health policy phd reddit

• PhD in Health Policy

In This Section

• PhD in Public Policy
• PhD in Political Economy & Government
• PhD in Social Policy
• Job Market Candidates

The PhD in Health Policy is a highly interdisciplinary program that will develop the specialized skills you need for a research and teaching career in health policy.

The program is collaborative at its core, with its curriculum drawing from six Harvard schools:

• Harvard Business School
• Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
• Harvard Kennedy School
• Harvard Law School
• Harvard Medical School
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

With more than 100 Harvard faculty members from these schools integrated in the program, you have access to the insights of leading experts across the full academic and professional spectrum.

Balance broad and specialized knowledge.

As a PhD in Health Policy student, you take courses throughout Harvard’s specialized schools. This allows you to become familiar with the conceptual frameworks, vernacular and perspectives of researchers from other disciplines.

At the same time, developing specialized skills in a discipline is a hallmark of the program, which is why you specialize in one of five concentrations:

• Decision Sciences
• Methods for Policy Research
• Political Analysis

The PhD in Health Policy degree is awarded by the  Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). Our graduates leave the program well equipped to make an impact in academia, government agencies, research institutes, think tanks, foundations, and multinational corporations. 

Health Policy

Share this page.

The program involves more than 100 faculty members from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. You will choose your path from among five disciplines: decision sciences, economics, management, methods for policy research, and political analysis.

Students in the program have worked on a wide range of topics, including access to and utilization of health care, disability rights, physician decision-making, and health system organization. Examples of dissertations include “The Use of Information Technology in US Health Care Delivery,” “Understanding Mental Health Care Use and Outcomes among Individuals with Reduced Access to Care,” and “The Consequences of Government Provision and Regulation of Health Insurance.”

Supportive alumni can be a critical link to beginning your successful post-graduate career. Graduates of the program have secured faculty positions at institutions across the globe, including Stanford University; University of California, Los Angeles; and Yale University. Others have gone on to careers with the RAND Corporation, the Congressional Budget Office, the World Bank, and Kaiser Family Foundation.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the PhD Program in Health Policy , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies . 

Areas of Study

Decision Sciences | Economics | Management | Methods for Policy Research | Political Analysis

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the PhD Program in Health Policy .

Academic Background

All applicants must apply to a specific concentration of the program and must indicate this choice in their statement of purpose. Up to two concentration areas may be specified. Additionally, applicants should indicate policy areas that are of interest.

Statement of Purpose

Describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a PhD in health policy at Harvard. What experiences led you to your research ambitions? Concisely state your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Briefly indicate your career objectives. Your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. You should also include your concentration(s) and policy area(s) of interest.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General (or GMAT): Optional for Decision Sciences, Economics, Methods for Policy Research, and Political Analysis. Required for Management iBT TOEFL minimum score: 100 IELTS minimum score: 7.5

Fall Grades

Fall term grades should be sent when available if attending school while applying to the program (prospective students may add this information to the Fall Grade Report, available in the applicant portal, after they have submitted their application).

Those interested in earning an MD/PhD in Health Policy may apply through the American Medical College Application Service . Once enrolled, MD/PhD students submit application materials to Harvard Griffin GSAS prior to beginning their PhD studies.

For the coordinated JD/PhD , applicants must apply separately to each program and indicate in the application to the PhD program in health policy that a concurrent application has been submitted to Harvard Law School.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Health Policy

See list of Health Policy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

• Current Students

Health Policy PhD

Impact population health at a systems level.

Health policy is an interdisciplinary field that examines the organization and financing of health systems and services; the impact of health policies on population health; and the economic, social and behavioral determinants of health. It involves the investigation of all systems that affect population health, not just the medical care system. The purview of health policy is global.

The mission of our program is to prepare students for research careers in health policy and health services research; teaching; and public service in university, governmental and public policy settings. This program is distinguished by its interdisciplinary application of the social and behavioral science disciplines to real world health issues. Graduates are prepared to play lead scientific roles in addressing the many challenges facing health care and public health systems in the United States and countries around the world.

Students must successfully complete a health services research readings and methods seminar (two semesters), five specialty field courses, three quantitative research methods courses, and three additional graduate elective courses.

The program includes three specialty fields:

The Health Economics specialty field draws on economics, epidemiology and statistics to understand the causal relationship between different aspects of health and the health care sector. With an emphasis on quantifying relationships, health economics covers a broad range of study areas including health production, demand and supply of health services, health care financing, behavioral responses to institutional or policy incentives, policy evaluations and other efficiency, and equity issues surrounding health.

The Organizations & Management specialty field trains scholars in organizational behavior and political science in regards to health. Theories and methods in organizational sociology, political science and social psychology are central to the study of health organizations. Specialty field courses in macro-organizational theory, micro-organizational theory and organizational analysis of the health sector are required. This specialty field emphasizes the management of health care and public health organizations and systems, the implementation and dissemination of policies and practices within and across organizations, and the role of policy-making institutions as platforms for the creation and modification of health policies.

The Population Health Sciences specialty field trains students for research careers in the social, behavioral, and economic determinants of health and the study of interventions, policies, and practices that impact the health of populations and vulnerable communities. The specialty field emphasizes addressing the social and behavioral determinants of health through quantitative research informed by theoretical frameworks in economics, psychology, demography, and social epidemiology. Training in innovative methodologies for establishing causal relationships in quasi-experimental research is a cornerstone of the Population Health Sciences specialty field. Students will learn and integrate cutting-edge methods from key areas of strength at Berkeley: biostatistics, social science methods such as econometrics and formal demography, and the rapidly evolving set of data science innovations such as machine learning that are being advanced at Berkeley including in the Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society. The explosion of health sector data availability, along with Berkeley’s innovation hub positioning, make this an excellent track for students looking to become quantitative experts who can lead research across a wide variety of population health science and health policy questions.

Students have access to all of UC Berkeley’s disciplines and professional schools, in addition to UCSF faculty and research programs. This is a full-time program geared for careers in academia and research and students typically complete it in four to five years. Our program is administered by Berkeley Public Health and the doctoral degree is granted by UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division.

Graduates can achieve and demonstrate expertise in the following major academic outcomes:

• Develop domain expertise in core works in health policy and the selected specialty field.
• Understand central social science theoretical frameworks and debates shaping health policy.
• Demonstrate substantive knowledge of the specialty field sufficient to design and teach graduate-level courses in that field.
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct rigorous quantitative research.
• Plan and conduct independent research using advanced research methods.
• Demonstrate the mastery of academia and grant writing, conference presentation, IRB procedures and ethics in research.
• Engage in intellectual exchange among students and faculty across the university to enhance interdisciplinary research and training.

Qualifications

A master’s degree is not a requirement for this program, however, entering students should have completed introductory coursework in statistics, microeconomics, epidemiology and public health. Students without master’s-level coursework in these areas are required to take relevant courses at UC Berkeley or otherwise demonstrate mastery of these areas.

Graduates are well-prepared to assume academic careers in research and teaching. Many of our graduates move directly to positions in academia, government or research organizations. Other graduates receive postdoctoral fellowships to continue specific training in their area of interest and research.

To apply to the Health Policy PhD program, please complete the UC Berkeley Graduate Division admissions application . This program does not use the SOPHAS application.

Submissions of GRE scores are optional but strongly recommended for this program. Especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application. If not submitting a score, competitive applicants will need to provide alternative evidence of strong quantitative capability and should speak to their analytical and quantitative preparation for the PhD program in their application based on past coursework (e.g. statistics, microeconomics, math) and/or professional experience.

Please submit a writing sample and provide a list of publications and/or presentations related to your academic or professional background (include the PubMed ID if applicable).

If your work is published as a website or part of it, please provide the URL. Your writing sample can be a written assignment, journal article, report, Op-Ed, commentary, conference abstract, or other publication. Please enter your most recent citation first.

This is a quantitatively-oriented health policy program. Prospective applicants primarily interested in qualitative methods are advised to explore related programs such as the UC Berkeley PhD in Social Welfare or Medical Anthropology, or the UCSF Sociology program. Prospective applicants instead primarily focused on computational methods should also consider related UC Berkeley PhD programs in Biostatistics or Computational Precision Health.

Core Faculty

The core PhD program faculty members of the School of Public Health, the Haas School of Business, School of Social Welfare, the Goldman School of Public Policy, and the Departments of Economics, Sociology, and Political Science.

Emeriti Faculty

Emeritus faculty of the Health Policy Faculty Group are Professors of the Graduate School and may serve on dissertation committees as Chair, inside members, or as an Academic Senate Representative. Their availability to students, however, may be limited compared to core faculty group members.

Health Policy Research Centers at UC Berkeley and UCSF

Health Policy PhD students have access to a wide range of resources at UC Berkeley and UCSF, including highly regarded research centers. Below are brief descriptions of a selected list of research centers most closely aligned with the Health Policy PhD program. These Centers include faculty from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines who bring expertise in health services research and provide settings for intensive training and mentorship opportunities for trainees.

