Professional Development
While students enter our program with varying levels of professional experience, faculty and staff within our program greatly value professional growth among all our students. Beyond acting as professional students during their courses, our MHA graduate students are encouraged to seek out professional growth opportunities throughout their time in our program. The MHA program at Illinois offers students access to many resources to help them further their professional development including:
The Illinois Leadership Center
The Illinois Leadership Center offers students the opportunity to grow professionally in a safe environment. Students can participate in a multitude of free events and opportunities, such as i-Programs and Leadership workshops.
The Career Center
The Career Center offers students free services, such as Career Coaching, Mock Interview sessions and cover letter/resume reviews. Regardless of where a student enters, the Career Center can help deliver those professional results students need to enter the next phase of their lives in health administration.
Graduate College's Career Development Office
The Career Development Office within the Graduate College provides career development advising services and workshops to graduate students. They also serve as a resource to students through their workshops and video tutorials.
Class, program, and campus guest speakers
Speakers from on- and off-campus are often invited to speak with our MHA students. Students are also invited to a multitude of KCH Colloquium Speaker Series events and campus speaking engagements as well. For students with a true desire to connect with others, there is no shortage of connections available through our program and the University.
Career Fairs
There are a wide range of career fairs that take place on our campus. All students are encouraged to attend to practice their networking and professionalism skills. These opportunities are shared with current students via e-mail and class announcements.
LinkedIn Learning
Our program has access to LinkedIn Learning, which provides a plethora of professional education opportunities to students, free of charge. Students simply log in and browse the system for areas of interest.
Professional Development Funding
Each academic year, MHA students have an opportunity to apply for financial assistance to help offset the cost of attending a professional conference and/or events. Funds may apply to virtual conferences and/or events. In addition, funds may also be used towards memberships in a professional organization, such as the American College of Healthcare Executives. Students may apply for this award in each year they are enrolled. The funds can be used toward conference registration, housing (ex: hotels), travel (ex: car, plane, train) and professional organization membership fees.