Senior Vice President of Biotech
Signant Health
Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA)
Location: Online | Start Term: Fall, SpringGain the knowledge, skills, and expertise to make data-driven, value-based, strategic decisions to solve complex challenges.
Advance Your Career as a Healthcare Leader & Innovator
The Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA) is a 36-credit program for healthcare managers to advance their career and lead organizations with effective, evidence-based strategies. This is a part-time, online program designed for working professionals. You’ll complete an Applied Practice-Based Research Project, which provides a structured pathway for students to develop an innovative, real-world solution to a healthcare practice problem. Plus, you’ll tap into our extensive networking and mentorship opportunities to help you focus on your growth.
A Professional Education with Proven Outcomes
Accelerate your career and improve healthcare delivery with a doctorate from MCPHS. Our graduates experience rapid professional development and lasting success.
#3
Best Online DHAForbes ranked MCPHS among the best doctoral programs in the U.S. in 2026, noting alumni earnings and an impressive student-to-faculty ratio.
$118K
Median SalaryAnnual earnings for medical and health services managers in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10% of workers earned more than $219,000.
5
Areas of ExpertiseAcquire the core competencies identified by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
Experience the School of Healthcare Business & Technology
In this program, you’ll receive personalized support from our expert faculty with decades of experience in healthcare administration. Hear from our students who have developed as leaders through our programs.
Executive-Level Education
This program equips healthcare leaders to navigate the complexities of healthcare by building expertise in core ACHE competencies and by engaging with contemporary issues and care environments essential to effective scholar-practitioners.
A Doctorate for Providers
We also offer a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) specifically designed for licensed or credentialed health professionals. This unique program offers a pathway for providers to advanced leadership and management opportunities.
Experience Healthcare Around the World
Students in this program can enroll in a Global Comparative Healthcare Seminar, which includes a trip to London. You’ll experience, compare, and evaluate global healthcare systems to inform your studies and career.
Careers in Action: DHA Alumni Making Their Mark
Explore some of the organizations where our graduates are making a difference as leaders.
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Director of Quality Assurance
Sun Health
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Senior Risk Manager
SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital
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Director of Translation & Implementation
Vancouver Coastal Health
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Senior Director, Patient Experience
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
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Director of Ophthalmic Clinical Trials
University of Illinois Chicago
“The greatest experience was learning with other healthcare professionals from across the country, continent, world, and spectrum of healthcare. The perspective I gained could not have been developed from within my community or organization alone.”
Christa Gariepy, DHA ’23 | Director of Operations, Primary Care, Berkshire Health Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants should bring a solid foundation of experience in healthcare roles overseeing teams, operations, or strategic initiatives. Typically, candidates have 3-5 years of leadership experience, which ensures they are prepared to engage in advanced coursework focused on strategy and executive-level decision-making.
Students who graduate from the Doctor of Healthcare Administration program earn the DHA credential. This program is not dissertation-based, and graduates do not receive a PhD.
The Applied Practice-Based Research Project is the culminating scholarly experience of our doctoral programs in the School of Healthcare Business and Technology and emphasizes applied inquiry, action research, and real-world impact. Through a sequence of five courses, students identify a meaningful problem of practice, engage with the evidence, implement and evaluate change, and ultimately disseminate and defend their IRB-approved project proposal.
The APBR Project can take any number of forms depending on student interest. For students in the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program, it could focus on disease, for students in both the DMSc and Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA) programs, it could focus on the integration of patient-centered care pathways, or management/administration.
No. The APBR Project is not dissertation-based. Core research skills from identifying a practice-based problem through conducting action-based research and developing a product for dissemination to a wider audience prepares students for their role as scholar-practitioner. This translates to an individual who can critically evaluate current research and translate that into practical applications in the healthcare environment.
Students work with an advisor for the APBR Project. Doctoral research is a journey, and the APBR course sequence is intentionally structured to support students at each step—ensuring they are guided, prepared, and empowered to succeed. Each student is paired with one or two faculty members who guide them through their research and conducting the scholarly project.
Students may choose to share their solution with their employers, to disseminate their findings to the professional community at a regional or national conference, or to publish in a scholarly journal.
News from the School of Healthcare Business & Technology
Download a DHA Fact Sheet
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