• The  Berkeley Center for Health Technology (BCHT) , co-directed by Dr. James Robinson (Director) and Dr. Tim Brown (Associate Director), promotes the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare through research and education on the development, insurance coverage, payment, and appropriate use of medical technologies. The focus of BCHT is on biopharmaceuticals, implantable medical devices, insurance benefit design, and payment methods. Research initiatives include leadership roundtables, case studies of leading organizations, and econometric analyses of public and private data sources. BCHT helps stakeholders design a healthcare system that combines innovation and entrepreneurship with economic efficiency and social fairness.
• The UC Berkeley  Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare , co-directed by Dr. Richard Scheffler (Director) and Dr. Brent Fulton (Associate Director), focuses on consumer protection, affordability and access to healthcare, especially for low and middle-income individuals. The Petris Center also focuses on and the role of information in consumer choice, and regulation and competition within healthcare markets.  The research center is named after former California State Senator Nicholas Petris, who advocated strongly on behalf of California consumers for affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare.
• The UC Berkeley  Center for Healthcare Organizational and Innovation Research (CHOIR) , co-directed by Dr. Hector Rodriguez (Director) and Dr. Amanda Brewster (Associate Director) aspires to help make the U.S. healthcare system among the most responsive in the world through practice-based research and dissemination of evidence. CHOIR emphasizes innovations in healthcare delivery and assessment of organizational performance to improve the technical quality of care delivered, patient experience and outcomes of care, population health, and cost. CHOIR works to maximize their “voice” and impact through webinars, roundtables, and discussions with private and public sector action and thought leaders.
• The Laboratory for Systems Medicine, directed by Dr. Ziad Obermeyer, applies methods from machine learning, biostatistics, and econometrics to the complex world of medical diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes. The center translates large observational datasets into new ways to understand and improve the life and death decisions that providers and patients make every day, in the US and across the world.
• The Center on the  Economics and Demography of Aging (CEDA) , directed by Professor William Dow, was founded in 1993 to promote interdisciplinary research on the economic and demographic aspects of aging.  In response to the growing demand from government agencies, Congress, and academic researchers for timely, accessible, and practical information as well as basic research. At the central core of CEDA is a group of outstanding formal and mathematical and statistical demographers who apply their skills to a variety of research areas, including biodemography, demographic modeling and forecasting, and intergenerational transfers including fiscal accounting. This central core is enriched by other themes, notably psychological and behavioral economics with applications to economic and health-related behaviors.
• The  UC-Berkeley Opportunity Lab (O-Lab) , co-directed by Professor Ben Handel and Professor Hilary Hoynes serves as the central research hub for Berkeley scholars conducting rigorous, data-driven research on social and economic inequality in the United States. Our network of faculty and graduate students work across disciplines and study a wide array of topics, from the role of childhood food security on long-term economic security to the disparate impacts of climate change on low-income communities.
• The UCSF  Center for Vulnerable Populations  at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital carries out innovative research to prevent and treat chronic disease in populations for whom social conditions often conspire to both promote various chronic diseases and make their management more challenging. Beyond the local communities it serves, CVP is nationally and internationally known for its research in health communication and health policy to reduce health disparities, with special expertise in the social determinants of health, including literacy, food policy, poverty, and minority status, with a focus on the clinical conditions of pre-diabetes, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  CVP is at the frontline of practice-based research on chronic diseases for the diverse and disadvantaged populations of San Francisco and the Bay Area. UCSF faculty mentors Drs. Margot Kushel, Courtney Lyles, and Urmimala Sarkar are core CVP faculty.
• The  Healthforce Center  at UCSF was founded in 1992 to help healthcare leaders and  policymakers better understand the health workforce and develop successful strategies and policies. The Center’s dynamic leadership training programs have touched thousands of people across the entire healthcare ecosystem who continue to make significant and meaningful change in healthcare. UCSF Professor Janet Coffman and Professor Joanne Spetz are core faculty of the center.

Current Health Policy PhD Students

• Madeline Adee
• Alexander Adia
• Calvin Chiu
• Christine Lo
• Jorge A. Morales Alfaro
• Rachel Ross
• Jaclyn Schess
• Alex Schulte
• Eleanor Tsai
• Solis Winters
• 2023–2024 Job Market Candidates

Graduates of the UC Berkeley PhD Program in Health Policy (formerly “Health Services and Policy Analysis”) hold leading research and teaching positions at academic and research institutions both within the United States and internationally. Many of our alumni hold tenured or tenure-track positions at respected universities and colleges such as Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, UCSF, and Dartmouth College. Our recent alumni have also successfully obtained post-doctoral appointments at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Yale University, and Stanford University.

The following is a partial listing of PhD program alumni, their dissertation titles, and their current employment.

Jonathan Agnew, PhD Cost and Utilization of Outpatient Prescription Drugs Among the Elderly: Implications for a Medicare Benefit Owner and President, Agnew and Associates Medical Writing Vancouver, BC

Sangeeta C. Ahluwalia, PhD Professionalism among Physicians: Factors Associated with Outpatient Palliative Care Referral in a Managed Care Organization Senior Policy Researcher & Associate Director, Behavioral and Policy Sciences RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA

Jim Bellows, PhD Use of Worker’s Compensation Medical Care: Health Insurance Matters Managing Director Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute, Oakland CA

Aman Bhandari, PhD National Estimates and Predictors of Pharmacy Utilization and Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Expenditures in Underserved Populations Vice President, Data Strategy and Solutions, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA

Claire Boone, PhD Essays in Health and Behavioral Economics Postdoctoral Fellow University of Chicago

Timothy T. Brown, PhD Three Essays on the Labor Market for Nonphysician Clinicians Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management Associate Director of Research, Berkeley Center for Health Technology University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley CA

Sahai Burrowes, PhD Essays on the Political Impact of Development Assistance Allocation in Malawi Associate Professor of Public Health Touro University, Vallejo CA

Drew Cameron, PhD The effect of short-term subsidies on future demand for potable water in rural Bihar, India: A randomized controlled trial Assistant Professor of Public Health (Health Policy) Yale University School of Public Health

Lawrence Casalino, MD, PhD Medical Groups and Physician Organization; Physician-Hospital and Physician-Health Plan Relationships; Physician Organization and Quality Professor Emeritus of Population Health Sciences Weill Cornell Medical College

Aaron Caughey, MD, PhD Applications from Behavioral Economics to Decision Making in the Setting of Prenatal Diagnosis Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR

Paulette Cha, PhD Essays on Health Economics and Immigration Fellow Public Policy Institute of California

Susan Chapman, PhD The Experience of Returning to Work for Employed Women with Breast Cancer Professor, UCSF School of Nursing San Francisco, CA

Ann Chou, PhD Shared decision making: The selection process of treatment options and resulting quality of life implications for women with breast cancer Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine, Health Sciences Center University of Oklahoma

Elizabeth Ciemins, PhD The Effect of Mental Health Parity on Children’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service Utilization in Massachusetts Director of Research and Analytics American Medical Group Association Foundation, Alexandria, VA

Janet Coffman, PhD All Capitated Systems are not Alike: Effects of Organizational Structure, Culture, and Climate on Medicaid Recipients Use of Inpatient Psychiatric Care Professor of Health Policy Institute for Health Policy Studies, UC San Francisco

Carrie Colla, PhD Effects of the San Francisco Employer Health Spending Mandate Professor of Health Economics Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover NH

Leeann Comfort, PhD Applications and Extensions of Organization Theory: The Context of Accountable Care Organizations Scientist Administrator, Social Science Researcher Division of Healthcare Delivery and Systems Research Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

David Contreras-Loya, PhD Managerial Practices and Altruism in Health Care Delivery Research Professor Escuela de Gobierno y Transformación Pública Tecnológico de Monterrey

Jan Cooper, PhD Money, Sex, and Power – An Analysis of Relationship Power in the Context of Conditional Cash Transfer Interventions to Reduce Risky Sex in Tanzania Researcher, Global Health and Policy Analysis Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Jae Corman, PhD Foreclosures and Health Senior Director of Analytics Folx Health

Alison Evans Cuellar, PhD Changing Markets and Hospital: Managed Care, Horizontal Integration and Vertical Alignment Professor of Health Administration and Policy Associate Dean of Research, College of Public Health George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Julie Dang, PhD Two Shots to Cancer Prevention: Improving the Uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine among Preadolescent Patients of a Primary Care Network Assistant Professor & Executive Director, Office of Community Outreach and Engagement UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Maria Dieci, PhD Patient vs. provider incentives for malaria care: A cluster randomized controlled trial in Kenyan pharmacies Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management Emory University

Ebbin Dotson, PhD The Business Case for Leadership Diversity in Health Care Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI

April Falconi, PhD Perimenopause as a Sensitive Period for Women’s Health and Aging: A Review of the Chronic Disease Literature and Two Empirical Tests of Significance Associate Director, Elevance Health

Kevin Feeney, PhD Essays on Cash Transfers and Health Economist, Amazon Los Angeles, CA

Sara Fernandes-Taylor, PhD Provider Communication, Self-Reported Health, and Post-Treatment Regret among Young Breast Cancer Survivors Scientist III Department of Surgery University of Wisconsin School of Medicine

Robin Flagg, PhD Governor Decision Making: Expansion of Medicaid Under the Affordable Care Act Continuing Lecturer, Division of Health Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley

