Healthcare Administration (MHA) - Operational Excellence Specialization
36
Credit Hours
14
Month Completion
Class Type
Next Start Date
Jan 6, 2025
Placement Tests
GMAT/GRE not required for admission

Develop your healthcare operations management capabilities with an MHA Operational Excellence

Capacity demands, resource limitations and emerging technologies are creating challenges and opportunities within healthcare. The industry needs healthcare operations management to drive transformational yet sustainable change. Franklin’s Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) with a Specialization in Operational Excellence will prepare you to lead strategic, systematic initiatives that positively impact the clinical and business sides of healthcare. Our healthcare operation's master's program will equip you in leveraging data, technologies and Lean Six Sigma methodologies to optimize processes, improve quality, and boost patient and employee satisfaction.

Program Availability

On Site

14-Month Completion

Finish your MHA faster.

Fulfilling Work

Drive positive change and make a lasting impact.

Process Improvement

 Cut costs, streamline systems and empower clinicians.

Top-Notch Networking

Learn from faculty and peers who are in-field professionals.

100% Online Classes

Take classes that fit with your busy life.

Contemporary Curriculum

Be at the forefront of trends and technologies.

MHA-Operational Excellence Specialization Program Overview

Lead the way to operational transformation and drive improvements in productivity, efficiency and decision-making

When it comes to operational excellence in today’s complex healthcare environment, there’s been a shift in the way leaders are expected to deliver. Today’s healthcare systems are looking for innovative healthcare leaders who can design and execute relevant, sustainable strategies that achieve it all: increased efficiencies, volume and revenue, and improved stakeholder engagement and satisfaction.

The most likely to succeed are high-performing leaders who know how to identify and leverage metrics to drive value, optimize processes and procedures, and ensure excellence in delivering services.

Demand for healthcare leaders is so strong right now that the projected job growth rate for the industry is 19.70% through 2032.*

Finish your MHA-Operational Excellence degree faster than many other MHA programs

Franklin University’s 100% online operational excellence in healthcare master’s program is uniquely designed to prepare you to take a leadership role in improving the processes and efficiencies of the various operations within a healthcare organization. You can expect to complete your healthcare operations management degree in as little as 14 months. Because you’ll be learning from real-world practitioners in a theory-to-practice learning environment, you’ll be able to apply what you learn from Day One well beyond graduation.

Prepare for a leadership role in healthcare operations management with an MHA- Operational Excellence degree

With Franklin’s online MHA operations degree, you’ll develop healthcare-specific competencies in the following areas: leadership and strategy, operations management, law and policy, accounting and finance, and management, preparing you to hold career titles such as director of operations, regulatory affairs manager and director of quality improvement.

Because our online healthcare operations management courses are aligned with the emerging trends and best practices of the contemporary healthcare environment, you’ll be prepared to move into an executive-level leadership role within healthcare operations and process improvement. Your online healthcare operations master’s program classes will challenge you through a variety of academic methodologies, including case studies, lectures, group assignments, and community and healthcare projects. You’ll also be exposed to essential healthcare operations management topics, such as laws and ethical principles, continuous optimization and resource allocation.

Plan and prepare for Lean Six Sigma professional credentialing

Franklin’s MHA-Operational Excellence master’s degree program includes theory-to-practice coursework in one of the leading process improvement methodologies, Lean Six Sigma. During your healthcare operations master’s program coursework, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a project plan that can serve as the foundation for completing a major project for Lean Six Sigma certification.

Learn from real-world leaders who are shaping the future of the healthcare industry

At Franklin, we rely upon the expertise and experience of an industry-specific Advisory Board to oversee the relevant curriculum within our MHA-Operational Excellence master’s program. Industry-specific learnings are injected into your coursework, thanks to the input of the top-level executives who comprise our board, including a hospital president and COO of Mt. Carmel East Hospital, a medical association CEO, an SVP at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and the president of Grady Memorial Hospitals.

*Source information provided by Lightcast.

Read more >

Future Start Dates

Start dates for individual programs may vary and are subject to change. Please request free information & speak with an admission advisor for the latest program start dates.

Spring 2025
January
6
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Dec 27
Spring 2025
February
17
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Feb 7
Spring 2025
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31
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Mar 21
Summer 2025
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19
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May 9
Summer 2025
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30
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Jun 20
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18
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Aug 8
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September
29
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Sep 19
Fall 2025
November
10
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Oct 31
Spring 2026
January
5
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Dec 26
Spring 2026
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16
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Spring 2026
March
30
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Mar 20
Summer 2026
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18
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Summer 2026
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29
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Fall 2026
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17
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Fall 2026
September
28
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Sep 18
Fall 2026
November
9
Recommended Register By:
Oct 30

Your Best Value Master of Healthcare Administration

Choose Franklin's MHA and get a high-quality degree that fits your life and your budget. 

