Curriculum

The MHA in health systems management curriculum is driven by professional competencies and organized into five domain clusters. At the completion of the program, students are expected to achieve targeted proficiency in each of the competencies associated with the following domains.

  1. Knowledge of the Healthcare System and Healthcare Management
  2. Communications and Interpersonal Effectiveness
  3. Critical Thinking, Analysis and Problem Solving
  4. Management and Leadership
  5. Professionalism and Ethics

The curriculum is designed to develop student proficiency in the Professional Competencies necessary for future success in mid- and executive-level management in various roles in health-related organizations in public and private sectors.

The program curriculum, including short descriptions of the required courses, is available in Mason's University Catalog.

Most courses in the on-campus program are taught in the evening at Mason’s Fairfax Campus. Additionally, some classes are offered in a hybrid format or fully online. Students can complete their degree at their own pace, provided that they do so within six years of starting the program.

The online program follows the same curriculum as the on-campus program. Online format courses are taken one at a time. Each course lasts eight weeks.
*Please note: Summer courses may overlap due to compliance with the university's academic year calendar. 

The faculty teaching courses in the MHA program employ a wide range of teaching methods. These include case studies, problem-solving, project reports, student presentations, reflective papers, team projects, moderated group discussions, and lectures. Read more about our outcomes.

On-Campus Course Sequence

Option 1: Full-Time Starting in Fall

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Fall

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

HAP 715 Health Economics

HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

HAP 715 Health Economics

HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

Spring

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

• HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Mgmt

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

• HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Mgmt

Summer (optional)

• HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems (online term 1)

• HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Fall (2nd year)

HAP 652 Essentials of health insurance and managed care                                                   

HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation (online term 2)

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• Elective- approved by advisor

• HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment

Spring (2nd year)

HAP 702 Managing Accounting in Health Care              

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

HAP 789 Precapstone

HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety (online term 1)                                       

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

HAP 764 Health Policy and Government Payment Systems

Summer (2nd year)

-

HAP 789 Precapstone

 

Fall (3rd year)

HAP 790 Capstone            

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

HAP 790 Capstone          

Option 2: Part-Time Starting in Fall

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Fall

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

HAP 715 Health Economics

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

HAP 715 Health Economics

Spring

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and
Managed Care (online)

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Mgmt

Summer

• HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems (online term 1)

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health (online term 2)

• HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Fall (2nd year)

HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

• HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment

Spring (2nd year)

HAP 702 Managing Accounting in Health Care

HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 764 Health Policy and Government Payment Systems

Summer (2nd year)

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration (online term 1)

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation (online term 2)

HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

Fall (3rd year)

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management          

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care (online term 2)

HAP 789 Precapstone

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management          

• Elective- approved by advisor

HAP 789 Precapstone

Spring (3rd year) HAP 790 Capstone    HAP 790 Capstone

Option 3: Full-Time Starting in Spring

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Spring

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

Summer

• HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems

• HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems (online term 1)

Fall

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

• HAP 715 Health Econ

HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

• HAP 715 Health Econ

• Elective- approved by advisor

Spring (2nd year)

HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

HAP 702 Managerial Accounting in Health Care

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation (online term 2)

• HAP 764 Health Policy and Government Payment Systems

• HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

Summer (2nd year)

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration (online term 1)

 

HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment (online term 1)

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation (online term 2)

HAP 789 Precapstone

Fall (2nd year)

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

HAP 789 Precap

 

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues 

HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety (online term 1)

HAP 790 Capstone

Spring (3rd year)

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

HAP 790 Capstone

 

Option 4: Part-Time Starting in Spring

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Spring

HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

Summer

HAP 740 Management of Health Information Systems (online term 1)

HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems (online term 2)

HAP 740        Management of Health Information Systems

HAP 698        Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Fall

HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

HAP 715 Health Econ

HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

HAP 715 Health Econ

Spring (2nd year)

HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 764 Health Policy and Government Payment Systems

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

Summer (2nd year)

GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health (online term 1 – Session A)

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

•​​​​​​​ Elective- approved by advisor

Fall (2nd year)

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health (online term 2

HAP 704 Contemporary Issues 

HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment

Spring (3rd year)

HAP 702 Managerial Accounting in Health Care

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety

Summer (3rd year) • HAP 789 Precapstone • HAP 789 Precapstone
Fall (3rd year) • HAP 790 Capstone • HAP 790 Capstone

Online Course Sequence

Option 1: Starting Fall

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Fall

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Spring

• HAP 740 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

• HAP 740 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

Summer

HAP 715 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

HAP 715 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Fall (2nd year)

• HAP 715 Health Economics

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

• HAP 715 Health Economics

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Spring (2nd year)

• HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

• HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems

• Elective- approved by advisor

• HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety

Summer (2nd year)

HAP 702 Managerial Accounting in Health Care

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

• HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment

• HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

Fall (3rd year)

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• HAP 764 Health Policy and Government Payment Systems

Spring (3rd year)

• HAP 789 Precapstone

• HAP 790 Capstone

• HAP 789 Precapstone

• HAP 790 Capstone

Option 2: Starting Spring

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Spring

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Summer

• HAP 740 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

• HAP 740 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

Fall

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

Spring (2nd year)

• HAP 715 Health Economics

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

• HAP 715 Health Economics

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Summer (2nd year)

• HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

• HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems

• Elective- approved by advisor

• HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety

Fall (2nd year)

HAP 702 Managerial Accounting in Health Care

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

• HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment

• HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

Spring (3rd year)

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

Summer (3rd year)

• HAP 789 Precapstone

• HAP 790 Capstone

• HAP 789 Precapstone

• HAP 790 Capstone

Option 3: Starting in Summer

Semester

                     Executive Concentration

                      Quality Concentration

Summer

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• GCH 500 Foundations of Public Health

• HAP 621 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Fall

• HAP 740 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

• HAP 740 Leadership and Organizational Behavior

• HAP 652 Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care

Spring

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

HAP 750 Legal Issues in Health Administration

HAP 602 Statistics in Health Services Management

Summer (2nd year)

• HAP 715 Health Economics

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

• HAP 715 Health Economics

• HAP 698 Quality Measurement and Evaluation

Fall (2nd year)

• HAP 707 Human Resource Management in Healthcare

• HAP 703 Financial Management in Health Systems

• Elective- approved by advisor

• HAP 699 Liability in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety

Spring (2nd year)

HAP 702 Managerial Accounting in Health Care

HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

• HAP 697 The Healthcare Quality Environment

• HAP 705 Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care

Summer (3rd year)

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

• HAP 704 Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management

• HAP 635 Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health

Fall (3rd year)

• HAP 789 Precapstone

• HAP 790 Capstone

• HAP 789 Precapstone

• HAP 790 Capstone