MHA vs. MBA: Which Degree is Right for Your Career in Healthcare?

The healthcare industry is on the constant rise to the point that it is expected that healthcare careers will increase by fifteen percent in the upcoming years till 2029. With more than two million healthcare jobs emerging over the next few years, healthcare professionals have plenty of opportunities for their career advancements. 

If you want to take advantage of these increased career opportunities, you might want to enroll in the right healthcare degree program. 

Read on to learn more. 

Healthcare Degree Programs – An Overview

Not all healthcare degree programs are created equally, which is why your chosen healthcare certifications or accreditations will greatly affect your return on investment. With that said, you might have to choose between MHA vs. MBA, as these are two incredibly popular healthcare programs that are on the rise. Once you understand what the respective degrees are about, you can make an informed decision about which one is right for your healthcare career. 

MHA vs MBA – What Are the Differences?

The primary difference between an MHA and an MBA program in healthcare is the respective scope of the business curricula. For instance, a healthcare MBA program is a blend of business education and healthcare administration, which arms the students with general business management and knowledge along with industry-specific skills.

An MBA provides you with a strong foundation in business. When it comes to healthcare, it provides you with the much-needed skills to establish a career in C-suite healthcare positions, such as COO, CFO, and chief medical officer. 

MHA Programs Focus on Healthcare Administration

Compared to an MBA in healthcare, the MHA program exclusively focuses on healthcare administration. Of course, in an MHA, students will still be studying business; however, they will do so from the perspective of the healthcare industry. With that said, pursuing an MHA program is ideal for you if you are interested in managerial and administrative things related to healthcare.

The healthcare MBA degree will lead to one specialized master’s degree in healthcare along with a business administration degree. On the other hand, an MHA will make you specialize in a master’s degree. Now that you know the differences between the programs, you might be wondering about the costs as well. 

You will find the MHA program to be cheaper than the MBA programs; however, the MBA will prove more fruitful in terms of providing more career opportunities and establishing good salary growth in the long run.

MHA vs MBA – Accreditation

When it comes to healthcare accreditation, you should look for CAHME-accredited degree programs. To double-check the quality of the degree programs, you should assess the voluntary peer review process. As a matter of fact, healthcare professionals know the difference between unaccredited and accredited programs. Usually, recruiters prefer to recruit graduates from an accredited program.

So, irrespective of whether you want to do an MHA vs MBA, make sure to do it from an accredited program so that you can prepare yourself for career success. Also, prioritize finding degree programs that include certifications, as it will help you maximize your return on investment.