The Ph.D. program in Health Services Research seeks to develop scientists experienced in the use of state of the art experimental and non-experimental research methods for the purpose of advancing fundamental knowledge of issues central to the improvement of population health by focusing on organizational characteristics of health care delivery systems, providers, and economic forces that shape consumer and provider behavior, as well as the policy environment in which these relationships exist. The PhD program explicitly seeks to train scientists to optimally contribute as part of multidisciplinary teams in academic posts, government agencies at the state, national and international levels, and in research arms of private sectors of health services delivery organizations. The program explicitly seeks to develop scientists skilled in the communication of scientific knowledge, equipped with leadership skills for the purpose of improving services and influencing health policy at the organizational, state, national, and international levels such that those policies lead to more equitable use of resources thus improving health outcomes. The competency-based curriculum provides students with a strong analytic foundation and general health services research orientation. Students are expected to have an emphasis area in pharmaceutical health services research, sociology, or economics.

Additional resources: Health Services Research faculty are members of the Department of Community Health and the Program in Public Health, which are home to world-class research centers, such as the Center for Gerontology and Health Services Research, the Centers for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, the International Health Institute, the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, and the Center for Statistical Sciences. Students are engaged in collaborative research with faculty at many of these centers, as well as the Department of Health.

Major areas of faculty activity include long term care research, pharmaceutical health services research, eliminating racial disparities, evaluation of state policies, and end of life care. Strengths of the program include its student-centric approach to learning, high faculty to student ratio, and hands on experience conducting supervised research.

Completion requirements: Completion requirements include 24 credits, successful completion of written comprehensive exams in methods and a substantive area, successful defense of an independent dissertation.

ADMISSION INFORMATION

Admission requirements: Master's degree and/or relevant work experience preferred.

GRE General: Required

GRE Subject: Not required

Application deadline: January 5

FACULTY