Health Policy and Management

he 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 collective bargaining 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, managed-care 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.

Degree Programs in Health Policy and Management

As described below, the department offers both 80-credit and 42.5-credit master of science (SM) programs, a nonresidential, parttime SM in health care management for physician and dental executives, and a doctor of science (SD) program. The department also participates in the universitywide doctor of philosophy (PhD) Program in Health Policy.

Master of Science in Health Policy and Management (80-credit and 42.5-credit programs)

The 80-credit SM 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 practice activities. Acquired knowledge is applied to practical situations through a required summer internship program and a field research project. This professional program is designed for students who are building careers in health-related fields and who aspire to leadership roles in the public or private sector. Recent graduates have taken positions in local, state, and federal government agencies; consulting companies; public policy research organizations; community health centers; hospitals; health plans; and pharmaceutical companies. Others have gone on to doctoral and fellowship programs.

Applicants to the 80-credit program come from a wide variety of undergraduate fields. They are expected to have full-time work experience and an academic record, particularly in quantitative and analytical courses, that suggest outstanding potential in the areas of health policy and management. Applicants should have at least two years of relevant postbaccalaureate work experience in the health field; exceptions are occasionally made for outstanding candidates. Deferred admission is available for applicants who demonstrate strong potential but who lack sufficient professional experience in the health sector. These applicants work within the health field in positions approved by the program for a minimum of one year before matriculating.

Of the 80 credits necessary to earn the SM, required courses account for 30 to 35. In addition to fulfilling schoolwide requirements, students must satisfy the requirements of at least one of three areas of interest:

Management This area of interest is for students pursuing management careers in public- or private-sector health institutions

Policy This area of interest is intended for those who wish to become involved in the formulation of health policy, including medical care policy, heath finance and insurance, access to health care, payment to institutions and practitioners, political analysis and strategy, and Medicare and Medicaid reform.

Research This area of interest is geared toward students looking toward doctoral education and research careers in fields such as health economics, quality of care, technology assessment, health decision analysis, and advanced statistical analysis.

The requirements for the management, policy, and research areas of interest are described in a guide available from the department. After the required credits have been completed, students are encouraged to enroll in relevant courses at Harvard Business School, Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The 42.5-credit SM program is designed for students pursuing research careers in public- or private-sector health care institutions, particularly physicians and other candidates with relevant advanced degrees who desire intensive training in analytic and quantitative skills. The degree is appropriate for students interested in either domestic or international research questions. Recent graduates have taken research positions at academic medical centers and other health care organizations.

Applicants to the 42.5-credit program should hold graduate medical or other professional degrees and have significant experience in health services. They typically expect to devote a substantial portion of their careers to research in areas such as health services research, cost-effectiveness analysis, and clinical decision making.

Students fulfill schoolwide requirements and take up to 10 tutorial credits and an additional 10 credits in courses within the department. Recommended electives include upper-level courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, health services research, health decision sciences, quality improvement, technology assessment, and program evaluation.

Master of Science in Health Care Management

The SM in health care management is a 42.5-credit, two-year, part-time, nonresidential degree program that trains clinicians in the executive skills required for management. This professional program is targeted to midcareer MDs, DMDs, and DDSs with significant management responsibilities who wish to be more effective in their roles in the health care sector.

The program includes course work on strategy determination, financial analysis, negotiation, organizational behavior, operations management, information systems, and quality-of-care management. Degree candidates are required to spend three weeks each summer on campus, as well as five four-day weekends (Friday through Monday) each academic year. Scheduled teleconferences, an estimated ten to fifteen hours per week of assignments, and a final practicum are also required.

This is a closed-cohort learning situation. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory, and previous courses and/or degrees will not be applied to degree requirements. No auditing or cross-registration is allowed.

Doctor of Science in Health Policy and Management

The SD program in health policy and management is designed for physicians, lawyers, and other professionals who are interested in doctoral-level research training in health policy and who are committed to applied, interdisciplinary research. The program prepares graduates to perform research in the academic or professional realm.

