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Home Degrees & Programs Doctoral Degrees DHA Admission Requirements, Tuition & Fees

Admission Requirements, Tuition and Fees

 Applying to the Program

CMU has established a set of minimum qualifications for admission into the DHA program. Meeting these qualifications does not guarantee admission into the program. but rather is used to generate a pool of applicants who meet all requirements. The best-qualified applicants will be selected from this pool and offered admission to the DHA cohort.

Applications can be completed and sent to CMU at any time during the year. CMU retains the right to determine which applicants are best qualified for admission into the DHA program.

Waiting List

• A waiting list will be used to hold all fully qualified applicants in the admissions process for one year.
• A waiting list applicant may be offered admission for the following year.
• Waiting list applicants will be notified of their status and contacted the next year before the admissions process begins for the next DHA cohort.

Admission Criteria

The minimum requirements and standards for application admission to the program include the following criteria:

1. An earned regionally accredited master’s degree in an appropriate area of study (e.g., health administration, business administration, public health, public administration, etc…) or a professional degree (e.g., M.D., D.O., D.D.S., etc…). Other areas of graduate study at the master’s degree level will be considered by petition to the faculty. GPA will be considered in the admissions process;
2. Satisfactory completion of graduate course work or equivalent must be provided as evidence by student applicants in the areas of health economics or economics, finance, statistics, administration/management, and organizational development/behavior. Any student admitted with a deficiency in one or more of these prerequisite areas will be required to take the necessary courses or successfully complete (success level determined by the faculty) a competency assessment to fulfill these foundational requirements. An applicant with three or more deficiencies may be admitted only on a conditional basis contingent upon the successful completion of all prerequisite course work or competency assessment. Any course taken to fulfill course prerequisite requirements will not count toward the degree program;
3. Demonstration of at least five years of work related experience in mid-level or higher healthcare management or health policy positions;
4. Oral and written English language proficiency. Applicants whose native language is not English will be required to submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores or another test of English equivalency (such as the ECFMG for physicians who were foreign medical students). This requirement may be waived if prior academic experience and success in other United States colleges/universities or employment settings can be satisfactorily demonstrated;
5. 5-page essay on one of the approved premises
6. Submission of a career goal statement and a current curriculum vitae or résumé;
7. Letters of recommendation, transcripts and other documentation customarily required for admission to the College of Graduate Studies will be required; and
8. Successful completion of an admission interview with the program faculty.

Application Forms

Request a DHA information packet, or download the online information packet.

Print the following PDF forms, complete, and mail to:

Central Michigan University
ATTN: DHA Program
1216 Health Professions Building
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859

• Admission Checklist
• Letter of Reference Form
• Transcript Request Form
• Graduate Admission Form

Tuition and Fees

Many of these costs are estimated based upon the best information available and actual costs may vary slightly. All fees are set by the University Board of Trustees and are subject to change without notice.

1. Tuition
   • Tuition is currently set a $850 per credit hour and students are guaranteed one unchanging tuition rate established at the time of enrollment that will stay in place for the entire program.
   • Tuition is due at the time of registration.
   • Payment may be made by personal check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.
   • An automatic payment plan is also available.
2. Fees
   • Application fee, $200.
   • A library fee of $25 per course will be assessed.
   • Graduation application fee, $50.
3. Books and Materials
   • The average book and class materials cost per course is approximately $150 or less. This cost is not included in the tuition.
   • CMU provides electronic course reserves, which can be accessed through your instructors’ Blackboard Web sites. These online articles will be available to you 24 hours a day/7 days a week from any computer with Internet access. When you register for a course, the electronic course reserves fee will be assessed. Fees may vary from course to course.
4. Internet Connectivity Requirements
   • To participate in the program, you must have Internet access and a personal e-mail address at your disposal. Internet connectivity in the home and office is preferred, and cable or DSL access is strongly encouraged.
   • You are responsible for all access service and connectivity fees
   • You may be required to purchase specific software programs during the delivery of the program
5. Seminar Costs
   You are responsible for the following costs during required seminar attendance:
   • Travel costs to and from the seminar location
   • Lodging during the seminar
   • Meals
   • Computer access fees at seminar (if not part of the seminar)
   • Laptop computer rental or purchase for seminar (if required)
6. General Examination Costs
   You are responsible for the following costs during the required General Examination:
   • Travel costs to and from the General Examination location Lodging during the General Examination
   • Meals
   • Computer access fees at the General Examination location (if not part of the General examination)
7. Applied Dissertation Costs
   You are responsible for all costs associated with completing their applied dissertation except:
   • Travel for applied dissertation committee members to defense location if applicable
   • Meals and lodging for dissertation committee members at defense location if applicable
8. Other Potential Costs:
   • Duplicating
   • Mailing if necessary (most work will be done via Internet or e-mail)
   • Faxing
   • Applied dissertation production
   • Telephone calls
   • Computer upgrades
   • Applied dissertation research and completion goes beyond one year after General Examination (12 credit hours per year enrollment required)