MPH vs. MHA: Differences and Outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need to better integrate public health efforts, which focus on the health of an entire population, with those of health care organizations, which focus on the health of individual patients. As a 2023 article in The Lancet Public Health noted, one of the lessons the pandemic taught us was that we can improve patients’ health outcomes by strengthening the ties between public health and health care.

Improving people’s health depends on having qualified leaders with the expertise necessary to make a meaningful difference. Earning a graduate degree such as a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a great way to acquire the expertise needed to make positive change in a community’s health.

Although MPH and MHA programs share some characteristics, overall they are quite different. Anyone who wants to serve in a leadership position in a health-related field needs to understand how those programs differ, and exploring MPH vs. MHA degree programs can be a valuable exercise.

What Is an MPH?

Master of Public Health degree programs focus on the expertise needed to improve the health of people in a particular community or population. For example, MPH students learn how to devise solutions to public health challenges, analyze population health data and examine how social factors can affect the health of members of a community.

MPH and MHA programs share some common characteristics. For example, both focus on topics that are influenced by health policy, and graduates of both programs benefit from having knowledge and skills in areas such as management and statistics.

But the expertise that an MPH program offers prepares individuals to monitor and help improve the health of an entire population, while MHA programs prepare individuals to manage an organization that provides health care to individual patients.

MPH Program Core Themes

Key topics that students in MPH programs learn about include:

Evidence-based approaches to improve public health, including approaches such as using informatics and applying epidemiological expertise to address issues in public health
The structures of public health systems, encompassing topics such as how public health systems differ across the world and how those structures can be affected by issues such as racism and social inequity
Developing programs to improve public health, covering how to assess a population’s health needs and design programs to address those needs
Public health policy, including how to develop public health policies, evaluate current policies and advocate for new policies

Other key themes in MPH programs are leadership in public health, communication in public health and the integration of public health with other professions and other aspects of society.

MPH Program Specializations

MPH and MHA programs both offer students the opportunity to focus on a specialization. Students in an MPH program can specialize in areas such as:

Public health management, which prepares students for leadership roles in public health
Health informatics, which prepares students for roles in which they get to analyze and design automated systems and data management processes in public health
Social and behavioral sciences, which prepares students to develop public health solutions that address important emotional and psychological factors that affect community members’ health

MPH Requirements

MPH requirements cover a range of topics related to promoting the health of a population.

MPH programs generally take about two years to complete, although that can vary based on whether a student attends full time or part time. Students complete about 45 hours of coursework.

MPH Program Curriculum

The courses in MPH programs cover topics such as:

Health management and policy, the managerial aspects of public health such as organizing, leading and planning
Health information systems, the theory behind systems, emerging technology and strategic planning for health information systems
Public health informatics, using health information services and public health technology
Biostatistics, using statistical techniques for purposes of analyzing data regarding a population’s health
Epidemiology, applying epidemiological principles to improve public health
Health promotion, models of health promotion and the social and behavioral determinants of health

MPH programs also may require students to participate in an internship in the field of public health, as well as complete a capstone project in which they have the opportunity to research a public health topic of their choosing.

What Can You Do With an MPH?

Earning an MPH can prepare people to work in areas such as:

Public health education
Public health research
Disease control
Environmental health
Occupational health and safety
Community health
MPH Careers

Below are some examples of careers that individuals who earn an MPH can pursue.

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists study specific public health issues and develop solutions to address those issues. They gather and analyze public health data and present their findings to stakeholders such as policymakers and the public. They also can be involved in researching trends in public health issues.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that epidemiologists had a median annual salary of $81,390 as of May 2023. The BLS projects that employment of epidemiologists will grow an impressive 27 percent between 2022 and 2032. That growth rate is significantly higher than the BLS’s projection of 3 percent growth across all occupations in that decade.

Health Education Specialist

Health education specialists focus on developing and implementing programs to teach the public about health issues and to promote healthy behaviors. They assess a community’s needs and then create initiatives to address those needs. For example, they can be involved in educating the public about nutrition or the importance of immunizations.

According to the BLS, health education specialists had a median annual salary of $62,860 as of May 2023. The BLS projects 7 percent job growth for health education specialists between 2022 and 2032.

Data Scientist

Data scientists working in public health analyze health data to gain insights that can be used in developing programs to address specific public health issues. In addition to data analysis, data scientists use their expertise in data visualization to present their analyses in ways that make it easier for others to understand.

Data scientists had a median annual salary of $108,020 as of May 2023, according to the BLS. The BLS forecasts very strong 35 percent growth in data scientist positions between 2022 and 2032.

Grant Writer

Grant writers working in public health develop proposals to obtain funding for public health initiatives. Grant writers also can be responsible for researching the requirements for specific grants and identifying grants that parallel an organization’s mission.

Knowledge of public health can help grant writers seek funding through requests that are technically accurate and reflect the objectives of their organizations. Grant writers also benefit from expertise in public health funding streams.

The BLS includes grant writers within the category of technical writers, who had a median annual salary of $80,050 as of May 2032. The BLS projects 7 percent job growth for technical writers between 2022 and 2032.

What Is an MHA?

In contrast to the public health focus of MPH programs, MHA programs focus on providing students with the expertise needed to oversee health care organizations. Master of Health Administration programs generally prepare students to work in health care facility administration or management, and they cover business areas such as health care finance, organizational structure and strategic planning.

As with MPH programs, MHA programs place an emphasis on concepts such as professional ethics, the importance of strong management skills and applying quantitative methods to improving health.

