Interested in a career in healthcare administration but don’t have a healthcare background? You may still qualify for a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA). Boston College’s online MHA program welcomes applicants from both clinical and non-clinical fields. This article explains who the program is for and how it supports students from diverse professional backgrounds.
Who the MHA Program Is Designed For
Boston College’s Online MHA is designed for early- to mid-career professionals who want to lead in healthcare, whether they come from hospitals, business, public health, policy, or other fields. No prior healthcare experience is required.
Students come from diverse backgrounds and work toward varied goals, including:
- Healthcare professionals seeking to advance
- Business or tech professionals entering the health sector
- Public health and nonprofit leaders seeking to grow their impact
Graduates pursue careers across sectors such as hospitals and health systems, biotech and pharmaceutical firms, digital health companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and consulting.
Grow Your Career With Boston College’s MHA
No Healthcare Background? No Problem
Mission, Mindset, and Skills Matter More than Background
The BC online MHA program prioritizes applicants who are committed to equity, justice, and improving healthcare systems—regardless of job title or professional background. It’s designed to develop the mindset and practical skills needed for values-driven healthcare leadership.
Ideal candidates will:
- Share BC’s mission to advance equity, justice, and inclusion through social change
- Be committed to strengthening health systems and community care;
- Be ready to build skills in strategy, data analysis, and communication
The online MHA curriculum prepares students to engage with healthcare systems, policies, and practices that address population health and social determinants of health to expand access and improve care quality. It also builds key skills in data-driven decision-making, strategic planning, and communication.
How the Curriculum Supports Learners from Diverse Fields
The BC Online MHA develops competencies from the ground up, making it ideal for students from a wide range of professional backgrounds. Core courses cover foundational topics, including the U.S. healthcare system, healthcare policy at both the federal and state levels, economics, and leadership.
Electives enable students to specialize in areas such as medical device regulation, health law and ethics, and project management. No clinical or technical experience is required for any course.
The 100 percent online format enables students to earn their degrees while working full-time. Despite the flexible structure, the program fosters strong connections: faculty hold weekly office hours and optional open discussions where students explore real-time healthcare issues, seek guidance, and engage with peers.
Starting in Spring 2026, the program will feature a capstone course, an applied, hands-on experience that provides students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned throughout the MHA program. Students will complete a project for a client from the healthcare industry, applying data analytics, financial modeling, strategic planning and other tools to solve industry challenges. The course culminates in student presentations to healthcare executives.
Voices from the Program
Students from non-healthcare backgrounds have successfully leveraged the BC online MHA to transition into meaningful roles across the healthcare sector.
“Although I did not previously have a healthcare background, the program has prepared me for the next step in my career—a pivot from the military into healthcare,” says Jorge Gonzalez (MHA ‘22).
Kirsten Pilkington (MHA, ‘21) explains that the degree helped her develop the skills needed to pursue a healthcare career: “As an undergraduate English major, working with datasets was initially daunting to me. After completing the Finance course and Healthcare Analytics, I am now the go-to data person in my office, and these skills have been beneficial as I pivot my career into the health ecosystem.”
Next Steps: Turn Your Experience Into Leadership Impact
A background in business, technology, public service, or another field can provide a strong foundation for leadership in healthcare. Boston College’s Online MHA helps students turn their experience into purpose-driven impact, building the skills to lead with compassion, strategy, and a commitment to equity.
Ready to see how your path aligns with your goals? Schedule a program overview to learn more or start your application today and take the first step toward a healthcare administration career that makes a difference.