Master of Public Policy (MPP)

Health Policy

Become an expert on the U.S. health care policy landscape at a top-ranked graduate school in health policy and management

The U.S. health care system is plagued with persistent challenges in access, cost, quality, and equity. Students in this concentration gain detailed insights into the complex U.S. health care system, including public health, health care delivery, payment and finance, and state and national reform efforts. Students learn the research and analytical frameworks essential for making change, and then apply those skills to issues such as health disparities and access, drug pricing, reproductive health, maternal and child health, pandemic response, and more.

Students in the health concentration combine classwork with internships, fellowships, and opportunities to work on in-house research projects, putting them in an immediate position to take their careers to the next level. Graduates of the health policy concentration regularly land jobs in national, state or municipal governments, research organizations, think tanks, foundations, not-for-profit organizations or in Congress or state legislatures. Others go on to PhD programs.

Concentration Chair: Michael Doonan, PhD’02

“Whether you want to become a researcher, a policymaker, or even the head of an agency, my hope is that the health policy concentration will open your eyes to how the U.S. health care system works and give you the skills to change it for the better.”

Institute on Healthcare Systems

Students in the health policy concentration benefit from access to research faculty in the Institute on Healthcare Systems (IHS), part of Heller’s Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research. IHS is home to some of the nation’s leading experts in health policy research, and is dedicated to providing rigorous technical solutions to policymakers and other stakeholders who are striving to improve quality, efficiency, and value.

Course Requirements