Advanced study in health administration and law is available through a dual degree program co-sponsored by the department and the school of law at the University of Richmond. The program leads to the awarding of the Master of Health Administration and Juris Doctor degrees.

Participants are provided the necessary expertise either to represent clients within the health care industry or to function as legal policy-makers or administrators who fully appreciate the legal environment of the health care field. Applicants for this program are required to meet the admission requirements of each program. For information regarding the dual degree program, contact the director of the program.

The M.H.A./J.D. dual degree can be completed with a minimum four years of coordinated study and a minimum 123 credit hours instead of 146 credit hours. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to count 11 credit hours from the J.D. program toward the requirements of the M.H.A. program and 12 credit hours in the M.H.A. program toward the requirements of the J.D. program, for a total savings of 23 credit hours.

The credits completed in health administration include 46 hours in core curriculum and at least three credits to be earned during a 10-week summer administrative internship. Dual degree students complete this internship in lieu of the 12-month residency.

The M.H.A. curriculum sequence of the M.H.A./J.D. degree is shown below.

Course Title Hours
Courses
HADM 602Health System Organization, Financing and Performance3
HADM 606Health Care Managerial Accounting3
HADM 607Financial Management in Health Organizations3
HADM 608Seminar in Health Care Finance3
HADM 609Population Health Management2
HADM 610Health Analytics and Decision Support3
HADM 612Information Systems for Health Care Management3
HADM 614Health Care Marketing3
HADM 615Health Care Politics and Policy3
HADM 624Health Economics3
HADM 646Health Care Organization and Leadership3
HADM 647Management of Health Care Organizations3
HADM 648Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations3
HADM 649Human Resources Management in Health Care3
HADM 681Clinical Concepts and Relationships2
HADM 682Executive Skills I1
HADM 683Executive Skills II1
HADM 693Internship in Health Administration3
Total Hours48

Sample M.H.A./J.D. plan of study

Year one
Fall semesterHours
HADM 602 Health System Organization, Financing and Performance 3
HADM 606 Health Care Managerial Accounting 3
HADM 609 Population Health Management 2
HADM 646 Health Care Organization and Leadership 3
HADM 681 Clinical Concepts and Relationships 2
HADM 682 Executive Skills I 1
 Term Hours: 14
Spring semester
HADM 607 Financial Management in Health Organizations 3
HADM 610 Health Analytics and Decision Support 3
HADM 624 Health Economics 3
HADM 647 Management of Health Care Organizations 3
 Term Hours: 12
Summer semester
HADM 693 Internship in Health Administration 3
 Term Hours: 3
Year two
Fall semester
HADM 608 Seminar in Health Care Finance 3
HADM 612 Information Systems for Health Care Management 3
HADM 615 Health Care Politics and Policy 3
HADM 683 Executive Skills II 1
 Term Hours: 10
Spring semester
HADM 614 Health Care Marketing 3
HADM 648 Strategic Management in Health Care Organizations 3
HADM 649 Human Resources Management in Health Care 3
 Term Hours: 9
 Total Hours: 48

Contact
Paige Powell, Ph.D.
Program director
powellm9@vcu.edu

Additional contact
Cameron Parkins
Program manager
parkinsc@vcu.edu

Program website: ha.chp.vcu.edu/programs/mha-program/