analytical thinking and effective information seeking to healthcare financial management, performance measurement, and process management issues.
  2. ​Successfully pursue organizational goals that involve getting things done through and in collaboration with others. Students gain these skills with a focus on governance, change leadership, human resource management, initiative, IT management, organizational awareness, project management, and strategic orientation.
  3. ​Act with integrity, upholding high professional and ethical standards. Emphasizing ethical decision-making, professionalism, life-long learning, and self-confidence, graduates will approach their profession with an achievement orientation.

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

This academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

48-57 semester credit hours (SCH).

Leveling/Foundation Courses (may be waived with advisor approval)0-9
Foundations of Health Services
Research Methods for Managerial Decision Making
Financial Accounting in Health Care Administration
Health Systems Organization Sequence
HCA 5393Health Law and Ethics3
HCA 5633Health Policy Analysis3
Management and Leadership Sequence
HCA 5223Strategic Planning in Healthcare3
HCA 5343Human Resources Management in Health Care Administration3
HCA 5883Professional Portfolio and Healthcare Career Competencies3
HCA 5933Capstone in Health Care Administration3
Quantitative Methods Sequence
HCA 5443Operations Analysis in Healthcare Administration3
HCA 5473Health Information Management3
HCA 5483Population Health Management3
HCA 5493Performance Measurement and Quality in Health Care Administration3
Finance, Accounting and Economics Sequence
HCA 5533Management Accounting for Health Care Organizations3
HCA 5543Health Care Finance3
HCA 5623Economics of Health Care3
Required courses for emphasis in Global Health
HCA 5743Alternative Systems of Healthcare Delivery3
HCA 5903Special Topics (HCA Study Abroad)3
HCA 5903Special Topics (HCA Study Abroad)3
Total SCHs48-57

Additional Grading Requirements

In addition to the general University grading requirements, the HCA Program limits the number of courses in which a grade of C is made, in HCA program-specific courses, to two. If a grade of C is made in a third HCA program-specific course, then regardless of the cumulative grade point average, the student will be dropped from the HCA Program. Since this is an HCA grading requirement and not a University requirement, the student may choose to apply to another TWU program.

The two C Rule applies even if the student retakes a course in which the initial grade was a C.

Foundation courses

Foundation courses are the first level of preparation for specialized study in Health Administration. Applicants may request a waiver of any foundation course by presenting evidence of having completed at least two undergraduate or one graduate course in the content area with a grade of B or higher. These courses must be completed prior to enrolling in required courses.

Internship/Fieldwork Opportunities

Internships and field experiences are available with health care organizations. They are designed to provide students with the opportunity to integrate and apply knowledge and skills from their course experiences. While an internship or fieldwork is not required, it is strongly recommended for all individuals who lack health care experience or whose experience is primarily technical or clinical. The decision regarding whether the internship or fieldwork should be included as one of the elective courses is made jointly by the faculty advisor and student at the completion of 12 semester credit hours of study. In addition, many courses include fieldwork projects, tours, and assessments of local health care organizations. A maximum of three semester credit hours may be earned in internship or fieldwork and applied toward the degree. In order to receive academic credit for an internship or fieldwork, the student must contact his/her faculty advisor and complete the necessary documentation with the HCA internship/fieldwork coordinator prior to applying or accepting an internship or fieldwork assignment.

Portfolio

Each student is required to develop and maintain a professional portfolio documenting the attainment of goals and skills acquired in the course of their graduate study. This portfolio and student goals are developed jointly by the student and faculty advisor. The portfolio is to be reviewed periodically with the faculty advisor. Students must enroll in HCA 5883 during their final semester to complete their portfolios.

Some courses in the program may be delivered in a non-traditional distance learning format. As a result, student involvement on campus will vary depending on the method of delivery.