University of Phoenix MHA: Programs, Admissions & Career Outcomes

The University of Phoenix Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a fully online graduate degree built for working adults who already hold roles in hospitals, clinics, or public health administration. Program outcomes data show median earnings of $68,344 five years after completion.

Healthcare management hiring in Arizona remains tied to aging population demand, especially in Phoenix's large hospital and ambulatory-care networks. Admission requires a prior bachelor's degree and documented work history rather than a GMAT, and the MHA holds programmatic accreditation from CAHME. The practical choice for applicants is whether tuition and five-year earnings line up with an employer's reimbursement or promotion timeline.

University of Phoenix MHA Program Overview

University of Phoenix positions its Master of Health Administration (MHA), one of the online MHA programs in Arizona, as a career-focused alternative to a general healthcare MBA, built around healthcare leadership and organizational improvement.

The program is delivered fully online and designed for working professionals. Students take one 5-6 week course at a time, can start year-round, and receive support from a team available 14 hours a day, a pace common among accelerated MHA programs. This format lets learners keep their current jobs while moving through the curriculum.

What the MHA Focuses On

The MHA is a specialized degree, not a broad business degree with a healthcare concentration. The program centers on health administration competencies and ends with a capstone leadership proposal, giving students a chance to apply strategic thinking to a real healthcare challenge. Faculty are described as practitioners with 28+ years of experience, which keeps coursework grounded in operational reality.

How It Differs From a Healthcare MBA

A healthcare MBA typically spends more time on general business functions such as finance, marketing, and operations before layering on healthcare topics. The MHA at University of Phoenix keeps the focus on managing healthcare organizations, policy, quality, and leadership throughout the curriculum. The CAHME accreditation further signals a program built specifically for health administration, rather than a general management degree with a healthcare track.

Institutional Profile

University of Phoenix is a private, Arizona-based university with a large online enrollment. That profile reinforces the MHA's online delivery and adult-learner orientation. The institution's practitioner-focused approach and year-round start dates fit students who are balancing full-time work, family, or military service.

Online MHA Options and Specializations

Health care compliance and privacy now sit at the center of graduate health administration hiring, not at the margins. University of Phoenix reflects that shift with an online MHA that routes students into a compliance-focused concentration, a broad standard track, or a dual MHA/MBA.

Fully Online Format

University of Phoenix delivers the MHA as one of many online MHA programs. Official program pages do not specify a required synchronous meeting pattern or an on-campus residency; the program is structured around the online classroom, and the required capstone is MHA/599 (3 credits). No required internship or residency is identified in the materials reviewed. This keeps the culminating experience in the coursework rather than a separate field placement.

Health Care Compliance and Privacy Concentration

The MHA with a concentration in Health Care Compliance and Privacy requires 45 credits and takes about 21 months. It adds courses in compliance foundations and leading compliance, covering privacy regulations, ethical decision-making, regulatory affairs, governance, and policy implementation. Core MHA courses include systems thinking, health care economics, informatics, the regulatory environment, talent and retention, and community sustainability. For students comparing affordable online MHA programs who want the compliance credential without a second degree, this concentration layers privacy, governance, and regulatory work directly onto the standard MHA core.

Dual MHA/MBA Pathway

The MHA/MBA combines the MHA core with business courses such as managing in a changing environment, people and organizations, managerial accounting and legal aspects, and marketing analytics. Because the pathway shares MHA core courses, health administration credits carry into the business side of the degree, creating one integrated sequence instead of two disconnected degrees. The published sequence includes the MHA/599 capstone as the common capstone experience.

University of Phoenix MHA Admissions Requirements and Application Process

Use this checklist to track the current MHA admissions steps at University of Phoenix. The process is built around prior degree, GPA, work history, and documentation rather than entrance exams.

• Bachelor's degree or higher

  From an approved-accredited institution or comparable foreign institution; any undergraduate major is accepted.
• 2.5 cumulative GPA

  Minimum 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from the degree-posted transcript.
• 3+ years work experience

  Full-time, post-high-school professional experience within the past 10 years, with current employment or access to a suitable work setting for assignments.
• No GMAT, GRE, or essay

  Admissions is test-optional and open; standardized entrance exams are not required.
• Online application

  Plan about 20 minutes; there is no application fee.
• Official transcripts

  Submit all college transcripts and any additional tasks in your admissions checklist.
• No prerequisite coursework

  Published program pages do not list required undergraduate prerequisites for the MHA.
• Seven-day start deadline

  Apply and confirm your financial plan at least seven days before the start date; starts are scheduled rather than tied to one annual deadline.

Related Articles

Median MHA Graduate Earnings at University of Phoenix

The most recent outcomes data for the program shows a five-year earnings figure of $68,344.

Common Questions About University of Phoenix MHA

Here are answers to the questions prospective students ask most often about the University of Phoenix Master of Health Administration. Where figures depend on delivery format or state disclosure, the answer below notes that context.

1. Is University of Phoenix MHA CAHME-accredited?

   Yes. The online, non-executive University of Phoenix Master of Health Administration is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Initial CAHME accreditation took effect in 2019, with a Fall 2022 site visit and a next review scheduled for Fall 2029. Because accreditation status can vary by format, check the program's CAHME profile for the exact delivery option you are considering.

2. What are the admission requirements for University of Phoenix MHA?

   The CAHME program profile lists a minimum GPA of 2.5. University of Phoenix describes a general master's admission process that is online with no application fee, no SAT, GMAT, or essay. Prospective students choose a start date and usually register about one week before the start. Admission materials list at least three years of work experience and current employment; confirm current MHA-specific requirements with admissions.

3. How much does University of Phoenix MHA cost?

   Cost depends on format and state. University of Phoenix advertises the competency-based MHA as under $11,000 and under 12 months. A third-party listing estimates $10,800 for 36 credits at $300 per credit before separate charges. A Massachusetts disclosure lists $27,468 in tuition and fees, or $23,040 with a special rate, but that is state-specific. Use the program cost calculator for your own state and track.

4. Does University of Phoenix MHA require an internship or capstone?

   A capstone is required in available program details. The course, "Leading the Organization Through Change," asks students to create a leadership proposal tied to a real healthcare organization or career objective. An internship requirement is not established in the sources reviewed, and curriculum details cannot confirm whether every track shares the same capstone or whether any track requires an internship.

5. What is the graduation rate for University of Phoenix MHA?

   Published graduation figures are not directly comparable. A Massachusetts MHA disclosure reports 44% graduated in the last two calendar years for which data was available, a state-specific figure rather than a nationwide or 2026 rate. University of Phoenix reports 53.0% for master's programs overall, not the MHA specifically. A third-party listing shows 21% for the online MHA without identifying cohort, methodology, or year.

The MHA program's accreditation and healthcare leadership curriculum signal to employers that graduates are ready to manage complex organizations, making the degree a direct investment in career advancement.