Graduate Program

Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program Policies and Procedures

Admission

Every application is reviewed by at least three, and no more than five full-time MHA faculty members. These faculty review applicants and assess their likelihood of success in the program. A majority of faculty reviewers must recommend admission (2 of 3, 3 of 5) in order for a candidate to be admitted.

Admission criteria include: Completion of an undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or better. Evidence of growth and maturation during a student’s undergraduate studies—as defined as improvement in academic performance and competence over time—is critical. An additional, highly recommended criterion is: employment in the healthcare management area or cognate professional area. No Graduate Record Examinations (GREs) are required. International students are required to submit TOEFL/IELTS/DuoLingo scores.

Non-Matriculation Status

Any member of the Admission Committee can initiate and request of the Program Director a special review of an applicant in instances where special circumstances might call for admission consideration that may not be obvious during the review of that applicant’s materials. In special circumstances, an applicant may be considered for non-matriculation status, a special status during which time the potential candidate for admission may demonstrate his/her ability to thrive in the MHA program. In such cases, non-matriculation status requires maintaining at least a 3.0 or better GPA, during completion of up to 12 credits, upon which the candidate may ask to be reconsidered for admission. Applicants completing courses (up to 12 credits) with a 3.0 GPA or better would normally be offered admission for matriculation. NOTE: Students must complete a new application for admission after they have successfully completed these allowable credits in Non-Matriculation status. Those credits must then be transferred into their degree program once they have been admitted.

Credits Required for the MHA

Successful completion of the MHA program requires satisfactory completion of 45 approved core and elective credits beyond the baccalaureate.

Minimum Grade Point Average Required for Degree Completion

Students enrolled in the Rutgers MHA program must achieve a final Grade Point Average of 3.000 or better in order to be awarded the MHA degree.

Limitation of Grades

In all graduate programs, the Bloustein School requires that no more than 9 credits of C or C+ grades may be used in meeting the requirements for any degree. All students must also maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or better at all times. In calculating the grade-point average, all courses taken while a matriculated student will be counted. Courses taken as a nonmatriculated student that are to be counted for the degree also will be included in the grade-point average. Should any of the above conditions not be met, the school may notify the student with respect to the deficiency and provide levels of sanction which can include any or all of the following: warning letters, academic probation, notations on transcripts, and academic dismissal. Students may have the option to repair the record based upon a formal review and what conditions are expressed in the message from the school.

Universal Review

All students enrolled in the MHA program, both matriculating and non-matriculating, shall be evaluated each semester vis-à-vis satisfactory progress toward the MHA degree. Students having a deficiency shall be notified in writing by the faculty for the course in which the deficiency exists and have a remediation plan developed. The Student and Academic Services Office is notified about the deficiency and the remediation plan.

Matriculation Continued

In order to ensure seamless re-entry in instances requiring a break in academic studies, MHA students ingood academic standing may register for Matriculation Continued status. Enrollment in “Matriculation Continued”
preserves the student(s) active status in the program and therefore does not require readmission. Students may request Matriculation Continued status by contacting the MHA Director or the Office of Student and Academic Services. Requests for Matriculation Continued may be for up to two consecutive regular semesters (Fall and Spring) and shall not be unreasonably denied by the MHA Director. NOTE: International students cannot remain in the United States on matriculation continued, however
they can apply for a reduced credit load, allowing them to take fewer than 9 credits per semester.

Limited Single Course Waiver

MHA students who have completed a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from the Bloustein School, with an “A” in their Introduction to Health Administration (10:501:203) course, can substitute the undergraduate course for the required Principles of Health Administration (34:501:501). NOTE: This is a waiver of the course requirement only, not advanced standing of the 3 credits. Students receiving the waiver must take an additional 3 credits to complete the 45 credit degree requirement.

Master of Health Administration (MHA) students who have completed a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from another accredited institution with an “A” in a course closely related to undergraduate Introduction to Health Administration class (10:502:201) can substitute the graduate Principles of Health Administration (34:501:501) course with a graduate elective course from the Bloustein School. Students must complete the Application for Waiver of Course Requirement form within the first semester and collect all appropriate signatures for the substitution to occur. No substitution shall be allowed after the student’s first term is completed, and final grades have been submitted. Although the course waiver may be applied, the student must complete the required 45 credit program, with three credits replacing the 501:501 Principles of Health Administration.

Public Health graduates with the Health Administration certificate: Master of Health Administration (MHA) students who have completed a certificate in health administration as part of their Bachelor of Science in Public Health between September 2012 and September 2016 only from the Bloustein School, with an “A” in their Introduction to Health Administration (10:501:203) course, can substitute the graduate Principles of Health Administration (34:501:501) course with a graduate elective course from the Bloustein School MHA curriculum.

Substitution of Credits

MHA students who receive prior approval from the Program Director may apply to transfer graduate credits representing no more than 25% of the degree credit total for the program (45 credits) that are related to health administration taken at another accredited institution or other school within Rutgers toward their Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program. Credits must NOT have been used toward another degree. Typically, credits from a non-CAHME accredited program would be assigned as elective credit.

MHA students who completed their undergraduate degrees with over the required credit load (~120 credits) and have taken graduate level courses that are related to health administration may apply to transfer those unused graduate credits toward their Master of Health Administration degree. The students can transfer up to 9 Credit Hours with grades of “B” or better with prior approval from the MHA Program Director. Students must complete the Application for Waiver Of course Requirement Form and collect allappropriate signatures for the substitution to occur. Approvals will be made on a case-by-case basis.

In all cases, students must submit syllabi for courses for which transfer credit is being requested in order for the faculty to determine equivalence of subject matter and competencies.

Overall, all students must accrue 45 credits and meet all degree requirements to graduate with a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree.