WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
MHA vs. MBA Healthcare Administration
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
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Lead Healthcare Forward. Choose the Path That Matches Your Vision
WGU offers two respected graduate degrees designed to prepare professionals for leadership in the evolving healthcare landscape.
- MBA in Healthcare Administration (MBAHA) for business professionals
- Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) for healthcare professionals.
PROGRAM
MBA in Healthcare Administration (MBAHA)
Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
SCHOOL
WGU School of Business
Leavitt School of Health
DESIGNED FOR
Aspiring executives entering or pivoting into healthcare
Experienced healthcare professionals within the industry
HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED?
No
Yes
PROGRAM DURATION
Designed to be completed in 1 year
Two pathways – a traditional 2-year master’s timeline and an accelerated 1-year option
TUITION
$4795 per 6-month term
$4995 per 6-month term
CREDENTIAL TYPE
Versatile business degree with healthcare applications. Broader leadership roles across industries, including healthcare
Deep healthcare-specific administrative leadership training. Focused on patient outcomes, compliance, and healthcare operations
PROGRAM
MBA in Healthcare Administration (MBAHA)
PROGRAM
Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
SCHOOL
WGU School of Business
SCHOOL
Leavitt School of Health
DESIGNED FOR
Aspiring executives entering or pivoting into healthcare
DESIGNED FOR
Experienced healthcare professionals within the industry
HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED?
No
HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED?
Yes
PROGRAM DURATION
Designed to be completed in 1 year
PROGRAM DURATION
Two pathways – a traditional 2-year master’s timeline and an accelerated 1-year option
TUITION
$4795 per 6-month term
TUITION
$4995 per 6-month term
CREDENTIAL TYPE
Versatile business degree with healthcare applications. Broader leadership roles across industries, including healthcare
CREDENTIAL TYPE
Deep healthcare-specific administrative leadership training. Focused on patient outcomes, compliance, and healthcare operations
What is an MBAHA?
For professionals who want to lead the business of healthcare.
The MBA in Healthcare Administration is ideal for professionals early in their leadership journey or transitioning from other industries, and who aspire to strategic or executive roles in healthcare. It delivers a robust business education—covering finance, marketing, strategic management, and data analysis—while layering in healthcare-specific applications.
- No healthcare background required.
- Career mobility across industries, including healthcare, consulting, and corporate leadership.
- Focus on strategic thinking, growth, and business leadership in healthcare settings. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Common Job Titles
- Hospital CFO or COO
- Administrative Director
- Business Consultant (Healthcare or other sectors)
- Health Industry Strategist
What is an MHA?
For healthcare professionals advancing within healthcare systems.
The MHA is designed for those with existing experience in healthcare who want to deepen their leadership within the field. It offers a targeted curriculum focused on patient outcomes, healthcare systems, compliance, and community health.
- Requires healthcare experience.
- Designed for leadership within hospital systems, public health organizations, and patient-centered care environments.
- Emphasizes healthcare quality improvement, regulatory compliance, and collaborative leadership.
Common Job Titles
- Health System Vice President
- Behavioral Health Director
- Director of Community Health
- Hospital Administrator
Curriculum Highlights
While both programs build a foundation in leadership, operations, and financial strategy, they diverge in purpose: the MBAHA prepares you to lead through business innovation in healthcare settings and beyond, while the MHA equips you to drive impact from within healthcare systems, focusing on patient outcomes and organizational excellence.
MBAHA: Business-Centric Healthcare Curriculum
- Accreditation Audit
- Service Line Development
- Marketing
- Simulated Business Problem Capstone
Focus: Strategic planning, market competitiveness, and business innovation
Shared Foundational Courses
- Accounting for Decision Makers
- Managing Organizations and Leading People
- Ethical Leadership
- Operations Management
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Financial Management
- Global Economics for Managers
MHA: Healthcare-System Leadership Curriculum
- Healthcare Financial Management
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Quality Improvement in Healthcare
- Healthcare Information Technology
- Population Healthcare Coordination
- Challenges in Community Healthcare
- Integrated Healthcare Leadership and Administration
- Capstone with Real-World Industry Collaboration
Focus: Patient care innovation, compliance, integrated care models, and public health
Real World Impact
MBAHA
Students apply their skills in a capstone project simulating a high-level business problem in healthcare. The experience integrates strategy, financial acumen, and data analysis to mimic real executive decision-making.
