MHA FAQ

Applicants to the MHA program must have a four-year degree (or equivalent) from a regionally or nationally accredited institution, but students with various undergraduate majors, including, but not limited to biology, business, exercise science, health education/health promotion, public health, and psychology have succeeded in this program.

The MHA Program does not require specific undergraduate coursework; however, students might find coursework in Accounting helpful. Additionally, students entering our MHA program should have an understanding of the writing skills needed for public health and health administration professionals. We encourage students strongly to review the Boston University School of Public Health’s comprehensive writing guide (see “tutorials and training”) for students. Finally, we expect students entering the MHA program to be proficient in Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint (see “tutorials and training”). Faculty will not alter assignments, expectations, or deadlines when students lack basic proficiency with these packages. We recommend strongly that students review the Microsoft Office training provided free of charge by the Goodwill Community Foundation (or a comparable resource).

Competitive applicants to our MHA program should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants to our Early Entry option (Early Entry is only available to UNC Charlotte undergraduate students) must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher. Please see “Admission Criteria and Application Requirements” for a competitive applicant portfolio. Note: The admission committee will consider your entire portfolio when reviewing your application. This portfolio will include grade point average, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. Be sure to address any deficiencies or potential ‘red flags’ in the admissions essay, either integrated in or as a supplement to the statement of goals and objectives.

The MHA program no longer requires GRE scores. Applicants to the MHA program are expected to convey their demonstrated and potential capacity for verbal, quantitative and analytical reasoning through their transcripts, statement of purpose, resume/CV, and letters of recommendation. Applicants should consider potential gaps in such evidence (especially a lack of quantitative and other relevant coursework appearing on their transcripts) when preparing their statements and soliciting letters of recommendation. Applicants who have taken the GRE do NOT need to send scores to UNC Charlotte, but MAY CHOOSE to do so.

The admission committee will consider your entire portfolio when reviewing your application. This portfolio will include your transcript(s), statement of purpose, resume/CV, and letters of recommendation. Strength in one area may outweigh a perceived weakness in another area. When conveying your capacity for verbal, quantitative and analytical reasoning in your essay, be sure to address any deficiencies or potential ‘red flags,’ either integrated in or as a supplement to the statement of goals and objectives. Use the essay to put such weaknesses in context and to note any explanatory information that would convince the committee you could be a successful student. Ignoring an obvious weakness undermines your credibility with the committee.

International applicants will have additional application requirements. Please review additional requirements for international applicants.

While in most case, two pages should be sufficient, we do not place any requirements or limits on the length of the statement. Your statement should concisely serve the following two purposes: 1. Convince the Admissions Committee that this is the right program for you. Demonstrate your understanding of the MHA degree and what it prepares you to do. Link your prior experiences to your aspirations (e.g., tell us where you’re coming from, how you became interested in health administration, where you’re going, and how you think the degree will help get you there) 2. Convince the Admissions Committee that you can be successful in the program Explain/provide context for any potential ‘red flags’ (integrate or a separate section of essay). Do not ignore a potential weakness.

Work experience is not a requirement of our program; however, relevant experience in a healthcare setting may enhance your application portfolio and better inform your admissions essay.

All prospective students must apply as new students to the UNC Charlotte MHA program. If offered admission to the program, it may be possible to transfer up to nine graduate level credit hours. These credits cannot have been applied to another graduate degree, and must have an earned grade of a C or better. Note: a transferred C counts toward the accumulated Cs allowed for the degree. Please refer to the MHA Student Handbook for additional constraints and expectations for transfer credit.

Our MHA program uses a rolling review process. Typically, applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of their application being referred to the program, possibly longer if the application is held over for a committee discussion.

Total tuition paid for the program will depend upon the plan of study a student chooses (two, three, and four-year options are available). Please see “cost of attendace” for the most recent MHA program tuition and fee schedule. Students completing the two-year plan of study will pay four semesters at the nine+ credit hours rate, and one summer session of at least three credit hours. Additional expenses will include books (varies by class) and parking. Note: Please make sure you are referring to the tuition schedule for the Master of Health Administration Program, which is distinct from general graduate tuition rates.

For an overview of assistantship and scholarship/financial aid opportunities please visit our Paying for Graduate School page and the Paying For College accordion on the Student Resources page.

Admitted students receiving graduate assistantship offers can expect to receive those offers in late February to mid-March.

The UNC Charlotte MHA program benefits from two named scholarships that are limited to our students, the Greater Charlotte Healthcare Executives Group MHA Scholarship and the Dr. Robert Barber Memorial Scholarship. You can learn about and apply to these scholarships and others through the NinerScholars portal

MHA core curriculum classes typically meet on weekday evenings, typically from 5:30-8:15p, or Saturday mornings. Elective courses offered outside of the MHA program may take place during the day or evening.

Most MHA classes meet at UNC Charlotte’s main campus at 9201 University City Blvd. One or more classes per semester may meet at UNC Charlotte’s Center City campus at 320 E. 9^th Street (conveniently located steps away from a light rail stop).