What is an MHA vs. MBA?

For healthcare professionals who want to enhance their careers and prepare for leadership positions, a master’s degree is often good preparation for new opportunities. That’s particularly true for individuals pursuing business or administration careers. Two popular degree options are the Master of Health Administration (MHA) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Those envisioning a leadership role in the future may be weighing the MHA vs. MBA decision. Depending on career goals, they might even be considering the dual-degree MHA/MBA program that combines the skills and knowledge of both advanced degrees

While MHAs and MBAs do have some overlap, they also have significantly different focuses. Let’s walk through the details of these postgraduate healthcare degrees and which one might be better suited for you.

The Master of Health Administration is a specialized program that focuses on specific skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the healthcare industry’s administrative side.

Within an MHA program, students learn about managing teams of healthcare professionals, making operational decisions, handling legal compliance and addressing a healthcare employer’s financial and business needs.

Students pursuing an MHA typically take courses in healthcare policy and law and medical ethics to prepare for the changing regulatory landscape of healthcare and complex patient issues that arise. Other topics include informatic systems, risk management, quality control and healthcare human resources.

Along with human resources, strategy and finance classes typically round out the curriculum.

Potential careers for MHA graduates include health management information director, health manager and practice administrator. Health management information directors typically oversee patient care data while health managers and practice administrators typically overlap in their responsibilities of ensuring healthcare system operations run smoothly.

A Master of Business Administration is a popular degree program that prepares students with skills necessary for leadership or manager roles in their industries.

MBA programs focus on leadership, decision-making, strategic development and management. Students develop those skills by studying finance and management topics, value creation and marketing, management styles, human resources, leadership, analytics, business law, budgeting and accounting.

MBAs can prepare students for many different roles, but common jobs for graduates include positions as business managers, operations directors, or other executive and management roles.

From a practical standpoint, the MBA and MHA programs offer markedly different courses. MBA candidates typically take classes focused on the digital economy, corporate finance, and opportunity evaluation and value creation.

Meanwhile, MHA courses can focus on topics like navigating regulatory environments, leading with authenticity in the health sector and creating a sustainable legacy through healthy communities.

Standard MBA programs typically take two years to complete. Online and accelerated MBA programs can be completed in 12 to 18 months.

MHA programs may take longer to complete, typically two to three years full-time.

In addition to the traditional methods of online study, schools may offer competency-based MBA and MHA programs. These degrees can equip qualifying students with advanced skills in 12 months, but the format and routine skill assessments aren’t for everyone .

For individuals who want maximum flexibility to choose a career in business or health, a dual MHA/MBA program  can offer a pathway. This program  combines the foundational finance and administrative skills into one curriculum that can meet business healthcare leaders’ needs and equip them with skills for their future.

Understanding the differences between the two degrees can help an individual decide what to do with an MHA vs. MBA. Each can help with preparation for different roles. MBA graduates often pursue these careers:

• Business manager: Business managers oversee organizations’ efficiency. That includes creating budgets, crafting business and marketing strategies, and performing human resources tasks.
• General manager (GM) and operations manager: General managers oversee several departments, often forming policies and managing operational tasks. Operations managers share many of these responsibilities, although their job duties may happen at a higher level than a store or individual site.
• Administrative director: An administrative director’s primary responsibilities include devising records management and training protocols. They may also coordinate an organization’s daily operations. In some cases (such as with small businesses), directors may take on work that a company’s chief executive typically handles.

MHA degrees, meanwhile, can offer skills to thrive in one (or more) of the following jobs:

• Health information management director: Health information management directors keep patient records databases complete and accurate. They also oversee access to the data.
• Health manager: A health manager  might also have the title of medical and health services manager. Primary job duties involve overseeing different parts of healthcare systems, such as specific clinical areas or entire facilities. They also help ensure regulatory compliance and supervise staff.
• Practice administrator: While practice administrators and managers  share several duties, administrators focus on the business elements of operations. In many cases, they tackle higher-level administrative functions, strategic planning and financial management.

The jobs themselves are often different, but how does the earning potential between MBAs and MHAs stack up?

General and operations managers: As of May 2023, general and operations managers earned between $46,340 and $232,100, with a median wage of $101,280 , according to BLS.

Medical and health services managers: As of May 2024, general and operations managers earned between $69,680 and $219,080, with a median wage of $117,960 , according to BLS.

Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.