Affordable Tuition

$670
PER CREDIT HOUR

Affordable tuition rates for the Master of Healthcare Administration provide value and quality.

Take One Class at a Time

Balance your education with your life.

Finish Fast

14
MONTHS TO COMPLETE

Realize your career goals sooner and reap the benefits.

Partner? Pay Less.

Search below to see if you could save tuition through an employer or professional organization partnership.

$24,120
Total Tuition
(After Partner Discount)

Tuition Guarantee

Inflation-proof your degree cost by locking-in your tuition rate from day one through graduation.

Highly Recommended

98%
STUDENT SATISFACTION

98% of graduating students would recommend Franklin to their family, friends and/or colleagues.

Source: Franklin University, Office of Career Development Student Satisfaction Survey (Summer 2023)

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Master of Healthcare Administration Courses & Curriculum

36 Semester Hours
Major Area Required
HCM 733 - Finance and Managerial Accounting in Healthcare Organizations (4)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the fundamental concepts and calculations associated with financial accounting and managerial accounting within a healthcare organization. Students will study the foundational aspects of financial accounting with a primary focus on financial statements and the uses of the information in these statements. Students will also study the functional aspects of managerial accounting to include cost behavior, cost allocation, pricing, planning, budgeting, profit analysis, and performance evaluation. Application of these concepts will include analysis of case studies.

HCM 735 - Healthcare Delivery Systems (4)

The course provides an extensive overview of leadership in the U.S. health services system. The focus of the course will be on the role health services leadership plays in the delivery of healthcare services, to include managing with professionals, financial management, services utilization, and other aspects of the U.S. healthcare system. The student will explore the key theoretical and practical elements of leadership as well as current issues clarifying how the U.S. health services system is organized, managed, and financed.

HCM 742 - Healthcare Laws and Ethics (4)

In this course students will develop a strong foundation in health law, enabling them to deal with the common legal, practical, moral, and ethical issues that healthcare organizations face on a daily basis. Topics will include statutory law, rules and regulations, tort law, criminal law, contract law, civil procedures, and trial procedure.

HCM 752 - Health Policy (4)

This course will explore the essential conceptual and analytical understanding of health policymaking and politics, including their impact on health administration and leadership. Selected policy issues will be explored through the application of political concepts and behavioral models, including a system model of policymaking. The emphasis will be on understanding the health leader?s approach to the policymaking system, become involved in it, and work through it to attain their objectives and those of their organization.

HCM 765 - Healthcare Operations Management (4)

Students will explore concepts and theories of operations management. The student will develop both knowledge and skills in solving the operational problems of healthcare organizations. This course will examine process improvement models that are aimed at improving the safety and quality of healthcare delivery within an organization.

HCM 772 - Healthcare Strategic Management (4)

The student will examine principles of strategic management applied to healthcare organizations. This Capstone course through critical assessments of the real world environment and case studies on strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation will examine alternative strategic frameworks for healthcare organizations. Topics will include, mission, vision statement development, environmental assessments, analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, use of critical success factors, development of business plans, and other techniques for strategic planning and management.

MHA or MHA with Specialization

MHA:

HCM 762 - Global Health (4)

The student will examine demographic measurements, epidemiological methods, outcomes assessment, health promotion, and disease prevention from a global perspective.

HIM 702 - Health Information Governance (4)

This course covers the broad spectrum of strategic issues in healthcare including policies, guidelines, standards, processes, and controls required to manage and implement enterprise-level information. Treating information as a strategic asset to healthcare organizations, processes to manage various risks to the quality of information and ensure its appropriate use are covered.

AND

HIM 710 - Clinical Workflow & Applications (4)

This course explores requirements for clinical workflows in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency healthcare environments. It covers the documentation, review, mapping, and diagramming of clinical workflow information and processes. The course also covers the linkages between the improvement of patient care to workflow mapping and change management, as part of evidence based decision making in healthcare.

OR HIM 761 - Healthcare Analytics (4)

This course addresses the process of retrieving, analyzing, and reporting intelligence to make healthcare decisions. It covers the techniques of extracting, transforming and loading data from a myriad of operational databases into corporate data warehouses, as well means to ensure that decision making is based on clean and reliable information. The course also includes ways to report the healthcare intelligence gathered.

OR GRAD 770 - Lean Six Sigma (4)

The purpose of this course is to train individuals in Lean Six Sigma skills and strategies to improve processes and provide safe, effective care environments. The learner will demonstrate the practical application of tools utilized with Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Students will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned during this course concurrently with a case study designed specifically to use Six Sigma methodologies. Students will develop a Lean Six Sigma project plan that can serve as the foundation for completing a major project for Lean Six Sigma certification following the completion of the course. Interested students would need to apply for Lean Six Sigma certification and complete the major project with Franklin University's Center for Professional Training & Development.

