In Masters

Admission Requirements and Application

Admissions Requirements

The CSUN MHA program admits students who demonstrate professional and academic excellence. The admissions committee evaluates applications on a number of factors, including GPA, work experience, and statement of purpose. Applicants must meet the requirements for admission to the University's graduate programs and those additional requirements of the Master of Health Administration program. We are not a recognized STEM program.

At CSUN, we not only evaluate minimum GPA scores, but also look to see if the applicant is a good “fit” for our educational model. In short, we are a leadership program that seeks to support an individual’s career path and aspirations. We seek individuals with a clear focus on how they will expand into higher leadership positions. We offer all core MHA classes at 7PM because the vast majority of our students are working during the day. Holistically, we look at the total person, and not just a GPA or GRE score.

A typical successful candidate has an undergraduate overall GPA of 3.3 and 3+ years of professional healthcare work experience. However, work experience can range from 1 year to over 10 years. Our acceptance rate is approximately 30%.

Prospective students are required to apply online (two applications). Only complete applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The following are required for your application to be considered for the Health Administration Graduate Program:

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university – Students not having a degree in health administration, if accepted, will be required to take a qualifying program prior to being fully admitted to Classified Graduate Status
Official Transcripts - 2.5 Cumulative GPA
A professional resume – A minimum of one year of professional work experience in healthcare is preferred. Internships and volunteer work experience in healthcare can be used to demonstrate a commitment to healthcare.
2 Letters of Recommendation – may be from employer(s) and faculty
Video of Personal Statement - see below more instructions
International students, who do not have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. university, are required to submit official TOEFL scores

Purpose

This video essay aims to give the admissions committee an in-depth understanding of your motivation for pursuing a master’s degree in health administration at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). The video should serve as an enhanced representation of your application, illuminating your specific interests in the field, your career goals, and why you have chosen CSUN for your postgraduate studies. The focus will be on the content of the video rather than on production quality. As this is a professional degree program, we suggest dressing as you would for an in-person interview.

Technical Requirements:

Video Length: The video should be 5-7 minutes long. Videos that fall outside of this range will not be considered.
Video Format: The video should be uploaded in a universally accepted format, .mp3, .mp4, or .mov.
Audio: Ensure that the audio quality is clear. It is advised to record in a quiet environment to minimize background noise.
Visuals: While the content is the primary focus, attention to visual quality will also be considered. Proper lighting and a stable camera setup are recommended in addition to professional attire.

Video Content Guidelines:

Introduction: Begin by introducing yourself briefly. Include your name, academic background, and any work/volunteer experience.
Motivation for a master’s in health administration: Elaborate on why you are interested in obtaining a master’s degree in health administration. This should include specific subjects within Health Administration that intrigue you, your career aspirations, where you see yourself professionally and academically in the next five years, and potential contributions you aim to make in the field by completing the MHA program.
Why CSUN: Discuss why you have chosen California State University, Northridge, as the institution for your postgraduate studies. Highlight the features of CSUN’s program that are particularly aligned with your academic and professional goals.
Unique Qualities: Discuss any personal or professional attributes that make you an ideal candidate for the program. Feel free to mention any achievements, skills, or experiences that will contribute to your success in the program and in the field of Health Administration.
Concluding Remarks: Sum up your main points and restate your enthusiasm for the program and the institution.

Note: If you are still in the process of completing your degree, indicate this in the personal statement video

Submission Guidelines:

Save your video with the filename format: `LastName_FirstName_MHA_CSUN_VideoEssay`.
Upload the video to a secure, shareable cloud storage service https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12N-9j-RVauO_lqumoHIaiXC9w74daCVY?usp=drive_link
Set the permissions to ‘Anyone with the link can view’.

Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in your application being disqualified.

Thank you for being interested in the master’s degree in health administration at California State University, Northridge. We look forward to learning more about you through your video essay.

How to Apply

Applying to the MHA program is a two-step process. Applicants must apply to the University via Cal State Apply before they proceed to the supplemental application for the MHA program.

Please read through the notes provided below (click on Step 1 and Step 2 bars to expand the instructions) as they describe what parts of the application you need to fill out (and which you can skip) when applying to the Master of Health Administration program at CSUN.

Only complete applications will be reviewed by the MHA Admissions Committee – SUBMIT BOTH APPLICATIONS. Submitting a complete application is the responsibility of the applicant. Please review the Admissions Requirements prior to beginning the application.

Please use the assistance guide for additional assistance on how to submit your online application.

Step 1. Create Account & Start Application

Go to https://www2.calstate.edu/apply; select “Apply Now” from the homepage to start the application process.
Click the “Create an Account” button. Once all of the required fields are completed and you agree to the terms and conditions select the “Create my account” button. Select “Continue” to complete your account and begin the application.
Complete your profile. Fill in the education field with “Graduate” for level of degree, “Master’s degree or higher” for type of degree, Fill in all other questions and save changes.
Select “Start Your Application” to launch the application.
Select the following for each of the fields: “CSU Northridge” for campus, “Face to Face” for delivery format, “Main campus” for location, and the start term you are applying for.
Scroll down to view the full list of programs. Results may be longer than one page. Locate and click on Master of Health Administration program.
Scroll to the top of the page and click “I am Done, Review My Selections.”
Click “Continue to My Application.”

