The M.P.H. in Healthcare Management program provides students with a solid foundation for managing in an interdisciplinary healthcare environment. Beginning in Fall 2009, the program will provide training for students with interests in administration and management of a variety of healthcare environments, including hospitals, public health agencies, nursing homes, health systems, pharmaceutical firms, payers and other organizations in the healthcare sector. Students will gain an appreciation of all aspects of management, including organizational theory, finance, operations management, law, and strategy, which will help to improve organizational and community decision-making. The program provides a basis for understanding key managerial functions within the broad spectrum of public and private health systems.

The M.P.H. in the Community Health Practice program focuses on the application of public health sciences at the community level. Faculty and students are concerned with the assessment of population health, the planning, implementation and evaluation of health programs in community settings, and appraisal of community-level effects of health policies and programs. The teaching program emphasizes systematic analysis and appropriate use of quantitative and qualitative health data. Students develop and enhance their skills by examining community health issues in the classroom and the community.

The M.P.H. in the Health Services Organization program emphasizes the planning, management, and evaluation of health service sys­tems, services, technologies and policy.  The curriculum includes health economics, decision analysis, health services research, public health and legislative processes, survey research, outcomes research, quantitative methods, evaluation research, health disparities and vulnerable populations, health administration, economic and social determinants of health, utilization of health services, and ethical and legal aspects of public health.

Special Entrance Requirements

Students entering the M.P.H. program may hold an undergraduate degree in a variety of areas, including the social and behavioral sciences, business, the biological and medical sciences, law and quantitative methods.

Course of Study

The general requirements for the M.P.H. degree apply. The student and two faculty members comprise the student’s academic advisory committee, which will develop the student’s course of study based on the student’s academic objectives and prior education and experience. The practicum and the culminating experience should have a community health practice or health services organization focus.

The Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.) program in Management, Policy and Community Health offers interdisciplinary training for students who wish practice at an advanced level or pursue academic careers in public health. The student may choose the Community Health Practice  or the Health Service Organization program focus.

Special Entrance Requirements

Admission to the Dr.P.H. program requires a prior M.P.H. degree or its equivalent. Applicants with public health work experience, and applicants who have completed coursework in quantitative methods, or who can provide evidence of quantitative abilities (for example with the GRE), are preferred. The GRE is recommended.

Course of Study

The program is designed to allow the student’s academic advisory committee the flexibility to determine the student’s scope of study based on the student’s academic objectives and prior education and experience.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Management, Policy and Community Health provides instruction in the fields of eco­nomics, health services research, policy, management, law and ethics related to the health sector. Students interested in careers in these areas may pursue advanced study that leads to original research and culminates in the award of the Ph.D. degree.

Special Entrance Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program requires a post-baccalaureate degree or equivalent training and experience in the social sciences, policy, law, management, or public health. Applicants with backgrounds in more than one relevant subject are preferred. The program also requires advanced knowledge of quantitative methods; applicants with strong math and/or statistics backgrounds are preferred. The GRE is recommended.

Course of Study

The Ph.D. program provides instruction in the fields of (1) health economics/health services research, (2) health policy/law, and (3) public health and health care health management.  Students choose a major and two minor areas of study. At least one of the minors must come from another public health discipline; i.e., Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, or Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences.  A qualifying examination is administered to students when their preparation is complete. Students will typically take two years of coursework  in preparation for this examination; however, the actual time required in coursework will depend on a student’s level of preparation before admission and the judgment of the student’s qualifying advisory committee.

Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, the qualifying advisory committee will be dissolved, and the student will recruit a doctoral dissertation committee. The student will work with this committee to prepare a research plan that demonstrates his or her capacity to conceive and conduct independent research in health economics/health services research, the policy sciences, or public health or health care management.. The research should culminate in the completion and presentation, in written form, of an original research project.