Jennifer Frehn, PhD Understanding the Influences and Organization of Systems to Improve Community Health Post-doctoral Research Fellow, School of Public Health UCLA

Vicki Fung, PhD The Effects of Losing Brand-Name Drug Coverage: Changes in Use of Inhaled Steroids and Clinical Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Asthma Associate Professor of Medicine, Mongan Institute for Health Policy Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA

Daniel Gentry, PhD Organizational Bureaucracy, Legitimacy, and “Thrival”: A Study of the Response by AIDS Service Organizations in Twenty California Counties to the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 President & CEO, Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Gabrielle Goldstein, JD, PhD A Market for Ethics Counsel Nixon Peabody LLP San Francisco, CA

Julia Goodman, PhD Three Essays on Maternity Leave Policies, Utilization and Consequences Assistant Professor of Public Health OHSU & Portland State University School of Public Health

Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, PhD Gender norms as a social determinant of health and well-being of married adolescent girls and young women in South Asia Postdoctoral Fellow UCSF

Ilana Graetz, PhD The Impact of EHR and Teamwork on Care Transitions and Patient Outcomes Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Chaoran Guo, PhD Social Learning in Health Insurance Choices: Evidence from Employer-Sponsored Health Plans Senior Data Scientist, Netflix Los Gatos, CA

Emily Hague, PhD Antecedents and Outcomes Associated with Hospital Participation in a Clinically Integrated Network Health Policy Researcher Mathematica Policy Research, Oakland, CA

Courtnee Hamity, PhD Social Influence and Innovation Adoption in the Clinical Setting Senior Program Officer, Evaluation and Data Strategy Blue Shield of California Foundation, San Francisco, CA

Alein Haro-Ramos, PhD Racism, Illegality, and Population Health: Mechanisms, Interventions, & Community-Engaged Research UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Health, Society, and Behavior University of California, Irvine

Zoë K. Harris, PhD Private Health Insurance Sponsored Wellness Programs:  Examining Participation in the Healthy Lifestyle Rewards Financial Incentives Program on Health Care Costs, Utilization, and Risk Behaviors Executive Director, Head of Customer Engagement Strategy & Operations Genetech

Nianyi Hong, PhD Essays on Patient and Firm Behavior in Health Economics Analyst, Congressional Budget Office Washington, DC

Thomas Huber, PhD The Role of Micro and Macro Level Organizational Coordination in Accountable Care Organizations Adjunct Professor, The Ohio State University

Dorothy Hung, PhD Behavioral Preventive Service Delivery, Productivity, and Staff Turnover in Primary Care Practices: The Role of Participation in Decision Making and the Chronic Care Model Research Scientist and Director, Center for Lean and Engagement Research, School of Public Health University of California, Berkeley

Vanessa Hurley, PhD Collaborative Learning among Health Care Practice and Systems to Improve Patient-Centered Care Assistant Professor of Health Systems Administration Georgetown University

Jenny Hyun, PhD Person-Centered Care Program Philosophy in Capitated Community Mental Health Centers in Colorado Director, Business Intelligence Vituity, Emeryville, CA

Jennifer K. Ibrahim, PhD State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco Dependence Treatments: Implications for a Federal Mandate Dean and Professor, College of Public Health and School of Social Welfare Temple University, Philadelphia PA

Jae Kennedy, PhD Americans Needing Assistance with Activities of Daily Living: Current Estimates and Policy Implications Professor of Health Policy and Administration Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Washington State University, Spokane WA

Jung Kim, PhD Examining factors associated with learning and performance in primary care Graduate Medical Education organizations Assistant Professor, Health Systems Science Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine

Margae Knox, PhD Health System Efforts to Address Health Related Social Needs: Implications for Public Health, Health Services Use, and Quality Outcomes Postdoctoral Delivery Science Fellow Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente

Heather Knauer, PhD Parenting and Child Development in Rural Mexico: Examination of a Large-Scale Parenting Program Adjunct Assistant Professor School of Social Work University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Ada Kwan, PhD Can We Improve Quality of Care in Private Health Sectors? Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment in Kenya Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Medicine University of California, San Francisco

Susan Lehrman, PhD Hospitals’ Participation in the Nursing Home Market Professor and Dean Emeritus, Rohrer College of Business Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey

Jing Li, PhD Altruism and Efficiency Preferences of U.S Medical Students and their Expected Specialty Choice Assistant Professor of Health Economics School of Pharmacy, University of Washington

Rui Li, PhD Effect of Financial Incentives on Physician Productivity in Medical Groups Senior Economist, Division of Reproductive Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA

Michael Lin, PhD Nursing Home Quality: Structure and Strategy Senior Scientist, Telligen Denver, CO

Jenny Liu, PhD Healthy Time, Home Production, and Labor Supply: The Effect of Health Shocks on Time Use within Chinese Households during Economic Transition Professor of Health Economics School of Nursing University of California, San Francisco

Christopher Lowenstein, PhD Essays on labor markets and health: Employment conditions and drug, suicide, and alcohol-related mortality among working-age adults in the United States Postdoctoral Fellow, Epidemiology Stanford University

Martin Marciniak, PhD Too Good to Be True? The Effect of Nicotine Replacement Therapy on an Individual’s Ability to Quit Smoking Vice President and Head, US Health Outcomes Chiesi USA, Inc.

Soledad Martinez, PhD Income, Health Insurance Type and the Quality of Primary Care Systems in Chile: Effects on Health Outcomes and Utilization of Services Assistant Professor School of Public Health at Universidad de Chile, Santiago Chile

Jill Marsteller, PhD The Relationship between Non-Racial Diversity in Team Composition and Performance and Creativity in a Chronic Illness Care Quality Improvement Intervention Professor, Health Policy and Management Bloomberg School of Public Health, John Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Peter Martelli, PhD An Argument for Knowledge Variety in Evidence-Based Management Associate Professor of Healthcare Administration Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, Boston, MA

Sean McClellan, PhD When does Adoption of Health Information Technology by Physician Practices Lead to Use by Physicians within the Practice? Health Policy Researcher Abt and Associates, Boston, MA

Rodney K. McCurdy, PhD Network Influence on Chronic Illness Care in Large Physician Organization:  A Study of the California Managed Care Network in 2001 and 2006 Professor and Program Director National University Detroit, MI

Kathryn McDonald, PhD Ambulatory Care Organizations: Improving Diagnosis Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Nursing

Sara McMenamin, PhD Organizational Support for Smoking Cessation Interventions in Physician Organizations Associate Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity University of California, San Diego

Angela Merrill, PhD Subjective Expectations of Nursing Home Use, Medicaid, and Economic Behavior by Older Americans Principal Researcher Mathematica Policy Research, Cambridge MA

Chris Miller-Rosales, PhD Advancing Organizational Capabilities to Improve Patient Engagement in Health Care Associate, Analysis Group Menlo Park, CA

Eric Nauenberg, PhD Air Pollution and Hospitalization for Asthma in Los Angeles County: Economic and Policy Implications Associate Professor of Health Economics Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care/Dept of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Canada

Zachary Olson, PhD Can a Conditional Cash Transfer Reduce Teen Fertility? The Case of Brazil’s Bolsa Familia Senior Economist, Amazon Seattle, WA

Michael K. Ong, MD, PhD The Effects of Regulatory Change on the Safety of Pharmaceutical Innovations Professor in Residence, Division of GIM & HSR Associate Chief of Staff for Research Department of Medicine, UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA

Laura Packel, PhD Who Changes How: Strategies and Motivation for Risk Reduction Behaviors in the Context of an Economic-based HIV Prevention Intervention in Tanzania Research Director, McCoy Research Group University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health

Mary Paterson, PhD Financial Status of Retiree Caregivers: An Analysis of the Asset Structure of the Retiree Caregiver Professor Emeritus, School of Nursing The Catholic University of America, Washington DC

Krista Perreira, PhD Exits, Recidivism, and Caseload Growth: The Effect of Private Health Insurance Markets on the Demand for Medicaid Professor of Health Economics University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine

Dana Petersen, PhD Social Capital, Social Support, and Quality of Life among Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors Senior Researcher Mathematic Policy Research, Oakland CA

Aryn Phillips, PhD The Impact of Retail Availability on Health Behaviors: Policy Applications for the Prevention & Management of Chronic Conditions Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management School of Public Health University of Maryland, College Park

Kathryn Phillips, PhD Public Policy and Screening: The Influence of State Policies on Utilization of Human Autoimmunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Screening Professor of Health Economics and Health Services Research UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco CA

Jessica Poon, PhD Multilevel Pathways to Patient-Centered Care Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Division of Research Kaiser Permanente

Alexis Pozen, PhD Price Variation for Colonoscopy in a Commercially Insured Population Assistant Professor City University of New York School of Public Health New York NY

Brian Quinn, PhD The Effect of Community-Level Unemployment On Preventive Oral Health Care Utilization Associate Vice President, Research-Evaluation-Learning The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton NJ

Nadia Safaeinili, PhD Evaluation of a statewide integrated medical and social service case management policy innovation: A multi-level assessment of equitable implementation for frontline staff and high-risk, high-need Medicaid patients Research Scientist, School of Medicine Stanford University

