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Department of Health Policy and Management

The Department of Health Policy and Management is a mission-oriented department concerned with improving the health care delivery system and mitigating public health risks in the United States and abroad. The department is dedicated to resolving major management and health policy problems through original research, advanced training, and dispute resolution.

Research priorities in the Department of Health Policy and Management are organized into nine broad areas:

  • health financing and insurance, including the creation of new physician payment systems and the design of public policies dealing with rising insurance premiums
  • management of health hazards, including use of risk assessment to set priorities for environmental health protection
  • study of the causes and etiology of injury and the application of that work to the development and evaluation of prevention and intervention strategies and policy
  • management of health care organizations, encompassing the application of corporate strategic-planning concepts to the challenges faced by health systems and pharmaceutical firms
  • evaluation and management of medical technology, including the meta-analysis of data from clinical trials
  • business and labor in health, including the negotiation of occupational safety and health care benefits in the collectivebargaining process
  • international health, including evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of health programs in developing countries
  • quality of health care, encompassing the design of better methods to measure quality
  • health care reform, involving the development of partnerships between the department and the corporate community to explore critical aspects of health policy and management 

The department's problem-solving orientation is exemplified by its strong ties to leading health practitioners in hospitals, managedcare plans, community health centers, health advocacy groups, corporate medical departments, health and environmental consulting firms, state and local health departments, legislative committees, federal regulatory agencies, and international agencies. Practical skills are emphasized by an interdisciplinary faculty that includes management specialists, decision analysts, accountants, physicians, lawyers, policy analysts, economists, political scientists, and program evaluators. 

Health Policy and Management Program Overiew


Master of Science Programs

The Four-Semester (80 CREDITS) Master of Science (SM) Program - the department's largest - is designed for students who are building professional careers in health-related fields and who aspire to leadership roles. The program emphasizes professional skills and concepts, a solid grounding in the substance of health problems, rigorous quantitative training, and a curriculum that combines professional, academic, and field activities. Acquired knowledge is applied to practical situations through a required summer internship and an applied field research program.

  • Applicants must have at least two years of experience in public health (exceptions occasionally made for outstanding candidates) and
  • An academic record, particularly in quantitative and analytical courses, that shows significant potential in the areas of health policy and management.

The Two-Semester (42.5 CREDITS) Master of Science (SM) Program - is designed for physicians (and other candidates with advanced degrees) who are pursuing research careers and desire intensive exposure to analytic and quantitative skills. The program is appropriate for students interested in domestic or international research questions.

  • Applicants generally hold graduate medical or other professional degrees and have significant interest in health services. They typically expect to devote a substantial portion of their careers to research, particularly in health services, cost-effectiveness analysis, and clinical decision making. For more information on these programs, call Anne Occhipinti at (617-432-4511).

Environmental Science and Risk Management Program

The Environmental Science and Risk Management Program, sponsored jointly by Environmental Health (EH) and HPM, offers students an integrated education in environmental science, risk analysis, and decision making. Students must have strong quantitative backgrounds in physical science, engineering, social or management science, as well as several years of experience in the environmental field. The program is closely linked to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.

The Master of Science (SM) is a four-semester degree program aimed at students interested in solving problems at the interface between environmental science and public policy. The Doctor of Science (SD) degree, which requires two to three years of work beyond the SM, is designed for students interested in research in environmental risk assessment and decision making.

**Please contact EH (617-432-3351) or HPM (617-432-4511) about specific degree requirements.

Master of Public Health Concentrations

The Master of Public Health (MPH) Program is designed for students who hold a health-related professional masters or doctoral degree. HPM participates in this program through two concentrations: Health Care Management and Law and Public Health. For more information, applicants should contact the MPH office (617-432-3530).

Doctor of Philosophy Program in Health Policy

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program in Health Policy , awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, is designed for students seeking teaching careers in institutions of higher learning or research careers in health policy. PhD students specialize in decision sciences, economics, ethics, organizational behavior, political analysis, or statistics and evaluative science. Inquiries should be addressed to the program's Director (617-496-5412).