OR PUAD 701 - Foundations of Public Service and Administration (4)

This foundational course provides an introduction to the social, economic, political, and ethical context of public administration in the United States. Students examine how public sector values differentiate government from the private sector and develop skills for critically evaluating issues faced by public administrators.

OR PSYC 603 - Managerial Psychology (4)

This course will explore the psychological influences on the development and behavior of managers and organizational leaders. Topics include: follower influences, nature vs. nurture in the development of leaders, relationship of personality to leadership style, behavioral decision- making biases, tactical, operational, and strategic decision-making , group think, and scenario planning.

OR HRM 713 - Human Resource Management (4)

Organizations are composed of groups of people who work together to achieve defined outcomes. Experience has proven time and again that the key factor which differentiates successful companies from those who struggle to survive is people who make up the employee base. While the human resources function is given the specific task of planning for and resolving many employee-related issues and needs, individual managers have direct responsibility and accountability for motivating and leading employees to achieve sustained organizational success. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with human resources to enhance the contributions of all employees to organizational effectiveness. Students will learn about the elements which drive business success, theories of motivation, and methods for creating a plan for maximizing the human capital of an organization.

OR

Organizational Leadership Specialization:

MGMT 780 - Organizational Leadership Theories (4)

This course provides an overview of the historical and current leadership concepts, theories and constructs. Application and assessment of the individual leadership style will enable the student to develop their leadership voice. This course will provide a construct that will enable the student to identify transferrable skills that align with the organization that they are serving in. This course will challenge students to assess their own leadership strengths and weaknesses and produce an in-depth plan of action to develop and refine leadership competencies. Students will conduct substantive scholarly research to address and capture relevant and cutting-edge leadership theoretical work for application in course assignments.

MGMT 785 - Change Management for Organizational Leaders (4)

This course focuses on research and evaluation of the key theoretical concepts and practices central to the leading of organizational change initiatives. Students will evaluate real-world situations in a manner that supports the ability to initiate, implement and sustain major change. The management of change is a dynamic process. This course focuses on understanding how to plan and implement change in various organizations and other settings.

PSYC 603 - Managerial Psychology (4)

This course will explore the psychological influences on the development and behavior of managers and organizational leaders. Topics include: follower influences, nature vs. nurture in the development of leaders, relationship of personality to leadership style, behavioral decision- making biases, tactical, operational, and strategic decision-making , group think, and scenario planning.

OR

Operational Excellence Specialization:

GRAD 770 - Lean Six Sigma (4)

The purpose of this course is to train individuals in Lean Six Sigma skills and strategies to improve processes and provide safe, effective care environments. The learner will demonstrate the practical application of tools utilized with Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Students will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned during this course concurrently with a case study designed specifically to use Six Sigma methodologies. Students will develop a Lean Six Sigma project plan that can serve as the foundation for completing a major project for Lean Six Sigma certification following the completion of the course. Interested students would need to apply for Lean Six Sigma certification and complete the major project with Franklin University's Center for Professional Training & Development.

OSCM 731 - Operations Management (4)

In today's business environment, the success of organizations depends on the effective and efficient management of operations. Methods to select, plan, and improve organizational processes will be examined. The application of optimal capacity decisions in supply chains, development production, and inventory plans and schedules will be performed. The student will learn quality management and improvement process to increase the efficiency of a process.

OSCM 780 - Introduction to Operations Excellence (4)

Operational excellence can provide an important competitive advantage for firms in today?s marketplace. This course presents the concepts in quality. It builds upon the responses of six sigma and lean principles. This course also blends qualitative and quantitative information so that organizations can capitalize on opportunities and data driven management.

OR

Human Resources Specialization:

HRM 702 - Employee Rights, Responsibilities, Discp (4)

The primary purpose of this course is to introduce the principle theories and practices in the area of employment and workplace law. Topics include the federal and state laws associated with hiring, firing and discipline, medical leave (including FMLA, ADA and worker's compensation), discrimination, harassment, immigration, labor law, unemployment compensation, workplace privacy. Additional topics may include workplace investigations, workplace violence and employment-related legal processes, including EEOC Charges and lawsuits.

HRM 706 - Organizational Development/Intervention (4)

This course addresses the need for planned change focused on an organization's ability to compete strategically. The framework of consultation as helping organizations reach a level of optimum performance will be applied. Topics addressed include individual, team, and organization-wide interventions that can raise productivity/quality, improve competitiveness, increase skills, morale, and commitment.

HRM 708 - Strategic Human Resource Planning (4)

The course will introduce students to the field of strategic human resource management (SHRM). Current topics in SHRM that have resulted from environmental and organizational challenges, e.g., technology, globalization, legislation, restructuring, work/life balance, changing labor markets, are discussed Emphasis will be placed on problem solving issues, policies, and practices affecting HR specialists, practitioners, and managers.

