Choosing a Major

Which Degree Is Right for Me?

The 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 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, and health services research positions 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 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 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 and insurance companies, and medical device and pharmaceutical companies.
 

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS?	CONSIDER THIS PROGRAM
Hospital and clinic management	MHA
Healthcare consulting	MHA
Insurance and HMOs	MHA
Medical device, and pharmaceutical companies	MHA or MHA/MBA
Government health policy	PHAP, HSRP&A (MS & PhD)
Access to healthcare for underserved populations	PHAP, HSRP&A (MS & PhD)
Social and class disparities in health	PHAP, HSRP&A (MS & PhD)
Efficacy and safety of new medical technologies	PHAP, HSRP&A (MS & PhD)
Analysis and interpretation of large data sets	HSRP&A (MS & PhD)
Heath economics	HSRP&A (MS & PhD)
Health insurance systems, cost benefit analysis	HSRP&A MS & PhD)