Master of Public Administration: Health Administration

The Master of Public Administration with a concentration in health administration (MPA:HA) focuses on preparing students for administrative positions in hospitals, health systems, health maintenance organizations, and health-related government organizations. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The MPA:HA degree has the same overall curriculum distribution as the MPA degree: a substantive core of 30 credits, a skill development component of 9 credits, 6 credits of integrative experience, and a field of specialization component of 15 credits (a total of 60 credits). The four components of the MPA:HA degree are as follows:

• Basic core of 30 credits in administration and public policy, including courses in public administration, administrative ethics and values, administrative theory and behavior, public policy: origins and process, administrative law and implementation, public budgeting, health care economics, human resource management, and two courses in analytical methods. Nine credits of skill development courses, including courses in applied techniques and communication.

• Six credits of integrative experience, which is available to students under two options after they have completed 42 credits in their master's program.
  
  Option 1 requires the student to complete PA 509 Organizational Experience (6 credits). It is intended for "in-service" students, those who have had limited or no administrative experience, and typically involves supervised field experience for one or two quarters during which time an administrative task that is instructive to the student and of the agency is identified and undertaken.
  
  Option 2 is for students who already have at least three years of full-time administrative of management experience in public, nonprofit, and/or health care organizations and requires the student to complete PA 512 Reflective Practice and Case Analysis (3) plus one elective approved by the student's advisor.

• Fifteen credits in the area of specialization in health administration, which includes health policy and health administration courses, and other courses selected from among a number of health offerings. For students interested in geriatrics, gerontology, and the administration of aging programs, the Institute on Aging in the College of Urban and Public Affairs provides a Graduate Certificate in gerontology, which can be earned in conjunction with the MPA:HA degree.

Students may transfer up to 21 credits of coursework taken at another university or at Portland State University prior to admission into their MPA degree program provided they received at least a B- grade in each course, the coursework was taken at an accredited college or university, all the courses were completed less than seven years prior to the student's completion of the MPA:HA degree and the Division agrees that the coursework can be applied to the student's M.EA.:H.A. degree program.

MPA:HA Degree Requirements