The MPH in Health Policy provides students with a foundation in health policy processes, concepts, and issues as well as strong analytical skills to help develop and evaluate health policies. The Health Policy MPH degree offers students’ opportunities to tailor their studies in domestic and international health policy, with courses focused on foundations, methods, and a topical area of expertise.
Graduates of the program work in leadership and research in the public or private sector, domestically or internationally. Employment settings include institutions involved in developing policy, evaluating of health programs and projects, or providing goods and services in support of health sector program implementation or development. The MPH in Health Policy can also serve as a strong academic foundation for students who may wish to pursue a doctoral degree in health policy or management.
Program Competencies
At the completion of the MPH degree, the student will be able to:
- Apply economic and legal concepts and theories to the analysis of healthcare policy and management issues.
- Evaluate health policies for impacts and unintended consequences using fundamental research and analytic methods.
- Critique the health policy literature on how robustly the evidence base supports a particular policy.
- Communicate health policy issues written and orally.
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPHTM Foundational Requirement (15 Credits) | ||
| 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 |
| SPHL 6080 | Design Strategies in Public Health Programs | 3 |
| Program Course Requirements (18Credits) | ||
| HPAM 6210 | Health Law and Regulation | 3 |
| HPAM 6450 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HPAM 7100 | Population Health Analytics | 3 |
| HPAM 7660 | Health Policy Analysis | 3 |
| HPAM 7740 | Economic Evaluation & Modeling | 3 |
| HPAM 7800 | Health Policy Capstone (Includes the ILE requirements ) 1 | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| SPHL 9980 | Applied Practice Experience | 0 |
| SPHL 7950 | Integrative Learning Experience | 0 |
| Total Credit Hours | 45 | |
Applied Practice Experience
The Applied Practice Experience (APE) (formerly practicum) is a supervised practice experience conducted in an agency or organization external to the university to gain practical experience. The APE allows students to demonstrate attainment of at least five competencies, including at least 3 from the foundational competencies (CEPH Criterion D2). The APE is conducted after completion of the foundational courses. After identifying the APE setting and defining the competencies, students enter the information into Terra Dotta. An APE report is required that summarizes the field experiences.
All students in the MPH in Health Policy complete a 250-hour applied practice experience under the supervision of a qualified professional in public health.
Integrated Learning Experience
1The MPH in Health Policy MPH degree requires a capstone course that includes the ILE requirement including the ILE written report. Rubrics for the ILE final paper are included in the capstone course syllabus. Student in capstone course synthesize the three competencies from the program by evaluating the policies, critiquing the literature, and communicating the issues.
Model Course Schedule
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
Year 1, Fall Semester | ||
| SPHL 6020 | Foundations in Public Health | 3 |
| SPHL 6070 | Health Systems Policy and Management | 3 |
| HPAM 6210 | Health Law and Regulation | 3 |
| HPAM 6450 | Health Economics | 3 |
Year 1, Spring Semester | ||
| SPHL 6050 | Biostatistics for Public Health | 3 |
| SPHL 6080 | Design Strategies in Public Health Programs | 3 |
| HPAM 7100 | Population Health Analytics | 3 |
| HPAM 7660 | Health Policy Analysis | 3 |
Year 1 Summer Semester | ||
| SPHL 9980 | Applied Practice Experience | 0 |
Year 2. Fall Semester | ||
| HPAM 7740 | Economic Evaluation & Modeling | 3 |
| SPHL 6060 | Epidemiology for Public Health | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Year 2, Spring | ||
| HPAM 7800 | Health Policy Capstone | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |