Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone!
People might find themselves in a nook after completing their bachelor’s medical studies in the current circumstances. Such is the competitiveness of the era where a master’s degree has become a prerequisite for a successful blooming career. With countless people aiming to pursue master’s degrees in their fields, medical students are just as competitive. Hence, Masters in Health Administration (MHA) and Masters in Public Health (MPH) are excellent choices for them.
WHY MHA & MPH DEGREES?
While deciding to pursue a specific field, it is crucial to equip your mind with in-depth knowledge about its prospects. This decision could prove to be the catalyst in your career progress.
- Masters in Health Administration:
Suppose you have the skills of leading a healthcare team while simultaneously tackling the business administrative work. In that case, MHA is the perfect opportunity for you. Although it is specifically related to healthcare organizations, MHA is similar to an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) degree. MHA might take up to two to four years. Considering you chose the part-time program, the full-time programs take up to 1 year and require 35 credit hours.
This degree enables you to become a pro in efficiently collecting, maintaining, and analyzing data while instilling leadership skills in you.
- Masters in Public Health:
Emphasizing health leadership management, administration skills, and research, MPH is a multifaceted degree. Including skills like developing marketing strategies and campaigns, managing outbreaks (epidemiology), and planning and implementing healthcare programs. It may take up anywhere between two to four years for completion. At the same time, some institutions offer full-time one-year programs and have a core requirement for 42 credit hours.
Candidates who are aiming to study without compromising job and lifestyle opt for e-education. Then online programs for MPH and MHA can undoubtedly help you fulfill your dreams. You can learn more by researching online and visiting the official university’s website or attend webinars for medical career guidance.
Online learning has become widely popular across the globe throughout the past decade. Especially in the current pandemic times, online programs are a viable option where human interaction could be fatal. Many universities worldwide are now offering MHA and MPA degrees online with programmatic accreditation and skillful learning environments.
MHA VS MPH – THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Although both of these degrees are explicitly related to healthcare facilities yet, they differ in the curriculum, scope, skills, work environment, and coursework.
MHA degree focuses more on the administration, management, and operations of healthcare organizations, landing you in top-tier leadership positions. These are positions where you build teams and train them to work for a large healthcare facility. MHA professionals work on providing solutions to problems related to public health etc.
The course incorporates;
- Marketing and strategic planning
- Hospital administration and management
- Accounting
- HR management
- Healthcare administration leadership and financial management
- Qualitative management and performance
Recognized as the top credential for people in public healthcare facilities, MPH professionals work to prevent several medical catastrophes. These include pandemics, epidemics, and bioterrorism. While they also ensure safety and sanitization. The scope for MPH professionals has seen exponential growth in the last decade. Thus, such professionals get hired in the top positions in federal and international healthcare organizations, private or government.
The courses in your MPH training includes;
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Program Evaluations
- Environmental Management
- Social and behavioral management
- Administrating and financing healthcare systems
- Research methods
- Ethical and law issues in public healthcare facilities
Although both of these degrees are about improving public health, a health administrator leads and manages different organizations. MHA professionals build potential teams to influence and implement the strategies. At the same time, MPH involves its graduates and introduces them to the world of epidemiology and in-depth knowledge of diseases.
MPH and MHA promise successful career growth along with potential salaries;
- $82,000 to $120,000 per year for the administrative and management positions for people who have MHA degrees.
- $50,000 to $90,000 per year for MPA degree holders as they tend to work for non-profit organizations.
DUAL MHA AND MPH PROGRAMS – GRADUATE AS BOTH
Health administration and public health are crucial parts of a blooming healthcare and medicine industry. Hence, many people often consider doing a dual degree program to expand their knowledge in the healthcare industry and then work for it.
A few universities like Missouri State University offer dual MHA/MPH degree programs, which provide mutual courses to reduce the semesters. However, the individual has to enter the two programs individually and then apply for collaboration later on. It gives them the benefit to graduate as both MPH and MHA professionals, paving ways for a bright future.
CONCLUSION
Doctors and nurses alone cannot run a healthcare facility; therefore, individuals for research, administration, leadership, management are in high demand.
No degree guarantees success. Yet, if you have a passion for working in a healthcare facility, opt for the one that suits your profile!