Robert Schell, PhD Understanding the Role of Socioeconomic, Health Behavioral, and Genetic Factors in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Associate, Analysis Group Menlo Park, CA

Julie Schmittdiel, PhD The Effect on Primary Health Care Orientation on Chronic Care Management Research Scientist and Associate Director of Health Care Delivery and Policy Division of Research Kaiser Permanente Northern California Oakland CA

John Schneider, PhD Regulation and Regulatory Reform in the U.S. Hospital Industry, 1980-1996 CEO and Founder Avalon Health Economics, Morristown NJ

Neil J. Sehgal, PhD Social Influences on Healthcare Outcomes in a Major Academic Medical Center Associate Professor of Health Systems and Population Health School of Public Health, University of Washington

Tetine Sentell, PhD Literacy, Health, and Health Services Use in a Nationally Representative Sample Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Endowed Chair Department of Health Policy and Management Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health

Gordon Shen, PhD Global Mental Health Policy Diffusion, Institutionalization, and Innovation Assistant Professor of Management, Policy and Community Health The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health

Timothy Snail, PhD The Effects of Hospital Contracting for Physician Services on Hospital Performance Vice President, Charles River Associates Boston, MA

Sean Sullivan, PhD The Demand for Prescription Drugs in Elderly Americans Professor of Health Economics and Dean Emeritus School of Pharmacy, University of Washington

Aaron Tierney, PhD Virtual Diabetes and Hypertension Care in Community Health Centers: Use, Quality, and Patient Preferences Clinical Informatics Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Research Kaiser Permanente

Yi-Wen Tsai, PhD Cigarette Taxation, National Health Insurance Professor, Institute of Health and Welfare Policy National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

Lauren van der Walt, PhD Increasing Women’s Access to Information about Safe Abortion Methods through Local and Global Hotlines Executive Director, Optio Berkeley, CA

Megan Vanneman, PhD Consequences of Devolution: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity in California’s County-based Public Mental Health Care System Assistant Professor of Medicine and Population Health Sciences University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Todd Wagner, PhD The Economics of Consumer Health Information Director, Health Economics Resource Center Department of Veterans Affairs Professor of Surgery Stanford University

Zachary Wagner, PhD Community Health Workers to Increase Use of ORS and Zinc to Treat Child Diarrhea in Uganda: A Cluster Randomized Trial Associate Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation Santa Monica, CA

Neal Wallace, PhD A Production Function Approach to Mental Health Service Coordination in California’s Publicly Financed Mental Health System Professor of Health Systems Management and Policy OHSU-Portland State University School of Public Health

Jessica Watterson, PhD Influences on the Effectiveness of Health Information Technology Innovations in Primary Health Care Senior Research Fellow in Public Health Monash University Melbourne, Australia

Christopher M. Whaley, PhD The Effects of Consumer Information and Cost-Sharing on Healthcare Prices Policy Researcher RAND Corporation

Justin White, PhD A Team-Based Behavioral Economics Experiment on Smoking Cessation Associate Professor of Health Economics Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, School of Public Health Boston University

Frances Wu, PhD The Role of Health Information Technology in Early Accountable Care Organizations in the U.S. Research Associate, The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Jill Yegian, PhD Politics, Economics, and Organizational Innovation in the Small Group Market for Health Insurance Principal, Yegian Health Insights, LLC Oakland, CA

Myoungsoon You, PhD Determinants of Risk Perception among Women with a Family History of Breast Cancer Professor Seoul National University, Korea

Jim Zazzali, PhD Executive Director, Head of Health Policy and Systems Research, and Modeling Genentech

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →
• PhD Programs
• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics

Health Policy (Management)

• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management
• Program Requirements

Curriculum & Coursework

Research & dissertation, areas of specialization.

• Health Care Quality
• Health Care Ventures
• Operations Strategy
• Process Improvement

Celia Stafford

Olivia Zhao

“ No other institution but HBS could have given me the same level of access to resources that span business, health policy, and medicine. ”

Current Harvard Health Policy Faculty  

Current health policy (management) students.

• Hassina Bahadurzada
• Derrick Bransby
• Crystal Guo
• Tanner Houston
• Bohan Li
• Celia Stafford
• Mitchell Tang
• Gabe Weinreb
• Olivia Zhao

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

• Robert S. Huckman
• Kris Johnson Ferreira
• Marco Iansiti

Recent Placement

Emilie aguirre, 2021, michael anne kyle, 2021, a jay holmgren, 2021, lauren taylor, 2020, olivia jung, 2021, philip saynisch, 2019.