MHA
Students collaborate directly with healthcare industry leaders to solve real challenges in healthcare delivery, community engagement, or quality improvement—demonstrating their ability to lead change and drive patient-centered outcomes.
Outstanding Return on Investment
Our curriculum is designed around the needs of today's workforce. It’s why 98% of WGU grads meet or exceed employer expectations, and why our students see an average salary increase of $22,200 just two years after graduating.*
*2023 Harris Poll of WGU graduates
Choose Your Path Forward
MBA in Healthcare Administration: A fast, flexible, and versatile business degree for those looking to lead from the boardroom. View the Career Guide.
Master of Healthcare Administration: A deep healthcare-focused degree for professionals ready to shape patient and healthcare system outcomes. View the Career Guide.
QUESTION
BEST FIT
Want to break into healthcare from another field?
MBAHA
Already in healthcare and want to lead healthcare systems?
MHA
Need a flexible, fast-track program?
MBAHA & MHA
Want a program built by and for healthcare insiders?
MHA
Looking for broad leadership skills applicable beyond healthcare?
MBAHA
QUESTION
BEST FIT
Want to break into healthcare from another field?
MBAHA
Already in healthcare and want to lead healthcare systems?
MHA
Need a flexible, fast-track program?
MBAHA & MHA
Want a program built by and for healthcare insiders?
MHA
Looking for broad leadership skills applicable beyond healthcare?
MBAHA
Programs at a Glance
Business
MBA Healthcare Administration
Shape the business of healthcare with an online MBA in Healthcare...
Shape the business of healthcare with an online MBA in Healthcare Administration.
- Time: WGU lets you set a schedule so you can finish your MBA in just one year.
- Tuition: $4,805 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Regulatory compliance
- Patient care improvement
- Data-driven decision making
- Accreditation Auditing
- Ethical Leadership
Healthcare is big business in today's complex economy. Steer your career with this specialty MBA.
Compare online business degrees
This program is not the only online business degree WGU offers that is designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Master of Healthcare Administration
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly...
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly in line with innovations in health and healthcare.
- Time: 60% of grads finish within 21 months.
- Tuition: $4,995 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 12 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Collaborative Leadership
- Healthcare Models and Systems
- Healthcare Financial Management
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Healthcare Information Technology
Your rich experience in a health-related field can mean more when you bring a master's level of understanding to the problems that organizations need to solve.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
While the choice between getting your MBAHA or MHA graduate degrees can be a tough one, the good news is both will help you gain valuable management experience that can be applied immediately in a healthcare environment.
Why WGU?
Be Career Ready
Designed with input from industry leaders, our accredited programs give you the skills and credentials today’s employers need. That’s why 97% of employers said they’d hire another WGU grad.1
1: 2023 Harris Poll of 300 employers of WGU grads.
Get and Keep the Job You Want to Have
85% of WGU graduates are employed in their degree fields—and 87% are employed full-time.2
2: 2023 Harris Poll of 1,655 WGU grads.
Save Money
With flat-rate tuition that is 53% lower than the national average3 and generous need-based scholarships, our degrees are an excellent investment that you can afford.
3: National rates reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System in 2023. WGU average rate does not include rates for WGU Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Prelicensure program.
Work as You Need While Going to School
At WGU, you can complete courses, take tests, and graduate on your schedule. In fact, many of our students work full-time while earning their life-changing bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
"Take the time to invest in yourself and develop new skills and knowledge. Going back to school to get my B.A. and MBA was one of the best decisions I made. I have no regrets over my decision to invest in myself and further my education. Plus, I did not have any student debt after graduation with WGU keeping tuition so affordable."
—Sandra Barber
MBA
COST & TIME
An Affordable Master's Degree
By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay for your degree.
WGU allowed me to continue doing the things I love, spending time with my family, and traveling for my job. Another major plus was that the competency-based system enabled me to focus my time in the areas I needed to learn to further my career.”
—Shonna Wessels
M.S. Management and Leadership
Prepared for Success on the Job
*From a 2023 Harris Poll of 300 employers of WGU graduates.
100% of employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.*
97% of employers said that they would hire another WGU grad.*
98% of employers said WGU graduates met or exceeded expectations.*
