BACKGROUND:
Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) programs are important for training future healthcare leaders, but there is a lot of variation in how these programs are structured, what they teach, and which skills they require. Accreditation aims to make programs more consistent, yet differences in program features and focus on certain skills still exist between schools. There has been little research comparing MHA programs by accreditation status using a common set of skills.

METHODS:
This study looked at 131 MHA programs in the United States using information from university websites. Researchers recorded 22 different program features using a standard template. They used descriptive statistics to summarize things like program length, credit hours, tuition, and how often certain skills appeared in the curriculum. One-way ANOVA tested for differences in program features among CAHME-accredited, CAHME-candidate, and non-CAHME programs. Chi-square tests checked for differences in required skills by accreditation status. The team also checked their coding to make sure it was consistent and reliable.

RESULTS:
Most programs took about two years to finish and required an average of 46 credit hours. Annual tuition varied significantly between accreditation groups, but out-of-state tuition was similar. More than 90 percent of programs included several skills from the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) framework. However, skills like collaboration, public speaking, innovation, and negotiation were less common. Eight out of seventeen skills that varied between programs showed significant differences based on accreditation status.

CONCLUSIONS:
The results partly supported the idea that program features differ by accreditation status and fully supported the idea that MHA programs closely follow NCHL skill areas. These findings help show how skill-based education is used in MHA programs and can guide curriculum planning, accreditation reviews, and training for future healthcare leaders.