Grand Canyon University · College of Doctoral Studies

Doctor of Health Administration: Operational Leadership (Qualitative Research)

Awarded degree: Doctor of Health Administration

Professional doctorateDHADedicated degreeFunding not verified

Overview

Online 60-credit Doctor of Health Administration in operational leadership with a qualitative dissertation and two required in-person doctoral residencies in Arizona.

Official program name: Doctor of Health Administration: Operational Leadership (Qualitative Research)
Awarded degree: Doctor of Health Administration
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — professional doctorate
Program classification: Dedicated healthcare administration degreeThe awarded degree or official major is healthcare administration or management itself (an MHA, an MS in Healthcare Management, a BS in Health Administration, a DHA).
Pathway: Standard pathway
School: Grand Canyon University — College of Doctoral Studies
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location: Phoenix, AZWhere the university is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Required credits: 60 credits
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Duration: Not verified
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Why this program is listed

Awarded degree is a Doctor of Health Administration.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list healthcare administration bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees — dedicated and joint degrees, and (separately labelled) MBA, MPH and other degrees with an officially named healthcare administration pathway. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Coursework delivery, campus attendance, class schedule and study intensity are shown separately, each only as the university states it. “No required campus visits” appears only when official wording supports it — online coursework alone does not establish it.

Academic delivery: Online with required campus visitsCoursework is online, with required in-person sessions such as an orientation, residency, immersion or on-campus presentation.
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus attendance: Required campus residency or visitsIn-person attendance required
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Not published

In-person requirements as published

On-campus residency Required
Two required doctoral residencies (Monday-Friday) in Arizona
twice · Arizona
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
On-campus residency Required
Residency course RSD-883 The Qualitative Dissertation
Arizona
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Administrative residency, internship and practical experience

Practical training happens at a health organization, not on campus, and is shown separately from campus attendance. Hours, who arranges the placement and whether it can be completed near home are shown only when the university publishes them.

Residency, internship or practicum requirements: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Curriculum

Dissertation

Qualitative dissertation required
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other

Up to 9 doctoral transfer credits
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Applicants with a master's in health care administration or an allied health profession with clinical/practicum experience may have certain courses waived
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree: RequiredMaster's degree in healthcare administration or an applied healthcare profession with clinical or practicum experience, or a master's degree with at least two years of healthcare experience
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Master's GPA 3.4 or higher; 3.0-3.39 may be accepted with specifications; below 3.0 not accepted
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Healthcare experience: OptionalAlternative route: master's degree with at least two years of experience in a healthcare profession
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
Online students	$760	per creditEstimated tuition$45,600 = 60 credits × $760 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required in-person sessions, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Estimated total tuition: $45,600 (60 credits × $760 per credit)

Comparison basis: Online students, academic year not stated. Excludes mandatory fees, books, living costs and any rate changes during the program. How we calculate

Other published fees

Doctoral residency fee (includes hotel, materials and meals): $1,315Mandatory
Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

Scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, tuition discounts and employer support exactly as the university publishes them. Competitive awards are not guaranteed; loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Tuition and scholarships guide

Funding classification: Funding not verified

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable.

Scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation, certification and enrollment restrictions

Separate questions: is the institution accredited, is this specific program accredited or certified (CAHME for graduate healthcare management programs, AUPHA certification for undergraduate programs), and does the university publish restrictions on who can enroll?

Institutional accreditation

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Program accreditation and certification

No program-level accreditation or certification verified. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

Not verified — check the university's state authorization page before applying from outside Arizona.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.

DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
gcu.edu/admissions/graduate-doctoral — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
gcu.edu/college-of-doctoral-studies/about-doctoral-programs — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
gcu.edu/degree-programs/dha-operational-leadership-qualitative — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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$962 per credit · All students — Special program rate: Doctor of Health Administration · 2026-2027Est. total tuition $60,606 (63 credits × $962 per credit; fees excluded)

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Healthcare Administration Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Grand Canyon University. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the university.