DHA Application and Admission Process from CMU Off-Campus Programs

DHA Application and Admission Process

Note: The DHA Program utilizes a continuous admission process whereby applicants may apply at any time for competitive admission to the next cohort of the program. Early applicants who are especially well qualified may be offered an early admission decision. The final deadline for applications from students wishing to be considered for the Fall cohort of each year is April 1st of that year. Admission decisions for students not offered early admission will be announced by approximately mid-May.

Applying to the program

Central Michigan University has established a set of minimum qualifications for admission into the doctoral program for health care administration (DHA). Meeting these qualifications does not guarantee admission into the program but rather is used to generate a pool of applicants who meet all requirements. All professionals are encouraged to apply.

The best-qualified applicants will be selected from this pool and offered admission to the DHA cohort. 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 cohort of professionals. 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.

Admission Criteria

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

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;

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;

Demonstration of at least 5 years of work related experience in mid-level or higher healthcare management or health policy positions;
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;

Submission of a career goal statement and a current curriculum vitae or resume;

Letters of recommendation, transcripts and other documentation customarily required for admission to the College of Graduate Studies will be required; and

Successful completion of an admission interview with the program faculty.

Students matriculating into this program cannot transfer credit into the program or be granted prior experience credit toward semester credit hour degree requirements.

Admission Process

You are responsible for ensuring that all of the required materials arrive at:

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

The application materials required are:

Central Michigan University Application for Graduate Admission form, available online and in print
Three letters of reference attesting to the applicant’s academic and practical abilities and moral stance
A 3 – 4 page statement of personal background and goals, to include:
- Career goals
- Academic goals
- Life and work experience
- Ability to work in groups and individually in an intensive program
- An articulation of applied research interest that you are considering for your dissertation
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
One copy of official transcripts for all graduate and undergraduate level course work and degrees
$200 non-refundable application fee payable in U.S. dollars to Central Michigan University
Telephone Interview Date Confirmation
TOEFL Scores (required from international students, official scores must be sent from educational testing service)

Students who do not meet the announced time-lines will not be considered for that year’s cohort admission.

Application forms

Request a DHA information packet, or download the online information packet and the following forms as pdf files, print, 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