Admission Requirements

The MHA is designed for achievers who envision a career and future in health care. Students are selected from diverse backgrounds including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dieticians and other clinicians, administrators and managers and professionals in health care and related fields.

Applications for our 2020 intake is now open. Please join us for one of our upcoming information sessions.

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Applicants must meet both the minimum academic requirements and relevant work experience set out by both Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Master of Health Administration program.

Minimum Academic Requirements

Applicants with Canadian or U.S. academic credentials
  • Degree: A degree that is academically equivalent to a UBC 4-year Bachelor’s degree.
  • GPA: At least four years of study with a B+ average (76% or higher) in third and fourth year-level course work.
  • Quantitative skills: Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in quantitative skills. There are two ways to meet this requirement:
    (1) a final grade of B+ (76%) on an approved undergraduate (or graduate) university-level mathematics or statistics course taken within ten years of application to the program or,
    (2) minimum scores from a Graduate Record Exam (GRE)*, or equivalent, taken within the last 5 years.

*Applicants with math or statistics courses exceeding the ten-year timeline may be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact the program to discuss your application.
Applicants with International Credentials
  • Degree: Applicants with international credentials should have academic backgrounds that meet the minimum general requirements outlined by for the country of origin.
  • GPA: Applicants with international credentials should consult the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Policy to determine country-specific equivalency of the minimum academic requirements. Your admission average is calculated on all courses taken for your degree.
  • Language: Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application. Acceptable English language tests and submission of these results are detailed online with the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The minimum TOEFL score is 100 and the minimum IELTS score is 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component of the Academic IELTS test. For other test scores, visit the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.
  • Quantitative skills: Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in quantitative skills. To meet this requirement, applicants with international credentials must submit minimum scores from a Graduate Record Exam (GRE)*, or equivalent, taken within the last 5 years.

* Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and other standardized tests

  • The minimum requirements for the GRE is a score in the 50th percentile or above in both the verbal and quantitative components. UBC institution code is 0965 and Department Code is 0616.
  • The minimum requirements for the GMAT is a minimum of 550 overall and at least a 50th percentile in each test section.
  • More information on the GRE and other standardized exams can be found on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.  Please note that exams should be written well in advance of the deadline for the results to be included in your application. Contact the testing agency for information on processing times.

Meeting the minimum criteria does not ensure acceptance into the program – most successful applicants present requirements that are more than the minimum. Applicants should review our Steps to Apply and Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Relevant work experience/skills

Applicants must present demonstrated work experience or skills in a health-related field. This information should be noted in the following required documents.

Letter of intent (LOI)

Applicants are encouraged to be specific in their letters of intent and clearly articulate your interests in pursuing the MHA at UBC, and describe how the program fits within your overall personal and professional goals.

To help us get a better sense of why you wish to pursue the MHA and your professional goals, please answer the following three questions in your letter of intent:
1. How have your non-academic experiences prepared you for the MHA program?
2. What new knowledge and skills are you most excited about gaining from the MHA program?
3. How do you envision your career evolving within the first two years after you complete the MHA program?

Each answer should be no more than 150 words.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
 A detailed and up-to-date CV that highlights your professional work experience and relevant skills.
Three letters of reference

We require three professional references letters from individuals who can comment on your work experience and professional character. These can be provided by former instructors, supervisors, employers etc. The inclusion of one academic reference is recommended where possible to report on your ability to perform in an academic environment.

Electronic submission of references is managed through the Graduate Studies online application site. Your referees will be sent an automated reference request when you register their information in the “References” section of your application. Please carefully review the steps under How to Apply to ensure the timely receipt of your references by the deadline.

Referees who are unable to access the Graduate Studies online application site can complete submit a mailed letter following the MHA_ReferenceInstructions_Nov2019.

Applicants should review our Steps to Apply and Frequently Asked Questions for more information.