Masters in Hospital Administration (MHA) is a post-graduation course that aims to develop professional hospital managers. Recently, the advancement in the healthcare sector has lead to a rapid increase in the number of hospitals. Moreover, the complexity of the hospitals has seen a rise. Even in the technical environment, there are several people employed with divergent skills. It is necessary to manage everyone for the smooth functioning of the hospital.
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Therefore, the MHA program prepares students for leadership roles and imparts managerial skills required for the post. Completion of Masters in Hospital Administration degree leads to posts like Hospital Administrator, Hospital Manager, Executive Assistant, CEO, etc.
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About Masters in Hospital Administration
The course is designed to be completed in 4 semesters that is 2 years. However, the student has the provision to complete it within a period of 5 years from the day of registration. Moreover, the aspirants should possess good leadership and communication skills to be successful in management and administration. In addition, they should have an interest in the hospital sector in order to able to manage and handle day-to-day problems.
Masters in Hospital Administration is offered in full-time, part-time, and executive mode. The average course fee ranges from INR 60,000 to INR 3,00,000. Moreover, the starting salary of a healthcare professional is INR 30,000 to INR 50,000 per month.
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Eligibility criteria for MHA
The candidates who wish to apply for Masters in Hospital Administration should satisfy the following eligibility criteria:
- Firstly, the candidates should hold a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks or CGPA
- Secondly, the bachelor’s degree can be in any field from MBBS, BDS, nursing, BPT, BUMS, BHMS, veterinary sciences, B Pharm. etc. In addition, students with degrees in engineering, law, arts, commerce, and agriculture can apply too. However, the candidates with graduation in the following fields are preferred, medical, AYUSH, nursing, paramedical sciences, dental, physiotherapy, natural sciences (biological sciences/life sciences), social sciences, and social work.
- Lastly, eelevant work experience in the healthcare sector is advantageous but not compulsory.
In addition, the minimum marks in degree do not guarantee admission in any college. Due to limited number of seats, there is tough competition among students. Since there is no common entrance for Masters in Hospital Administration, the marks and percentage of bachelor’s degree are considered.
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The Admission Process for Masters in Hospital Administration
Admissions for MHA open in April and continue till August while the academic year begins in September every year. Most institutes consider merit as the criteria for admission. Therefore, your degree score plays a crucial role in gaining admission to the top institute forMasters in Hospital Administration.
However, some of the colleges conduct entrance exams at the university level to give a fair chance to all the candidates from various fields. The entrance exam is computer-based with MCQ’s. Further, the topics covered in the entrance for Masters in Hospital Administration are analytical ability, logical reasoning, social sensitivity, general awareness, and knowledge of contemporary issues.
After the entrance, the students have to attempt an interview and group discussion. Lastly, the list of selected candidates will be displayed in the institute or on its website. Overall, the candidature for Masters in Hospital Administration is also judged on scores of PG entrance exams and any prior work experience in the sector.
What is taught in the MHA Course?
Masters in Hospital Administration has a diverse syllabus covering various disciplines like Management, Healthcare, Economics, Finance, Research Methods, etc. In addition, the course also has internships, dissertation, and field work in social, technical, and market issues that influence the healthcare sector. Thus, it equips students with professional expertise and research, and interaction. The detailed syllabus of each semester is mentioned below.
MHA Semester I
- Social science perspectives on health
- Health economics and basic economics
- Organisational behaviour
- Finance and management accounting
- Principles of management for hospital
Masters in Hospital Administration Semester II
- Hospital planning and program management
- Hospital information services
- Introduction to epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Material and medical technology management
- Organisation and administration of clinical and super speciality services
- Administration of supportive services
MHA Semester III
- Legal framework for hospitals
- Management analytics and operation research
- Ethics and equity for hospitals
- Quality management in hospital and healthcare services
- Human resource management and labour legislation
Masters in Hospital Administration Semester IV
- Financial management
- Health insurance and risk management
- Any two Disciplinary electives from the following: Strategic Management, Urban Health, Healthcare Entrepreneurship, and Consultancy Management, and Operations Management and Organisational Developments.
Job Prospects after Masters in Health Administration
As we all know that the healthcare sector in India is rapidly growing. Further, in 2020, the sector grew by a cumulative average of 16.5%. It has touched the $280 billion revenue mark. Hence, the sector has created workforce requirements for 40 million or 4 crore new jobs. Thus, you can imagine the demand for Masters in Hospital Administration for managing the hospitals and healthcare institutes. The sector is not only lucrative and high-paid but offers growth in a career at every step. At the same time, you receive the satisfaction of serving humanity.
As mentioned earlier, the salary at entry-level is INR 30,000 to INR 50,000 per month. However, it can reach a maximum of 1 lakh per month with experience and over the years. The job titles you can take up after Masters in Hospital Administration are:
- Business sales head
- Chief executive officer
- Quality assurance
- Facility head
- Customer service manager
- Executive assistant
- Administration executive
- Hospital administration manager
- Clinical nurse manager
- Patient administration specialist
- Clinical nurse manager
- Assistant medical superintendent
- Deputy medical superintendent
- Medical superintendent
The maximum salary for Masters in Hospital Administration is INR 25 lakh per annum for the post of CEO of the hospital. Subsequently, the next higher paid job is that of the medical superintendent and business sales head with an annual salary of INR 15 to 20 lakh.
Some of the sectors you can apply for job after MHA are:
- Healthcare sector
- Hospital information sectors
- Research and educational institutes
- Lifestyle clinics
- Pharmaceutical firms
- Emergency medical care units
- E-health ventures
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In conclusion, the scope and the demand for a healthcare administrator are high. There are only a few institutes with limited seats providing this course. To clarify, this further increases your chances of employment. This career opportunity is great for the aspirants of a hospital job and social service. It has a very high return on investment too. Thus, the persons with the required skills must gain a Masters in Hospital Administration.