University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Services Policy and Management, HSPM Curricula and Courses

Master of Health Administration

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), formerly the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration (ACEHSA).

The program leading to the Master of Health Administration degree provides instruction in management, accounting, finance, epidemiology, quantitative methods, evaluation, and planning.

The program is 58 hours: 46 hours of departmentally required courses, 6 hours for electives, and 6 hours for the management residency in the final semester. Full-time students can complete the program in two years, including summers.

Knowledge of basic accounting is required. If an undergraduate accounting course is taken following enrollment, that course's hours are in addition to the program's 58.

A professional format for the MHA curriculum is available to qualified students.

Applying to the Program

For our regular MHA program, apply online through the Association of Schools of Public Health's SOPHAS system. Please also send an e-mail with your contact information.

To guarantee full consideration, applicants should initiate an application through SOPHAS by January 15. Notifications of acceptance into the MHA program will begin on April 30.

Through the aptitude scores, transcripts, work history, letters of recommendation and statement of professional goals, the student must exhibit: (1) an ability to perform at the level of B or better in a graduate program, and (2) promise of being able to carry health management expertise into a variety of health care settings. No single criterion will be used for admissions determination, but all factors will be considered in assessing the applicant's ability and promise. During the course of the admissions process the applicant may be required to appear for a personal interview.

MHA Curriculum

All courses are 3 credit hours, except where noted. Total is 58 hours.
Epidemiology EPID 700 Basic Concepts and Methods of Epidemiology
Quantitative Methods BIOS 700 Introduction to Biostatistics
HSPM 716 Quantitative Methods in Health Administrastion
Management HSPM 712 Health Economics
HSPM 713 Information Systems for Health Administration
HSPM 714 Perspectives in Community Health Organizations
HSPM 724 Health Law
HSPM 765 Leadership in Health Care Organizations (1 credit hour)
HSPM 766 Health Services Administration I
HSPM 768 Health Services Administration II
HSPM 770 Decision-Making for Health Care Executives
HSPM 791 Special Topics: Organization Behavior
Accounting and Finance HSPM 733 Health Care Accounting
HSPM 731 Health Care Finance I
HSPM 732 Health Care Finance II
Planning HSPM 718 Health Planning
Electives Choose two from these:
  • HSPM 710 History of Public Health
  • HSPM 711 Health Policy
  • HSPM 772 International Health
  • HSPM 707 Rural Health Policy
  • HSPM 791 Special Topics: Public Health Law
  • any other graduate-level course
Management Residency HSPM 797 Management Residency (6 credit hours)

Full-time students should use this course sequence.

Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration Dual Degree Program

The University of South Carolina School of Law and the Health Administration Department offer a J.D./M.H.A. For details, please contact our Department office, at (803)777-1627.


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For further information, please contact the MHA Director,
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