Modern Healthcare ranks VCU’s MSHA program No. 2 among top business graduate schools for physician executives

By Malorie Burkett

Virginia Commonwealth University’s accredited Master of Science in Health Administration program is ranked second in the nation for physician executives, according to the May 2006 issue of the journal Modern Healthcare.

As one program of the Department of Health Administration in the School of Allied Health Professions, the professional distance education program is provided via an online format combined with six on-campus sessions.

As a result, health care professionals working full time can earn a Master of Science in Health Administration from anywhere in the United States in 22 months.

“We are very pleased to be ranked so high among accredited programs that are considered by physicians and other clinicians,” said Dolores Clement, Dr.P.H., professor in the Department of Health Administration and director of the professional MSHA program. “Physicians who are busy in practice especially appreciate having a part-time option in completing the program.”

Clement also says the ranking will help raise awareness of the MSHA program, and it will be used in the program’s marketing materials to show its standing among accredited programs.

The rankings were based on a list of programs that award MBAs or similar degrees that focus on recruiting physicians. Programs were ranked on five factors: length of time to complete, tuition, number of days students must spend on campus, age of each program and number of total graduates.

The program attracts clinicians, executive-level managers and mid-career managers from a variety of health care fields with at least five years’ professional experience.

“Our program meets the needs of clinicians aspiring to become health care executives,” Clement said.

Other programs that made the list include the University of North Carolina, ranked first; Trinity University in San Antonio, which tied for second with VCU; Tulane University, ranked third; Carnegie Mellon University, ranked fourth; and the University of Missouri, ranked fifth.

For more information on the program, visit http://www.had.vcu.edu/programs/msha/.