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health and Engineering
• Epidemiology
• Health Policy and Management
• Health, Behavior and Society
• International Health
• Mental Health
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Program Finder
• Admissions Services
• Course Directory
• Academic Calendar
• Hybrid Campus
• Lecture Series
• Convocation
• Strategy and Development
• Implementation and Impact
• Integrity and Oversight
• In the School
• In the Field
• In Baltimore
• Resources for Practitioners
• Articles & News Releases
• In The News
• Statements & Announcements
• At a Glance
• Student Life
• Strategic Priorities
• Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE)
• What is Public Health?
• MSPH Field Placements
• Master's Essays
• MAS Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Master of Arts (MA) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Master of Arts and Master of Science in Public Health (MA/MSPH)
• Master of Arts in Public Health Biology (MAPHB)
• Master of Bioethics (MBE)
• Mission, Vision, and Values
• Student Experience
• Program Outcomes
• For Hopkins Undergraduate Students
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Epidemiology
• Alumni Update
• MHS Combined with a Certificate Program
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Alumni Highlights
• Post-Baccalaureate Program in Environmental Health for Pre-Medicine Students
• Bachelor's/MHS in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• MHS HEOR Careers
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Master of Health Science (MHS)
• Concurrent School-Wide Master of Health Science Program in Biostatistics
• Master of Health Science - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Master of Health Science Online (MHS) - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Careers in Health Economics
• Core Competencies
• Meet the Director
• What is Health Economics
• MPH Capstone Schedule
• Concentrations
• Online/Part-Time Format
• Requirements
• Tuition and Funding
• Executive Board Faculty
• Master of Science (MS) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Independent Professional Project and Final Essay 
• Program Objectives and Outcomes
• Internships
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Biostatistics
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Epidemiology
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• ScM Faculty Advisers
• Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Bachelor's/MSPH in Health Policy
• FAQ for MSPH in Health Policy
• Field Placement Experience
• MSPH Capstone
• MSPH Practicum
• Required and Elective Courses
• Student Timeline
• Career Opportunities
• 38-Week Dietetics Practicum
• Completion Requirements
• MSPH/RD Program FAQ
• Program Goals
• Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Biostatistics
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Epidemiology
• Program Goals and Expectations
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Investigation
• Track in Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, and Health
• Track in Exposure Sciences and Environmental Epidemiology
• Track in Health Security
• Track in Toxicology, Physiology and Molecular Mechanisms
• PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering Faculty Advisers
• Recent Graduates and Dissertation Titles
• PhD Funding
• PhD TA Requirement
• Recent Dissertation Titles
• JHU-Tsinghua Doctor of Public Health
• Prerequisites
• Concentration in Women’s and Reproductive Health
• Custom Track
• Concentration in Environmental Health
• Concentration in Global Health: Policy and Evaluation
• Concentration in Health Equity and Social Justice
• Concentration in Health Policy and Management
• Concentration in Implementation Science
• Combined Bachelor's / Master's Programs
• Concurrent MHS Option for BSPH Doctoral Students
• Concurrent MSPH Option for JHSPH Doctoral students
• Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD)
• Adolescent Health Certificate Program
• Bioethics Certificate Program
• Climate and Health Certificate Program
• Clinical Trials Certificate Program
• Community- Based Public Health Certificate Program
• Demographic Methods Certificate Program
• Environmental and Occupational Health Certificate Program
• Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals Certificate Program
• Evaluation: International Health Programs Certificate Program
• Food Systems, the Environment and Public Health Certificate Program
• Frequently Asked Questions for Certificate Programs
• Gender and Health Certificate Program
• Gerontology Certificate Program
• Global Digital Health Certificate Program
• Global Health Certificate Program
• Global Health Practice Certificate Program
• Health Communication Certificate Program
• Health Disparities and Health Inequality Certificate Program
• Health Education Certificate Program
• Health Finance and Management Certificate Program
• Health and Human Rights Certificate Program
• Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention and Control Certificate Program
• Humane Sciences and Toxicology Policy Certificate Program
• Humanitarian Health Certificate Program
• Implementation Science and Research Practice Certificate Program
• Injury and Violence Prevention Certificate Program
• International Healthcare Management and Leadership Certificate Program
• Leadership for Public Health and Healthcare Certificate Program
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Public Health Certificate Program
• Maternal and Child Health Certificate Program
• Mental Health Policy, Economics and Services Certificate Program
• Non-Degree Students General Admissions Info
• Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Certificate Program
• Population Health Management Certificate Program
• Population and Health Certificate Program
• Product Stewardship for Sustainability Certificate Program
• Public Health Advocacy Certificate Program
• Public Health Economics Certificate Program
• Public Health Informatics Certificate Program
• Public Health Practice Certificate Program
• Declaration of Intent - Public Health Preparedness
• Public Health Training Certificate for American Indian Health Professionals
• Public Mental Health Research Certificate Program
• Quality, Patient Safety and Outcomes Research Certificate Program
• Quantitative Methods in Public Health Certificate Program
• Requirements for Successful Completion of a Certificate Program
• Rigor, Reproducibility, and Responsibility in Scientific Practice Certificate Program
• Risk Sciences and Public Policy Certificate Program
• Spatial Analysis for Public Health Certificate Program
• Training Certificate in Public Health
• Tropical Medicine Certificate Program
• Tuition for Certificate Programs
• Vaccine Science and Policy Certificate Program
• Online Student Experience
• MAS and Affiliated Certificate Programs
• Barcelona Information
• Registration, Tuition, and Fees
• Agency Scholarship Application
• General Scholarship Application
• UPF Scholarship Application
• Course Evaluations
• Online Courses
• Registration
• General Institute Tuition Information
• International Students
• Directions to the Bloomberg School
• All Courses
• Important Guidance for ONSITE Students
• D.C. Courses
• Registration and Fees
• Cancellation and Closure Policies
• Application Procedures
• Career Search
• Current Activities
• Current Trainees
• Related Links
• Process for Appointing Postdoctoral Fellows
• Message from the Director
• Program Details
• Admissions FAQ
• Current Residents
• Elective Opportunities for Visiting Trainees
• What is Occupational and Environmental Medicine?
• Admissions Info
• Graduates by Year
• Compensation and Benefits
• How to Apply
• Academic Committee
• Course Details and Registration
• Tuition and Fees
• ONLINE SOCI PROGRAM
• Principal Faculty
• General Application
• JHHS Application
• Our Faculty
• Descripción los Cursos
• Programa en Epidemiología para Gestores de Salud, Basado en Internet
• Consultants
• Britt Dahlberg, PhD
• Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC
• Mark R. Luborsky, PhD
• Marsha Wittink, PhD
• Rebekka Lee, ScD
• Su Yeon Lee-Tauler, PhD
• Theresa Hoeft, PhD
• Vicki L. Plano Clark, PhD
• Program Retreat
• Mixed Methods Applications: Illustrations
• Announcements
• 2023 Call for Applications
• Jennifer I Manuel, PhD, MSW
• Joke Bradt, PhD
• Josiemer Mattei, PhD, MPH
• Justin Sanders, MD, MSc
• Linda Charmaran, PhD
• Nao Hagiwara, PhD
• Nynikka R. A. Palmer, DrPH, MPH
• Olayinka O. Shiyanbola, BPharm, PhD
• Sarah Ronis, MD, MPH
• Susan D. Brown, PhD
• Tara Lagu, MD, MPH
• Theresa Hoft, PhD
• Wynne E. Norton, PhD
• Yvonne Mensa-Wilmot, PhD, MPH
• A. Susana Ramírez, PhD, MPH
• Animesh Sabnis, MD, MSHS
• Autumn Kieber-Emmons, MD, MPH
• Benjamin Han, MD, MPH
• Brooke A. Levandowski, PhD, MPA
• Camille R. Quinn, PhD, AM, LCSW
• Justine Wu, MD, MPH
• Kelly Aschbrenner, PhD
• Kim N. Danforth, ScD, MPH
• Loreto Leiva, PhD
• Marie Brault, PhD
• Mary E. Cooley, PhD, RN, FAAN
• Meganne K. Masko, PhD, MT-BC/L
• PhuongThao D. Le, PhD, MPH
• Rebecca Lobb, ScD, MPH
• Allegra R. Gordon, ScD MPH
• Anita Misra-Hebert, MD MPH FACP
• Arden M. Morris, MD, MPH
• Caroline Silva, PhD
• Danielle Davidov, PhD
• Hans Oh, PhD
• J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD RN ACHPN
• Jacqueline Mogle, PhD
• Jammie Hopkins, DrPH, MS
• Joe Glass, PhD MSW
• Karen Whiteman, PhD MSW
• Katie Schultz, PhD MSW
• Rose Molina, MD
• Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, ScD MPA
• Andrew Riley, PhD
• Byron J. Powell, PhD, LCSW
• Carrie Nieman MD, MPH
• Charles R. Rogers, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES®
• Emily E. Haroz, PhD
• Jennifer Tsui, Ph.D., M.P.H.
• Jessica Magidson, PhD
• Katherine Sanchez, PhD, LCSW
• Kelly Doran, MD, MHS
• Kiara Alvarez, PhD
• LaPrincess C. Brewer, MD, MPH
• Melissa Radey, PhD, MA, MSSW
• Sophia L. Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD
• Supriya Gupta Mohile, MD, MS
• Virginia McKay, PhD
• Andrew Cohen, MD, PhD
• Angela Chen, PhD, PMHNP-BC, RN
• Christopher Salas-Wright, PhD, MSW
• Eliza Park MD, MS
• Jaime M. Hughes, PhD, MPH, MSW
• Johanne Eliacin, PhD, HSPP
• Lingrui Liu ScD MS
• Meaghan Kennedy, MD
• Nicole Stadnick, PhD, MPH
• Paula Aristizabal, MD
• Radhika Sundararajan, MD
• Sara Mamo, AuD, PhD
• Tullika Garg, MD MPH FACS
• Allison Magnuson, DO
• Ariel Williamson PhD, DBSM
• Benita Bamgbade, PharmD, PhD
• Christopher Woodrell MD
• Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan, MD, MSHPM
• Jasmine Abrams, PhD
• Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, MD
• Karen Flórez, DrPH, MPH
• Lavanya Vasudevan, PhD, MPH, CPH
• Maria Garcia, MD, MPH
• Robert Brady, PhD
• Saria Hassan, MD
• Scherezade Mama, DrPH
• Yuan Lu, ScD
• 2021 Scholars
• Sign Up for Our Email List
• Workforce Training
• Cells-to-Society Courses
• Course/Section Numbers Explained
• Pathway Program with Goucher College
• The George G. Graham Lecture

What is the PhD in Health Policy and Management?

The PhD in Health Policy and Management is a full-time, residential, advanced academic degree program focusing on independent research in the field of public health policy, health administration and systems management, and other related fields. Students of the PhD split their time between attending classes and earning hands-on training through research assistantships before engaging in an independent research project that culminates in a dissertation. Students are expected to live within a reasonable distance of Baltimore to attend classes and fulfill their research responsibilities.

The PhD has four distinct concentrations that allow our students to specify their specific area of interest:

• Bioethics and Health Policy
• Health Economics and Health Policy
• Health Services Research and Health Policy
• Health and Public Policy

Applicants must select at least one of these concentrations when applying for the PhD.

What is the difference between the PhD and DrPH degrees?

The PhD is a research-focused academic degree intended for students who want to move into academia, teaching, or research. The DrPH is a professional degree designed for currently working professionals in fields related to public health. DrPH students are already in the field, acting as leaders in their organizations or on track to become senior leadership, and are looking for a terminal degree that allows for a flexible schedule so that they can continue working.

If you would like to learn more about the Schoolwide DrPH program, you can go to its website here .

I already have an MPH. Can I start my dissertation right away?

No. Students cannot start their dissertation work until they have defended their dissertation proposal. This is usually done as part of the school-wide preliminary oral exams held during the second or third year of the program.

Do I need to have a master's degree to apply?

No. Applicants do not need to have a master's in order to apply and some are admitted with only a bachelor's degree. However, due to the limited number of spots each year and the high volume of applications we receive each year, we find that a larger number of successful applicants have a master's degree than not.

Do I need to have a peer-reviewed paper published in order to apply?

No. Applicants do not need to be published to apply or be accepted into the program.

Do I need to choose a specific advisor before I apply?

No. Faculty advisors are assigned through the admissions process rather than through applicants reaching out to potential advisors.  Students who are given an offer of admission are paired with faculty members whose research interests are aligned.  These faculty members act as advisors and mentors. Once the student has passed their school-wide oral exam and have defended their dissertation proposal, this faculty member can continue to act as a thesis advisor, but if the thesis topic and research methods require an advisor with different specialties, students can receive a co-advisor who specializes in that topic.

How can I learn more about the program before I apply?

We encourage applicants to research our faculty and their research interests, and to mention specific faculty members in your application with whom you would like to work. Additionally, we encourage you to attend one of our virtual information sessions that take place in the summer and fall before applications are due.  While applicants sometimes contact specific faculty members to learn more about their current projects, please keep in mind that our faculty members are busy and have different policies in regards to when, who, and how they respond to prospective students.

How are students funded in the program? 

All admitted students are offered a full funding package for four years that includes tuition, a cost of living stipend, and medical, vision and dental benefits. These positions are funded through a combination of training grants and departmental funds. The funding process occurs through the admissions process.  Individual faculty do not make funding decisions.

Can I work full-time while doing the program?

The PhD program is full-time and the combination of classes being held throughout the day and the responsibilities associated with PhD training are prohibitive to full-time employment during the academic year. During school breaks students may work full-time.

