Master of
Health Policy & Administration
MHPA Degree Program strengths and details
- In-state tuition rates are available to residents of the 15 western states that are members of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
- Classes are held late afternoons and early evenings for the convenience of working professionals.
- Students attending part-time are given up to six years to complete their master’s degree.
- Full-time students typically complete the program in two years, enrolling in 12 to 18 credit hours per semester.
- The HPA placement rate for graduates since 2008 has been 97% within 3 months of graduation.
- The 50-credit-hour curriculum offers a strong focus on the financial and policy aspects of health care—in fact, the program’s comprehensive coverage of health care accounting and finance has earned it national recognition.
- Learn from distinguished faculty with expertise in many aspects of health care management, including the comparative analysis of international health systems; decision science; disability and aging services; long-term care policy; health economics; and health care management in rural settings.
- A required internship provides the opportunity to gain leadership experience and make professional contacts. Those with extensive managerial experience in health care may petition for a full or partial waiver of the requirement.
- As part of a small, tightly knit cohort, you’ll share classrooms and exchange ideas with fellow students from all over the country and around the world—up to 30 percent of each cohort consists of international students. The varied composition of the student body combined with the intimate atmosphere of the program provides excellent opportunities for building professional networks as well as lifelong friendships.
- Students are encouraged to attend several health administration conferences including ACHE Congress and the Rural Health Conference. These conferences are an ideal setting to network with professionals. Scholarships are often available to help offset cost of attendance.
- A 13-person Advisory Board, composed of healthcare executives, connects students to the local industry. Students are invited to meet with members of the Advisory Board three times each academic year.
- Alumni events provide students with the opportunity to network with graduates of the program.
- The HPA Association of Healthcare Students plans and hosts networking, training, and informational seminars for students all year long.
Where are They Now?
Positions currently held by some of our recent program graduates (as of December 2012):
Administrative Fellow, Tacoma General Hospital, Tacoma, Wash.
Financial Analyst, Providence Health and Services, Spokane, Wash.
Healthcare Consultant, West Monroe Partners, Seattle, Wash.
Business Analyst, HealthPoint CHC, Renton, Wash.
Compliance Auditor, Partnership HealthPlan of California
Administrator in Training, The EnSign Group, Boise, Idaho
Director of Quality, Community Health Association of Spokane, Spokane, Wash.
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Contact Us
HPA Office
Phase I Classroom Building 133
Spokane campus
E-mail: hpa@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-358-7980
Fax: 509-358-7984
Peggy Peterson-Johnson
Academic Coordinator
E-mail: hpa@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-358-7811
Joseph Coyne, Dr.P.H.
Chair and Professor
E-mail: jsc@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-358-7981