Online MHA – Informatics

The MHA – Informatics Track Experience

Throughout this specialized track, you will:

• Get a foundational education in the core disciplines of health administration while also gaining specialized knowledge of informatics in healthcare
• Learn the qualities of management and leadership that are needed become a driver of change within a healthcare organization or firm
• Gain additional professional knowledge and skills that build on your MHA education through no-cost access to LinkedIn Learning
• Have close interaction with your dean and instructors, who have extensive experience in the industry
• Get the help you need to properly strategize and execute your job search with the help of WCU Career Services

Health Administration Curriculum

To achieve the graduation requirement of 30 credits, all students must complete 30 credits of core and track courses. Core courses provide students with the specific discipline experience required for the degree. All students will complete at least 21 core course credits as detailed below. The remaining 9 credits are based on the program track the student is enrolled in. The currently available programs are:

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

• MHA – Informatics Track**
• MHA – Organizational Leadership Track
• MHA – Public Health Track
• MHA – Project Management Track

^{**Informatics Track will be available Spring 2, 2023.}  

Core Courses: 

Core Courses to be completed by all students (21 credits)

Core courses to be completed if no track chosen (9 credits)

Track Courses:

Informatics Track

Track courses to be completed in the Informatics Track (9 credits)

Organizational Leadership Track

Track courses to be completed in the Organizational Leadership Track (9 credits)

Public Health Track

Track courses to be completed in the Public Health Track (9 credits)

Project Management Track

Track courses to be completed in the Project Management Track (9 credits)

Academic Calendar

New academic terms begin, on average, every eight weeks. Review our Academic Calendar to see when each term begins and ends.

How Much Does The MHA – Informatics Track Cost?

We know school is a substantial commitment. At WCU, we want to equip you with all the information you need to make the right decision for your future.

Our goal is to give you a clear understanding of MHA – Public Health track tuition costs so you can be well-informed as you navigate the application and enrollment process. To assist you in your decision, we provide a breakdown below of the MHA – Public Health track costs at West Coast University.

We offer several MHA – Public Health track financial aid options – including scholarships, grants, and loan access – to help support you through your studies. We also offer reduced tuition rates for military personnel and their spouses.

For more information about your financial support options, visit our financial aid page.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the Master of Health Administration must:

1. Complete an online application for admissions.
2. Participate in an interview with a University Admissions Advisor.
3. Complete an enrollment agreement, consisting of program policies, costs, completion requirements, and other student obligations.
4. Have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a 2.7 cumulative GPA or higher.
   1. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA 2.00-2.69 may be considered for probationary admission after meeting the following admissions requirements:
      1. The applicant must provide a letter of intent.
      2. The applicant must be approved for admission following an interview with the Program Dean/Director.
      3. The applicant must satisfy program prerequisites and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework attempted over the first trimester (two terms). Students failing to meet these requirements following the first trimester (two terms) will be withdrawn from the university.
5. Provide official undergraduate transcripts of a baccalaureate degree prior to the end of the add/drop period of the first term.
   1. Applicants submitting non-U.S. or non-English transcripts will be required to have their coursework evaluated by a transcript evaluation service to determine the equivalency to a U.S. degree/course. If the transcript evaluation is unclear as to the equivalency to a U.S. degree/course, the Program Dean will evaluate transcripts to determine if a minimum of 3 academic years of undergraduate coursework has been completed for admission.
   2. Applicants submitting advanced degrees will be reviewed by the Program Dean to determine if a minimum of 3 academic years of undergraduate coursework has been completed for admission.
   3. Master of Health Administration Transfer Credit Evaluation: Only graduate level courses in which a grade of B- or better was received, taken in a program similar to the Master of Health Administration will be evaluated for transfer credit. A maximum of nine (9) credit hours will be considered for transfer and must reflect the same content and course credit as the course for which transfer credit is requested.

Hands-on Support for Your Career

As a WCU student or graduate, you will receive ongoing assistance with your career planning and job search efforts from our Career Services team can provide you with:

• Workshops that teach you about resume writing, interview etiquette, and other professional development tips
• Help accessing potential job opportunities through career fairs and recruiter meetings
• Assistance tracking down relevant job leads and facilitating interviews
• Personalized guidance to help you plan the path to your future career²

WCU alumni have access to these services indefinitely, so you get the assistance you need starting on day one of your program and lasting throughout your entire career!

Career Opportunities

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health information technologists and medical registrars can work in various types of roles and settings, including:

• Hospitals
• Physician offices
• Professional, scientific, and technical services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Administrative and support services³

The WCU Career Services team can help you find and pursue opportunities within the field of healthcare informatics.

Complimentary LinkedIn Learning for MHA Students

As an MHA student at WCU, you will have no-cost access to a valuable educational tool—LinkedIn Learning. For every one of your core courses, you will select a topic you want to learn about from a comprehensive library of educational video content, and then you’ll complete that learning module by the end of your academic term. This material will align with what you’re learning in your MHA courses.

Once you’ve finished your module, you will receive a certificate of completion, which will serve as an eye-catching addition to your profile. We provide our students with these LinkedIn Learning resources to help them bolster their skill sets so they are better prepared to pursue their goals.

Featured Faculty

Ron J. Macias, EdD, MHA, BS/HCM, CHEP

Assistant Professor, Health Administration & Business

Dr. Ron J. Macias is an Assistant Professor and lead faculty member for West Coast University’s Health Administration and Business Administration programs. He has been teaching at WCU since 2011 and has over 25 years of experience working in senior management positions in Fortune 100 health service organizations, as well as 23 years of experience in corporate information services.

A seasoned veteran in health and business administration, Dr. Macias has served as a senior manager at Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealth Group, PacifiCare Health Systems, Prescription Solutions (now OptumRx), First American Corporation, and Ingram Micro. He has also managed corporate departments in healthcare research, IT security, IT service management, service quality metrics, project management, instructional technology methodology, corporate communication, and personnel development and training.

Dr. Macias is a Certified Higher Education Professional (CHEP) under Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), and he is also ITIL Foundations Certified. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Project Management Institute (PMI), and Project Management Institute – Orange County Chapter