Texas St. University Online Master of Long-Term Care Administration and MHA

• Master of Healthcare Administration - Executive Track
• Master of Long-Term Care Administration (incl. TX LTCA Certification)

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By Bernd Geels Reviewed By Jocelyn Blore

Updated September 30, 2024

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Sponsor

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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 112 schools in our MHAOnline.com database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.

The Texas State University College of Health Professions offers several academic degree programs designed for professionals who seek to advance their careers in the healthcare industry. The School of Health Administration is located within the College of Health Professions. A primary focus on quality assessment and continued performance improvement is the guiding inspiration for much of the research and teaching done within School of Health Administration programs.

Texas State University offers one of the very few master’s degree programs in long-term care administration (MLTCA) within the United States. Long-term care and its administration is a very technical field characterized by a complex workplace setting. Continuously evolving state and federal regulations, complex patient care needs, and other factors necessitate that those who work in long-term care be highly skilled, compassionate individuals dedicated to patient care, continued learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration with a variety of personnel, agencies and organizations that influence the provision of long-term care.

The MLTCA program prepares students to become successful and ethical licensed nursing facility administrators. This program is an entirely online program designed for professionals interested in pursuing a career in long-term care administration.

MLTCA students develop substantial skills through their formal studies, internships, close collaboration with teachers and collegial relationships they develop with their fellow students. The curriculum educates students in the five required National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) Domains of Practice. These are resident-centered care and quality of life, human resources, finance, environment, and leadership and management. Thorough knowledge of these five areas is essential to successfully obtaining a license. Key learning objectives are designed in accordance with education in these domains of practice and include:

• Provide Effective Management of Long-Term Facilities: Consistently apply industry specific principles to successfully manage the daily environmental, governance, personnel, residential care and financial aspects of long-term care facility operations.
• Promote Awareness and Prevention of Elder Abuse: Design, implement and monitor strategies that emphasize the dignity of the elderly, raise awareness of the issue of elder mistreatment and abuse, and actively prevent such issues in long-term care environments.
• Provide Customized, Responsive Care: Apply specialized knowledge of patient populations and needs to customize environments to meet such needs.
• Cultivate Trusting, Effective Relationships: Apply appropriate ethical principles and laws for the purpose of ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations, collaborating effectively with professionals of diverse backgrounds, enhancing and maintaining patient cooperation and trust, and protecting patient safety.

The master of health administration (MHA) program enhances the careers of healthcare administration leaders. The program enhances the mobility of students at any stage of their careers in healthcare administration. Students can choose from a traditional MHA program delivered in a hybrid format or the fully online executive concentration MHA program designed for professionals with at least five years of experience in the industry.

The MHA program’s award winning faculty offer experience and expertise in a large variety of topics including, but not limited to, health information technology, bioethics, hospital finance, operational research, public health, veterans’ health, chronic disease management and much more.

The MHA program curriculum is designed to provide training in five major competency areas. These include:

• Foster Effective Relationships: Cultivate and maintain a variety of professional relationships characterized by skills in communication, facilitation, and negotiation.
• Provide Leadership: Apply leadership skills to sustain organization mission and vision, foster a positive, supportive organizational culture, effectively resolve conflict, and welcome and manage change.
• Operate With Professionalism: Operate in accordance with the highest personal and professional standards, embrace continued development and lifelong learning, and support the development of both new industry professionals as well as the larger community.
• Collaborate Within the Healthcare Environment: Effectively collaborate with the many partner organizations operating in the healthcare industry while simultaneously providing quality patient care founded on respect for the dignity and needs of all patients.
• Sustain Business Success: Apply fundamental business knowledge in the management of organizational operations, finances, human resources, information and risk as well as in the strategic planning, marketing and governance practices necessary to sustain success.

MHA program graduates often find positions in mid-level and senior management roles in roles focused on operational and strategic management, business development, and quality performance management.

Admission Requirements: To be eligible for the Texas State University MLTCA and MHA programs, applicants must hold US citizenship and hold a baccalaureate degree (in any area) from a regionally accredited university. A bachelor’s degree completed in three years will not often meet admission requirements.

