Healthcare Administration, M.H.A.

At the University of Mississippi, healthcare administration is a master's program that is not completed at the UM-Oxford campus. UM students prepare complete a baccalaureate degree then apply to University of Mississippi Medical Center's Master of Health Systems Administration program in Jackson, MS, a program designed for part-time, non-traditional students. Acceptance into the master's program is competitive and class size is limited.

While at UM, you will be enrolled in the Allied Health Studies major and be assigned an academic counselor who will ensure that you have the pre-requisite courses needed to be able to apply to the health care administration programs of your choice. Pre-requisite requirements are determined by your schools of interest. Our office not only keeps you on track with pre-requisites, we provide tutoring, application assistance, mock interviews to help prepare for the actual interview, and help with locating schools based on your criteria.  

Incoming freshman will select the healthcare administration emphasis for Allied Health Studies on their UM application. Others complete the short online form to be assigned to an HPAO advisor and notified about HPAO programs and services.

The Value of an Allied Health Studies Degree

Allied Health Studies majors gain the ability to understand human behavior, communicate complex ideas, think critically, interpret data, and engage with a diverse world. These skills prepare our majors to enter any allied health profession and become leaders of the future.

What are the responsibilities of the healthcare administrators?

Health care is a business and, like every other business, it needs good management to keep it running smoothly. Health care administrators provide leadership and expertise in a variety of health care settings, including doctor's offices, hospitals, senior care facilities, or outpatient clinics; from organizations with two staff members to major international companies employing hundreds of thousands of employees.

A healthcare administrator (also known as a medical or health services manager) is tasked with overseeing the operations of health care providers. Their responsibilities include developing policy, coordinating and directing planning, maintaining an efficient and effective organizational structure, managing the organization’s assets, and analyzing the organization's profitability and efficiency. A health care management career requires leadership skills, specialized knowledge of the health care industry, financial management, human resources, health care technology, and informatics.

Most health administrators work 40 hours a week, though there may be times that longer hours are necessary. Since the facilities they manage (nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, etc.) operate around the clock, a manager may be called at all hours to deal with issues.  

• For job outlook information for Medical and Health Services Managers, visit the Occupation Outlook Handbook.