Learning Model
Dartmouth pioneered the development of an intimate, rigorous learning environment for master's level coursework over a decade ago. The MHA program builds on that experience of delivering an Ivy-League education to students across the US and around the world.
MHA educational delivery model
The MHA curriculum is delivered in a hybrid format. Students are on campus for a few days at the beginning of summer term (typically the last full week of June) and at the end of fall term (typically the first week after Thanksgiving). These short residential periods include introductory classes for the courses that follow, as well as residential-specific topics (e.g. Design Thinking; Teamwork and Community Building) and applied learning activities (e.g. site visits).
Other than an introductory class during residential, courses are delivered entirely online. Full courses are six weeks in duration, and mini courses are three weeks in duration. Students spend an average of 16 hours/week per course on their coursework. Students following the standard track will take one course at a time and complete the degree in two years. Students following the accelerated track will take two courses at a time (an average of 32 hours/week on their coursework) and complete the degree in one year. We expect that most students will be employed in a health care setting while taking the degree.
MHA program weekly rhythm:
| Live Meeting | Assignment 1 Due | Assignment 2 Due | |
| Terms 1-4 | Tuesday | Thursday | Sunday |
| Terms 5-8 | Wednesday | Thursday | Sunday |
Courses are organized into week-long learning units that follow a predictable rhythm. In addition to the instructional readings and videos students will study each week, faculty and students will interact in a variety of ways, and the table above shows the pattern of interaction. The “Live Meeting” is synchronous, in that the students and faculty meet face-to-face (via Zoom). The other interactions are asynchronous and are completed without real-time interaction.
The Tuesday or Wednesday Live Meeting typically consists of two 60-minute on-line class meetings on that day. For example, a Tuesday Live meeting would be a Zoom meeting with half of the students from noon - 1:00 pm, and a repetition of the same material with the other half of the students from 7:00 - 8:00 pm.