Health Administration (MHA)

Brooks School of Public Policy

Program Website

Program Description

The standard Sloan Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program is a comprehensive two-year, 60-credit, non-thesis professional program. Throughout the program, students engage in coursework covering various aspects of health care management, including:

  • Management
  • Health care delivery and finance
  • Population health
  • Quantitative analysis and methods
  • Law and ethics
  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Health policy

Accreditation

The program’s accreditation by the Committee on Accreditation for Health Management Education (CAHME) ensures adherence to high standards of education and prepares graduates for leadership roles in the health care industry.

Standard Admissions Requirements

Experience in health care—whether through part-time work, full-time positions, internships, or volunteer roles—is preferred but not required. Each application is reviewed holistically and in the context of the overall applicant pool for that admission cycle. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit a complete application package as outlined below. 

  • Transcripts from all colleges or universities attended 
  • Two letters of recommendation 
  • Resume 
  • Statement of purpose 
  • Online video interview 
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable

Successful completion (with a grade of B or higher) of one or more of the following courses is preferred: 

  • An introductory and/or advanced statistics course (introductory statistics is strongly recommended)

  • Introductory coursework in areas such as accounting, finance, data-driven decision making or quantitative analysis, data analytics, financial modeling, math-based microeconomics

  • Intermediate-level coursework in database analysis and management tools (e.g., Excel, SQL, Tableau)

Please visit https://publicpolicy.cornell.edu/masters/sloan/mha/apply/ to view application deadlines. 

BS/MHA Accelerated Program Admissions Requirements 

Students in eligible Bachelor of Science programs at Cornell may apply during their junior year for an accelerated five-year BS/MHA degree program. BS/MHA applicants should aim to meet all standard admissions expectations in addition to verifying eligibility with an advisor. 

Students must verify eligibility with an advisor to develop a plan outlining how credits will overlap between programs. 

Up to 30 credits may overlap between the MHA and the following undergraduate programs via the BS/MHA accelerated program.

  • Policy Analysis and Management (Brooks)
  • Public Policy (Brooks)
  • Human Biology Health and Society (Human Ecology)
  • Human Development (Human Ecology)

Up to 12 credits may overlap between the MHA and the following undergraduate programs via the BS/MHA accelerated program. 

  • Health Care Policy (Brooks) 
  • Global and Public Health Sciences (Human Ecology) 
  • Nutritional Sciences (Human Ecology) 
  • Biology and Society (CALS)

MHA Policies and Procedures

MHA students are expected to meet policies set by the Brooks School of Public Policy and the University for professional Masters students. For details about Brooks School academic policies see the Brooks School policies page. Please review the university catalog policies regarding academic integrity and final exams. 

Good Academic Standing Requirements:
The minimum academic standards are as follows:

  • A student must maintain a semester and cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

  • Students must receive a grade of C or better in all degree requirements.

  • Students must receive a grade of B or better in the capstone requirement (PUBPOL 5951 and PUBPOL 5952).

  • Students must complete the internship requirement between 1st and 2nd year unless an alternate arrangement has been made with the MHA program director. 

  • A student cannot carry more than two (2) incomplete grades simultaneously.

  • Students must complete at least 12 credits each semester unless they have received an approved petition to take fewer than 12 credits (e.g., for SDS accommodation)

  • Students must be in-residence unless they are participating in an approved off-campus activity, with written approval from the Program Director.

  • A student must be making “satisfactory progress” toward a Brooks School master’s degree.

Review Process

At the end of each semester, the Brooks School committee on academic status (CAS) reviews each Bachelor of Science and Professional Master student’s academic record to ensure that the minimum academic standards are met. The committee takes appropriate action for students whose academic achievement is considered unsatisfactory as defined by the criteria above.  To support every student’s success, the committee may take any of the following actions:

  • Withdraw the student permanently from the Brooks School and Cornell University.

  • Require the student to take a leave of absence for one or more semesters.

  • Issue a warning to the student at one of the following levels (these imply that if the student does not show considerable improvement during the semester, the committee may withdraw the student):

    • Severe warning with danger of being withdrawn
    • Severe warning
    • Warning

  • Add the student’s name to a review list; students with this status are monitored by the committee throughout the semester.

