The George Washington University Online Healthcare MBA Program
The George Washington University School of Business offers an online healthcare MBA. Students have a choice of 24 credits of electives from various GW schools in health sciences, law, business administration, public health, and more, which serve to focus their healthcare MBA according the their aspirations and goals.
Students can also combine the healthcare MBA with one of seven graduate certificates offered by the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences: healthcare quality, health sciences, integrative medicine, regulatory affairs, clinical research administration, clinical research practice, and clinical and translational research.
The healthcare MBA program seeks to combine business management, leadership, decision-making, and strategic thinking skills that apply directly to the healthcare industry. Courses are designed to bring real-world problems into the online classroom as well as into practicum and study-abroad opportunities.
Having a healthcare MBA can allow those working in related industries to see the business side of organizations differently and approach challenges from a new perspective. Fields are becoming more translational today, meaning they are more integrated between various disciplines and professional sectors. Students graduating with a healthcare MBA from GW, or one with a graduate certificate attached, can be prepared for this cross-disciplinary approach.
The George Washington University is located just four blocks from the White House in Washington DC. GW offers many online programs designed to allow students from around the U.S. and the world to study at this distinguished university. Those interested in the healthcare MBA might be professionals in the healthcare industry who seek to advance their business skills, or business professional who wish to expand into the healthcare industry. Students come from various backgrounds, including clinicians, physicians, nurses, business professionals, clinical researchers, administrators, and pharmacists, among others.
What to Expect from the GW Online Healthcare MBA Program
Admission Requirements: Applicants to the George Washington University School of Business healthcare MBA must have at least three years professional work experience, with some healthcare experience preferred. Students must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent degree if earned outside the U.S. Prospective students must submit an application, application fee, official transcripts, a current resume or CV, a statement of program objectives and professional goals, and one letter of recommendation. GMAT/GRE may be required where applicable. International students must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores from within the previous two years.
Study Plan: Students can take one to three courses per semester depending on if the courses are 1.5 or three credits. Each three-credit course is 14 weeks long. Courses that are 1.5 credits last seven weeks, and are offered either the first or second half of the semester. For example, a student could take two 1.5-credit courses in one semester plus a three-credit course. Students can graduate in two to 2.5 years, but can take up to five years. Start dates are offered in the fall, spring, and summer. Students are expected to complete the core coursework before moving into electives.
Curriculum: The healthcare MBA consists of 55.5 credits. Core courses comprise 31.5 of these credits while 24 credits are electives. Required courses may include operations management, decision making and data analysis, business ethics and public policy, finance, organizations and human capital, and strategic management, among others. Healthcare-focused electives can be chosen from courses such as medicines development, HCQ analysis, issues and trends in health systems, patient safety systems, the clinical research industry, regulatory strategy in the development of drugs and biologics, and many others.
As mentioned, students can also combine the healthcare MBA with one of seven graduate certificates for a total of 73.5 credits. In addition to the required healthcare MBA courses students take the graduate certificate courses defined below:
Healthcare Quality Graduate Certificate: 18 credits, including courses such as an introduction to healthcare quality; building a quality culture; the healthcare quality landscape; quality improvement science in healthcare; healthcare quality measurement, data management and analysis; and patient safety systems.
Health Sciences Graduate Certificate: 18 credits, including courses such as clinical research industry, issues and trends in health systems, epidemiology, and more. The graduate certificate focuses on analyzing and assessing health policy development, regulatory processes, and management and leadership of healthcare systems.
Integrative Medicine Graduate Certificate: 18 credits, courses such as foundations in integrative medicine; self-care methods in integrative medicine; nutritional metabolism & environmental exposure; metabolic networks in integrative medicine; clinical genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics; legal and medical ethics in integrative medicine; practical application of integrative medicine; and the healthcare enterprise.
Regulatory Affairs Graduate Certificate: 18 credits, including course such as an introduction to global and regulatory affairs; regulatory strategy in the development of drugs and biologics; clinical research for regulatory affairs; regulatory compliance; and biostatistics for clinical and translational research.
Clinical Research Administration Graduate Certificate: 18 credits, including courses such as medicine development; critical analysis in clinical research; partnerships with human subjects; the clinical research industry; and monitoring clinical research.
Clinical Research Practice: 15 credits, including courses such as a critical analysis of clinical research; clinical investigation; biostatistics for clinical and translational research; epidemiology for clinical and translational research; and bioinformatics for genomics.
Clinical and Translational Research Graduate Certificate: 21 credits, including courses such as a critical analysis in clinical research; clinical investigation; foundations in translational research; grantsmanship in translational research; transdisciplinary research proposal; and collaboration and team science in practice and research.
Online Experience: Students in the George Washington University online healthcare MBA program begin with an online virtual new student orientation. Each student is assigned an academic advisor. GW uses Blackboard for online learning experiences, assignments, syllabi, communications, discussion groups, tests, and quizzes. GW provides 24/7 online technical support should students have problems or need assistance.
On-Site Requirements: There are no on-site requirements for the online healthcare MBA degrees and graduate certificates from The George Washington University as the programs are 100 percent online. Students are invited to participate in graduation on campus.
Paying for the George Washington University Healthcare MBA Program
The George Washington University online healthcare MBA tuition numbers are listed in the tables below, and do not include additional fees. Prospective online students should contact the healthcare MBA admissions department for cost clarifications and updates.
The George Washington University offers financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, and student loans. Local students can also apply for work/study opportunities. Students are encouraged to secure outside resources for help paying for their healthcare MBA degree. Many businesses offer tuition reimbursement programs for employees seeking an MBA. Students in these programs are responsible to pay the tuition when due.
The George Washington University Online Healthcare MBA
- 7 graduate certificates can be added to your MBA
- Ranked in the top 50 Best Online MBA Programs in 2018 by U.S. News and World Report
- Courses include Business Ethics and Public Policy; Microeconomics for the Global Economy; Strategic Management; and more
| Degree Level | Master's Degree |
| Program Start Dates | Fall, Spring, Summer |
| Credits Needed to Graduate | 55.5 |
| Time to Complete? | Graduate in 2 to 2.5 years, but take up to 5 years. |
| 100% Online? | Yes |
| Program Accreditation | AACSB |
| Level of Education Required? | Bachelor's Degree |
| GPA Required? | No |
| GRE or GMAT Required? | GMAT waiver available for qualified applicants |
| Work Experience Required? | At least two years of full-time post-baccalaureate professional work experience in the health care field is strongly recommended; however, no minimum work experience requirement exists |
| Credit Hours | 55.5 |
| Average Cost Per Credit | $2,215 |
| Estimated Program Tuition * | $122,933 |
* Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the out- of- state, part-time student rate. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Total cost of tuition does not include additional fees, unless otherwise specified. Please see the school website for the most up-to-date tuition costs.
