In exceptional cases, the HCA program will consider applicants to the master's program who do not have bachelor's degrees. Such candidates must meet all other requirements of the HCA program. For further details, contact the HCA Department directly at
617-521-2376.

Students seeking admission to HCA programs may apply for the fall (Sept.), spring (Jan.), and summer (May) semesters. International applicants may apply only for the fall (Sept.) semester. The deadlines for regular admission (for students who have NOT taken two introductory courses) are: for fall (Sept.) is June 1, for spring (Jan.) is November 1, and for summer (May) is March 1. The deadlines for current non-degree students (those enrolled in two introductory courses) are the same. NOTE: If you wish to register as a non-degree student and take two introductory courses, you may register for these courses (call the HCA Office at 617-521-2376 for course availability) up until the first day of class.

Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution or one abroad which is recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country. In exceptional cases, the HCA Program will consider applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree to the graduate program. Such candidates must meet all other application requirements to the HCA program. Contact the HCA Department Chair, Dr. John Lowe (617-521-2375) for further details about this exception.We require the standard application, with GREs or GMATs. To waive the GRE or GMAT, see the answer to question #3 below.  Statistics is a prerequisite which must be completed before applying.

You may enroll in the HCA 500: Health Care Accounting and HCA 501: Self and Small Group Leadership courses, as a non-degree student before formally applying to the Health Care Administration program. This option provides the opportunity to waive the GRE/GMAT requirement. If you obtain a grade of B+ or above in both courses, you may apply to the HCA program without submitting standardized test scores. Students pursuing this option must submit an application before the conclusion of this first course. People desiring to pursue admission using this option should consult with the Program Director prior to enrolling in these courses.

If you are interested in our Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study(CAGS in Health are Administration) or the Certificate in Health Care Management(current SOM students or post-MBA) the GREs or GMATs are not required, but you must have a master's degree.

U.S. students may register for the HCA 500: Health Care Accounting and HCA 501: Self and Small Group Leadership courses by completing an SHS registration form (PDF). Be sure that you indicate you are registering as a Health Studies Non-Degree student. Fax this form to the School of Health Sciences at 617-521-3137 to the attention of the Office of Admission. Your form will be processed and send to the Registrar's Office. When you register you will be billed at a later date for this course. Refer to the Tuition and Fees page for the current tuition rate. The registration bulletin contains the schedule for the course.

All admission decisions for each program will be mailed as a group after the application deadline date. Accepted students will be required to submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $500 by the date indicated in the letter offering admission. No extensions to the enrollment deposit due date will be granted. Deposits will be applied to the first semester bill.

Students requiring a student visa (F-1) may apply to the Master's or C.A.G.S. programs for the Fall (Sept.) term only. All required information must be submitted well in advance of the application deadline date to insure sufficient time for the processing of your materials. The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required if your native language is not English (the TOEFL requirement is not based on residency, citizenship or if your classes were taught in English). Due to INS regulations, international students must be enrolled full-time each semester. International students with a student visa can take classes as a special student only if enrolled elsewhere as a full-time student. Additionally, international students are limited, per INS rules, to enrolling in only one online course per semester, in conjuction with other courses.   Please see the information for international applicants for more information.

 There are 55 students enrolled in the HCA program.

Yes. Most of the students in the program work full-time so classes are held in the evening and on the weekends. NOTE: The part-time option is not available to international students who must be enrolled full-time due to INS regulations.

Most students will take six credits a semester and finish in eight semesters or just under three years. Some students begin by taking one course, to adjust to graduate school, and then take more courses in order to complete the degree sooner. You will also have an opportunity to enroll in one-credit short courses (elective courses), which allows you to complete the elective credits in a shorter time (because you can, in effect, take four or seven credits in one semester). If you desire a student loan, you need to enroll in at least five credits per semester.

The master's program is 48 credit hours. The current cost of tuition per credit hour can be found on our Tuition and Fees page.

There are a limited number of merit scholarships and assistantships available each year. These do not cover the full cost of tuition. All applicants are automatically considered for scholarships at the time of application review. Students do not need to submit a special application for scholarships. Accepted students will be notified of such scholarships in the letter of admission or shortly thereafter. Teaching and research assistantships are awarded to students who have been enrolled for a period of time and demonstrate outstanding academic achievement.

No, we believe that there are commonalties across all areas of health administration. Frequently students have the opportunity to choose the projects on which to work, allowing them to gain more specialized knowledge in specific areas. Further,the HCA program focuses on leadership competencies throughtout the curriculum. Upon completion of the program, students will be well prepared for executive roles throughout the healthcare industry.You are encouraged to discuss with your academic advisor and instructors any special areas of interest.

The curricula for the two degrees are very similar; the primary difference is that M.H.A courses are entirely focused on health care, while the MBA with a health care track has many general business courses. Consequently, students pursuing the M.H.A. should be committed to the health care industry.

The HCA department prefers applicants to have work experience in the health care field since this allows them to bring real-world perspective to the classroom. Most of our students have significant experience in the health care field.

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study is a post-professional option for those students who have already completed a master's degree and wish to gain greater experience in health care administration. This 15-credit program is individually tailored, with the aid of the Program Director, to the students' interests and needs through a combination of elective and independent study courses. For more information, please contact the HCA Program Director at 617-521-2375.

Almost 30% of the students are clinicians: nurses, physical and other therapists, and pharmacists. The rest come from a variety of positions in health care, such as laboratory or nursing supervisors, financial and insurance analysts, customer service and project managers, and information technologists.

Because this is mostly a part-time program, almost all students are already employed. Many students receive promotions while they are still enrolled. Their employers recognize, often through course projects, that students have gained knowledge and skills that make them valuable to the organization. A number of our alumni are now senior managers in their organizations; others are working in senior staff positions. We periodically update our alumni database so that we can track alumni careers. Sample job titles include: CEO of a community health center; director of clinical operations in a major teaching hospital; executive director of medicine, community hospital system; vice president for operations, visiting nurse company; president, medical consulting company; and a variety of directors, managers and supervisors at insurance companies, HMOs, and health care delivery organizations.

Yes. The program publishes a newsletter that describes jobs available to students in the program. In addition, faculty are often contacted about openings. Students interested in making a job change are encouraged to talk with their advisor and to provide their resumes. Your colleagues in the program are also excellent sources of job advice and information (a number of our alumni have also hired our students).