  • Return the student to good standing.

Any of the above actions may be accompanied by a semester credit limit or a requirement for the student to meet with an academic advisor by a date set by the committee. 

Students placed on a required leave must appeal to CAS to return. This appeal occurs at the end of the required leave period. Students who have been withdrawn may appeal the decision before the committee during the pre-semester appeals meeting. 

All students with an academic warning status automatically will be reviewed for specific criteria at the end of the subsequent semester. Students put on warning, severe warning, or severe warning with danger of being withdrawn status will be informed of conditions that they are expected to fulfill to return to good standing. 

Students who have been previously placed on a required leave and wish to return to the Brooks School must submit a plan of study to the committee before being rejoined. The student should contact the Registrar in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services, and Career Management to discuss the process and due dates (BrooksRegistrar@cornell.edu). 

Students who have been withdrawn from the Brooks School by CAS may request that they be readmitted. Such students have three years from the date they were withdrawn to make this appeal with assistance from an advisor in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services, and Career Management. After three years, a former student must apply for readmission through the Brooks School admissions process. A student applying for readmission should discuss their situation with an advisor in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management. The student also should talk with others who may be able to help—faculty mentors, instructors, or a member of the university medical staff. Any information given to the committee is held in the strictest confidence.

Curriculum Petitions 

Students may request to take alternate Cornell electives at the 5000 level or higher that are not listed on the pre-approved list of electives. These substituted electives must be approved by the student’s advisor. In the petition, the student must outline how the substituted course aligns with their personal career goals and academic interests in the field of health administration.   

Students may also petition to waive a core course based on previous academic course work in which the student demonstrated mastery of Sloan program competencies.
In order to qualify for a core course waiver, a student must have taken a similar course (or courses) prior to matriculating to Sloan, and show content mastery by: 

  • Demonstrating that this course covered similar content by submitting a course syllabus to the Sloan instructor and

  • Submit evidence of a B or better in the prior course by submitting an official transcript. Individual faculty members reserve the right to test a student’s mastery of course competencies prior to approving a waiver.

Please note that if a waiver petition is approved, the result is that the specific petitioned course is “waived,” freeing those credits up for another advanced course (5000 level or higher) in lieu of the waived course. A total of sixty-four (64) credits are still required for graduation. Sloan does not accept credits that are earned elsewhere in lieu of credits earned at Cornell.

Career Management and Practical Training 

In addition to support offered through the Brooks School Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management the Sloan program offers the following resources to support students in career management and practice training: 

The Sloan Colloquium Requirement
PUBPOL 5990 Challenges and Trends in the Health Services Industry 
The colloquium series aims to expose students to recent trends, issues, and innovative developments in the health care field. The series provides a platform for students to network with high-level professionals and gain insights into real-world practices and challenges.

Capstone Requirement
During the second year in the program, students engage in a comprehensive capstone project that spans the entire year, PUBPOL 5951/PUBPOL 5952 Field Study in Health Administration and Planning. This project involves collaborating with a small team of classmates, typically three to four individuals, to address a real-world challenge faced by a health care organization. This hands-on experience allows students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their coursework and internships at Sloan to provide practical solutions for actual clients.

Summer Internship Requirement
Students in the program are required to complete a 10-week internship during the summer break between their first and second years, typically in a paid capacity. This internship serves as a crucial opportunity for students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world projects within a health care organization while gaining practical experience. 

Professional Development Workshops
Each fall, incoming first-year students are offered a series of career and professional development workshops aimed at refining their professional skill set. These workshops cover a range of essential areas including communication, networking, interviewing, negotiating, etiquette, and health care management skills.

Practitioner-Led Intensive Courses (PLICs)

Throughout the year, Sloan offers a variety of Practitioner-Led Intensive Courses (PLICs), via PUBPOL 5900 Special Topics in Health Administration and Finance, providing students with opportunities to delve into specialized topics and acquire practical skills under the guidance of experienced health care executives.  

Off-Campus Trips
Off-Campus trips to places like Washington, D.C. offer students the unique opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world practices and challenges in the health care sector. They also facilitate networking, exposure to diverse perspectives, and a deeper understanding of the broader health care landscape beyond classroom teaching.