Ashworth University's Master in Health Care Administration

Hey to all of you. Hope you guys had a great Easter.

Got a question I need your help with. I have a friend who wants to get a Masters in HCA but can not do the traditional semester system due to family and work responsibilities. He wants to get into a program where you can go at your own pace. I suggest Ashworth's MHCA. He asked me how good was that program because he did not want to waste his time or money if the degree has no utility.

So, has anyone on here ever completed the MHCA program or in process who could provide us with information? The only other one I thought may be good is California Coast University. It is important that the degree be either regionally or nationally accredited.

 

He might want to look at the regionally accredited TUI University http://www.tuiu.edu/chs/index.html. TUI offers a M.S. in Health Sciences - Health Care Management Specialization. They have a great tuition discount if your friend or his spouse works for a federal, state, local government agency or lives in California. In any event, I would rather spend a little more and get a regionally accredited degree if it was me. He could also qualify fof federal financial aid, if he needed it.

TUI "full tuition" costs 12K
If you qualify for any discounted tuition it would cost less than 8K
Ashworth is 9K

 

Thanks Jay. Ken does work with the State of NC. Don't know if that would qualify for the discount but will pass this on to him. 1,000 bucks savings is a nice thing too and the addition of regional accreditation.

 

Ken and I looked both programs over. Ashworth U, though NA has a pretty good reputation. THe TUI course work and assignments are tied down to a deadline each week like in the traditional semester system which doesn't help the situation. THe AU self paced program it great for the professionals working full time and raising a family. He just started two weeks ago and is going through th orientation course. That course in itself is very demanding. I am actually thinking pulling out of the other school and getting on board with this. Appears to be a well thought out program. SO -Ken did choose AU bases on the flexibility in getting assignments done. Don't feel like you have to rush every day.

 

I have been working in health systems for almost 20 years and I can tell you that Ashworth University, in my experience, has no reputation of any kind at all in healthcare administration. Zero.

There may be many good reasons to attend Ashworth, and I have no reason to believe the program is anything bad, but reputation is not a reason to attend Ashworth. No way.

If you are looking for a healthcare administration degree and you are worried about reputation, look for programs accredited by the commission on accreditation of healthcare management education (CAHME). http://www.cahme.org/

These will be the top of the line degrees in healthcare admin, and will be endorsed by the American College of Healthcare Executives (which does not recognize NA degrees for membership).

Good luck!

 

Looking on the bright side, that's better than a bad reputation!