Admissions Overview
To qualify for the program, applicants must meet the following admissions requirements:
University of Southern California Admissions
Take Your Next Step
Connect with an advisor to discuss career outcomes, curriculum, and get your questions answered.
Step 1 of 3
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- GPA of 3.0 required
- Transcripts from each institution attended; a University of Southern California alumnus does not need to submit official transcript
- Minimum of three years of experience (five years highly recommended) with progressively greater levels of responsibility in health care.
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Professional resume
- Personal statement of purpose – a brief personal statement describing your reasons for pursuing the Executive Master of Health Administration degree, how the degree will enhance or transition your career and what you hope to contribute to the field
Executive MHA Admissions Criteria
The principal admission criterion is potential for continued distinguished academic and professional achievement.
A minimum of three years of experience (five or more highly recommended) working in health administrative roles involving growing responsibilities and involvement with the health care business, such as responsibility for insurance contracts, quality metric reporting, coordinating care management, health IT, supply chain management, and/or patient relations. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in undergraduate course work is required. Allowances may be made when justified by exceptional work experience and letters of recommendation.
Interested applicants should pre-qualify their application before beginning the official USC Graduate Admissions process. Applicants for the Executive Master of Health Administration apply directly to the program.
In assessing an application, the admission committee evaluates:
- Past performance as evidenced by work experience, community service and prior academic accomplishments
- Commitment to educational and career goals, as demonstrated particularly in the written statement
- Ability to contribute to a collaborative learning environment
Specifically, EMHA admission criteria is based on:
- A minimum of three years of experience (five years highly recommended) with progressively greater levels of responsibility in health care.
- Demonstrated managerial experience including supervisory and budgetary responsibilities
- Strong recommendation letters from professional references
- Strong personal statement of purpose
NOTE: Qualified applicants are not required to take either the GRE or the GMAT to be considered for admission to the Executive MHA.
Interested applicants may be requested to schedule and complete an interview as part of the application process. The interview is particularly helpful to explore the applicant’s professional background and alignment of professional goals with the Executive MHA program.
Financial Aid
The ability to pay for your education is always an important consideration. Many organizations offer tuition assistance to employees and, in some cases, cover 100 percent of tuition costs. Programs and policies vary among employers. Consult your human resources office to learn more about tuition assistance at your organization.
Many options are available to fund your graduate education. The USC Financial Aid Office administers federal and private programs to assist you.
For more information on applying for Financial Aid, please visit USC Financial Aid.
Military Service Member Support and Yellow Ribbon Benefits
The USC Price Executive MHA online program is proud to welcome active duty, military dependents and veterans. We offer a number of dedicated resources available for military applicants and students. Active-duty military, veterans, spouses and dependents can request an application fee waiver from the graduate school and the USC Veterans Certification Office can assist with using your military tuition benefits.
We also partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide Yellow Ribbon benefits up to $5,000 for each award to qualified students. The Yellow Ribbon Program provides additional funding for veterans who wish to attend private institutions which can be used to meet any or all of unmet tuition/fee needs, but cannot exceed the total cost of tuition and fees. To qualify to receive Yellow Ribbon benefits, students must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate (100%) under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (based on service requirements).
To receive the Yellow Ribbon Program benefits students must be admitted to the University and registered for classes. Once enrolled, submit the following packet to USC’s School Certifying Official:
- Recent Certificate of Eligibility
- Completed Application for Semester Entitlement (ASE) Form
- Copy of a valid photo identification
Take your certificate of eligibility to the Veterans Certification Office and ask them to certify your enrollment to the VA, including Yellow Ribbon. Per federal regulations, eligible recipients will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
Note: The college or university must certify your enrollment to the VA; you may not do so yourself.