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.
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PhD Foundational Courses | ||
| SPHL 6020 | Foundations in Public Health | 3 |
| SPHL 6050 | Biostatistics for Public Health | 3 |
| SPHL 6060 | Epidemiology for Public Health | 3 |
| SPHL 6070 | Health Systems Policy and Management | 3 |
| HPAM 6450 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HPAM 7660 | Health Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PhD Core Courses | ||
| SBPS 8760 | Social Epidemiology/Social Determinants of Health II | 3 |
| or EPID 7120 | Epidemiologic Methods II | |
| IHSD 8250 | Advanced Research Methods in Global Health | 3 |
| SPHL 7500 | Public Health Grant Writing | 3 |
| SPHL 8080 | Public Health Pedagogy | 3 |
| HPAM 8310 | Organizational Theory And Assessment | 3 |
| HPAM 8410 | Cost Benefit and Cost Effective Analysis | 3 |
| HPAM 8770 | Health Services Research Methods | 3 |
| HPAM 8350 | Policy Analysis with Natural Experiments and Panel Data | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| 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 PhD Foundational Courses)
The model schedule represents an overall plan for completing degree requirements. Students should consult an advisor to plan their actual schedule in terms of total credits per semester and course sequencing.
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1, Fall Semester | ||
| HPAM 8310 | Organizational Theory And Assessment | 3 |
| EPID 7120 | Epidemiologic Methods II | 3 |
| or SBPS 8760 | Social Epidemiology/Social Determinants of Health II | |
| SPHL 8080 | Public Health Pedagogy | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Year 2, Spring Semester | ||
| IHSD 8250 | Advanced Research Methods in Global Health | 3 |
| SBPS 8760 | Social Epidemiology/Social Determinants of Health II | 3 |
| or EPID 7120 | Epidemiologic Methods II | |
| HPAM 8770 | Health Services Research Methods | 3 |
| Year 2, Fall Semester | ||
| SPHL 7500 | Public Health Grant Writing | 3 |
| HPAM 8350 | Policy Analysis with Natural Experiments and Panel Data | 3 |
| HPAM 8410 | Cost Benefit and Cost Effective Analysis | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Year 2, Spring Semester | ||