Step 2. Personal Information Quadrant

Begin by clicking on the Personal Information Quadrant. For the Personal Information Quadrant some information is required while other information is optional. You are required to fill out all fields unless they have the word in tiny grey italic print following them. Click the “Save and Continue” button after completing each section.

Step 3. Academic History Quadrant

For the Academic History Quadrant, some information is required, while other information is not required. Begin by entering all of the colleges and universities you attended.

If you are currently attending CSUN or earned your bachelor’s degree from CSUN, you are not required to enter transcript information. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “I Am Not Adding Any College Transcripts.”
Applicants who completed their bachelor’s degree and are not currently taking courses can scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “I Am Not Adding Any College Transcripts”
If you currently have coursework in-progress and/or have planned coursework for next semester, please scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Start” and then begin entering your transcript information for each school you have attended. Enter courses under the institution where you originally took the course. Include any in-progress or planned coursework.

Please provide your GPA information for each college or university you have attended. If you are an international student and received your bachelor's degree outside of the U.S., please submit TOEFL scores. Please scroll down and add your TOEFL test scores.

Step 4. Supporting Information

Click “Continue to Next Section” to move forward. It will continue you to the Supporting Information Quadrant.

Supporting Information will be entered into the supplemental application (Step 2 below). Therefore, it is not required, however you do need to go into each section and indicate that you are not adding any information. To do this click on the “I Am Not Adding Any Experiences,” “I Am Not Adding Any Achievements,” and “I Am Not Adding Any Documents” buttons on each section.

For the Statement of Purpose, type “Not Applicable” in the box. You will be uploading your personal statement or statement of purpose in the supplemental application. Click “Save and Continue” and “Continue to Next Section.”

Step 5. Submit Application

Click on “Submit Application” when all of the above steps have been completed. Click “Submit All.” Click, Continue to pay the non-refundable application fee $70, which can not be transferred to another term. Specific payment instructions follow.

Step 6. Mail Required Materials

Submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities (including community colleges; but not those already on file at CSUN), GRE or TOEFL scores (if applicable) that you have attended. Mail your official transcript(s) (in their original sealed envelopes) to CSUN Admissions and Records at 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330. Processing time can take some time, so we recommend requesting transcripts be sent as soon as possible.

Step 7. Complete the MHA Program Application

Please move on the MHA Program Application (below)

Apply to CSUN University Application

All information must be submitted for the CSU application (above) and the MHA program for the application to be considered complete. The information provided below will be used by the Admissions committee to make an informed decision.

Create Account & Start Supplemental Application

Go to https://www.applyweb.com/cgi-bin/app?s=csun; select “Create Account” from the homepage to start the process. Input information and click “Create Account.”
Login using the account information that you created.
Click “Online Application” under Apply Online to begin the application process.

Page 1. Personal Information

Add your personal information and click “Save” followed by “Next Page.”

Page 2. Program Selection

Select “Health Administration” and the Fall term you are applying for.

Page 3. Recommender Information

Add the name, organization, position, and email for each recommender. An email request will automatically be sent to the evaluator on your behalf. Please advise your evaluator to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out. Give appropriate time to allow your recommenders to get the letters submitted. We require three letters of reference.

Here are some basic guidelines to help your evaluators write their letters of recommendation:

Must be specific to the Master of Health Administration program at CSUN (addressed to the MHA Admissions Committee)
Written on official department or institutional letterhead
Answer the following questions:
- How long and in what capacity do you know the applicant?
- Based on your interactions with the applicant, what are your personal impressions of his/her intellectual capacity, character, professional skills, and ability to do academically succeed and advance their career?
- Provide concrete example(s)
Submit directly to the link provided in the email

Note: If your recommender cannot find the evaluation form, it is located in the original email they received from the application website.

Note: All 2 letters of recommendation must be completed for the application to be submitted for review. It is your responsibility to ensure all of your letters of recommendations are in and that the application has been submitted. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the admissions committee.

Page 4. Personal Statement Video

Click here to review technical requirements, video content guidelines, and how to submit your personal statement video.

Page 5. Educational Background

Add all colleges/universities (including community college) unofficial transcripts, starting with the most recent. Please be sure to include transcripts for any accounting or statistics course you may have taken.

Page 6. Test Scores

Our program does not require the GRE, please hit "Next Page" to move forward in the application.

Page 7. Resume

Please upload a current resume which demonstrates your healthcare work experience. Be sure the descriptions provide accurate and relevant information. Your experiences should be in reverse chronological order (most recent experiences should be first).

Page 8. Pledge

This last page includes a pledge that indicates that all information provided is complete and accurate. Specific payment ($30) instructions follow.

Apply to MHA Program Application