Doctor of Philosophy in Health Policy and Management

Because each student has unique and specific interests, doctoral training is individualized to the needs and interests of the particular student.

The doctoral program encompasses the following major elements and stages:

• Course work in the major and cognate/minor fields
• Written qualifying examination
• Proposal for the dissertation
• Oral qualifying examination on the proposal for the dissertation (advancement to candidacy)
• Dissertation
• Oral defense of the dissertation

Course Work

Students must have a minimum of 17 courses (70 units). All students are required to specialize in a particular area of study, a cognate, which requires additional coursework. Of these, 11-12 courses (46-50 units) are required, five courses (20 units) are electives, and remaining units may be fulfilled with additional electives or from the cognate coursework.

Required Courses (11-12 courses/44-50 units)

• HLT POL 200A: Health Systems Organization and Financing, I
• HLT POL 226A: Readings in Health Service Research (2 Units)
• HLT POL 226B: Readings in Health Service Research (2 Units)
• HLT POL 227B: Special Topics in Health Services
• HLT POL 225A: Health Services Research Design (6 Units)
• HLT POL 225B: Health Services Research Design (6 Units)
• HLT POL 423 Practices of Evaluation in Health Services
• HLT POL 237C: Health Services Research Methodology (6 Units)
• BIOSTATS 211A: Applied Regression
• BIOSTATS 211B: Applied Regression
• EPIDEM 100 or an equivalent introductory survey course or show proof of an equivalent graduate-level introductory epidemiology course that meets the requirements for an MPH, MS, PhD, or MD program
• One (or more) additional statistics course (200-level or above) ONLY this additional statistics course may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. All other courses MUST be graded.

Elective Courses (5 courses/20 units)

• Students select four or more elective courses

Cognate Requirements

Cognate studies give students a depth of knowledge in a field that is complementary to health policy and management. Students are required to take PhD level coursework that satisfies the requirements of at least one cognate. Students choose a cognate from areas such as economics, epidemiology, health care outcomes research, organizational behavior, and public policy studies, or may design their own cognate with a faculty member.

Qualifying Exam

Students generally take the qualifying exam after the completion of all course work, usually in the beginning of their third year of doctoral studies. The purpose of the written qualifying exam is to prepare and evaluate students’ knowledge and application of a number of areas, and to assess students’ readiness to undertake independent research.

Dissertation Proposal

The dissertation proposal describes the student’s desired area of research, the methods that will be used to examine relevant data and how it will support the dissertation findings, and explain the dissertation’s contribution to the field.

Dissertation Proposal Defense (Oral Qualifying Examination)

The purpose of the dissertation proposal defense (also known as the oral qualifying examination) is twofold: 1) to evaluate the research being proposed for the dissertation and 2) to assess the student’s ability to conduct this research. The defense focuses on the proposal for the dissertation.

Dissertation

The dissertation reports the results of the research conducted based on the proposal. The dissertation should demonstrate the scientific merit of the work itself and the student’s mastery over its substance and methods. It must demonstrate that the student is qualified to conduct independent research.

Dissertation Defense

The final oral examination is a defense of the dissertation. The purpose of this examination is twofold: 1) to evaluate the research conducted for the dissertation 2) to assess the student’s ability to conduct independent research. The exam focuses on the dissertation.

The PhD is generally obtained in four or five years.

View a list of faculty in the Department of Health Policy and Management.

Many graduates of the program pursue research and teaching careers in health care management and health policy analysis.

Examples of position held by graduates include:

• Tenure-Track Faculty
• Researcher
• Research Director

For the most up to date fees and more information on fee breakdown, visit the registrar's office.

Please see the cost and aid section of our website for information on awards, scholarships, training opportunities, employment, summer internship funding, and need-based aid. Please note that opportunities listed under 'Summer Internship Funding' are only applicable to MPH students.

Desired Qualifications

In addition to meeting the University’s minimum requirements, the Department of Health Policy and Management recommends a master’s degree in public health or other appropriate graduate degree in a related field with a grade-point average of at least 3.5 for graduate studies. In addition, although not required for admission, research experience in the field is viewed favorably when competing applications are judged. Students do not need to identify a faculty mentor in order to apply for the program.

Admissions Process

Visit the application guide to learn about our admissions process.