Academics

Master of Health Administration program earns highest CAHME re-accreditation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at Penn State has achieved 7-year re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the highest for a program of its kind.

The re-accreditation applies to both the residential and online MHA programs.

CAHME is a premier global professional accrediting body comprised of an interdisciplinary group of educational, professional, clinical and other health sector organizations devoted to quality improvement of education for healthcare management and administration professionals. Accreditation of the program assures that it has met rigorous criteria for quality standards that only qualified programs achieve. Universities that go the extra step to achieve accreditation are monitored for excellence and continuous quality improvement.

Chris Calkins, executive director of Penn State’s online and residential MHA programs, explained that the successes of the program and its graduates are possible because of a strong foundation on which the program has been built.

“The Penn State MHA programs have been graduating students for 35 years, with the online program starting its tenth year. Throughout our history, we have sought continuous input from our board of visitors, alumni and faculty to ensure that we are preparing students with the skills and competencies necessary to succeed in the current healthcare environment. CAHME accreditation provides an external validation from our peers in graduate healthcare education,” added Calkins.

To earn CAHME accreditation, the program submitted information about the MHA’s mission, curriculum, student experience and success rates of its graduates. The department underwent a one-year self-study, which is then followed by an on-site visit.

Due to the pandemic, an on-site visit was not possible, but program faculty and staff took it an extra step by giving a virtual tour of MHA facilities at the Penn State University Park campus. Additionally, the accrediting body met with students, alumni, university leadership and faculty of the program.

“Our 7-year reaccreditation is confirmation that the programs are preparing students to lead in a dynamic healthcare environment. The successful placement and advancement of our students is further evidence that the programs are preparing them well,” Calkins stated. “As with every other endeavor in healthcare, our next task is to continue to evolve our programs and curriculum to meet the new challenges of healthcare delivery, access and quality. Our ongoing vision is to ensure that our alumni are prepared to lead with integrity, innovation and empathy.”

Learn more about the MHA programs at Penn State.

Last Updated December 7, 2021

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