Immersion Experiences
A fundamental cornerstone of the MHA@GW program, immersion experiences provide valuable opportunities for students to connect with their peers, professors and health care experts in person. You will participate in two 40-hour immersions and two 20-hour immersions — totaling 9 credits — held on the George Washington University Washington, D.C., campus and at various prestigious health organizations around the globe.1
Hear From Guest Keynote Speakers
Network With Peers, Professors and Industry Executives
Travel to a Reputable Health Care Organization
Present Your Organizational Research Project in Person
Network, Connect, Collaborate
Health care management and leadership is a relationship-based business that requires real-world communication and discussion. A major component of the MHA@GW immersion experience is the opportunity to create meaningful relationships that will be beneficial to your professional development. As an MHA@GW student, the connections you make with your professors, peers and health care leaders will be one of the most valuable takeaways of the program.
Engage Active Leaders in Health Care
Immersions create opportunities for students to spend time with GW’s well-respected faculty members who are known in the health care field as active, leading experts. You’ll also hear from guest speakers representing prestigious health care organizations who will share their knowledge and experience.
Present Your Organization Research
Throughout the program, you’ll choose to either evaluate an organization, develop a business plan or complete a literature review with the goal of solving a real-world operational health system issue. You will analyze, evaluate and develop an actionable plan based on an existing challenge and directly apply your proposed solution, giving you hands-on experience at implementing tangible change.
During the fourth and final immersion, you’ll present your project in person and receive firsthand feedback from peers and a panel of health care leaders.
Develop Relationships With D.C. Influencers
As an MHA@GW student, you’ll have access to the professionals and institutions that comprise the center of health care policy and legislature — Washington, D.C. Three out of four in-person experiences will bring you to GW’s D.C. campus, where you’ll meet with health care influencers at networking receptions, roundtable dinners and Q&A panels.
“The MHA@GW program provides you with the tools needed to lead and manage others inside a health care organization. This program exposes you to Capitol Hill and other key players in the health care industry.”
— Jesus Rodriguez, MHA@GW ’18
— Jesus Rodriguez, MHA@GW ’18
During the Health Systems Analysis immersion course, you will travel within the United States or abroad and spend time studying a well-known health care organization.
Past Health Systems Analysis Immersion Locations
- San Antonio, Texas
- London, United Kingdom
- New York, New York
- Toronto, Canada
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Los Angeles, California
- Miami, Florida
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Toronto, Canada
- San Diego, California
- Phoenix, Arizona
Discover the Value of In-Person ExperiencesWhen MHA@GW graduates look back on their time in the program, they often cite an immersion course as the most memorable or valuable aspect of the program.
Our Admissions Counselors are available to answer your questions and discuss the program further. Request information below.
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Featured Immersion Curriculum
Below is a sample immersion schedule that gives a snapshot of how prospective students will spend their time.2
| Day | Morning | Afternoon / Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | N/A | Evening: Networking Reception and Dinner |
| Wednesday | Morning: Welcome Breakfast Opening Speaker |
Afternoon: Lunch Presentation / Group Exercise |
| Thursday | Morning: Guest Speaker Group Activity / Workshop |
Afternoon: Lunch Presentation Site Visit Evening: Networking Reception and Dinner |
| Friday | Morning: Speaker Workshop Break Workshop |
Afternoon: Lunch Speaker Site Visit |
| Saturday | Morning: Workshop Break Workshop |
Afternoon: Group Activity / Exercise |
| Sunday | Morning: Breakout Groups / Activity |
N/A |
As an MHA@GW student, you’ll investigate the structure and operations of high-performing health care systems in the United States and abroad. Leadership, communication, business enterprise and management ethics are just a handful of the skills you’ll gain during your immersion experiences.
Leadership and Ethics – 1
1.5 Credits
Development of leaders in high-performing health care organizations requires a combination of theory and practice. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, students uncover their leadership style and practice the skills of highly effective leadership principles. In addition, students examine ethical principles and learn how leaders use these practices.
Leadership and Ethics – 2
3 Credits
This is a continuation of Leadership and Ethics – 1. Students use principles including emotional intelligence, servant leadership and transformational leadership to further explore and develop their leadership attributes. This immersion emphasizes leadership during organizational change.
Health Systems Analysis
3 Credits
This immersion asks MHA@GW students to spend a concentrated period of time studying a prestigious health system in the United States or an international health system outside our borders. The objective is to critically examine and assess the structure, function and operations of a domestic or international health system.
Organizational Research Project and Portfolio Presentation
1.5 Credits
MHA@GW students present the findings of their organizational research projects and leadership portfolios during this immersion. Feedback on the research projects is provided by peers and a panel of health care leaders.
"We were able to tour six different health care organizations and meet with the C-suite executives of each organization. I felt very fortunate these executives were willing to share their insights with us. All of the guest speakers and lecturers were top-notch.”
Eric Johnson, MHA@GW ’17
Eric Johnson, MHA@GW ’17
Expand Your Career and Your Network
It takes skills, experience and strong professional relationships to gain an edge in the health care industry. Find out how MHA@GW can prepare you to create lasting change as a leader in health care.
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