Dual Degrees

Master of Health Services Administration
Master of Nursing Administration (MHSA/M.N.A.)

The MHSA/M.N.A. dual degree program is offered by the Department of Health Management and Policy and the School of Nursing, and is administered by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. The program is designed for a small number of students who want advanced training in nursing management systems as well as thorough preparation in the field of health management.

All requirements for both degrees are completed in five semesters of enrollment, rather than the six or seven normally required to complete each degree separately.

Students must complete a total of 68 credits, 45 of which must be taken in the School of Public Health, and 23 of which must be taken through the School of Nursing, including core courses for each degree. The remaining credits may be taken as electives chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. Students enroll in three terms in the School of Public Health and two terms in the Rackham Graduate School.

Students are expected to complete one HMP internship in the summer between one of the years of study. HMP faculty assist in the placement for the internship.

Application Procedure:

Applicants must apply and be admitted separately to each program. Course studies may begin in either HMP or Nursing. Students registered in the first year of either program may apply to the dual degree program. To obtain application materials or information for the Master of Nursing Administration, contact:

School of Nursing
400 N. Ingalls Building
The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0482
Phone: (734) 763-9438
Fax: (734) 763-9181

Financial Assistance

Students in the MHSA/M.N.A. program must apply separately to the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing for financial assistance. Students are eligible for financial aid consideration in the unit in which they are enrolled in any given term.

Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA/M.B.A.) and Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration (MPH/M.B.A.)

The MHSA/M.B.A. and MPH/M.B.A. are three-year programs offered jointly by the Department of Health Management and Policy and the Ross School of Business, and are designed for those students who want to further enhance their business skills.

Students in the dual degree program complete the MHSA or MPH and the M.B.A. degrees in three years, rather than the four normally required to complete each degree separately.

This combined degree program is not open to students who have already earned the MHSA, MPH, or M.B.A. degree. However, students who are registered in the first year of either the MHSA, MPH, or M.B.A. degree programs may apply for admission to the joint program.

Students admitted to the dual degree program are required to earn 45 credits in the Ross School and 45 credits in the School of Public Health. In their first year of study, they normally enroll in the required courses at Ross. The second year is then devoted to required courses in the MHSA or MPH program at SPH. In the third year, students enroll in courses in both schools.

MHSA/M.B.A. and MPH/M.B.A. students are expected to complete two internships during the summer months between academic years. These are generally done in a hospital or other healthcare organization, and students serve as paid administrative interns. The HMP faculty will assist in the placement for one of the internships, and Ross School staff will assist with the second.

Application Procedure

Students interested in the MHSA/M.B.A. or MPH/M.B.A. must apply to—and be admitted separately by—both schools, using their respective application forms. Application materials for the MHSA and MPH programs is available on the [link] page of this website. To obtain application materials for the M.B.A., contact the Ross School of Business.

Financial Assistance

Students in the MHSA/M.B.A. or MPH/M.B.A. program must apply separately to the School of Public Health and the Ross School of Business for financial assistance.

Master of Health Services Administration—UM-Ann Arbor
Master of Business Administration—UM-Dearborn (MHSA/M.B.A.-Dearborn)

The UM-Dearborn School of Management (SOM) and the UM-Ann Arbor School of Public Health (SPH) offer a jointly administered dual degree program leading to the Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) and the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degrees. This program takes advantage of many areas of overlap between the two curricula, and allows admitted students to receive both degrees upon completion of a minimum of 81 graduate credits. (The department also offers a dual MHSA/M.B.A. in collaboration with the Ross School of Business on the Ann Arbor campus.)

The UM-Dearborn M.B.A. requires a minimum of 60 credits. This is offered in two formats: evening courses targeted to full-time working professionals taking part-time course loads, and web-based courses.

The program is currently open only to residential MHSA students.

Program Benefits

The M.B.A. focuses on a number of skills beyond the MHSA, including strategies as practiced in industries other than healthcare, and expanded coverage of finance and marketing. Understanding the management of for-profit healthcare corporations gives students a broader foundation that will be valuable for senior management positions in all sectors.

The M.B.A.-Dearborn program offers students great scheduling flexibility, with evening and web-based courses available, and the opportunity to earn both degrees with a total of only 81 credits. (The M.B.A. is also available in a fully web-based format.) These advantages allow students who are accepted into both programs to pursue full-time work while earning the degree.

Admissions, Student Services, and Administration

Students must apply to and be accepted by each school to pursue the dual degree. Students already enrolled in one of the degree programs may apply for the second degree before completing half of their current-degree requirements. Applicants submit either GRE or GMAT test scores in support of their applications. Admission to the M.B.A. requires two years of full-time professional work experience. Admission to the residential MHSA does not require experience, although relevant experience is considered in the admission decision. The residential MHSA assumes students will carry full-time class loads.

The Dual MHSA/M.B.A. is jointly administered by the directors of the MHSA residential program and the SOM graduate program. Students will have an advisor in each school.

