Health Services Research and Policy PhD

Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)
Minimum Required Credits: 41.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 44.0503
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-9111

About the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services Research and Policy will equip students with the skills to identify and answer important questions regarding health care and public health services, systems, and policies in the United States and to disseminate and translate findings into actions that improve both personal and population health. Students will benefit from engagement with the Department of Health Management and Policy’s interdisciplinary faculty, the Dornsife School of Public Health’s emphasis on urban health and social justice, and the School’s location in Philadelphia—one of the largest cities in the United States – where dynamic networks of academic, government, non-profit, and community-based organizations share a commitment to addressing health problems.

The term “health” in the Department of Health Management and Policy embraces the domains of health care and public health, and we envision “health services research and policy” to include research into health care and public health services, systems, and policies. Healthcare services research is “the multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately our health and well-being.”1 The field was “born of demands for better information and analysis to guide complex decisions about the organization, financing, and effectiveness of health care.”2 Public health systems and services research concerns how “public health programs and policies are organized, financed, and delivered” in order to “maximize population health impact, cost-effectiveness, and health equity” (www.publichealthsystems.org).

The mission of the PhD Program in Health Services Research and Policy is to prepare researchers and scholars for careers in universities and other organizations, such as governmental agencies and private health-related industries (insurers, pharmaceuticals, philanthropic foundations, etc.), where health services research is conducted. The program will equip students with the skills to identify and answer important questions regarding health services and policies in the United States and to disseminate and translate findings into action. Ultimately, Program graduates will serve to improve the US healthcare system and individual and population health outcomes.

The PhD Program in Health Services Research and Policy will equip students to:

• Understand the social, political, behavioral, and economic contexts of health and health services
• Develop and use theoretical frameworks to formulate testable research questions in health services research
• Apply qualitative and mixed methods to answer health services research questions
• Apply quantitative methods (both econometric and epidemiologic) to answer health services and policy research questions
• Evaluate the interplay between historical developments, structural factors, and policy decisions in producing current patterns of healthcare access, quality, and equity
• Understand the basic legal issues and principles that apply to public health practice
• Ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please contact the Dornsife School of Public Health 

Admission Requirements

Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health admissions requirements can be found at: https://drexel.edu/dornsife/admissions/overview/

In addition to the requirements listed below, students are required to complete the TA Orientation and Preparation Course and the Responsible Conduct of Research Training.

Degree Requirements

¹

Foundational Public Health Knowledge: Public Health Foundations is only required for students who do not have a degree from a CEPH accredited school. Students who have a degree from a CEPH accredited school will take an elective in place of Public Health Foundations.  

²

Students can take additional 5000-9999 level electives across the university with Faculty Mentor approval. 

Program Learning Outcomes

• Understand the social, political, behavioral, and economic contexts of health and health services
• Develop and use theoretical frameworks to formulate research questions to address health issues at multiple levels
• Apply quantitative methods (both econometric and epidemiologic) to answer health services and policy research questions
• Evaluate the interplay between historical developments, structural factors, and policy decisions in producing current patterns of healthcare access, quality, and equity
• Understand the basic legal issues and principles that apply to public health practice