PhD in Health Policy and Management

The doctoral program in Health Policy and Management (HPM) is designed to develop scholars that are able to apply theoretical frameworks from the social sciences (such as economics, political science, organizational theory and management, sociology) to address pressing health policy and management research questions. The program is purposefully interdisciplinary and seeks to prepare students for research careers in academics as well as in public and private sector agencies and organizations. Students complete courses in a broad set of health policy and management areas, biostatistics and econometrics, and a selected area of depth (i.e., economic theory and application, political and policy analysis, and organizational theory and management). Students in the department of HPM take qualifying examinations in:

1. health policy and management
2. quantitative methods
3. their chosen area of depth.

In addition, students work directly with a specific faculty member on an individualized readings course on which they will also take a qualifying examination. The program typically requires 4-5 years to complete, including 2 years of coursework followed by 2-3 years to complete and defend the doctoral dissertation. Individuals applying to this program usually have a master’s degree and/or relevant research experience, however the minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree.

This program requires General GRE test scores. Please send them to institution code 3987 (there is no department code).

All courses are 1 unit unless otherwise noted.

The Ph.D. degree in Health Policy and Management requires a total of 16 course units with the option of obtaining credits for previous courses. With the approval of the academic adviser and DGS, course substitutions that better suit the needs of the student may satisfy the course work requirement.

PhD Required Courses (5 course units)

• EPH 508 Foundations of Epidemiology and Public Health
• EPH 600 Research Ethics and Responsibilities (0 units)
• EPH 608 Frontiers of Public Health*
• HPM 610 Applied Area Readings
• HPM 617 Colloquium in Health Services Research (0 units)
• HPM 618 Colloquium in Health Services Research (0 units)
• HPM XXX Additional course TBD
• HPM XXX Additional course TBD

PhD Required Methods and Statistics Courses (minimum 4 course units)

• BIS 623 Advanced Regression Models
• BIS 628 Longitudinal and Multilevel Data Analysis
• ECON 556 Topics in Empirical Economics and Public Policy
• ECON 558 Econometrics
• HPM 583 Methods in Health Services Research
• MGMT 737 Applied Empirical Methods
• PLSC 500 Foundations of Statistical Inference
• PLSC 503 Theory and Practice of Quantitative Methods
• SBS 580 Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health
• SOCY 580 Introduction to Methods in Quantitative Sociology
• SOCY 581 Intermediate Methods in Quantitative Sociology
• SOCY 582 Statistics III; Advanced Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists
• S&DS 563 Multivariate Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences
• S&DS 565 Introductory Machine Learning

PhD Required Health Policy and Management Courses (minimum 2 course units, all with PhD Readings)

• EPH 510 Health Policy and Health Care Systems
• HPM 514 Health Politics, Governance, and Policy
• HPM 570 Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and Decision Making
• HPM 573 Advanced Topics in Modeling Health Care Decisions
• HPM 587 Advanced Health Economics

Additional Elective(s)

Minimum of 1 additional elective. Must be approved by advisor.

Specializations

Economics Specialization Required Courses (minimum 4 course units)

• ECON 545 Microeconomics
  May substitute for an alternative with permission of advisor and GSEC representative
• ECON 558 Econometrics
  Must take substitution course if taken as Methods course.

Students take two field courses in at least one concentration to develop expertise. Sets of courses across topics can be selected to meet research interests with advisor permission:

• Behavioral Economics:
  • MGMT 758 Foundations of Behavioral Economics
  • PSYC 553 Behavioral Decision Making I: Choice
• Industrial Organization:
  • ECON 600 Industrial Organization I
  • ECON 601 Industrial Organization II
• Labor Economics:
  • ECON 630 Labor Economics
  • ECON 631 Labor Economics
• Public Finance:
  • ECON 556 Topics in Empirical Economics and Public Policy
  • ECON 680 Public Finance I
  • ECON 681 Public Finance II

Organizational Theory and Management Specialization Required Courses (4 course units)

Courses are selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.

Political and Policy Analysis Specialization Required Courses (4 course units)

Suggested courses:

• PLSC 800 Introduction to American Politics
• PLSC 801 Political Preferences and American Political Behavior
• PLSC 803 American Politics III: Institutions

Course offerings subject to change.

rev. 07.10.2023

Research in HPM applies the conceptual frameworks and research methods from economics, health policy, and organizational theory and management. Examples of ongoing faculty research include the following:

• The Role of Pharmacists in Primary Care: Analyzing Predictors and Outcomes of Pharmacist Integration in Connecticut
  
• The Determinants and Consequences of Cognitive Aging: Evidence and Implications for Public Policy
• Essays on Quality Improvement: Three Active Approaches to Improving Care for Nursing Home Users
• Efficiency and Equity in Private Markets for Public Health Care Services
• The Role of the Physician-Patient Relationship in Chronic Disease Patients
• The Effects of Hospital Network Entry and Exit on Organizational Performance