The program trains students for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Policy and Management (HPAM). It aims to develop researchers, educators and policymakers who can contribute to improving health of populations around the world. The program will prepare the student to conduct original scholarly research, publish in peer-reviewed journals, write competitive research grant proposals, and teach in university settings. Students’ area specializations reflect the major strengths of the HPAM faculty which include public health insurance design (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid benefits), vaccine policy, health equity, big data analytics, diabetes care, hospital financing, and information technology.
PhD Program Competencies
Create conceptual models based on existing theoretical frameworks that can be applied to public health policy and management research questions.
Design a testable health policy and management research question with a suitable theoretical framework and study design.
Estimate impacts of health policies or management practices using appropriate research methods and statistical analyses.
Design teaching and learning experiences grounded in pedagogical best practices in a chosen area of expertise.
Develop a grant proposal for a public health research study with a compelling scientific narrative, description of investigator capacity, timeline, and budget.
Students must complete 48 credit hours of coursework and doctoral studies beyond the baccalaureate, with a minimum of 30 didactic hours at Tulane in the doctoral program. Up to 18 Credits can be transferred from previous graduate coursework.
Policy Analysis with Natural Experiments and Panel Data
3
Concentration-specific PhD Elective Courses*
Elective
3
Elective
3
Total Credit Hours
48
Research Ethics
All doctoral students are required to complete CITI trainings as they join research studies.
Teaching Assistant Requirement
All PhD students at SPHTM are required to serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for two SPHTM courses while enrolled in the PhD program. The courses for which the student will serve as a TA must be approved by the PhD program director.
Comprehensive Exam
On completion of doctoral coursework, students will be required to pass a comprehensive exam to demonstrate global health management and policy PhD program competencies. Comprehensive exams are administered in the spring of the fourth semester. They consist of take-home exams that cover three core areas (theory, design, and methods) as well as a subject matter exam that is individualized to each particular student’s interest. Each portion of the exam is graded by two graders. If students fail any particular question from either grader they must retake the entire area.
Doctoral Committee
After successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student forms a dissertation committee and develops a prospectus. The committee must include a minimum of three members with at least two faculty from the Department of Global Health Management and Policy and one external to the school.
Prospectus
Students work with their advisor and doctoral committee to determine a research hypothesis and prepare a prospectus of proposed dissertation research. The research prospectus is presented and defended at least one semester before the dissertation defense. Following the successful defense of the prospectus, students are admitted to PhD candidacy and proceed with dissertation research.
Dissertation
Students must conduct original scholarly research and defend a dissertation based on that research. The dissertation research demonstrates scholarly work and is the basis for the dissertation. Many graduates of HPAM follow the three-paper model as this delivers publishable units closer to what is demanded by the types of jobs graduates of this program pursue. The student must defend the dissertation in an oral exam. This process must be completed within seven years of matriculation into the PhD program.
Model Schedule (not including 18 credit hours of PhD Foundational Courses)
The model schedule represents an overall plan for completing degree requirements for the PhD core courses and electives only. Students should consult their academic advisor to plan their actual schedule in terms of total credits per semester and course sequencing based on degree requirements and any transfer credits.
