MPH vs. MHA: How to Choose Between These Master’s Degrees

By Dr. Jessica Sapp  |  08/24/2026

Choosing to pursue a career in the health industry is a great choice. But now you’ve earned your bachelor’s degree and want to further your education by seeking a master’s degree.

Both the Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Health Administration (MHA) are excellent master’s degrees, especially if you want to seek a leadership position. However, they have some key differences.

The Core Curriculum of MPH and MHA Degrees

A master’s in public health focuses on a much broader health curriculum and core areas than a master’s in health administration. The primary difference between an MPH and an MHA is that one degree focuses on population health and the other is concerned primarily with business management in healthcare environments.

For instance, health administration is concentrated on business administration for hospitals and healthcare systems. An MHA program incorporates a variety of subjects – such as financial management and operations management – which are typically learned in a business administration degree. However, these subjects are specialized to the healthcare industry.

Both MPH and MHA programs prepare students to utilize health data for strategic planning that improves health outcomes. Many learners find that the knowledge gained from these degrees is helpful for seeking leadership and management roles.

Topics Covered for a Master of Public Health Degree

According to American Public University (APU), “The main focus of a public health degree program is to improve population health and well-being by preventing the spread of infectious diseases and promoting healthy habits. Core courses may also explore the social and behavioral sciences to help students understand how to lead effective public and community health initiatives.”

The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) identified five core disciplines of public health that are widely used in most MPH degree programs:

• Epidemiology – Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, as well as the application of this knowledge to the control of public health challenges.
• Biostatistics – Biostatistics is the application of statistical methods and techniques to analyze data in biology, medicine, and public health.
• Health policy and management – Health policy and management is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the delivery, quality, and costs of healthcare for individuals and populations. 
• Social and behavioral sciences – Social and behavioral sciences in public health study how social structures, cultural factors, and human behaviors influence health outcomes. Social and behavioral sciences focus on developing interventions to improve population health and can include areas outside of public health, such as psychology and sociology. In public health systems, social and behavioral sciences include health promotion, public health education, health behavior, community health, and global health.
• Environmental health – Environmental health focuses on how physical, chemical, and biological factors in the environment – air, water, soil, and food – impact human health.

MPH programs typically include core courses in all of these topics.

Topics Covered for a Master of Health Administration Degree

A master of health administration is a graduate degree that focuses on:

• Healthcare management
• Health policy
• Healthcare finance
• Health information technology
• Healthcare systems

MHA programs prepare students to lead a diverse workforce and provide quality, patient-centered care in a hospital, healthcare system, or medical practice. Courses for an MHA program typically include:

• Healthcare administration – Health administration is the strategic management, operation, and leadership of healthcare systems, facilities, and resources to efficiently meet population health needs.
• Health information technology – This technology involves processing and analyzing health information. According to the American Health Information Management Association® (AHIMA®) health information is “the data related to a person's medical history, including symptoms, diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes. A health record includes information such as a patient’s history, lab results, X-rays, clinical information, demographic information, and notes.”
• Healthcare law and ethics – Healthcare law and ethics define the legal boundaries and moral obligations within medical practice. It helps to ensure patient safety, rights, health equity, and quality care.
• Healthcare finance – Healthcare finance encompasses the accounting and financial management functions of healthcare organizations.
• Healthcare systems – A health system, often known as a healthcare system, is a collection of people, organizations, and facilities that provide medical services to meet the needs of certain populations.

Accreditation for MPH and MHA Programs

Anytime you decide on a master’s degree program, you should select an accredited program. Each specialization has its own accrediting body.

For instance, the Council on Education for Public Health® (CEPH®) accredits schools of public health and public health programs. The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education® (CAHME®) accredits academic programs in healthcare management covering areas such as:

• Healthcare leadership
• Quality and safety
• Population health

Whether you pursue an MPH or MHA degree, selecting an accredited program is ideal for your career goals. Many public health or healthcare jobs will require a master’s degree from a CEPH®- or CAHME®-accredited program.

Healthcare Career Paths for MHA and MPH Graduates

According to ExploreHealthCareers.org, public health focuses on health promotion and disease/injury prevention, in contrast to the medical model of care, which focuses more heavily upon diagnosing and treating illnesses and conditions after they occur. Because public health focuses on so many aspects of population health, public health jobs are varied and span across many health agencies.

Although healthcare administration has a narrower focus, it still includes a large variety of jobs and healthcare organizations. With an MHA degree and the right experience, you can pursue a leadership role with hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, medical practices, or pharmaceutical businesses, to name a few.

Here are some examples of public health and health administration jobs.

Note: Additional training/education beyond a MHA or MPH, specific/specialized work experience, and/or certifications may be required to work in these positions. It is important to check the requirements needed to work in these positions.

Where MPH and MHA Graduates Typically Work

Each health discipline will have its dominant places to work, which should be a consideration when you are deciding whether to seek an MPH or MHA degree. But it’s important to remember that there are public health organizations that will hire someone with an MHA degree, just as there are healthcare facilities that will hire a person with an MPH degree.

For example, government agencies often will have job openings related to each discipline. In addition, there are more public health jobs becoming available in hospitals and health systems because of the whole-health approach in healthcare.

Your experience can influence your career opportunities, too.

Types of Organizations Hiring MPH Graduates

Here are examples of potential employers that provide public health jobs:

• Government agencies
• Global health organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• Community-based organizations

Types of Organizations Hiring MHA Graduates

Here are examples of potential employers that typically hire graduates of a health administration program:

• Hospitals and outpatient clinics
• Healthcare facilities such as skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and medical practices
• Health insurance companies
• Consulting firms
•  

Key Factors to Consider Before Choosing an MPH or MHA

Determining which degree is right for you will depend on your passion, experience, and long-term career goals. For instance, do you like the idea of hospital administration or perhaps you'd like to enter the field of public health research? Maybe you like exploring the social and behavioral determinants that influence public health.

If you don’t have any experience, begin by volunteering with different agencies to see if you prefer public health or health administration. For example, you could volunteer at your local hospital or a local community-based health organization to see what it’s like in each health discipline.

If you already have work experience, then you may approach your decision differently. There are key differences for working professionals because you may already be in your chosen career path.

However, you might be seeking to lead healthcare organizations or want to shift to a different area of the healthcare industry. Having experience and a graduate degree will increase your chances of achieving your career goals.

Whether you decide to pursue a master of public health or a master of health administration, you will not be limited to specific sectors. There are so many opportunities that can become available as you gain more experience. Also, the health industry is constantly changing and improving, so I expect to see more overlapping careers between the MPH and MHA degrees in the future.

The Master of Public Health at APU

For adult learners interested in studying topics related to public health, APU offers an online Master of Public Health. For this degree, students can enroll in various courses such as public health in America, quarantine, and public health and environment. Other courses include ethical issues in public health, public health program planning and evaluation, and disaster health management.

This master’s in public health has also received specialty accreditation from Council on Education for Public Health® (CEPH®). (Note: Please check APUS’s accreditation page for details on the current accreditation status.) This accreditation ensures that the program has been checked for high academic quality by professional examiners.

For more information, visit APU’s nursing and health sciences degree program page.

Note: This program has specific admission requirements.

Council on Education for Public Health® is a registered trademark of Council on Education for Public Health.

CEPH® is a registered trademark of Council on Education for Public Health.

AHIMA® is a registered trademark of American Health Information Management Association.

American Health Information Management Association® is a registered trademark of American Health Information Management Association.

CAHME® is a registered trademark of Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education® is a registered trademark of Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.