Build Your Career in Health Law
Earn Your Master of Arts in Health Law and Administration
The healthcare industry is growing at record speed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that healthcare occupations will grow 15% from 2019 to 2029, creating more jobs than any other industry. Beyond frontline workers like doctors and nurses, healthcare has expanded to include careers in technology, business, and public service. Our complicated health care laws and policies touch millions of lives and have an impact on almost every industry. They also structure social and economic conditions that determine health disparities between different groups, including disparities in lifespan between people with low income and people with high income. The Loyola University New Orleans College of Law offers students the opportunity to explore these topics in depth through our Master of Arts in Health Law and Administration degree (MHLA). As an in-person master's level health law and administration program provided at a nationally recognized law school, Loyola's MHLS is one of the only programs of its kind in the south.
The Master of Arts in Health Law and Administration can be completed in as little as one year, and graduates will prepare for careers in healthcare operations, compliance, non-lawyer risk management, and health justice. This 30-credit program is ideal for recent graduates or working professionals looking to move up in their careers. A background in business, science, or psychology is ideal but not required. We’ll work with you to create a personalized plan of study to match your specific interests and aspirations. No GRE or LSAT required to apply. Get started by emailing our admissions team today at ladmit@loyno.edu.
Please note that students in the Master of Arts in Environmental Law and the Master of Arts in Health Law and Administration programs follow the Law School Calendar, not the Graduate Calendar.
Expedited Admit Requirements
Exceptional applicants who are Loyola undergraduate alumni and graduated from Loyola with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, may be offered expedited admissions to either of the College of Law's Master's degree programs. Under expedited admissions, these applicants only need to complete the application and submit a statement of interest. Loyola graduates are guaranteed a merit scholarship award.
The College of Law reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant if it is determined to be necessary for the university to render an admission decision.
Degree Requirements
Loyola's MHLA degree requires completion of 30 semester credit hours. Students must either complete a health-related externship or produce a thesis paper of publishable quality.
Admission Deadlines
Loyola Law will accept applications for Admission from October 15, 2024 through July 1, 2025. The application portal will promptly close July 1, 2025, 5pm CT.
Scholarship Opportunities
All applicants are automatically reviewed for merit-based scholarships, with consideration weighted toward their prior academic achievements and relevant professional experience.
Career Outlook
With a Master’s of Arts in Health Law and Administration degree, you’ll build a strong foundation to prepare for rewarding roles working for healthcare systems and hospitals, nonprofits, public health agencies, healthcare corporations and pharmaceutical companies, or as an independent consultant. Upon graduation, you’ll gain a deep understanding of these important concepts:
- Health care privacy and compliance
- Ethical decision-making and the business of healthcare
- The integration of healthcare and the legal system
- Social determinants of health and strategies for promoting health equity
- Legal research, writing, and strategic communications
Gain Real-World Experience While You Learn
The MHLA degree program includes robust, hands-on training to develop the soft skills that employers are looking for in an ideal candidate. You’ll learn by doing and gain problem solving, writing, strategic communications, collaboration, and presentation skills. By working with faculty and community leaders with a deep understanding of healthcare policy, you’ll learn how the law is applied in real healthcare and corporate settings.
- Complete an externship based around your interests in health law and compliance and learn under the supervision of real experts in the field.
- Take up to three credits of an Independent Study in Legal Research or a seminar with a paper requirement so that you can dive deeply into topics that align with your career goals.
- Enroll in non-law elective courses like Organizational Behavior and Leadership or Strategic Communications to build a holistic understanding of business models and prepare for management roles in the healthcare sector.
Personalized Career Support
Through the Career Development Office, you’ll gain access to our expansive alumni network, career counseling, recruiting, and resources to help you after graduation. Complete mock job interviews, attend networking and mentorship events, and get help perfecting your resume and cover letter. We’ll support you through every step of your journey.
What Makes Loyola Law Right for You?
Get the support you need to take your next step.
Flexible
Offering an array of courses to fit your career aspirations.
Practical
Graduate in just one year, or spread out your studies over up to three years.
Accessible
No LSAT or GRE required to apply to the program.