What does the program look for in a personal statement?

The personal statement is your chance to tell the story of what motivates your current interest in a health policy PhD, what you hope to accomplish during your time in the program, why you are interested in the Department of Health Policy and Management and your chosen concentration, and your longer-term career aspirations. The admissions committee is seeking to evaluate your preparation to enter a program focused on health policy research and to assess your fit with the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School. For that reason, we recommend that you identify faculty and specific topics that you would be interested in working on in our program (listing faculty and topics is sufficient---you do not need to speak to the faculty before applying). While we value personalized essays that reveal how you approach challenges, clarity of purpose and specificity are more important to the committee than clever storytelling. 

Stanford University

Stanford Health Policy is a joint effort of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford School of Medicine

Frequently Asked Questions About Our PhD in Health Policy

Q: Do I need to identify and connect with a mentor before or during my application?

No, advisors will be assigned to accepted students shortly before the start of their first quarter.

Q: Can I apply to the Stanford Health Policy Program on SOPHAS?

No, applicants must apply through Stanford's graduate admissions portal –  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply  – and pay the corresponding application fee.

Q: What degrees are required before applying to the program?

To be eligible for admission to graduate programs at Stanford, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association.
• Applicants from institutions outside the U.S. must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. See the Office of Graduate Admissions for the minimum level of study required of international applicants.

Q: Is a master’s degree required before applying to the program?

No, we welcome applicants both with and without master’s degrees.

Q:  Are the GREs required for the application for the 2025 academic year?

Yes, GREs are required for the application for the 2025 academic year. Please note that this may change in future years.

Q:  Do I need to take the TOEFL Exam?

TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English, however exemptions are granted to applicants in certain situations. Please see: 

https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores

Q: Can I submit my IELTS scores instead of TOEFL scores?

Stanford does not accept IELTS scores. Please see:

Q: What are the minimum TOEFL scores for your program?

TOEFL minimum requirements are provided by Stanford University on the Graduate Admissions webpage:  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores

Q: Is there a minimum GPA required to apply to your program?

There is no minimum GPA to be considered for admission to our program. 

Q: Can my letters of recommendation arrive after the deadline?

No, the deadline is provided to you as a final deadline.  All letters must be received, and all applications must be filed through Stanford Graduate Admissions by 11:59 pm on the deadline. 

Q: Can I submit my World Education Services (WES) transcripts?

Yes, the World Education Services (WES) is the preferred method for receiving official documents from international institutions by admitted applicants. Visit  wes.org  to request a credential evaluation. Note that Stanford’s assessment of  U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency  may differ from what is listed on your WES evaluation. You can find more information on the different transcript delivery options on the Stanford Graduate Admissions  website .

Q: How long should my statement of purpose be and what should it include?

Your statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length, single-spaced. Make sure to set your computer to Western European or another English-language setting.  We cannot guarantee the ability to access your statement if submitted in other fonts. Please make sure to include which track you are applying for and please include policy area(s) of interest.

Q: Can my recommenders mail in their letters of recommendation?

Letters of recommendation should not be mailed, emailed, or faxed. All recommendations must be submitted using the online application system. As part of the online application, you will be required to submit the names and contact information, including email addresses, of your recommenders. Recommenders will receive an email with instructions on how to proceed.

Q: Is it possible to get an application fee waiver?

Applicants who need assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver through the School of Medicine. Applications for fee waivers WILL NOT affect applicants’ chances for admission. 

The fee waiver program gives preference to low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Applicants who are part of a group that the NIH considers to need a special recruitment and retention plan to diversify the biomedical sciences workforce are invited to apply, as well as any additional applicants for whom the application fee would be a substantial burden. Applying to more than one fee waiver option will not increase your opportunity of receiving a fee waiver. For a complete list of fee waiver options and eligibility requirements, please visit the Graduate Diversity website:  https://graddiversity.stanford.edu/graduate-fee-waivers

Please note that fee waiver requests are required to be submitted 15 business days prior to the program application deadline so please plan accordingly.

Q: What is included in the offer of admission?

The offer of admission includes stipend, health insurance and graduate tuition.  The stipend and benefits for each academic year are set in early March of the year before.

Q: If I am not a citizen or permanent resident of the US, am I still eligible for admission and funding?

Individuals who are not citizens or permanent residents of the US may apply to the program. However, due to funding restrictions we are limited in our ability to admit applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents and who do not have funding through the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program or substantial funding from another non-Stanford source.  Students who are non-citizens or non-permanent residents are strongly encouraged to apply for such funding.

For information about the Knight-Hennessy Program, please see:  https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/ (please note the Knight-Hennessy Program has earlier deadlines than the PhD program)

We strongly encourage applicants to apply for scholarships/fellowships in their home country that can be used overseas. Some other useful websites that include information on external fellowships are:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program         The Fogarty International Center at the NIH         International Center at the Institute of International Education (IIE)

Stanford Financial Aid: Outside Funding

Applying for scholarships/fellowships generally takes some time to arrange, so plan ahead.

Q: Where can I find information about tuition and costs of living at Stanford?

For information about tuition, please see: https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-finances/tuition-fees/tuition-rates and change statement.

For information on costs of living estimates, please see:

https://financialaid.stanford.edu/grad/budget/index.html

Q: Where can I get more information about the required and elective courses?

For brief summaries, and scheduling information about courses at Stanford, please see:  https://explorecourses.stanford.edu/   

Q: If I apply to the PhD program and am not admitted, will I automatically be considered for the MS in Health Policy Program?

No, the PhD and MS programs are separate and focus on different skills and methods, therefore the application process is separate as well.  Please see this page for further information about the MS Program in Health Policy at Stanford.

Q: If I am accepted into, and complete, the MS in Health Policy will I be admitted and fast-tracked into the PhD Program? 

No, though there is some overlap between the MS and PhD programs, they are separate programs and focus on different skills and methods. Please see the Stanford Health Policy Master's Program page for further information about the MS Program in Health Policy at Stanford. MS students are welcome to apply to the PhD program during the regular application cycle and will be considered along with the other PhD applicants.

Q: Can I do the PhD part-time?

No, the program is a full-time program.

Q: Can I do the PhD Program remotely?

No, the program is a full-time, in-person program.        Q: I was unable to get a GRE test date early enough to guarantee that my scores will be submitted by the application deadline. Can they be submitted after that date?

We understand that sometimes scheduling conflicts can result in later-than-desirable GRE test dates. As long as the GRE exam is taken before the application deadline, scores will be accepted up to 3 weeks after the deadline date.

Q: I requested that my official GRE scores be sent, but I don't see them when I log into my application, should I be concerned?

Official scores from ETS can only match up to submitted applications in the system.  Additionally, the matching process only happens once a week so matching can take up to 2 weeks after an applicant has submitted her/his application.  We encourage applicants to self-report GRE scores in the application so that scores are still available to application reviewers during the score matching process.

Q: What are the minimum GRE scores for your program?

There are no minimum GRE General Test scores to be considered for admission to our program.  Further information about the GRE is provided by Stanford University on the Graduate Admissions webpage:  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores

Q: I have questions about the program’s application process, whom should I contact?

For questions related to the application process, please email the HRP education program student services officer at  [email protected] .  

Q: I have questions about the program’s structure, focus, research opportunities, etc. Whom should I contact?

Please contact Dr. Erin Holsinger -  [email protected]  

Graduate School

Health and Health Policy

General information, program offerings:.

• Certificate

Department for program:

Director of graduate studies:, graduate program administrator:.

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) offers a graduate certificate in Health and Health Policy, in collaboration with the Center for Health and Wellbeing. The certificate trains graduate students for careers in health-related areas in the public and not-for-profit sectors. The program is designed for graduate students with domestic and international health interests and provides both broad training in core topics in health and health policy as well as courses in specialized areas. All master's or doctoral students enrolled in a degree-granting program at Princeton University are eligible for the certificate. The certificate is not open to undergraduates or to students enrolled at other universities. It is not a stand-alone certificate program, and may not be completed online. The certificate does not appear on the official transcript.

Program Offerings

Program offering: certificate.

This certificate does not appear on transcripts.

Program description

The certificate program, started in 2003-04, reflects the growing importance of health as a major public policy issue, and underscores SPIA's commitment to teaching and research in health and health policy. 

SPIA master's students and Ph.D. students from other departments can enroll in the certificate program online at https://spianet.princeton.edu/spiaforms/cert_declare.php . The enrollment is non-binding. Ph.D. students should first discuss their plans to complete the certificate with their dissertation chairs.

Certificate students are required to complete two core courses and two approved health-related electives.

The two core courses are usually offered every year.  In years a core course is not offered, a substitute course is designated. Students may take the core courses in any sequence during their first or second years.

