Catalogue 2007-08

Master of Health Administration

The issues surrounding the delivery and financing of health services have an enormous impact on individuals and the communities in which we live. The health care industry now accounts for more than 15 percent of the U.S. economy. Fast-moving developments in technology, economics, ethics, finance, policy, management and globalization are driving changes in the health sector. Effective health leadership requires an understanding of governance systems and the complex interplay between the public, private and nonprofit sectors as well as the dual imperatives of both the clinical and business facets of health care delivery. As the health care system changes, career opportunities abound. The field has a tremendous need for leaders, managers and analysts -- in hospitals, health plans, physician practices, health-related enterprises, community health organizations, social advocacy groups, and regulatory and legislative agencies.

The School of Policy, Planning, and Development programs in health management and policy offer two degree options -- the Master of Health Administration and the Executive Master of Health Administration -- for acquiring the knowledge, skills and applied experience to shape health policy and lead health organizations. Requirements for the Executive M.H.A. differ from those of the traditional M.H.A. and are found here.

The Master of Health Administration builds a solid foundation emphasizing managerial, analytical and public policy skills for those entering the health field, while the Executive Master of Health Administration deepens professional skills and permits those already working in the health field to advance to higher levels of leadership.

The M.H.A. curriculum incorporates the areas of management, economics, finance, marketing and law to provide students with broad exposure to, and in-depth knowledge of, the latest theories and the best in contemporary practice. The program prepares students for management positions in hospitals, managed care systems, physician groups, ambulatory care systems, government agencies concerned with health care policy, planning, quality assurance and regulation, and private firms involved in health care consulting, finance, performance assessment and evaluation.

The School offers the M.H.A. degree at the University Park campus in Los Angeles and the USC State Capital Center in Sacramento. The executive degree option is offered at the University Park campus.

Requirements for Admission

General

Applicants for the Master of Health Administration must apply separately to the Health Policy and Management Program. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants may take courses on limited standing pending formal admission to the master's degree program.

Applicants with bachelor's degrees must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in their undergraduate course work and a score of at least 500 on the verbal and at least 500 on the quantitative sections of the GRE. Deviations from these minimums will be allowed when justified by exceptional work experience, letters of recommendation or improvement in academic performance during the third and fourth years of undergraduate study.

Prerequisites

Statistics

A basic competence in descriptive and inferential statistics is also required for the M.H.A. program. The statistics prerequisite must be satisfied within the first 12 units or before enrolling in PPD 557 Quantitative Analysis I, PPD 511 Health Information Systems or PPD 510a Financial Management of Health Services. This prerequisite may be met in one of two ways: (1) completing PPD 404x Statistics for Policy, Planning and Development with a grade of C or better (this course carries undergraduate credit and may not be applied to the M.H.A. degree), or (2) passing the Statistics Equivalency Test administered by the school. This test is given prior to registration each semester, but may be taken only once. Students who do not pass this exam must enroll in PPD 404x.

Accounting

A basic competence in accounting is also required for the M.H.A. program. The accounting prerequisite must be satisfied within the first 12 units or before enrolling in PPD 510a Financial Management of Health Services or PPD 511 Health Information Systems. This prerequisite may be met in one of two ways: (1) completing PPD 516x Financial Accounting in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors with a grade of B or better (this course may not be applied to the M.H.A. degree), or (2) passing the Accounting Equivalency Test given by the school. This test may be taken only once. Students who do not pass are required to enroll in PPD 516x.

Economics

A basic competence in economics is also required for the M.H.A. program. The economics prerequisite may be satisfied with the successful completion of a microeconomics course with a grade of C or better within the last four years prior to matriculation in the M.H.A. program. Any admitted student who does not satisfy this requirement must complete a college-level economics course or PPD 501 Public Sector Economics prior to enrolling in PPD 514 Economic Concepts Applied to Health.

Limited Status Students (Preadmission)

Students taking courses who have not been admitted to the school are designated limited status students. These students may be waiting for part of their application package materials to arrive; or they may be investigating whether an M.H.A. may be right for them.

To be considered for limited status reenrollment, interested students need to complete the School of Policy, Planning, and Development Limited Student Application for Enrollment form and submit official or unofficial copies of their transcripts from their bachelor's degree granting institution. Students with a 3.0 grade point average (A = 4.0) may enroll in up to 8 units of graduate courses in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development.

School of Policy, Planning, and Development Limited Student Application for Enrollment forms may be obtained from the Admissions Office, School of Policy, Planning, and Development, University of Southern California, RGL 111, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626, telephone (213) 740-6842. Limited students may only enroll during the in-person registration period (the week before classes begin).

Limited status students may apply only 8 units of appropriate graduate work toward the M.H.A. after admission. Units beyond these first 8 must be petitioned for through the school. Students on limited status are encouraged to complete the application and admission process before completing those first 8 units.

Certificate Program

Information regarding the Certificate Program in Health Services Administration can be found here.

Curriculum

Curriculum for the M.H.A. includes 44 units (36 required units and 8 elective units). In addition, a supervised field placement (residency) in a health service organization is required. The M.H.A. degree is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study, but can be extended for those who work while going to school. Evening classes and classes that meet in an intensive, workshop format of two to four sequential days of training are designed to accommodate working professionals.

Required Core (36 units)		Units
PPD 500	Cross-Sectoral Governance	4
PPD 509	Problems and Issues in the Health Field	4
PPD 510a	Financial Management of Health Services	4
PPD 511	Health Information Systems	2
PPD 513	Legal Issues in Health Care Delivery	4
PPD 514*	Economic Concepts Applied to Health	4
PPD 515	Strategic Management of Health Organizations (capstone course)	4
PPD 545	Human Behavior in Public Organizations	4
PPD 557	Quantitative Analysis I	4
PPD 600	Management of Managed Care Organizations	2

Electives

The School of Policy, Planning, and Development's multidisciplinary nature, with degree programs in public policy, public administration, urban planning and international policy, adds breadth that distinguishes USC's M.H.A. degree, providing students with an understanding of the larger social context in which the health sector is embedded and how it intersects and interacts with other social policy issues.

Electives (8 units)		units
PPD 601	Management of LongTerm Care Organizations	4
PPD 602	Strategic and Operational Planning for Health Services	4
PPD 603	Marketing of Health Services	4
PPD 604	Seminar in Hospital Administration	4
PPD 605	Frontline Issues in Health Care	2, max 4
PPD 608	Leadership Symposium in Health Management and Policy	1, max 2
PPD 609	Physician Practice Management	2
PPD 610	Managed Care Contracting	2
PPD 649	Concepts and Practices in Public Personnel Administration	4
PPD 695	Clinical Issues for Managers	1
PPD 696	Health Care Venture Development	2
PPD 697	Cultural Proficiency in Health Management and Policy	2