Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A) Major in Healthcare Administration (Thesis Option)

Program Overview

The Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) degree with a major in Healthcare Administration offers courses designed to enhance the career mobility of persons currently employed in health professions as well as to provide a solid base of academic and directed experiences for persons who may desire entry into the field of health administration. The primary focus of the curriculum is middle-to senior-level management.

Principal areas of study include health and disease; sociological, economic, legal, and political forces which affect health care; and management organizational behaviors including such specializations as financial management, human resource management, planning, marketing, and data generation and analysis.

Application Requirements

Application requirements consist of institutional and program requirements for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Additional information and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website.

Unless otherwise noted on The Graduate College program page, AI tools can only be used to correct spelling and grammar errors in application materials.

Institutional Requirements

Institutional requirements are the minimum standards for admission to any graduate program at Texas State. These include:

Completed online application
Nonrefundable application fee
- Degree Programs (Doctoral and Master’s)
  - $55 fee, or
  - $90 for applications with international credentials
- Post-Baccalaureate Programs (Certificate, Certification, Non-Degree, and Visiting)
  - $20 fee, or
  - $60 for applications with international credentials
Official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted. Final transcripts showing degree completion are required before the student may register for their second term of enrollment.
GPA requirements (a higher GPA may be listed in the Program Requirements)
- Doctoral programs require a 3.00 overall GPA or a 3.00 GPA in your last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses).
- Master’s and Specialist programs require a 2.75 overall GPA or a 2.75 GPA in your last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses).
- Post-Baccalaureate programs require a 2.50 overall GPA or a 2.50 GPA in your last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses).
Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university. (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list. Some programs may restrict acceptable tests or require higher scores than the institutional scores; this will be noted in the Program Requirements.

official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall if taken on or before January 21, 2026
official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 4 overall if taken after January 21, 2026
official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall
official Texas State Intensive English Program score of 90% or higher in the highest-level course (level 5)

The institution does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

completed online application
$55 nonrefundable application fee

$90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted
a 2.75 overall GPA or a 2.75 for the last 60 credit hours
GRE is not required
resume/CV including relevant experience (volunteer, research, employment and other)
statement of purpose indicating the student’s ability and interest in completing the degree program in healthcare administration
two signed letters of recommendation from professionals or academics competent to assess the student’s interest in pursuing a career in healthcare administration

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 85 overall
official PTE scores required with a 57
official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
official Duolingo Scores required with a 110 overall
official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) degree with a major in Healthcare Administration requires 40 semester credit hours, including a thesis.

Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
HA 5300	Healthcare Organization and Delivery	3
HA 5303	Healthcare Analytics and Information System Management	3
HA 5304	Healthcare Financial Management I	3
HA 5316	Healthcare Financial Management II	3
HA 5321	Healthcare Law and Policy	3
HA 5325	Healthcare Quality and Operations Improvement	3
HA 5334	Data-Guided Healthcare Decision-Making	3
HA 5335	Public Health for Healthcare Administrators	3
HA 5346	Strategic Management and Marketing for Healthcare Organizations	3
HA 5355	Emerging Trends in Healthcare Human Resources	3
HA 5362	Healthcare Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Leadership	3
HA 5191	Program Competencies Assessments and Integrative Experience Preparation	1
Thesis
HA 5399A	Thesis	3
Choose a minimum of 3 hours from the following:		3
HA 5199B	Thesis
HA 5299B	Thesis
HA 5399B	Thesis
HA 5599B	Thesis
HA 5999B	Thesis
Total Hours		40

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

All degree-seeking graduate students must pass a comprehensive examination at the end of the didactic portion of their program. The School of Health Administration administers comprehensive exams at the end of the fall and spring terms. Students with field placements on their degree audits must pass the comprehensive exam before they begin their field placement. Students who fail the comprehensive exam may take the exam again the next term it is offered. Two failures will result in dismissal from the program.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation.

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official Thesis Proposal Form and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A. After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work. The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester. It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process. Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects. As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete. If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on The Graduate College website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

The Thesis Submission Approval Form bearing original (wet) and/or electronic signatures of the student and all committee members.
One (1) PDF of the thesis in final form, approved by all committee members, uploaded in the online Vireo submission system.

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection). NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections.

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

signing and faxing the form
signing, scanning, and emailing the form
notifying the department in an email from their university's or institution's email account that the committee chair can sign the form on their behalf
electronically signing the form using the university's licensed signature platform.

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in Health Administration: HA

Courses Offered

Health Administration (HA)

HA 5111. Topics in Health Administration.

This course provides an in-depth examination of selected topics or problems relevant to contemporary health administration practices. Emphasis is placed on analysis of issues faced by healthcare managers and application of administrative concepts in professional settings. The course includes structured preparation for field experience and an overview of expectations related to the comprehensive examination. Students receive orientation related to the transition from academic coursework to supervised professional practice. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Prerequisite: HA 5300 with a grade of "C" or better.

1 Credit Hour. 1 Lecture Contact Hour. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

HA 5191. Program Competencies Assessments and Integrative Experience Preparation.

This course examines the integration and application of program-level competencies in preparation for comprehensive examinations and culminating academic experiences. Students engage in structured review, competency-based assessments, and professional development activities aligned with healthcare management standards. Emphasis is placed on synthesizing knowledge across core curriculum domains, evaluating readiness for comprehensive assessment, and analyzing expectations associated with the administrative residency or practicum experiences, or research thesis within healthcare management and administration. HA 5191 and HA 5346 must be taken as last academic courses and before HA 5840 or HA 5640. Prerequisite: HA 5300 with a grade of "C" or better. Corequisite: HA 5346 with a grade of "C" or better.

1 Credit Hour. 1 Lecture Contact Hour. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

HA 5199B. Thesis.

This course constitutes a culminating scholarly experience and involves the completion of an original research thesis addressing a significant issue in health administration, policy, or management. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students apply advanced research methods, analytical skills, and theoretical frameworks to design, conduct, and present an independent study. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, ethical research practices, and professional-quality written communication. This course represents a student’s ongoing enrollment in the thesis until the thesis is submitted for binding. Prerequisite: HA 5300 and HA 5335 with a grade of "B" or better and a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better.

1 Credit Hour. 1 Lecture Contact Hour. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

HA 5299B. Thesis.

This course constitutes a culminating scholarly experience involving completion of an original research thesis addressing a significant issue in health administration, policy, or management. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students apply research methods, analytical skills, and theoretical frameworks to design, conduct, and present an independent study. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, ethical research practices, and professional written communication. This course represents ongoing enrollment in thesis work until submission in accordance with program requirements. Prerequisite: HA 5300 and HA 5335 with a "B" or better and a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better in the program.

2 Credit Hours. 2 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

HA 5300. Healthcare Organization and Delivery.

This course examines the organization, structure, and delivery of health services across the continuum of care, addressing historical development, governance models, policy environments, and operational factors that influence system performance. Students analyze major delivery sectors, evaluate patterns of system change, and assess stakeholder perspectives using established frameworks. Quality management principles and structure–process–outcome concepts support students’ development of integrative analyses of healthcare organizations. Students gain an understanding of how healthcare systems evolve and how organizational design, functioning, and oversight shape the delivery and evaluation of care.