MHA Program Core Themes

MHA programs focus on giving students the knowledge and skills needed to manage organizations that provide health care services to patients. Through MHA programs, students learn about concepts such as:

Management and leadership of health care organizations, covering the expertise needed to oversee the operations of various types of health care providers
Organizational behavior and communication within health care organizations, encompassing operational and interpersonal expertise that is valuable in leading a health care organization
Design and operation of health care organizations, covering the structure of health care organizations and important functions such as information technology and performance measurement
Critical thinking related to health care organizations, including the skills needed to address issues in areas such as health care organization finance and project management

Other key themes in MHA programs are the human resources function at health care organizations and operational assessment of health care organizations.

MHA Program Specializations

As with MPH programs, MHA programs offer students the opportunity to specialize in a specific area. MHA students can specialize in areas such as:

Quality of care, which prepares students to work to improve patients’ health outcomes by improving the quality of the health care they receive
Financial management, which prepares students to oversee the unique financing structures associated with health care organizations
Health care policy, which prepares students to create, evaluate and administer policies related to the operations of health care organizations

MHA Requirements

MHA requirements cover the skills and knowledge needed to manage a health care organization.

MHA programs generally take about two years to complete, although that can vary based on whether a student attends full time or part time. They require students to complete approximately 40 hours of coursework.

MHA Program Curriculum

MHA courses cover topics such as:

Health care financial operations, the financial processes and financial management of health care organization
Strategic planning in health care, long-term planning and setting goals for health care organizations
Health care marketing, the unique marketing approaches that are specific to health care organizations
Health care law, the legal environment related to the operations of health care organizations
Quality improvement in health care, approaches to improving the quality of the health care that patients receive
Health care information systems, the automated systems that health care organizations use

As with MPH programs, MHA programs also may require students to complete internships at health care organizations and capstone projects.

What Can You Do With an MHA?

MHA graduates can pursue careers in areas such as:

Hospital administration and management
Long-term care administration and management
Medical practice administration and management
Health care consulting
Health care marketing
Health insurance administration

MHA Careers

Examples of MHA careers are outlined below.

Medical and Health Services Manager

Medical and health services managers lead an entire health care organization or a particular department within a large health care organization. They have oversight responsibilities for functions such as strategic planning, finance, budgeting, human resources and legal and regulatory compliance.

According to the BLS, medical and health services managers had a median annual salary of $110,680 as of May 2023. The BLS forecasts a strong 28 percent job growth for medical and health services managers between 2022 and 2032.

Health Care Consultant

Health care consultants help organizations improve their operations. For example, they identify ways to gain efficiencies, cut costs, improve patient satisfaction and increase patient safety.

To do that, health care consultants typically meet with the health care organization’s management and staff for their input, analyze the organization’s operational and financial data and make detailed observations about the organization’s processes. They present the results of their work and their recommendations for improvements both orally and in writing.

The BLS reports that management analysts such as consultants had a median annual salary of $99,410 as of May 2023. It projects 10 percent job growth for management analysts between 2022 and 2032.

Health Care Marketing Manager

Health care marketing managers promote a health care organization’s services with the objective of bringing in new patients and securing existing patients’ loyalty. Health care marketing managers also conduct market research and use their data analysis skills to develop marketing campaigns that target a desired audience.

Advertising, promotions and marketing managers had a median annual salary of $156,580 as of May 2023, according to the BLS. The BLS projects 6 percent job growth between 2022 and 2032 for advertising, promotions and marketing managers.

Nursing Home Administrator

Nursing home administrators are responsible for overseeing all functions within a long-term care facility, including finance, human resources, facility maintenance, admissions and the delivery of health care services to residents. They are also charged with ensuring the facility complies with all regulations related to standards of care. Nursing home administrators typically must obtain licensure in the state where they intend to work.

The BLS includes nursing home administrators within the category of medical and health services managers, who had a median annual salary of $110,680 as of May 2023. The BLS projects 28 percent job growth for this profession between 2022 and 2032.

MPH and MHA Programs Prepare Students for a Wide Variety of Fulfilling Careers

While MPH and MHA programs differ, each offers expertise that prepares students to pursue a meaningful health-related career in which they can make a significant difference. Whether they have a desire to work in public health or health care administration, individuals can pursue an advanced degree that positions them for career success.

Those with an interest in graduate education in public health can explore Augusta University Online’s Master of Public Health degree program to learn how it can help them achieve their professional goals. Offering concentrations in health informatics, health management, and social and behavioral sciences, the program can help students establish a solid foundation for a career in public health. Start working toward your public health career goals today.

Sources:
American Public Health Association, What Is Public Health?
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, Accreditation Standards and Self-Study Handbook
Council on Education for Public Health, Accreditation Criteria
Frontiers in Public Health, “Standing in the Gap: The Academic and Professional Divide Between Health Administration and Health Policy”
Indeed, “25 Jobs You Can Do With an MHA”
Indeed, “FAQ: Is a Master’s in Health Care Administration Worth It?”
Indeed, “How to Become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA)”
Indeed, “Jobs You Can Pursue With a Master’s in Public Health (MHP)”
Indeed, “MBA vs. MHA: What’s the Difference? (With Tips for Choosing)”
Indeed, “What Is a Health Care Consultant? (And How to Become One)”
The Lancet Public Health, “The Road to Achieving Epidemic-Ready Primary Health Care”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Data Scientists
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Epidemiologists
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health Education Specialists
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Management Analysts
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Managers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Technical Writers
ZipRecruiter, What Is a Healthcare Marketer and How to Become One

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