Choosing a Degree

The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Public Health Administration and Policy provides management training in public health administration, focusing on the public health functions of management, analysis, and policy. The program emphasizes a population-based health improvement approach to public health.

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration emphasizes a policy/population orientation, a research perspective, analytic methods, and broad exposure to the field. Graduates enter careers in policy analysis, clinical outcomes research. Positions are in public and private sector organizations, such as state legislatures, public health agencies, managed care organizations, large multi-specialty medical group practices, and hospital/physician organizations.

The Doctoral (Ph.D.) in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration trains students for positions as researchers and teachers in top research universities, in government agencies at the state and federal level, and in the research arms of private health insurance, provider, or consulting organizations. The program is known for its rigorous training in statistical methods and for its emphasis on economic, sociological and political theory as a basis for organizing thought.

The Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) degree is the traditional preparation for those who want to build their careers in the management, financing, and marketing of healthcare delivery. Students pursue coursework in the classic management disciplines and apply those concepts to the healthcare industries. M.H.A. graduates are employed in a variety of settings such as: clinics and hospitals, consulting firms, managed care, insurance companies, medical device firms, and pharmaceutical companies.

If you are interested in ...	Consider This Program
Hospital and clinic management	MHA
Health care consulting	MHA
Insurance and HMOs	MHA
Medical device, and pharmaceutical companie	MHA or MHA/MBA
Government health policy	MPH, MS & PhD
Access to healthcare for underserved populations	MPH, MS & PhD
Social and class disparities in health	MPH, MS & PhD
Efficacy and safety of new medical technologies	MPH, MS & PhD
Analysis and interpretation of large data sets	MS & PhD
Health economics	MS & PhD
Health insurance systems, cost benefit analysis	MS & PhD
See also: Choosing an area of study