Faculty Dedicated to Your Success
When you choose Loyola Law for your graduate experience, you'll work with faculty, staff, and peers who share your passion for health law. Academic Program Director Nicole Tuchinda has been an associate at a large, international firm in their health care and government enforcement practices, and she was an Assistant Chief Counsel for Enforcement at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. She helped to found a medical-legal partnership at Georgetown University Law Center called the Health Justice Alliance and directed the Juvenile and Special Education Law Clinic at the University of District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. She writes about health justice, education as a social determinant of health, trauma, and disability rights. Email Nicole at nptuchin@loyno.edu to schedule a meeting to discuss your academic goals. We will work with you one-on-one to determine if you’re a good fit for the program.
Meet Some of Your Professors
We keep our class sizes small so you can get personalized support and build lasting connections.
Nicole Tuchinda
Focus Areas: Disability and the Law, Health Law Survey, and Children and the Law
David "Beau" Haynes, Jr.
Focus Areas: legal and regulatory issues, privacy and security matters, health care regulations, and compliance
Conrad Meyer
Focus Areas: Healthcare Regulatory, Compliance, Governance, and Strategic Planning
Start Your Application
We can't wait for you to join us! No LSAT or GRE score required to apply. Here's what you need:
- Completed program application
- A short personal statement explaining your interest in the program
- A university transcript from your undergraduate institution
- One letter of recommendation, which may be emailed directly to ladmit@loyno.edu (no letters of recommendation are required for Loyola graduates)
Every applicant is automatically considered for scholarship awards. While you're waiting to hear back, please complete your FAFSA.
Explore the Curriculum
Loyola's MHLA degree will help you master the intricacies of the healthcare industry, while developing the soft skills you need for today's modern workforce. View our required courses and explore electives that spark your interest.
Required Core Courses (18-19 credits total)
LAWM L705 U.S. Law and Legal Analysis – one-week intensive course before the regular fall semester begins (1 credit)
LAW L807 Introduction to Health Law (3 hrs)
LAW L912 Health Law II: Access, Regulation, Compliance, and Strategy (3 hrs)
LAW L800 Health Care Privacy and Security (3 hrs)
LAW L914 Health Care Compliance (3 hrs)
LAW L898 Legal Research / Other Course (thesis paper) (2-3 hrs) or LAW L900 Approved Health-Related Externship (3 hrs)
Plus one of the following:
LAW L844 Administrative Law (3 hrs)
LAW L847 Legislation and Regulation (3 hrs)
LAW L940 Risk and the Administrative State (3 hrs)
Elective Courses: Law (9-12 hours total)
LAW L746 Business Organizations I (3 hrs)
LAW L747 Business Organizations II (3 hrs)
LAW L781 Law and Poverty (2 hrs)
LAW L801 Intellectual Property Law (3 hrs)
LAW L817 Mediation and Arbitration (3 hrs)
LAW L822 Bioethics and the Law (3 hrs)
LAW L825 Medical Malpractice (2 or 3 hrs)
LAW L830 Comparative Reproductive Bioethics and the Law (1 hr)
LAW L834 Environmental Justice (2 or 3 hrs)
LAW L854 Insurance Law (3 hrs)
LAW L855 Children and the Law (3 hrs)
LAW L896 Professional Seminar: Medicare Law (2 hrs)
LAW L900 Approved Health-Related Academic Externship (1-3 hrs)
LAW L902 Elder and Disabled Law (2 hrs)
LAW L906 Advanced Legal Research (3 hrs)
LAW L915 Healthcare Fraud and Abuse (3 hrs)
LAW L916 Disability and the Law (3 hrs)
LAW L917 Public Health Law (3 hrs)
LAW L937 Selected Topics in Immigration (2 hrs)
LAW L938 Health in Immigration and Citizenship Law (1-2 hrs)
LAWM L710 Graduate Seminar in Health and Environmental Law (3 hrs)
Elective Courses: Non-Law (0-3 hours)
MGT B700 Organizational Behavior and Leadership (3 Credits)
MGT B705 Strategic Communication (3 credits)
MGT B710 Operations and Process Management (3 credits)
MGT B725 Quality and Performance Excellence (3 credits)
MGT B740 Business of Healthcare (3 credits)