Executive MHA Programs

Experience Requirements Compared

Each school sets its own rule, and the wording matters. “Preferred” means you can apply without it. “Minimum” means you can’t.

Program	Experience rule, in the school’s words	Format	Estimated tuition
Texas State University EMHA	U.S. healthcare or supervisory experience preferred, not required	Online	$20,080
Florida Atlantic University EMHA	4 years of healthcare-related work experience	Online	$27,000
University of Cincinnati EMHA	At least two years of work experience in a health care setting preferred	Online	$30,160
Xavier University MHSA Executive	Three or more years of healthcare experience, or similar	Online	$31,038
University of Memphis EMHA	Minimum five years of relevant healthcare management or clinical experience	Online	$31,365
UCF EMHA	Three years of relevant healthcare experience, including one year of leadership experience	Online	$33,998
Mizzou EMHA	Minimum of two years of professional experience and current employment	Hybrid	$52,374
CU Denver Executive MBA	Minimum of five years of healthcare experience	Hybrid	$67,500
USC EMHA	Ideally five to seven years of health administration experience, reviewed holistically	Hybrid	$91,404
Cornell EMHA	At least 5 years of professional work experience	Hybrid	$93,316

Two programs stand apart. Texas A&M’s online executive track asks for at least five years of increasing responsibilities in health services or related fields and admits U.S. citizens or permanent residents only. The University of Miami’s Executive MBA in Health Management & Policy sets no minimum, but says its students average 15 years of work experience.

Executive MHA Formats: Online, Hybrid and Weekend

Fully online. Texas State’s EMHA is asynchronous. Florida Atlantic’s online EMHA runs 15 months, Ohio State’s online EMHA as quickly as 18 months, and Weber State’s 16 months in eight-week blocks with a fall or spring start. Texas A&M’s online track runs two years as a fall cohort. The University of Iowa and the University of North Florida also run online executive tracks.

Hybrid with short campus sessions. UAB meets for three on-campus sessions of four and a half days each year and works online between them. USC holds two mandatory residencies in Los Angeles, one at the start and one at the end. Cornell holds two week-long sessions in Ithaca and one weekend in Boston. Trinity University brings students to San Antonio for three days at the start of each semester, and Rush University holds one onsite session per term. Creighton’s Executive Healthcare MBA has four on-campus residencies over 16 months.

Weekend and monthly on campus. Columbia’s Executive MHA meets for one Thursday-Sunday session per month over six semesters. Baylor’s Executive MBA in Dallas meets one weekend per month for 21 months. The University of South Carolina’s executive track meets on select weekends in Columbia, five weekends per semester, for about 32 months.

If you travel for work or live far from a campus, the online programs are the practical choice. If you want a cohort you’ll actually meet, the hybrid and weekend formats give you that without leaving your job.

What Executive Programs Cost

The most affordable executive programs are public universities with flat or low per-credit rates:

• Texas State University: $502 per credit hour, $20,080 per program, CAHME-accredited.
• University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center: $575 per credit hour, with program tuition and fees published as $24,150.
• University of South Carolina: $572.25 per credit hour for residents and $597.25 for nonresidents, an estimated $25,751.
• Weber State University: a flat $35,000 for the whole program, including books and materials, the same in-state and out-of-state.

At the top, you pay for brand, cohort travel and campus time. Cornell’s flat-rate tuition is $93,316 for students starting Summer 2026. USC lists $92,105 total tuition. Baylor estimates $99,495 for cohorts beginning Fall 2026, and Columbia estimates total tuition at approximately $101,276.

Residency can double the price at public schools. The University of Michigan’s executive MHSA runs approximately $54,000 for Michigan residents and $90,000 for everyone else. Florida Atlantic goes the other way, charging $27,000 online for residents, non-residents and international students alike. Use the MHA cost calculator to compare them on your terms.

Executive MHA vs Executive MBA

The MHA-family executive programs have a median estimate of $31,365. The Executive MBAs in this set have a median of $72,500. That gap is the clearest difference between them.

The MBAs are built for a broader business audience. Baruch College’s Executive MBA in Healthcare Administration ends with a venture business plan pitched to healthcare executives plus an international study experience, and its $72,500 price is all-inclusive for New York residents and non-residents. CU Denver’s Executive MBA costs $67,500 for 16 months including an international residency. If you plan to stay in health care operations, the executive MHA usually costs less. If you want a business degree first and a health focus second, the Executive MBA is built that way. The MHA vs MBA guide covers that choice in detail.

The UNC Executive MHA and Other Well-Known Programs

UNC Chapel Hill’s Executive Master of Healthcare Administration is hybrid, 49 credits over 24 months, and asks for at least three years of experience in the health or human services profession. It’s covered by CAHME accreditation and ends with a capstone course plus a business plan or technical paper. IPEDS counts 82 master’s awards in the field at UNC in 2022-23.

Other schools with large award counts include USC (134 master’s awards in 2022-23), Columbia (97), the University of Michigan (83) and CU Denver (80). Columbia offers an MHA track and an MPH track within its executive program. Michigan’s executive MHSA runs 20 months over 5 terms and doesn’t require or review the GRE.

What the Capstone Looks Like

Executive programs lean on projects you do in your own organization or on the road. UAB’s capstone is built around a 4-day international health system visit in the second year. South Carolina’s management residency is a 3-credit course in comparative global health systems with international travel. Cornell’s capstone is mentored by Executives-in-Residence. Columbia uses a health system simulation. Mizzou ends with an individual executive health administration research project and an oral comprehensive examination. Weber State finishes with a 3-credit field work course in the final semester.

How Executive MHAs Connect to ACHE and FACHE

If you plan to become a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, know what the credential asks. ACHE’s FACHE requirements include a master’s or other post-baccalaureate degree, a current healthcare management position with five years of healthcare management experience, one year of ACHE membership, at least 36 continuing education credits in the past three years, two civic and two healthcare volunteer activities, two references and a passing score on the Board of Governors Exam, which carries a $225 fee.

An executive MHA covers the degree requirement. Your job covers the experience. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that advancement to top level executive positions may require a master’s degree, and it reports a median annual wage of $123,860 for medical and health services managers in May 2025.

How to Choose an Executive MHA

• Match the experience rule to your résumé. If you have under three years, look at Texas State, Weber State or Cincinnati, where experience is preferred rather than required.
• Check whether it’s CAHME-accredited. Texas State, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Memphis, UCF and Weber State all are, at estimated tuition under the $35,000 median or right at it.
• Count the travel. Hybrid programs like USC, Cornell and UAB require campus time. Budget the flights and the days off.
• Ask about your employer. Missouri State’s Executive MHA runs through a contract agreement with the employer, and Mizzou and Trinity require current employment.
• Use your experience for credit. Texas State grants 6 hours of prior learning credit for 5+ years of healthcare leadership.

Not sure an executive track fits? Compare it with the standard online MHA programs, the accelerated MHA programs, or run your details through the program matcher.