Curriculum

The courses taught for the MHSA are tailored to the healthcare industry, while M.B.A. courses offer a more generalized introduction to business and industry overall. For two areas of study—organizational behavior and information systems—dual MHSA/M.B.A. students may choose either the relevant MHSA course or the M.B.A. course. Students take MHSA courses in law, operations, managerial accounting, advanced finance, and health economics; and take M.B.A. courses in advanced statistics, financial accounting, marketing, and finance. The rest of the curriculum includes courses offered solely by SOM (e.g. strategy, strategic innovation), or solely by SPH (e.g. health services systems, epidemiology).

Depending upon where students choose to take their three “either/or” courses, the curriculum allows from one to four M.B.A. elective courses, and up to three MHSA elective courses. To earn both degrees, students must complete at least 36 credits from the SOM and 45 credits from SPH (note that 4 of the 45 SPH credits are for basic statistics, which is an admission prerequisite for the M.B.A.).

Master of Health Services Administration and Juris Doctor (MHSA/J.D.)
Master of Public Health and Juris Doctor (MPH/J.D.)

The Department of Health Management and Policy (HMP) in the School of Public Health and the Law School offer a joint degree program that enables qualified students to pursue concurrent work in health services administration or public health policy and law, leading to the Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) or Master of Public Health (MPH) and Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees. The program is organized so that all requirements for both degrees can be completed in eight terms of enrollment. Some students may elect to complete the degree in less time by beginning the program at the Law School in the summer term.

Students admitted to the joint degree program are required to earn credits in each school by taking coursework as follows:

• The J.D. requires:
  • A minimum total of 83 credits earned between Law School courses and courses through the School of Public Health. Students must earn at least 70 credits toward the JD through courses taken in the Law School.
  • Students must complete the required first-year law curriculum. Law students are required to complete a seminar, a course in professional responsibility, Transnational Law, and an upper-class writing requirement.
  • Twelve (12) credit hours may be earned through courses taken in the School of Public Health. Instructions for requesting Law School credit for non-law courses are posted on the CTools site for dual degree students.
• The MHSA or the MPH requires:
  • A total of 60 credits earned between the School of Public Health courses and courses through the Law School. Students must earn at least 45 credits toward their MHSA or MPH through courses taken in the School of Public Health.
  • Students must complete the Health Management and Policy (HMP) departmental curriculum requirements as well as the School of Public Health curriculum requirements.
  • Up to 15 of the 60 credit hours required for either of these degrees may be earned through courses taken in the Law School.

Students admitted to the combined program are required to take the complete sequence of first-year courses in one school during the first year of the program, and the complete sequence of first-year courses in the other school during the second year of the program. Each school will apply its own deferred admission standards to students who elect to take the first year in the other school.

Applicants interested in the joint program must gain separate and independent admission to both the School of Public Health and the Law School. Applicants must take the LSAT for admission to the Law School, and either the GRE or GMAT for admission to the MHSA or MPH program. Students must indicate on each application that they are applying for one of the joint degree programs. Students who are registered in the first year at either the School of Public Health or the Law School may apply to the joint program.

Master of Public Health and Medical Doctor (MPH/M.D.)
Master of Public Health and Doctor of Osteopathy (MPH/D.O.)

The MPH/M.D. and MPH/D.O. program is not available for Fall 2021. It is designed for a small number of students who wish to combine a medical degree with a public health degree. These programs are suitable for students interested in community medicine, healthcare management, healthcare or public health policy, as well as for students who simply want to enrich their medical education with an introduction to public health, with an emphasis on management and policy.

To be eligible for this dual degree program, students must be currently enrolled in an accredited M.D. or D.O. degree program or be employed in their medical residency or in a medical fellowship. The MPH portion of the program is 42 credit hours, which can be fulfilled in one academic year, utilizing the standard academic year fall and winter terms, and the summer before the standard fall and winter terms. Students typically take a leave of absence from medical school between the second and third years of study to complete their public health coursework. The MPH degree is awarded once the M.D. or D.O. degree is completed.

Master of Health Services Administration and Master of Public Policy (MHSA/M.P.P.)
Master of Public Health and Master of Public Policy (MPH/M.P.P.)

The MHSA/M.P.P. and MPH/M.P.P. dual degree programs are offered by the Department of Health Management and Policy and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (FSPP) The program is designed for a small number of students who want advanced training in the quantitative and qualitative methods of policy analysis as well as thorough preparation in the fields of health management or public health policy.

All requirements for both degrees are completed in just three years of enrollment, rather than the four normally required to complete each degree separately.

During year one of the combined program, students are required to complete the first-year sequence of courses in either program. In the second year, the other school’s first-year sequence must be completed. In the third year, students will attend courses in both programs. Each institution will apply its own deferred admissions to students who elect to take the first year in the other. Core requirements that are common to both programs must be satisfied with coursework in either SPH or FSPP. When a core course is waived, the student is expected to take another course from the unit that has waived the requirement.