Optional Focus Areas

Health Informatics:

HIM 710 - Clinical Workflow & Applications (4)

This course explores requirements for clinical workflows in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency healthcare environments. It covers the documentation, review, mapping, and diagramming of clinical workflow information and processes. The course also covers the linkages between the improvement of patient care to workflow mapping and change management, as part of evidence based decision making in healthcare.

HIM 761 - Healthcare Analytics (4)

This course addresses the process of retrieving, analyzing, and reporting intelligence to make healthcare decisions. It covers the techniques of extracting, transforming and loading data from a myriad of operational databases into corporate data warehouses, as well means to ensure that decision making is based on clean and reliable information. The course also includes ways to report the healthcare intelligence gathered.

AND

Adding a focus area provides an opportunity for customization but is not required for completion of the degree. The focus area requires two additional courses.

Microcredentials Align with Job Essentials

In today's dynamic work environments, adaptive professionals thrive. A microcredential - either as a stand-alone course or integrated into your degree program - is a short, skill-specific recognition that enables you to demonstrate your competency in a distinct area. Like Franklin's degree programs, microcredentials are aligned with market and industry demand to ensure what you learn can be put to use right away. Microcredentials are easily shared via digital badges and can be stacked to create a unique portfolio of in-demand skills.

Master of Healthcare Administration Program Details

Employment Outlook

15%

From 2022-2032, jobs in Healthcare are expected to increase by 15%

Occupation Median Salary (2022) Job Postings (2022) Projected Growth (2022-2032)
Occupation
Medical and Health Services Managers $104,832 387,124 32%
Medical and Health Services Managers
Median Salary: $104,832
Job Postings: 387,124
Projected Growth: 32%
Occupation
Job Titles
Skills
Industry
Description

Medical and Health Services Managers plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.

Projected Growth
Job TitleJob Postings% of Job Postings
Directors of Nursing76,94020%
Assistant Directors of Nursing42,83511%
Medical Directors24,3486%
Clinical Supervisors21,6416%
Charge Nurses20,7465%
Show More
SkillJob Postings% of Total Postings
Nursing193,66627%
Auditing61,1509%
Marketing61,0279%
Project Management56,6138%
Medical Records50,0167%
Show More
 
Industry% of Occupation in Industry
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals23%
Offices of Physicians13%
Outpatient Care Centers8%
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)5%
Home Health Care Services5%
Offices of Other Health Practitioners4%
Other42%
General and Operations Managers $98,093 834,414 13%
General and Operations Managers
Median Salary: $98,093
Job Postings: 834,414
Projected Growth: 13%
Occupation
Job Titles
Skills
Industry
Description

General and Operations Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

Projected Growth
Job TitleJob Postings% of Job Postings
Operations Managers196,14224%
General Managers87,54611%
Operations Supervisors79,50510%
Assistant Operations Managers129,36816%
Managers-in-Training39,3635%
Show More
SkillJob Postings% of Total Postings
Operations Management155,10725%
Project Management94,66915%
Marketing86,67714%
Finance76,72712%
Auditing66,43711%
Show More
 
Industry% of Occupation in Industry
Restaurants and Other Eating Places4%
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services4%
Management of Companies and Enterprises3%
Computer Systems Design and Related Services3%
Building Equipment Contractors2%
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities2%
Other83%

Source: Employment Outlook data is provided by Lightcast. Franklin University cannot guarantee employment placement, salary level, or career advancement.

Healthcare Administration Knowledge & Skillsets

Gain in-demand skills sought by employers with curriculum that teaches you:

Find the Operational Excellence Program That Fits Your Goals

If you’re interested in advancing your operational excellence career, Franklin has several great options. The best fit for you depends on your interests and goals. Compare programs and identify your perfect match.

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MHA-Operational Excellence
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MBA-Operational Excellence

Focus: 
Optimize processes, improve quality, and boost patient and employee satisfaction. 

Skills: 
Build on healthcare administration courses and learn to leverage data, technologies and Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Careers: 
Let your MHA-Operational Excellence empower you to to lead strategic, systematic initiatives that positively impact the clinical and business sides of healthcare

How many courses are in the program?
Nine, 6-week classes

How quickly can I complete the program?
14 months

Focus: 
Hone leadership skills with a focus on process efficiency and improvement as a means of competitive advantage. 

Skills: 
Compliment business knowledge with courses in Lean Six Sigma, supply chain management and Total Quality Management.

Careers: 
Use your MBA-Operational Excellence to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations in any industry. 

How many courses are in the program?
Nine, 6-week classes

How quickly can I complete the program?
12 months 

MHA-Operational Excellence Frequently Asked Questions

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