• Heather H. Howard (co-director)
• C. Jessica E. Metcalf (co-director)
• Alexander Ploss (acting)

Associate Director

• Gilbert D. Collins

Executive Committee

• Amy B. Borovoy, East Asian Studies
• Angela N. Creager, History
• Janet M. Currie, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
• Noreen Goldman, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
• Andrea L. Graham, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Bryan T. Grenfell, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
• Kate Ho, Economics
• Heather H. Howard, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
• Yibin Kang, Molecular Biology
• C. Jessica E. Metcalf, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
• Sanyu A. Mojola, Sociology
• AJ te Velthuis, Molecular Biology

Associated Faculty

• Elizabeth M. Armstrong, Schl of Public & Int'l Affairs
• Bonnie L. Bassler, Molecular Biology
• Ruha Benjamin, African American Studies
• He Bian, History
• João Biehl, Anthropology
• Mark P. Brynildsen, Chemical and Biological Eng
• Elizabeth A. Davis, Anthropology
• Andy P. Dobson, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Thomas Fujiwara, Economics
• Zemer Gitai, Molecular Biology
• John T. Groves, Chemistry
• Katja Guenther, History
• Elizabeth Harman, Philosophy
• Brooke A. Holmes, Classics
• Niraj K. Jha, Electrical & Comp Engineering
• Ilyana Kuziemko, Economics
• Simon A. Levin, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• A. James Link, Chemical and Biological Eng
• Celeste M. Nelson, Chemical and Biological Eng
• Daniel A. Notterman, Molecular Biology
• Alexander Ploss, Molecular Biology
• Joshua D. Rabinowitz, Chemistry
• Carolyn M. Rouse, Anthropology
• Matthew J. Salganik, Sociology
• Mohammad R. Seyedsayamdost, Chemistry
• Eldar Shafir, Psychology
• Erik J. Sorensen, Chemistry
• Keith A. Wailoo, History

Sits with Committee

• Esther Annan
• Angus S. Deaton
• Kathleen Donnelly
• Arbel Griner
• Robert K. Prud'homme
• Daniel Rubenstein

For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.

• Communities Pre-Med Medical Resident Audiology Dental Optometry Pharmacy Physical Therapy Podiatry Psychology Rehab Sci Veterinary
• What's new Trending New posts Latest activity
• Support Account Help Confidential Advising
• Vision, Values and Policies

• Psychology Communities
• Psychology [Psy.D. / Ph.D.]

Has anyone ever regretted getting a PhD in clinical psych?

• Thread starter AnonymousClinicalPsych
• Start date Oct 20, 2021

AnonymousClinicalPsych

Full member.

• Oct 20, 2021

Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology

I don't have any big regrets. I enjoy what I do, and I have a lot of leeway to change focus if I wanted to do so. Also, I make pretty good money for the time spent working, though doing IME work helps in this.  

WisNeuro said: I don't have any big regrets. I enjoy what I do, and I have a lot of leeway to change focus if I wanted to do so. Also, I make pretty good money for the time spent working, though doing IME work helps in this. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Thanks for your response! Could you clarify what IME is? I’m not familiar with that acronym. I also see that you are a neuropsychologist. How different that is from a clinical psychologist? I assume that you primarily focus on assessment? Do you do therapy at all? Click to expand...

deleted106747

I've regretted it from time to time, and liked it at others. I didn't really like it completely until I went into hospital mental health administration, so I do think you eventually can find your niche.  

Board-certified psychologist

I never regretted it and like most of my job, but I would have probably gone into contract law if I’d known that existed when I was in undergrad.  

AbnormalPsych

Board certified psychologist.

I have regretted it at times and would do it all over again others. I have peers who feel the same. Sorry I can't be more helpful. I guess I would just ask you what would you be happier doing and if you have a clear answer, that might be worth pursuing exploration of. A PhD can certainly open a lot of doors.  

Psychologist

Regret is just another way of learning. It’s the same thing as reinforcement and punishment. You can regret what you have done. You can regret what you haven’t done. If you learn from it, regret is a positive thing. There are many other professional activities you can do. There are likely many more undiscovered things. $100k is lowball. Learn how billing works. Do the math.  

PsyDr said: Regret is just another way of learning. It’s the same thing as reinforcement and punishment. You can regret what you have done. You can regret what you haven’t done. If you learn from it, regret is a positive thing. There are many other professional activities you can do. There are likely many more undiscovered things. $100k is lowball. Learn how billing works. Do the math. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: If $100k is lowball then how much is reasonable? I’m genuinely asking. How do you “learn how billing works” and “do the math”? If you have more info that you feel comfortable sharing please do. It’s interesting how people are still very vague about money even when it’s anonymous. Click to expand...

AbnormalPsych said: I have regretted it at times and would do it all over again others. I have peers who feel the same. Sorry I can't be more helpful. I guess I would just ask you what would you be happier doing and if you have a clear answer, that might be worth pursuing exploration of. A PhD can certainly open a lot of doors. Click to expand...

PsyDr said: 1). Reasonable? As much as you can earn. Telling won’t help you. What will is getting you to look up the professional surveys on income. Someone is the max on that. So… between $60k-$900k. Outside of me, there are people on SDN who make less than $40k/yr, and some that can make $40k in 2 weeks. 2) Learn the CPT codes used in psychology. This is easily found on APA sites via google. Usually laziness is the barrier to this step. 3) look up CMS’ fee schedule tool. Again: google. 4) look up the expected percentage of billable hours for hours worked. Both attorneys and physicians have easily accessible numbers on this via the google. 5) multiply those numbers. Maybe search for the number of hours worked per year, less vacation and sick days. Or multiply 40hrs/wk*50weeks/yr. 6) accept that the industry is: hourly rate X billable hours worked. The options are to work longer hours, make more per hour, or find a way to multiply your hours per day. But you’re in NYC, so you can’t use technicians. And books don’t work. TL;DR: if you hustle, you’ll want to learn the business of it all. That process will teach you 50% of the business. If you can’t be bothered to teach yourself, you can’t be bothered fo earn. That’s not a knock on you or anyone else. But Wallstreet isn’t based on pikers. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Thank you! It is a good question, but I don’t know if it’s useful to think about it at this point of my life. It’s not like I can just quit my program and change career now if I figure out what I’m truly passionate about. I can’t imagine giving up all the things I’ve learned and starting from scratch. I guess I’d be happier if I know I can at least make a decent amount of money after getting this ridiculously-hard-to-get degree, even if I have to do something that I don’t like that much. Click to expand...

PsychPhDone

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and would like to get people's opinions on questions I don't feel comfortable asking people I know. I'm currently half way through a partially-funded PhD program in clinical psych, and starting to feel regretful for getting this degree. I'm not saying that I want to switch career now, that would be a reckless decision given how much I've already invested at this point. I just want to see if anyone feels the same way or differently. The main reason for my regret is that I don't enjoy doing therapy (my program is much more clinical than researchy, even though it's a PhD program) as much as I thought. Maybe that's my own fault for not figuring this out beforehand, but I feel it's really hard to know what doing therapy is really about and feels like until you actually get trained and do it. In this country at least you really don't have much opportunity to get exposed to that unless you are in a doctoral program or a license track master's program. I'm also just tired of the endless work and the amount of effort that you have to devote into getting this degree. I did prepare myself for it before going into it, but it just became so much harder after you realize that you don't actually like it AND feel disappointed by your program's quality (this is a very subjective opinion of mine). I feel like I've exhausted my will power muscle at this point. Also, by the time I can start make actual money (i.e.after completing internship, post-doc, licensure) I'll be in my early thirties, with peers who have already worked at least 7 or 8 years, probably advanced to a mid-level position in their field, and make more money than I do. In fact, I don't even know how much does an entry-level psychologist make. No one talks about that in school and I haven't been able to find a way to ask that question in a way that's not awkward or rude. Any one knows? I know it depends on a lot of different factors and the setting, but just generally speaking, how much would you be able to take home if you are in private practice or a hospital in NYC? I'm guessing around $100K?? I feel that just doesn't justify the effort required for this degree. Call me shallow or superficial, but I think money is an important thing in the end. If you just need to have a job to make a living, why not choose one that requires less education and effort but may give you the same payout. The good thing is that I don't have any debt, just because I'm lucky enough to have parents who are willing to pay for the tuition and expenses. But even with that, I question whether this is all worth it. Please share your thoughts. Thank you. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I do appreciate the info you provided. But it feels that you are very quick to judge that people are just dumb and lazy. I’d appreciate your help even more if it wasn’t delivered in such a condescending manner ) Click to expand...

Sanman said: What's a decent amount of money? Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I guess I'd be fine with a $100K starting salary and the potential to earn up to $150k-200k as the years go by, given that I live in NYC where everything is more expansive than the rest of the country. I have friends with a masters degree in another field who earn roughly $100k after 2 years of experience and those with a PhD in another field have a starting salary of $140K. I guess what I'm asking is not ridiculous? Click to expand...

Sanman said: That's because no one is laying out a free step by step playbook on how you can compete with them. We have all spent years figuring this out. There are a lot of ways to make money. Many tips are all around these boards on old threads. Do some reading. Figure out how you want to make money. If you want the medical school $300k job offer from a random hospital upon graduation. That is not going to happen. Click to expand...

PsyDr said: I can understand the perception. Information is insufficient to earn money. You’d think it’s condescending for me to say, “go to Harvard law, get a federal judge clerkship in finance, work for Brewster, and earn 7 figures”. That advice does nothing to help you earn. Earning money is NOT only about information, or even ability. It requires effort, and a lot of humility. If you’re not willing to put that effort in, there’s nothing that can help you. It’s like me. I spent time trying to help you. But since my effort is met with negativity, I regret giving you any information. Click to expand...

