MHA Master of Health Administration Academics & Curriculum

Apply Department of Health Management & Policy

The MHA program equips students to lead in today’s dynamic healthcare landscape—where continuous change, innovation, and complex challenges are the norm. Our mission is to prepare individuals with the knowledge, skills, and creativity needed to thrive and drive meaningful impact in healthcare organizations.

At the core of the MHA program is a competency-based curriculum. Each course is carefully designed to develop a specific set of professional competencies. Students engage in real-world applications that build proficiency over time, with layered learning that includes practice, feedback, and ongoing development.

Our competency model ensures students graduate with the most relevant and in-demand skills. It is regularly reviewed and updated to stay aligned with evolving industry standards and employer expectations.

Communication to Students on Competency Attainment Progress

Course-level Faculty Feedback: Mid and end of each semester

APP Preceptor Feedback

Informally during the semester through communication with the student and program director, organization liaisons
Formal face-to-face meeting once a semester
Formal survey once a semester

Student Self-reflection

Pre-Program
End of Spring 2
End of Summer Internship
Pre-Integrated Final Exam

Professional Development Activities

Student-driven and faculty-supported
Individual Development Plan (IDP) completed each semester
- Inputs: course, preceptor, internship, and other feedback
Advising: Students meet with their career and professional advisor each semester to develop and refine their goals
Student Driven: Students are encouraged to seek out resources to address gaps and identify stretch opportunities in their competency development journey
Resources: Students may avail themselves of resources through the university, college, and department. Resources are communicated in classes, advising sessions, the MHA Student Handbook, the CPH Graduate Student Canvas shell, the University of Kentucky Graduate School website, and other university resources on the main UK website
- The University of Kentucky Stuckert Career Center (408 Rose Street) is students' go-to resource for career counseling and related support. www.uky.edu/careercenter
- Schedule an Appointment - To schedule an appointment with a career counselor, log in to Handshake with your linkblue ID. From the main menu, click "Career Center" and "Appointments."
- The Career Center also hosts virtual drop-in hours Monday through Friday from noon to 4:00 p.m. Drop-in appointments are typically 15 minutes and are on a first-come, first-served basis. To access, visit https://uky.zoom.us/my/stuckert.advising

a graph of the classes to be taken with each semester for a full-time MHA student

The UK MHA Curriculum is built to allow students to build a solid knowledge base in foundation topics and then layer healthcare business skills over two years. · Faculty – Practitioner Model leverages faculty expertise and current industry leaders · Real-world cases and problem-solving in every course focusing on innovative ways to improve healthcare

The UK MHA Curriculum is built to allow students to build a solid knowledge base in foundation topics and then layer healthcare business skills over two years.

Faculty – Practitioner Model leverages faculty expertise and current industry leaders
Real-world cases and problem-solving in every course focusing on innovative ways to improve healthcare.

Fall 1: Basic Business Healthcare Skills with cases and problem-based examples

Spring 1: Advancing and layering skills from Fall 1 to prepare students for the summer internship and work in the Administrative Practicum Internships

Summer Internship: Apply all the skills/competencies from year one to a new environment and hone those skills in project-based internships. This is a demonstration of the highest level of learning

Fall 2: Focusing on special topics and layering skills with new concepts

Spring 2: Courses pull in concepts from prior semesters and advance the ability to translate, communicate, and demonstrate competency attainment through cases

MHA Master of Health Administration Academics & Curriculum

Communication to Students on Competency Attainment Progress

Program Feedback Milestones

Monitoring Student Competency Attainment

Curriculum

Semester by Semester

Master of Health Administration