Applicants must submit an online application, a non-refundable application fee, a resume/CV, a statement of purpose, official transcripts from every institution where course credit was given, and letters of recommendation. Applicants must have a competitive GPA within their undergraduate coursework’s last 60 credits. No prerequisite coursework and no GRE are required for either degree program.

Students pursuing the traditional MHA must also complete an interview with a graduate advisor. MHA executive delivery modality students must also provide valid documentation of at least five years of healthcare management or leadership experience. Students who elect to apply to more than one program will be required to submit a separate online application, application fee and required documents for each program of interest.

Domestic students living outside Texas should consult with the Office of Distance and Extended Learning. International applicants must demonstrate sufficient English language skills for admission. Such applicants are advised to contact International Student and Scholar Services to verify what particular admission criteria and/or English language proficiency exams they may be required to take.

State Restrictions: Texas State University accepts applicants residing in various states and from foreign countries. Applicants intent to become long-term care administrators outside of Texas should thoroughly research licensure requirements applicable to where they plan to work. Students of either program seeking to practice in another country may need additional training, certification exams, or other requirements to be considered eligible to work in their locale.

Study Plan: The MLTCA program is designed for working professionals and those who may not have a suitable provider of such education in their customary residence. Because students with any baccalaureate degree may apply, students can expect to develop the requisite skills for success in the long-term care industry even if they did not previously work in the healthcare industry. Students can complete this program in as little as 15 months.

The MHA program is designed to increase the career mobility of students regardless of their stage in healthcare administration. Students in the early stage of their healthcare careers may find greater value in the traditional MHA program. The MHA with an executive concentration is geared toward students with several years of industry experience and features a curriculum focused on middle—to senior-level management.

Curriculum: The MLTCA program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to prepare licensed long-term care administrators. Students complete a 33-credit curriculum and a 1,000-hour administrator-in-training (AIT) internship. This internship must be completed at a nursing facility and will ideally be completed at a local facility. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. Upon graduation, students can sit for state and national board licensure exams. As previously mentioned, the curriculum is designed to teach the competencies necessary to successfully perform in five domains of practice emphasized by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards.

The MHA program is a 40- to 42-credit-hour program featuring a curriculum composed of core courses and either a field experience or thesis requirement. Executive concentration students complete an administrative practicum. Primary areas of study include health and disease, the sociological, economic, legal, and political factors that impact healthcare, and management and organizational behavior. Students can further specialize their knowledge with studies in financial management, human resources management, and other topics.

Online Experience: Course delivery primarily uses an asynchronous learning model. This model is highly desirable to accommodate the needs of busy working adults. It is also of particular value in the MLTCA program as very few such programs are operating throughout the nation. The online MLTCA program thus makes this education accessible to more students nationwide. The traditional MHA program uses a hybrid learning model, while the executive concentration MHA is fully online.

On-Site Requirements: Though coursework is primarily online, not all learning requirements may be completed only online. For example, it is highly desirable that the MLTCA program’s required internship (AIT) be completed on-site at a local facility. Students not based in Texas are advised to consult program personnel on fulfilling the AIT requirement.

Applicants should note that tuition and fees are subject to change by legislative or Board of Regents action. Tuition rates do not typically include additional expenses such as textbooks and other course materials. Prospective students are advised to contact Texas State University directly to get more details.

In addition to a competitive tuition rate, students may be able to make their education even more affordable with financial aid. Financial aid such as subsidized and unsubsidized loans, grants, employer reimbursement programs, tuition discounts, private loans, and external scholarships may help to make an advanced degree even more affordable. Prospective students are recommended to contact the Texas State University Financial Aid Office.

Bernd Geels

Writer

Bernd Geels is a Berlin, Germany-based freelance writer and artist. He holds an undergraduate degree in atmospheric science and two graduate degrees. He completed his most recent graduate degree in international environmental studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2011. He is interested in healthcare, climate change, marine conservation, indigenous science and refugee issues. You can reach him directly at [email protected].