MHA Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to the MHA Program on a non-provisional basis, the applicant must meet the following qualifications as a minimum:

1. evidence of personal achievement, scholarship, intellectual ability and professional promise for a career in health services administration;
2. baccalaureate or graduate degree from a college or university that is fully accredited by a regional accrediting agency;
3. overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale in undergraduate work or evidence of high achievement in a substantial amount of graduate-level course-work;
4. satisfactory completion of prerequisite course work within 5 years;
5. satisfactory score (at least 50th percentile) on the Graduate Record Examination Admission Test (GRE) or the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT);
6. completed application including personal statement, recommendations, and a resume; and
7. satisfactory on-campus interview.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite course work must be completed before enrollment in the Program. To be eligible for admission, course work must include basic preparation in economics, accounting, and statistics as well as working knowledge of college-level algebra. Required prerequisite courses must be from an accredited university or college and have been earned with a grade of C or higher within 5 years of application, as follows:

• one college-level course (three credits) in financial accounting;
• one college-level course (three credits) in microeconomics; and
• one college-level course (three credits) in statistics.

Prerequisite Courses Offered at VCU

Graduate Studies Aptitude Tests

All applicants are required to submit standardized aptitude test scores. The Program accepts scores on either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Applicants who have taken the GRE or GMAT in the last five years may submit previous scores.

The GRE and GMAT are administered on a variety of dates in many locations throughout the country. Applicants should make arrangements to take the examination of their choice no later than the January before the February application deadline. For information about testing dates and registration materials contact:

For the GRE, the VCU Institution code is 5570, and the Department & Major Field Code is 0607. For the GMAT, the Health Services code is LP8-QF-23.

International applicants and non-residents, please refer to the VCU office of International Education.

Application

To apply, complete an Application for Graduate Studies and submit all transcripts and test scores to the Graduate School. Reference letters, a personal statement and resume should be submitted to the Department of Health Administration, Director, MHA Program, 1008 E. Clay Street, P.O. Box 980203, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0203.

Admission to the Program is competitive and is granted on a rolling admissions process; that is, completed applications are reviewed for admission on an ongoing basis. Therefore, applications received by February 1 are given priority consideration. Should an applicant be accepted to the Program in a year when no more space is available, the individual will be admitted for the next year in which space is available.

In reviewing the completed application, the Admissions Committee seeks strong evidence of scholarship, commitment to the profession, motivation for success in graduate school and the profession, and capability to complete the program successfully. Previous educational accomplishments, standardized test results, work experience, healthcare experience, letters of reference, and personal interview are used to help the Admissions Committee make recommendations for acceptance.

Interview

Eligible applicants will be invited to an on-campus interview day. The day includes meeting with three members of the Admissions Committee (consisting of faculty, students, and alumni/ae), question and answer sessions with current students, and a tour of the Grant House.

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