The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at Palestine Ahliya University (PAU) is an advanced postgraduate degree designed to cultivate executive leadership, operational expertise, and analytical management within the healthcare sector. Integrating modern health administration concepts with national and regional healthcare priorities, the program equips health and management professionals to lead hospitals, primary healthcare networks, policy institutions, and humanitarian health organizations.
Vision:
To achieve national and regional excellence and leadership in health administration education, producing top-tier healthcare leaders, researchers, and decision-makers who drive quality, policy, innovation, and institutional resilience in health systems.
Mission:
To graduate highly qualified healthcare executives and administrators through rigorous academic coursework, applied research, and specialized training. The program is committed to enhancing health system operational efficiency, elevating patient safety and care quality, and fostering evidence-based health policies and indicators delivered by an expert faculty committed to academic integrity, collaboration, and community service.
• Strategic Leadership: Equip graduates with the managerial and leadership capabilities needed to plan, organize, and direct complex healthcare organizations and hospital systems.
• Operational Excellence & Quality: Instill advanced knowledge of healthcare quality improvement, patient safety protocols, and evidence-based performance standards and policies.
• Resource Management: Develop analytical skills in health economics, financial management, human resources, and project evaluation specifically tailored for health service organizations.
• Technology & Innovation Integration: Master the application of Health Information Systems (HIS) and cutting-edge technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, in health decision-making.
• System Resilience & Emergency Response: Prepare administrators to effectively manage crises, disasters, and emergency responses within health systems under volatile or critical conditions.
• Evidence-Based Research: Foster scientific research and biostatistical analysis capacities to formulate equitable health policies and solve operational healthcare challenges.
The MHA program at PAU is designed for forward-looking professionals aiming to step into leadership, advisory, or administrative roles within the health sector, including:
• Healthcare Professionals & Clinicians: Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory technicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiologists, nutritionists, midwives, anesthesia technicians, and public health specialists seeking to transition into administrative, operational, quality and safety, or executive leadership.
• Health System Administrators: Early- and mid-career managers working in hospitals, healthcare centers, non-governmental health organizations (NGOs), and primary healthcare clinics.
• Insurance & Policy Specialists: Analysts, claims managers, and policy advisors in health and insurance companies, ministry of health, ministry of finance and government regulatory bodies.
• Business & Healthcare Graduates: Degree holders in Healthcare Management, Business Administration (with working experience in healthcare settings), Public Health, or any related health sciences seeking specialized master’s-level qualifications.
Researchers: any professional interested in scientific research methodology and evidence generation in the healthcare field.
Upon completing the 36-credit-hour curriculum, MHA graduates demonstrate a well-rounded portfolio of executive competencies:
• Strategic Healthcare Plan: A complete strategic plan for a hospital or healthcare unit incorporating SWOT analysis, key performance indicators (KPIs), and resource allocation models.
• Quality & Patient Safety Improvement Initiative: Risk assessment and quality assurance model utilizing international accreditation standards and national initiatives.
• Health Research & Thesis / Comprehensive Paper: Original empirical research (for Thesis track) or a comprehensive analytical study addressing real-world operational challenges in health systems.
• Emergency & Crisis Preparedness Framework: A risk management and emergency response protocol tailored for health system operations during critical situations.
• Digital Health Strategy: Analysis and implementation proposals for Health Information Systems (HIS) and AI-driven healthcare delivery.
Admission Criteria
Academic Qualification: Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Medical or Health Sciences, Health Administration, Business Administration (with work experience in healthcare setting for no less than 3 years), Public Health, or a closely related discipline from a university recognized by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education and PAU.
Academic Standing: A minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of “Good” (or its institutional equivalent) in undergraduate studies, in accordance with the instructions and decisions of the Council of Higher Education / the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission / the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Professional Background: Relevant work experience in a healthcare or managerial environment is preferred.
Prerequisites (Bridge Courses): Applicants with non-health undergraduate backgrounds may be required to complete foundational remedial courses as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Meeting the conditions set out in the master’s (graduate studies) program regulations at Palestine Ahliya University.
Application Procedures
Document Submission: Applicants must submit an official application through the PAU Deanship of Graduate Studies and registration office, including certified transcripts, undergraduate degree certificates, Tawjihi certificate, identification, birth certificate and two photos.
Personal Interview: Qualified applicants undergo a structured personal interview with the MHA Graduate Admission Committee or coordinator to evaluate their leadership potential, research interests, and program fit.
Final Approval: Enrolment decisions are approved by the Deanship of Graduate Studies based on capacity and academic merit.
The degree is awarded after completing (36) credit hours with a cumulative average of not less than 75%, completing and successfully defending the master’s thesis /or comprehensive exam, and passing any remedial courses recommended by the graduate studies committee.
A. Knowledge and Understanding (KU)
KU1: Comprehend core principles of health administration, organizational management, and comparative health systems.
