Division of Health Services Administration
Graduate Education Programs
Masters in Health Administration and Policy (MHAP)
- Masters in Health Administration and Policy Course Curriculum and Descriptions
- Course Brochure
- Masters in Health Administration and Policy Frequently Asked Questions
Beginning in 1992, the US Congress funded a project to assure that commanders of Medical Treatment Facilities, TRICARE Lead Agents and their senior staff, had adequate preparation for the role of executive medicine and the administrative requirements before assuming command. Subsequently, as part of the 1992 DoD Appropriations Act, Congress required demonstrated professional administrative skills by prospective commanders as a condition of funding. In each of the uniformed services, the Masters degree has since become the benchmark for the development of senior healthcare leaders and is typically accomplished via a combination of recruiting and service-sponsored educational options.
The 2-year program is modeled on the current Masters in Public Health program and will consist of five academic quarters in the first year. During that academic year, students will need to attain passing grades in all courses that total 64 credit hours (minimum) in order to progress to the second year.
The second year of the program consists of an administrative residency in the National Capital Area and is meant to provide practical experience in healthcare administration and may occur at any number of sites in the NCA. Residency rotations are 12 months in duration and are accomplished at one site for each student (although there could be different rotations within the site over that year). Sites may vary according to the needs of the individual student, but opportunities will be available at sites including major tertiary healthcare facilities, a major research facility, a national health bureaucracy, or the MHS oversight offices at TRICARE Management Authority. Specific healthcare facilities like local VA Medical Centers or other federal healthcare entities may also be included.
Students would be selected for approved residency sites through the following process: midway through the first year, students will be asked to express their interest in any number of approved residency sites. They will then be required to interview with approved preceptors and rank-order their choices for residency sites. Likewise, preceptors will provide feedback to MHAP faculty on students they would like to mentor during their residency year. MHAP faculty will then convene and match the students with the most fitting residency site.
The assessment of the student progress during the residency year will consist of frequent contact between the student, preceptor and their faculty advisor. Such mentoring and guidance of the student is considered critical in this phase of the program not only to discuss performance of the student in the residency site, but to continue academic oversight of preparation of the student's Graduate Management Project (GMP) project. After successful completion of the residency year, and the completion of a GMP, students will be awarded the degree of Masters in Health Administration and Policy.
The addition of an Masters Health Administration and Policy (MHAP) degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences will meet service requirements by providing an innovative approach to graduate education and by offering access to top policy-making federal government agencies, think-tanks, universities, and speakers in the National Capital Area (NCA). Such a degree also allows for a large population of potential students from multiple services and agencies. This degree, delivered on a major research University campus, will enable federal healthcare professionals to apply a systems approach wherever care is delivered and will have a significant impact on wellness and the population-health aspects of care delivery.
Masters of Public Health (MPH)
The MPH degree program provides a broad didactic experience in public health and preventive medicine. It is a rigorous curriculum with a quantitative focus, is sequenced to be completed within 12 months, and is primarily designed for individuals planning careers in Preventive Medicine and Public Health within the Uniformed Services. An MPH degree or its academic equivalent is a specific requirement for physicians seeking residency training and board certification in Aerospace Medicine, General Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, or several other public health specialties. Matriculates may include physicians and other academically qualified health professionals, such as veterinarians, dentists, sanitary engineers, microbiologists, entomologists, environmental scientists, nurses, and pharmacists, who wish to apply the core disciplines of public health to their career field. Uniformed personnel with education or experience in a health-related discipline are given priority as candidates for admission.
The goal of the MPH program is to provide each student with the necessary academic background to practice as a competent public health or preventive medicine officer in one of the Uniformed Services. Graduates are expected to use their acquired quantitative and analytical skills in biostatistics and epidemiology to identify and measure community health needs and to investigate the impact of biological, environmental, and/or behavioral factors to solve public health problems. Each graduate will understand the components, operations, and financing of health delivery services, particularly those in the public sector, and have the administrative skills to plan, analyze, manage, and improve public health programs for the Uniformed Services. In addition, graduates will complete a "concentration" of required and elective course work in a specific area of public health and demonstrate the ability to apply appropriate specialized knowledge and skills to their chosen field.
In response to a service-specific requirement for formal training in health services administration as a screening prerequisite for military health facility command positions, the PMB Department offers a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Health Services Administration (HSA). This concentration requires students to have a designated faculty advisor (or co-advisor) from the HSA Division, to complete an HSA-related project and practicum experience, and to earn a grade of "B" or better in required HSA courses.