Newswise — Washington, D.C. — Dec. 11, 2013 – Responding to the growing need for skilled health care executives to manage health-related organizations and programs, the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) today announced the launch of an online Executive Master of Health Administration degree (MHA@GW).

The new, online executive MHA program allows health care and health services professionals the opportunity to earn their Executive MHA degree from anywhere in the world, under the same rigor and quality of an on-campus experience. The program comprises eight live online modules and four intensive immersions at high performing healthcare systems.

Professor and Director, MHA Degree Programs, Leonard H. Friedman, PhD, MPH, FACHE believes the program couldn’t come at a better time. “Driven by the transformation of the infrastructure of health care delivery in the U.S., every aspect of our country’s health care system is in a massive state of change. Today’s mid-career health care professionals must be prepared to meet the challenges of this increasingly complex environment. By providing learners the opportunity to obtain the Executive Master of Health Administration degree utilizing a hybrid delivery model, the MHA@GW program gives these aspiring leaders the tools needed to address these challenges and progress in their careers without relocating.”

Beginning in April 2014, MHA@GW will be delivered through live, interactive online classes delivered face-to-face by SPHHS faculty. Classes are small, with no more than 12 students per section, and will use 2U, Inc.’s online platform featuring high quality, faculty-designed coursework, highly produced video content and an interactive social technology network.

“A year ago, we announced our first partnership with the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (MPH@GW). To date, two classes of students representing 15 U.S. states have started this web-based program,” said Chip Paucek, CEO of 2U, Inc. “The success of MPH@GW has led us to partner with GW on an all-new advanced degree online health program designed to provide students with skills essential to leadership in health care organizations.”

Students will also participate in four real-world immersive learning experiences, focused on the development of leadership skills and human relationship building. Hosted on the GW campus and at health organizations across the U.S., these immersions provide a useful opportunity for students to collaborate in person with classmates and MHA@GW faculty. The program will culminate with a field-based research project.

MHA@GW students must have a minimum of three years experience working in the healthcare sector and be currently employed in the field. The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

For more information on MHA@GW, please visit mha.gwu.edu, call 1-855-MHA-ATGW or follow the program on Twitter at @GWonlineMHA. For more information on the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, please visit http://sphhs.gwu.edu/.

About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation’s capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. The school now offers an online Master of Public Health, MPH@GW, which allows students to pursue their degree from anywhere in the world. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/

About 2U, Inc.:2U, Inc. is revolutionizing higher education by developing the world’s best online educational experiences in partnership with leading universities. Founded in 2008 by a team of education veterans, 2U provides universities with the technology, infrastructural support, and capital they need to transform on-campus programs into state-of-the-art web-based programs. 2U’s partner programs deliver unparalleled student retention, satisfaction, and outcomes.