How to Decide Between MHA vs MBA: 5‑Step Decision Checklist

Last Updated December 17, 2025

Deciding between a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare is one of the most important choices for aspiring healthcare leaders. Both degrees open doors to leadership roles in hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, and healthcare consulting, but they emphasize different skills, career paths, and long-term opportunities.

If you’re unsure which degree aligns with your goals, our 5-step decision checklist can help you evaluate your options systematically. This guide is designed for professionals at all stages, whether you’re currently in healthcare, transitioning from another field, or exploring leadership roles for the first time.

Step 1: Assess Your Career Goals

Start by thinking about where you want to be in 5–10 years.

• MHA Advantage: Best suited for professionals who want to focus exclusively on healthcare operations and leadership. Roles may include hospital administrator, clinic manager, or director of patient services, director of utilization management, and executive-level positions with health systems, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and ancillary healthcare providers and vendors.
  
• MBA Advantage: Ideal for those seeking broader business leadership skills that can be applied across healthcare and related sectors such as consulting, pharmaceuticals, or start-up companies.

Real-world example: Jane, a registered nurse with 5 years of hospital experience, chose an MHA to move into hospital administration. She is now a clinic director, managing patient care teams and operational budgets.

Decision tip: Write down your top 3 career goals and see which degree aligns more closely with each. If your goal is to manage hospital operations, or other roles in the healthcare industry, an MHA may be a clearer path. If you want flexibility to pivot between industries or explore executive roles in multiple sectors, an MBA may be better.

Step 2: Evaluate Your Professional Background

Your current experience can influence which program will be the best fit.

• Healthcare Professionals: Those already working in clinical or administrative roles may benefit from an MHA, which builds directly on healthcare experience.
  
• Diverse Backgrounds: Professionals from finance, tech, or general business backgrounds may find an MBA in Healthcare more accessible and versatile.

Student insight: Carlos, who worked in corporate finance, enrolled in an MBA in Healthcare to combine his finance expertise with healthcare leadership skills. After graduation, he became a strategy consultant for a healthcare technology company.

Checklist tip: List your skills, experience, and professional network. If you already understand healthcare operations but want stronger leadership and strategy skills, an MBA could complement your background. Conversely, if you want to deepen expertise in healthcare-specific management, an MHA may be ideal.

Step 3: Compare Curriculum & Skill Development

Curriculum differences often define the MHA vs MBA experience:

• MHA Core Focus: Healthcare policy, operations, quality improvement, healthcare law and regulatory compliance, healthcare economics, patient-centered management and other courses highlighting the specialized nature of the healthcare industry.
  
• MBA Core Focus: Finance, marketing, leadership, strategy, and operations, with electives that cover healthcare systems, policy, or analytics.

Decision tip: Consider what skills you want to strengthen. If your goal is hands-on management within a hospital or healthcare system, or other healthcare-related company, the MHA’s specialized focus is advantageous. If you want to develop broad business leadership and strategic thinking while maintaining some healthcare focus, the MBA may offer more versatility.

Alumni example: Sarah pursued an MHA because she wanted to improve operational efficiency in hospitals. Through her program, she gained skills in budgeting, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement. Today, she oversees multiple hospital departments and implements performance initiatives across her organization.

Step 4: Consider Long-Term Career Opportunities

Understanding where each degree can take you is key:

MHA Career Paths:

• Hospital Administrator
  
• Clinic Director
  
• Health Services Manager
  
• Director of Patient Services

MBA Career Paths:

• Healthcare Consultant
  
• Operations Director in healthcare organizations
  
• Pharmaceutical or healthcare product manager
  
• Executive roles in insurance, managed care, or health technology

Salary Insights: Both degrees offer competitive salaries, may range approximately from $80,000–$130,000+, depending on experience, role, and region (BLS).

Student perspective: Michael, an MBA graduate, transitioned from a business analyst role into a senior operations position at a regional hospital. He values the flexibility of his MBA, which allowed him to explore roles in consulting and strategic planning before committing to hospital leadership.

Decision tip: Consider not just the starting position or salary but long-term growth and flexibility. MHAs provide depth in healthcare administration, while MBAs provide versatile business leadership that can pivot across industries.

Step 5: Factor in Program Format & Flexibility

Program logistics can impact your ability to complete the degree while continuing your career:

• Online vs On-Campus: Online programs provide flexibility for working professionals, while on-campus programs may offer more hands-on networking opportunities.
  
• MSU’s Online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management Program: Offers 100% online courses taught by experienced business school faculty with a healthcare focus as well as leaders and designed for professionals balancing work and study. Graduates gain practical skills that can be applied immediately in their current roles.

Checklist tip: Consider program length, format, and schedule. Look for programs that offer real-world case studies, mentorship opportunities, and a strong alumni network.

Bonus Tip: Use the Decision Checklist in Practice

1. Define your top career goal.
   
2. Match your current skills and experience to the program requirements.
   
3. Evaluate curriculum relevance to your long-term objectives.
   
4. Analyze potential job opportunities and earning potential.
   
5. Consider program flexibility and your work-life balance.

By scoring each step on a scale of 1–5 for how well each degree meets your needs, you can create a simple visual comparison to help make the final decision.

Choosing between an MHA and an MBA in Healthcare Management doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following this 5-step decision checklist, you can systematically weigh your goals, experience, skills, career opportunities, and program logistics. Whether you choose the specialized MHA path or the versatile MBA, both degrees can prepare you for a successful leadership career in healthcare.

For those looking to gain healthcare-specific leadership skills with flexible online learning, MSU’s Online MS in Healthcare Management Program offers the business orientation of an MBA program with the healthcare focused curriculum of an MHA program – the best of both worlds.  The MS-HCM also provides a proven path to career advancement, providing real-world skills, experienced faculty, and a supportive professional network leveraging the Michigan State University brand as well as the international reputation of the Broad College of Business.

Disclaimer: National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth. Information provided is not intended to represent a complete list of hiring companies or job titles, and degree program options do not guarantee career or salary outcomes. Students should conduct independent research for specific employment information.