Applicants must hold an MD, a DDS, a PhD, or a JD degree. Except in rare cases the department also expects that applicants will be in progress toward or will have already obtained a degree at HSPH. Moreover, applicants should have a strong aptitude in a quantitative discipline (demonstrated by prior academic performance, work experience, and standardized test scores), experience in the health sector, and the ability to perform original and independent work. Applicants should indicate their anticipated area of interest within the department and anticipated faculty mentor in their application. An environmental science and risk management area of interest is offered jointly with the Department of Environmental Health.

In addition to schoolwide requirements, candidates complete a set of required courses in decision science, economics, program evaluation, health politics, and public health law (lawyers only). Each student works closely with a faculty adviser to develop an individual plan of study. While students in this program have the opportunity to take courses throughout the university, all required courses are offered through HSPH.

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Policy

The doctor of philosophy in health policy is a collaborative program of six Harvard University faculties: the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health, Medical School, Kennedy School of Government, Law School, and Business School. Because this is an interfaculty program, enrolled students take courses throughout the university. The PhD is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Please note that Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application forms must be used when applying to the PhD Program in Health Policy. The deadline for applying to the PhD program is December 15, 2007.

The program prepares students for tenure track positions and other research positions at schools of public health, public policy, and medicine; organizations such as the Kaiser Family Foundation, the RAND Corporation, the World Health Organization, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; and government agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Applicants wishing to combine the PhD Program in Health Policy with either the MD program at Harvard Medical School or the JD program at Harvard Law School must apply separately to each program and indicate in the PhD application that they are also applying to the MD or JD program.

Applicants must submit GRE or GMAT exam scores that are less than five years old, and individuals whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL scores. A graduate degree is not required for admission; however, with the possible exception of applicants wishing to pursue a combined degree (see above), preference is given to those with either relevant work experience or some prior graduate work.

Degree requirements include approximately two years of course work; a concentration in one academic discipline (decision science, economics, ethics, evaluative science and statistics, management, medical sociology, or political analysis); at the dissertation stage specialization in one of five policy areas (environmental health, health care services, international health, mental health, or public health); general and concentration exams (usually at the end of the second year); a dissertation prospectus and oral examination; a dissertation based on original research; and a dissertation defense.

Financial aid is available to applicants admitted to the program, especially from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Institute of Mental Health. Full tuition and stipend are available to admitted minority students with demonstrated need.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

The department offers two-year postdoctoral fellowships to candidates who wish to do independent research in such areas as quality of medical care, technology assessment and cost-effectiveness, health care policy, management of health care organizations, and AIDS policy. The program emphasizes methodology in evaluation research, decision science, economics, and organizational analysis and permits fellows to design individualized programs of study. Fellows may also apply for admission to a formal degree program. Candidates must hold an MD, a DDS, a PhD, or an equivalent degree and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae; three letters of reference; most recent transcript and standardized test scores; and a statement describing career goals, research interests, and reasons for applying. The application deadline is December 1, 2007, for a fellowship beginning in July 2008.

Related Offerings

• Environmental science and risk management area of interest, Department of Environmental Health
• Interdisciplinary concentration in the epidemiology of infectious disease
• MPH concentrations in health care management and policy and in law and public health

Contact Information

For more information about SM and SD programs in health policy and management, please contact:

Anne Occhipinti, Director of Academic Programs
Department of Health Policy and Management
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115

Phone: 617-432-4511
Fax: 617-432-3699
Email: aocchipi@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hpm

For more information about the SM degree in health care management, please contact:

Colin Fleming, Program Coordinator
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115

Phone: 617-432-7075
Email: cfleming@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/mhcm

For the PhD program online submissions are encouraged, using the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application form available at the web address below:

Web: http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/ apply/apply_3.php

For specific information about the PhD program, please contact:

Debbie Whitney, Assistant Director
PhD Program in Health Policy
79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Phone: 617-496-5506
Fax: 617-496-2860
Email: deborah_whitney@harvard.edu
Web: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~healthpl