KU2: Demonstrate understanding of healthcare financial management, economic principles, and health evaluation techniques.
KU3: Understand patient safety standards, quality improvement frameworks, and healthcare governance frameworks.
KU4: Explain the function of Health Information Systems (HIS) and emerging technologies (including AI) in healthcare decision-making.
KU5: Identify protocols for managing crises, disasters, and emergency situations within healthcare systems.
B. Intellectual / Cognitive Skills (IS)
IS1: Critically analyze health system operational challenges using quantitative biostatistical and qualitative research methods.
IS2: Formulate evidence-based strategic plans and business models for health delivery organizations.
IS3: Evaluate health economics & policy models and resource allocation mechanisms under financial and logistical constraints.
IS4: Synthesize ethical principles, health legislation, and governance structures to resolve managerial dilemmas.
C. Professional & Practical Skills (PS)
PS1: Execute healthcare quality audits, risk assessments, and accreditation readiness plans.
PS2: Apply unit management, budgeting, and performance measurement tools in clinical and administrative settings.
PS3: Utilize specialized software for health data analysis, health informatics, and artificial intelligence tools.
PS4: Design disaster response protocols and crisis intervention frameworks for health organizations.
D. Transferable & Soft Skills (TS)
TS1: Exhibit leadership, team-building, and negotiation skills in multidisciplinary health environments.
TS2: Communicate effectively with clinicians, administrators, policy-makers, and the public.
TS3: Conduct independent scientific research and present complex health management findings professionally.
Graduates of the PAU MHA program are prepared for executive and managerial roles across diverse sectors:
• Hospital Administration: Hospital Director/CEO, Operations Manager, Patient Care Services Director, Medical Staff Coordinator, Nursing Director, Department Manager, Head of Unit.
• Quality & Safety Management: Healthcare Quality Director, Accreditation Specialist, Patient Safety Officer, Risk Manager, Infection Control Officer.
• Planning & Policy Formulation: Strategic Health Planner, Health Policy Analyst, Health System Administrator in Ministries and Hospitals, Policy Formulation Leader.
• Health Finance & Healthcare Evaluation: Health Economics Consultant, Healthcare Project Manager, Financial Administrator in Hospitals and Health Networks, Evaluation Research Specialist.
• Health Information Management: HIS Manager, Healthcare Data Analyst, AI Integration Coordinator in Health Services, KPIs Formulator.
• Humanitarian & NGO Leadership: Program Director or Health Advisor in international organizations (WHO, UNICEF, Red Cross/Red Crescent) and non-governmental health agencies.
• Health Insurance & Managed Care: Claims & Operations Director, Utilization Review Specialist, Provider Relations Manager.
• Academia & Research: Research Associate, Healthcare Management Lecturer, Public Health Research Consultant, PhD Candidate.
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First Year |
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| First Semester | Second Semester | |||||||||
| Course No. | Course Name | No. of hours | Course No. | Course Name | No. of hours | |||||
| Research Methods and Biostatistics | 3 | Hospitals Organization and Administration | 3 | |||||||
| Health Management and Policies | 3 | Patient Safety and Quality Improvement | 3 | |||||||
| Health Information Systems (HIS) | 3 | Comparative Systems in Health Administration | 3 | |||||||
| Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | (9) | (9) | ||||||||
| Second Year (Thesis Track) | ||||||||||
| First Semester | Second Semester | |||||||||
| Course No. | Course Name | No. of hours | Course No. | Course Name | No. of hours | |||||
| Elective Course (1) | 3 | Elective Course (2) | 3 | |||||||
| Health Economics | 3 | Strategic Planning and Management in Healthcare | 3 | |||||||
| Thesis (1) | 3 | Thesis (2) | 3 | |||||||
| Total | (9) | Total | (9) | |||||||
| Second Year (Non-Thesis Track) | ||||||||||
| First Semester | Second Semester | |||||||||
| Course No. | Course Name | No. of hours | Course No. | Course Name | No. of hours | |||||
| Elective Course (1) | 3 | Elective Course (2) | 3 | |||||||
| Health Economics | 3 | Strategic Planning and Management in Healthcare | 3 | |||||||
| Elective Course (3) | 3 | Comprehensive Exam | 3 | |||||||
| Total | (9) | Total | (9) | |||||||
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| No. | name | Description |
| 1 | Research Methods and Biostatistics | Covers research design, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, statistical analysis (descriptive, inferential, regression), and hypothesis testing applied to healthcare environments. Enables students to design evidence-based research studies and evaluate published clinical/administrative literature. |
| 2 | Health Management and Policies | Provides a macro-level overview of health system structures, healthcare organization management, and national health policy formulation. Explores policy-making processes, health regulation, stakeholder engagement, and the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary care systems. |
| 3 | Health Information Systems (HIS) | Introduces electronic health records (EHR), clinical decision support systems, health data privacy/security, and tele-health infrastructure. Focuses on leveraging health informatics for operational workflow improvement and data-driven administrative decisions. |
| 4 | Hospitals Organization and Administration | Examines clinical and supportive department operations, hospital governance, inpatient/outpatient service flows, medical staff relations, and facility management. Emphasizes operational efficiency, patient care workflow optimization, and organizational structures. |