Students in the MHSA/M.P.P. degree program must complete a total of 84 credits, 45 of which must be elected in the School of Public Health, and 33 of which must be elected in the Ford School, including core courses for each degree. The remaining credits may be taken as electives chosen in consultation with an advisor.

Students in the MPH/M.P.P. degree program must complete a total of 82 credits, 43 of which must be elected in the School of Public Health, and 33 of which must be elected in the Ford School. The remaining credits may be taken as electives chosen in consultation with an advisor.

Students are expected to complete an internship in the summer between each of the years of study. HMP faculty assist in the placement for one of the internships, and Ford School staff assist with placement for the second internship.

Application Procedure

Applicants interested in the joint program must gain separate and independent admission to both schools. Applicants must take the GRE for admission to both programs. Course studies may begin in either HMP or FSPP. Students registered in the first year of either program may apply to the dual degree program. To obtain application materials or information on the M.P.P., contact the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Financial Assistance

HMP offers merit scholarships to a select number of incoming students, as does the Ford School. Students are eligible for financial aid consideration in the unit in which they are enrolled in any given term.

The Department of Health Management and Policy (HMP) in the School of Public Health, and the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE) in the College of Engineering, offer a dual degree program that enables a small number of qualified students to pursue concurrent work in health services administration and industrial and operations engineering leading to the Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) and Master of Science in Industrial and Operations Engineering (M.S.I.O.E.) degrees. The program is organized so that all requirements for both degrees can be completed in two to two and one-half years. The dual degree program requires 60 to 65 credit hours, whereas an MHSA and an M.S.I.O.E. pursued separately would require 90 credits.The program prepares graduates for engineering and administrative positions in hospitals and other healthcare organizations, and provides comprehensive preparation for careers in:

• Health Services Administration
• Health Systems Engineering
• Health Information Systems
• Operations Analysis

Application Procedure

Students interested in the MHSA/MSIOE joint program must file separate applications to—and be admitted by—both schools. Students must indicate on each application that they are applying for this specific joint degree program. To obtain application materials or information for the MSIOE, contact:

Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
1205 Beal Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2117
Telephone: (734) 764-6480
Fax: (734) 764-3451

The dual Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Public Health (MPH) - Health Management & Policy program allows qualified students enrolled in the PharmD program to work on pursuing studies in both fields during a five-year enrollment period. Upon completion of the dual program, students will have earned the PharmD degree, making them eligible for state licensure as a pharmacist, and the MPH degree in Health Management & Policy.

Students are required to complete the degree requirements for both the PharmD and MPH degrees as outlined the curriculum guide for each program.

The PharmD degree requires 138 credit hours for degree completion (based on the Class of 2020 curriculum). This includes completion of required IPPE and APPE rotations which are included in the curriculum guide for all classes. The MPH degree in Health Management & Policy requires a total of 42 credit hours and completion of an approved internship. For the MPH degree, the total required number of credits must be taken while a student enrolled in the dual degree program.

PharmD students accepted into the dual program would begin enrollment in the School of Public Health following successful completion of the first three years of the PharmD program. Outlined below is the proposed enrollment timeline for completion of the dual degree program. Enrollment in the Spring/Summer semester of year five will be needed if degree requirements for either program are not fulfilled by the end of the winter term in year five. If an additional semester is needed in year five, degree conferral will be moved to August of that academic year.

Application Procedure

Students interested in this program must be current students in the University of Michigan Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Qualified students will apply to the School of Public Health during the third year of professional enrollment in the College of Pharmacy. Application and admission to the MPH- Health Management & Policy program will be handled solely by the School of Public Health and will be separate from the PharmD application and admission process.

Contacts

College of Pharmacy
Crystal Napier
Manager of Academic Affairs and Student Records

Charlita Daniels
HMP Program Coordinator
[email protected]

It is possible for student to earn master's degrees from two different departments with the School of Public Health. Popular dual masters degrees within SPH include:

• MPH in Health Management and Policy and MPH in Epidemiology
• MPH in Health Management and Policy and MPH in Health Behavior/Health Education
• MHSA in Health Management and Policy and MPH in Epidemiology
• MHSA in Health Management and Policy and MPH in Health Behavior/Health Education

Admission to two degree programs within SPH allows a student to pursue a reduced course load in both programs. Thus, it is generally possible to get a dual masters degree within SPH in three years, earning a total of 90 credits. Students must meet the requirements for each degree and apply at least 45 credits (non-duplicated) toward each degree.

At the University of Michigan, it is possible for students to pursue dual graduate degrees even when there is no formal joint degree program in place. Students interested in an individualized dual degree program should first meet with their advisor in HMP and an advisor from the second degree program to discuss the potential for a dual degree and the required number of courses and credits. Once the details have been agreed upon, students must petition the HMP Residential Masters Committee for permission to pursue the individualized dual degree. Admission to the second program and approval from the Residential Master's Committee allows for a reduced course load (45 credits) for the HMP degree.