The American health care system is plagued with persistent challenges in the areas of access, cost and quality. The system is the most expensive in the world, but millions remain uninsured or underinsured and unable to access appropriate services. While the U.S. provides some of the most sophisticated care, the quality and our public health infrastructure lags many nations. Racial and ethnic disparities persist, as does access to essential reproductive health services. The COVID pandemic continues to expose persistent inequities. The Health Policy concentration creates leaders in the field who will take on these challenges directly.
The concentration prepares students with detailed insight into the complex U.S. health care system, including public health, health care delivery systems, payment and finance, and state and national reforms. It provides research and analytical frameworks essential for making change. Students apply these skills to issues such as health disparities and access, drug pricing, reproductive health and maternal and child health, health expenditure growth, pandemic response and more. Internship, fellowships and opportunities to work on research projects at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research, combined with classwork, put students in an immediate position to take their careers to the next level and have the impact they want and the nation needs.
Institute on Healthcare Systems
Students in the Health concentration benefit from access to the Institute on Healthcare Systems (IHS). IHS is home to many innovations in healthcare research and policy, and is dedicated to providing rigorous technical solutions to policymakers and other stakeholders who are striving to improve quality, efficiency, and value.
Course Requirements
- The full spectrum of MPP core courses
- The following specialized courses:
- Additional course(s) selected from the following list in consultation with a faculty advisor:
- HS 334f, Disability Policy: Intersections with Health, Poverty, Education and Family Policy
- HS 422f, Cost-Effectiveness
- HS 505f, Quality and Performance Measurement in Healthcare
- HS 507f, State Health Policy
- HS 520a, Payment and Financing of Healthcare
- HS 521a, Political and Organizational Analysis
- HS 572a, Economics of Behavioral Health