Differences between the MHA and the MBA degrees
MHA and MBA Comparison
Much of the content of the MHA degree involves the development of business management knowledge and skills, but focused and applied within the complex health care arena. Much of the learning in the MHA program comes from the use of "health care" examples and cases. Students also do practicum work within health care organizations, thus giving them significant practical health care management experience during their overall student career. The curricular content is appropriately organized and presented for the organizational types and management challenges students will actually face in their subsequent health administration careers.
Students pursuing an MBA degree develop significant and very strong general business management knowledge and skills. While there is often greater emphasis in selected areas of the MBA curriculum (accounting, corporate finance, international business, and e-business), there is little, if any curricular emphasis on management of health care organizations. There are also few students or faculty knowledgeable about health care organizations and the special circumstances and challenges they face.
Under either option students will emerge with strong business management skills. Under the MHA option students will emerge with strong business management skills applied to the special circumstances of the health care financing and delivery system environment.