| 5 | Strategic Planning and Management in Healthcare | Focuses on strategic formulation, competitive positioning, portfolio analysis, and strategy execution in health service organizations. Students learn to conduct environmental scanning (SWOT, PESTEL) and develop action plans tied to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). |
| 6 | Patient Safety and Quality Improvement | Explores quality management frameworks (TQM, Six Sigma, Lean), clinical audit tools, root cause analysis, risk management, and international accreditation standards (e.g., JCI). Focuses on establishing safety cultures and reducing clinical errors. |
| 7 | Comparative Systems in Health Administration | Analyzes international health systems (Bismarck, Beveridge, National Health Insurance, and Private Out-of-Pocket models) alongside regional healthcare models. Evaluates financing, access, quality, and equity metrics across global systems. |
| 8 | Health Economics | Applies microeconomic and macroeconomic theories to health markets. Topics include supply and demand for healthcare, cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), cost-benefit analysis (CBA), health insurance market dynamics, and resource allocation under scarcity. |
| 9 | Health Care Governance | Focuses on board structures, fiduciary duties, accountability mechanisms, executive oversight, and regulatory compliance in public, private, and non-profit healthcare institutions. |
| 10 | Financial Management in Healthcare | Covers healthcare managerial accounting, capital budgeting, revenue cycle management, financial statement analysis, cost-accounting techniques, and reimbursement mechanisms (DRGs, fee-for-service, capitation). |
| 11 | Health Policies Issues | Examines contemporary health policy debates, healthcare reform proposals, equity in access, public-private health partnerships, and policy evaluation methodologies. |
| 12 | Human Resources Management | Focuses on workforce planning, clinical recruitment, compensation systems, performance appraisal, staff retention, labor relations, and managing multidisciplinary health professionals. |
| 13 | Projects Analysis and Evaluation | Provides tools for designing, appraisal, monitoring, and evaluating healthcare capital projects and community health intervention programs. Covers feasibility studies and impact assessment. |
| 14 | Crisis and Disaster Management in Health Systems | Examines health system emergency preparedness, mass casualty incident management, disaster risk reduction, and continuity of operations during environmental or geopolitical crises. |
| 15 | Evaluation in Healthcare | Covers program evaluation methodologies, health outcome measurement, performance metrics, and economic/social impact evaluation of health interventions. It also explores different evaluation research techniques. |
| 16 | Ethical Issues in Healthcare | Addresses bioethics, administrative ethics, patient autonomy, informed consent, resource allocation ethics, and legal responsibilities of health administrators. |
| 17 | Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology | Introduces epidemiology principles, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, social determinants of health, and population health management strategies. |
| 18 | Qualitative Research Methods | Focuses on non-quantitative health research, including focus groups, semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis, grounded theory, and qualitative data software tools. |
| 19 | Seminar in Current Palestinian Health Issues | A discussion seminar examining critical issues, geopolitical challenges, resource constraints, and reform initiatives specific to the Palestinian health sector. |
| 20 | Health Systems Response in Critical and Emergency Situations | Explores strategic and operational responses of health networks during acute emergencies, resource surges, epidemic outbreaks, and infrastructure disruptions. |
| 21 | Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare | Introduces practical applications of machine learning, predictive analytics, natural language processing (NLP), and AI-driven clinical/administrative decision support tools in healthcare organizations. |
| 22 | Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Healthcare | Analyzes leadership styles, organizational change management, conflict resolution, group dynamics, motivation theories, and organizational culture within health delivery systems. |
| 23 | Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate | A practical zero-credit certification requirement ensuring all MHA graduates possess verified competency in standard basic life support and clinical emergency response protocols. |
| 24 | Master’s Thesis | An independent research thesis supervised by graduate faculty. Students design, execute, and defend an empirical research study addressing an operational, managerial, financial, clinical or policy issue within health administration.
(Note: Students on the Non-Thesis Track complete the Comprehensive Exam [3 Cr.] plus an additional elective course). |
| 25 | Comprehensive Exam | A capstone assessment requirement for students pursuing the Non-Thesis Track. The comprehensive exam evaluates the student’s cumulative knowledge, analytical reasoning, and mastery across core health administration domains—including healthcare policy, strategic planning, hospital administration, health economics, quality and patient safety, and health information systems. Designed to test the integration of theoretical principles with practical problem-solving, the exam requires students to demonstrate executive-level decision-making, critical synthesis of health system challenges, and readiness for senior healthcare leadership roles. |