The Saint Louis University Master of Health Administration, Executive Track (EMHA) is a 50-credit hour professional degree program designed for working health care professionals and clinicians interested in career advancement across a broad range of industry subsectors – from hospitals and clinics, long-term and rehabilitation services, and managed care organizations to Big Pharma, health tech and consulting.
Health care is among the fastest-growing industries in the United States, with excellent opportunities for executives with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Graduates of SLU's EMHA program are prepared to begin or accelerate senior management and leadership roles in top health care organizations that not only fulfill their career objectives but also drive better population health outcomes and strengthen the connection between providers, payers and the communities they serve.
Saint Louis University's Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) works to transform talented, service-motivated students into knowledgeable, ethical professionals prepared for a range of management careers across the U.S. health sector.
To achieve this goal the program relies on competency-based education (CBE). In fact, SLU's M.H.A. program has a long history of CBE. In 2002 the program developed one of the three nationally recognized competency models that has since been adopted and adapted by health management and health administration programs throughout the country.
In keeping with CBE, classes and the corresponding learning objectives are organized to meet 21 core competencies necessary for success in health administration across the broad health sector. Similar types of knowledge, skills and abilities are grouped into five competency domains (leadership, critical thinking/analysis, management, culture and community engagement, and communication). To remain at the forefront of health administration education, the SLU M.H.A. program regularly reevaluates the model with the input of alumni and other health industry professionals.
Leadership (L)
- L1. Leadership Excellence: Demonstrate the abilities and behaviors that are characteristic of leadership excellence, which include establishing a vision and inspiring and supporting others to work towards that shared vision and related goals
- L2. Ethical Behavior: Demonstrate ethical behavior through words and actions, which include honesty, integrity and a concern for justice
- L3. Social Responsibility: Prioritize goals and policies that balance the mission, vision and values of organizational stakeholders with the values and needs of the community
- L4. Adapting to Change: Evaluate changing environments, listen to diverse viewpoints and propose effective responses that align with personal values and organizational mission
Critical Thinking And Analysis (CTA)
- CTA1. Data Analysis: Apply appropriate methods and technology to analyze data patterns, trends and relationships
- CTA2. Environmental Analysis: Evaluate political, economic, social, technological, workforce, legal and regulatory factors that impact systems, organizations, communities and individuals at multiple levels along the health care continuum
- CTA3. Translating Complexity: Translate the results of complex analyses into information that illustrates potential problems and opportunities in a persuasive, meaningful way
- CTA4. Evidence-Based Decision Making: Assemble and utilize reliable and valid information sources and data to support informed, evidence-based decision-making
- CTA5. Systems Thinking: Apply appropriate models and methods to analyze issues from a systems perspective and to design creative, flexible solutions that advance organizational goals and effectiveness
- CTA6. Ethical Analysis: Identify ethical concerns in management and policy and analyze those concerns using appropriate frameworks and principles
Management (M)
- M1. Management Functions: Apply management theories, approaches and core functions to routine operations and to current and emerging issues in the health care environment
- M2. Teamwork: Demonstrate the ability to lead and work with people and teams to accomplish planned goals and actions on time, with budgeted resources
- M3. Essential Skills: Demonstrate essential management skills, which include efficient time and resource management; conflict negotiation and resolution; coaching and motivating others; facilitating discussion, cooperation and consensus-building; delegating authority
- M4. Adapting to Uncertainty: Under conditions of uncertainty, demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality work, make decisions, adapt to changing priorities and learn from mistakes
- M5. Systems Management: Demonstrate the ability to deploy organizational resources and enforce accountability to support the implementation of systems-based management approaches
- M6. Professionalism: Demonstrate conduct characteristic of health care professionals, which includes adhering to professional expectations, workplace norms and performance standards; engaging in professional and community service; and participating in professional development opportunities
Culture And Community Engagement (CCE)
- CCE1. Cultural Competence: Build cultural competence in personal standards and practices and within the performance standards and practices of organizations, systems and communities
- CCE2. Community Engagement: Apply evidence-based approaches to engage communities and multilevel partners in working together to improve modifiable determinants of health and health outcomes
Communication (C)
- C1. Create Information: Demonstrate the ability to promptly create and organize ideas and information that are effective and customized to fulfill the needs of the target audience
- C2. Convey Information: Demonstrate formal and informal communication using traditional and contemporary modalities to convey messages that are clear and cogent for the target audience
- C3. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Foster positive interpersonal relationships with internal and external stakeholders through use of bidirectional communication techniques, which include listening and responding appropriately to the ideas and opinions of others; giving and receiving feedback; and participating in crucial conversations
