Army-Baylor Program History
The Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health Administration started in 1947 as a three-month course in the Department of Administration at the Medical Field Service School (MFSS) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, which awarded Certificates of Training in Hospital Administration. The course was expanded to twenty weeks in 1949, and in 1951, the MFSS hospital training program became affiliated with the Graduate School of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, making it the country's 11th graduate hospital administration program. In 1952, the course was lengthened to 39 weeks and became accredited as a member of the Association of University Programs in Hospital Administration (AUPHA). The first graduates of the affiliated program received Master's degrees in May 1953.
In 1969, the name was changed to the U.S. Army-Baylor University Graduate Health Care Administration Program, awarding the Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree through Baylor and the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Academy of Health Sciences at Fort Sam Houston. In 1983, the curriculum was lengthened to twelve months (four semesters) with sixty graduate hours, maintaining the one-year administrative residency requirement. Beginning with the 2005-2007 class, the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program offered an additional joint MHA/MBA degree through the Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business. In 2015, with demand from military leadership, a 1-Year Executive Clinical Leader track was created for military providers to complete either the MHA or MHA/MBA degrees without the administrative residency year.
The Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration maintains full membership status with AUPHA. The MHA degree is fully credentialed by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and accredited as part of the Graduate School of Baylor University through the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities. The Master of Business Administration degree, awarded with the joint MHA/MBA program, is accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Though there are numerous training programs in health services, it is the only fully accredited graduate program for health care administration in the Federal system.
Students have included officers (active duty and reservists) from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and civilian personnel from the Department of the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The current MHA and joint MHA/MBA curriculums consist of 66 and 87 academic hours, respectively, conducted during a 54-week period that prefaces a 12-month administrative residency at a medical treatment facility that contributes 9 credit hours toward degree completion. A typical class comprises physicians, nurses, administrators, and other allied health professionals. For over 60 years, the Army Baylor program has provided professional hospital and healthcare leadership around the globe for peace and wartime missions that have involved patient and casualty care from the Korean and Vietnam conflicts to the Gulf wars, the War on Terrorism, COVID-19, and humanitarian efforts around the world.
Historical program outcomes include:
- From 1969 to 2014, 95.5% of the Army Baylor University students earned MHA degrees.
- Over 82% of U.S. military officers were promoted; 66.1% of active duty members reached the rank of O5 (LTC or higher).
- Between 1986 and 2013, 78.5% of the Army deputy commanders for administration (DCAs) and 7.7% of Army Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) commanders were former Army Baylor University students (Mangelsdorff, 2014).
- Between 2008 and 2014, five of the seven corps chiefs of the Army Medical Department have been Army Baylor University MHA graduates (i.e., Medical Service, Nurse, Dental, Specialist, and Civilian Corps). Another served as the interim Army Surgeon General
Last Updated: 20260109
