The Master of Science in Health Professions Education program is flexible, online, and specifically designed for educators in the health professions. You will learn and practice the principles of effective learning in a rapidly changing educational context along with research methods in health professions education and examine how best to apply the foundations of learning across clinical settings.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
The MS in Health Professions Education consists of 8 Required Online Courses, 2 electives, 3 Days of Virtual Synchronous Seminars.
Students can be located anywhere in the world and can take up to five years to complete the program.
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As you begin the program, you will identify an area of interest for your scholarly project. Throughout your study, you'll explore the issue in depth and capture what you've learned in a publication-ready manuscript, in lieu of a master's thesis. Scholarly projects can cover a wide range of topics.
Take advantage of our comprehensive curriculum and our unique partnerships to concentrate your study in any of the following areas:
You will take core MS-HPEd credits (27), then specialize with two electives in your chosen concentration, including projects related to your concentration as part of your required courses.
MGH Institute welcomes applications from individuals holding a Bachelor’s degree who are credentialed health professionals or work in Health Professions Education in another capacity. Our professional staff will provide information and answer any pertinent questions you have during the admission and financial aid process and will offer ongoing information on tuition and fees.
We are now accepting applications for Summer & Fall 2026, or Spring 2027 entry on a rolling admissions basis.
If you have any questions, please email us at Admissions [at] mghihp.edu (Admissions[at]mghihp[dot]edu).
All applicants are required to submit a completed online application. There is no application fee required for this program.
Applicants must have an earned bachelor's degree from one of the following:
Please refer to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website for additional information on regional accreditation and regionally accredited institutions.
The GRE is not required as part of the application process. The faculty will carefully consider applicant's previous academic record in the admissions decision.
The language of instruction and clinical education at the MGH Institute is English and a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. Applicants who have not completed either an undergraduate or graduate program where English is the language of instruction must demonstrate English Language proficiency as part of your application to the MGH Institute of Health Professions. If you have questions about the language requirements, please contact the Office of Admissions.
Please note that in some circumstances, demonstrating English language proficiency may be required by the academic program even if you are a citizen of a country in which the (or one of the) national language(s) is English. Decisions about the need for TOEFL or IELTS scores are at the discretion of the academic program to which you are applying in coordination with the department of OES.
The IHP accepts either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of the application deadline and official score reports are required. The minimum TOEFL (internet-based) score accepted is 89 and the minimum IELTS score accepted is 6.5.
Please contact the Office of Admissions if you have any questions about the MGH Institute’s English Language requirements.
Applicants are required to submit a transcript from each college and/or university attended, even if a degree was not received from that institution. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted throughout the application process, and official transcripts will only be required prior to enrolling in the program.
The Office of Admission strongly encourages the use of online electronic transcript ordering which can be sent directly via email to admissions [at] mghihp.edu (admissions[at]mghihp[dot]edu). If this is not an option and your institution does not participate in electronic transcript delivery, please request official transcripts be sent to the mailing address listed below:
Admission Office
MGH Institute of Health Professions
36 First Avenue
Boston, MA 02129
Applicants that have earned a degree from a non-US institution are required to submit a course-by-course credential evaluation from one of the following NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) members: Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., SpanTran: The Evaluation Company, World Education Services (WES), or the Center for Educational Documentation. If you earned your bachelor's degree outside of the U.S. this credential evaluation must document minimum equivalency of a US baccalaureate degree or higher.
All applicants are required to compose an essay that addresses the following:
Share/discuss your vision for yourself in the role of health professions educator, including your future goals and plans. Your comments may reflect your personal experiences and beliefs about teaching and learning that have influenced your interest in the area of education.
Specify the types of teaching roles and responsibilities that have contributed to your decision to pursue study in health professions education. You may choose to share stories of influential educators to illustrate your points.
Answers should be typed, double-spaced, and no more than three pages in total. Margins should be no more than one inch, and type size should be no smaller than 10-point, with 12-point type preferred. Please make sure your full legal name is included on each page. The statement of intent should be uploaded directly to your online application.
Applicants are required to submit a current resume or CV.
Applicants are not required to submit recommendation letters. Instead, all applicants will be interviewed after other application materials have been submitted. You will be asked to provide two individuals who can serve as references. You should submit the following about your references:
The reference should be able to address your academic ability, character, and integrity, as well as your potential for graduate professional study.
One reference is required from an MGH Institute faculty member if you are IHP alumni or have previously worked with one of our faculty.
Students can submit their FAFSA at fafsa.gov in order to apply for Federal loans. Eligible graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 for every two semester loan period with the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. In order to be eligible to borrow Federal loans students need to be enrolled at least halftime which is 5 credits in the fall and spring and 3 credits in the summer.
Tuition Reduction for MGB Employees, Alumni and Affiliates
With changing government regulations around loans, our Financial Aid team has answers for you. We can provide a list of recommended lenders, grants and budgeting tools. Before taking a loan, be sure to check your credit at the only federally authorized source for free credit reports from all three major bureaus, AnnualCreditReport.com. If you are unsure how to get started, contact us with questions. We also encourage students to look at the list of scholarship opportunities vetted by our financial aid office.
The most important and exciting aspect of earning a PhD is the opportunity to master a subfield related to your work and experience while conducting original scholarship that contributes to your subfield and pushes it forward. Students come to MGH Institute from all areas of healthcare with a variety of goals. We offer students an opportunity to apply once, to our MS-HPEd program, and continue through to their PhD without another application. This is especially valuable to students with less experience in health professions education. Our faculty are available to meet with you to help you decide what path is right for you.
What's Your Delta? 3 Tips for Faculty Development
This podcast was developed and produced by the Master of Science and PhD in Health Professions Education Programs at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Thought leaders and IHP employees Drs. Janice Palaganas and Peter Cahn discussed popular topics in faculty development and offered 3 actionable tips in each episode.
