Ph.D. in Health Services Research and Policy
The Department of Health Policy & Management offers a Ph.D. program in Health Services Research and Policy. Health services research is a multi-disciplinary field of inquiry, both basic and applied, that examines the use, costs, quality, accessibility, delivery, organization, financing and outcomes of health care services to increase knowledge and understanding of the structures, processes and effects of health services for individuals and populations. As public health professionals, health services researchers and policy researchers use a systems approach to understanding health of populations that is consistent with the ecological model determinants of health. Students will have the opportunity to conduct focused and directed research with faculty working in the areas of long-term care, pharmaceutical economics, behavioral economics, quality improvement, organizational theory, and health policy.

The Ph.D. program provides graduates with contemporary training in research design and methods appropriate for studying the health care system, experience in developing an NIH style grant proposal, and experience in writing for publication and presenting results at a scientific meeting, and teaching. Students will identify an area of focus that informs the substance and provides the theoretical framework for their research. Upon completing the program, graduates will be prepared for positions in academia, government or the private sector as experts in health services research and policy.

Click here for information about the program and application instructions.

MASTERS PROGRAMS:

Master of Health Administration (MHA)
The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program is currently the foundation of the Department’s graduate educational activities. The past several decades have witnessed a period of unprecedented, dramatic change for the health care systems both in the U.S. and globally. This turbulent period has presented great challenges and risks but also opportunities for health care providers, organizational/system leaders and managers, and educators. Certainly today’s health care and long-term care systems offer an array of promising career options for early career entrants and professionals considering career redirection or enhancement to obtain necessary credentials and to engage in a process of life-long professional learning. Career opportunities in health care, long-term care for the elderly, and public health have become more diverse and rewarding for people with the appropriate knowledge and skills. With the changes in health care organizational structures, career venues for MHAs now include managed care organizations, integrated long-term care systems, management and financial analysis, health care consulting and services, public health policy and higher education. We are confident that the MHA degree from the GSPH, Health Policy & Management will provide the foundation for life-long learning and professional development and serve as a well-recognized credential for current and future generations of health care system leaders and managers.

Master of Public Health (MPH)
The crises we have experienced at the beginning of the 21^st Century, including acts and threats of bioterrorism, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters, and epidemics, as well as the chronic problems of world poverty, hunger and disease have made the general public more aware of and better appreciate the ongoing need for effective public health services. This turbulent period has presented great challenges and risks, but also opportunities for public health agencies, health policy makers, and scholars who are engaged in research relevant to the nation’s health. 

By definition public health problems are population-based and increasingly public health problems have affects across an entire Region, the nation or even globally. Public health responses almost always require the expertise and capabilities of multiple professions and disciplines, e.g., epidemiologists, environmental risk specialists, biostatisticians, etc.  More than ever, trained professionals are needed who can effectively design and implement public health programs, manage public health organizations efficiently and effectively and provide leadership and advocacy in developing effective public health policy and obtaining resources to sustain the public health mission.

 The MPH Program in the Department of Health Policy & Management in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh provides advanced education for recent graduates, entry-level and mid-career professionals to facilitate their career development as leaders, managers, health professionals, policy analysts and advocates for various roles and contexts in public health and health care.

 According to Wesley M. Rohrer, Ph.D., Assistant Chair of Health Management Education, “we are confident that the MPH degree will provide the foundation for life-long learning and professional development and serve as a well recognized credential for current and future generations of public health leaders.”

Juris Doctor / Master of Public Health (JD/MPH Program)
The Department also offers a joint degree program with the School of Law, the JD/MPH program in law and health policy. Graduates of the program receive the Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees upon completion. This joint-degree program was developed in recognition of the increasing area of intersection between the practice of law, health policy and health care delivery in the U.S. Graduates of this program are provided the academic foundation for professional roles in public policy analysis and development, the practice of law for private clients with specialization in health law, and as in-house counsel for health care organizations and systems and regulatory agencies.

For information e-mail Donna Schultz at dschultz@pitt.edu