Clinical PhD Student

I'd also think about money/hours worked or money/stress when looking at other industries, especially since you're in NYC. I used to live there and work at a hedge fund, and I can promise you that most people there who made obscene amounts of money 1. were miserable and 2. had next to no time to spend their money because they were always working. Totally agree that money is a valid concern, but the dollar value itself isn't the whole picture.  

Dazen said: I'd also think about money/hours worked or money/stress when looking at other industries, especially since you're in NYC. I used to live there and work at a hedge fund, and I can promise you that most people there who made obscene amounts of money 1. were miserable and 2. had next to no time to spend their money because they were always working. Totally agree that money is a valid concern, but the dollar value itself isn't the whole picture. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I feel that we are talking about a different thing now. I might have misunderstood your previous post, but that doesn't matter now. "Regret is just another way of learning."--PsyDr Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: It’s not like I can just quit my program and change career now if I figure out what I’m truly passionate about. I can’t imagine giving up all the things I’ve learned and starting from scratch. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I was asking if people have information on the general salary that an entry-level psychologist make in NYC. I did do some reading on old threads but that specific information is hard to find/search on internet Click to expand...

singasongofjoy

Try looking up vocation, salary by region on Occupational Network (Google O*Net) if you want some numbers.  

AbnormalPsych said: Yes. You can. People do it. I've seen it. Also the reverse, with people in their 40s quitting prior careers and coming into PhD programs to start a new journey. Just cause you have difficulty imagining it doesn't mean anything. This information is on the APA website. In fancy colorful charts and graphs too. It is a couple years old at least since I last looked at it. I would be surprised if they took it down. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: lol thank you for your optimism. Yes I can. In theory I can do anything I want. But the question is whether it is realistic. I can go to an acting academy and be an actor and potentially earn millions of dollars. But that's not a realistic plan for life. I'm really not considering to have all those years and money spent in my education wasted and do something else, which may take even more time and cost more money, when I'm not 15 years old. Please don't take it the wrong way. I'm not trying to bash you, I just want to be realistic. My original intention was to see if people feel the same way, so that I can get some validation and feel less unhappy. Or if people feel differently, what their point of view is so maybe I can learn from that. Click to expand...

• Oct 21, 2021

I ended up changing directions after finishing my PhD. I was always more research focused than clinically focused. I don't so much regret the decision to pursue a PhD, but the career lost a lot of luster during postdoc and I figured my skills would be more lucrative in the business world. I also wanted to have a more normal schedule and have time to spend with my partner, raise a family, and engage in other hobbies. At the end, psychology was just a job, one that didn't pay all that well as a post-doc/early career psychologist, and I could imagine doing a lot of other things with my skills. After internship and two post-docs I pivoted to becoming a business analyst. My background in stats, research methods, and clinical skills have been an asset for researching business processes, gathering requirements for projects, project management, people management, etc. I still do a lot of data analysis, which I love, and do a lot of problem solving as I am housed in an IT department. All that being said, I still miss psychology and some of what I used to study, the writing, and sometimes the clinical issues, which is why I still lurk here...haha. There are good things and bad things with every job, you just have to decide if you want your time, values and skills going towards something in psychology or something else. A PhD prepares you well for other paths, and having a PhD on your resume can quickly give you a leg up regardless of what you do.  

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I was asking if people have information on the general salary that an entry-level psychologist make in NYC. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I feel what I'm asking is reasonable giving the effort that's required for the degree. Click to expand...

cotn_psych said: I ended up changing directions after finishing my PhD. I was always more research focused than clinically focused. I don't so much regret the decision to pursue a PhD, but the career lost a lot of luster during postdoc and I figured my skills would be more lucrative in the business world. I also wanted to have a more normal schedule and have time to spend with my partner, raise a family, and engage in other hobbies. At the end, psychology was just a job, one that didn't pay all that well as a post-doc/early career psychologist, and I could imagine doing a lot of other things with my skills. After internship and two post-docs I pivoted to becoming a business analyst. My background in stats, research methods, and clinical skills have been an asset for researching business processes, gathering requirements for projects, project management, people management, etc. I still do a lot of data analysis, which I love, and do a lot of problem solving as I am housed in an IT department. All that being said, I still miss psychology and some of what I used to study, the writing, and sometimes the clinical issues, which is why I still lurk here...haha. There are good things and bad things with every job, you just have to decide if you want your time, values and skills going towards something in psychology or something else. A PhD prepares you well for other paths, and having a PhD on your resume can quickly give you a leg up regardless of what you do. Click to expand...

Psycycle said: I've regretted it from time to time, and liked it at others. I didn't really like it completely until I went into hospital mental health administration, so I do think you eventually can find your niche. Click to expand...

MCParent said: I never regretted it and like most of my job, but I would have probably gone into contract law if I’d known that existed when I was in undergrad. Click to expand...

AbnormalPsych said: This information is on the APA website. In fancy colorful charts and graphs too. It is a couple years old at least since I last looked at it. I would be surprised if they took it down. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Do you mind telling me why you would have gone into contract law? Click to expand...

MCParent said: I’m doing an MBA right now and the business law class I took was amazing. Contract law combines my passions for being petty and punishing people for not attending to details. Seriously though it is super fascinating to me and there are ways to help people from getting screwed over by predatory contracts. Click to expand...

WisNeuro said: Like 50/50 reimbursement splits and overly broad/unenforceable non-compete clauses? Click to expand...

Sanman said: That's why I plan to offer prospective employees a 30/70 split. 50/50 seems much too generous. Click to expand...

WisNeuro said: I plan to forgo expensive and unnecessary health insurance plans and instead offer them a sit/stand desk instead. Click to expand...

Therapist4Chnge

Neuropsych ninja.

I regret going to a poorly funded program. My mentors were all older and out of touch w. the application process (this was pre-SDN), so I had no idea there were balanced Ph.D. programs...they all went to hardcore research programs in the midwest. I found the grad school book for clinical psych at a bookstore, but I didn't really understand all of the other things I should have considered. I made the most of it and I generally enjoy what I do, but it took a lot of time and sacrifice to get here. If I could do it again, I'd either do behavioral neurology or skip healthcare all together and work in finance / stock market. I'd be on my 2nd vacation home by now like some friends and family.  

Therapist4Chnge said: I regret going to a poorly funded program. My mentors were all older and out of touch w. the application process (this was pre-SDN), so I had no idea there were balanced Ph.D. programs...they all went to hardcore research programs in the midwest. I found the grad school book for clinical psych at a bookstore, but I didn't really understand all of the other things I should have considered. I made the most of it and I generally enjoy what I do, but it took a lot of time and sacrifice to get here. If I could do it again, I'd either do behavioral neurology or skip healthcare all together and work in finance / stock market. I'd be on my 2nd vacation home by now like some friends and family. Click to expand...

borne_before

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and would like to get people's opinions on questions I don't feel comfortable asking people I know. I'm currently half way through a partially-funded PhD program in clinical psych, and starting to feel regretful for getting this degree. I'm not saying that I want to switch career now, that would be a reckless decision given how much I've already invested at this point. I just want to see if anyone feels the same way or differently. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: The main reason for my regret is that I don't enjoy doing therapy (my program is much more clinical than researchy, even though it's a PhD program) as much as I thought. Maybe that's my own fault for not figuring this out beforehand, but I feel it's really hard to know what doing therapy is really about and feels like until you actually get trained and do it. In this country at least you really don't have much opportunity to get exposed to that unless you are in a doctoral program or a license track master's program. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: I'm also just tired of the endless work and the amount of effort that you have to devote into getting this degree . I did prepare myself for it before going into it, but it just became so much harder after you realize that you don't actually like it AND feel disappointed by your program's quality (this is a very subjective opinion of mine) . I feel like I've exhausted my will power muscle at this point. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Also, by the time I can start make actual money (i.e.after completing internship, post-doc, licensure) I'll be in my early thirties, with peers who have already worked at least 7 or 8 years, probably advanced to a mid-level position in their field, and make more money than I do. Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: In fact, I don't even know how much does an entry-level psychologist make. No one talks about that in school and I haven't been able to find a way to ask that question in a way that's not awkward or rude. Any one knows? I know it depends on a lot of different factors and the setting, but just generally speaking, how much would you be able to take home if you are in private practice or a hospital in NYC? I'm guessing around $100K?? I feel that just doesn't justify the effort required for this degree. Call me shallow or superficial, but I think money is an important thing in the end. If you just need to have a job to make a living, why not choose one that requires less education and effort but may give you the same payout. Click to expand...

borne_before said: Don't fall for the sunk cost fallacy! But, I suspect there is something else going on here... What don't you like about therapy? Are you hella self-conscious? Are you doing therapy that just isn't a great fit for your style? What are your placements? Are you taking therapy too seriously? Are you not vibing with your supervisors. There are many psychologists who just don't like doing therapy. It's often not my favorite thing, either. So I focus more on assessment of the neurodevelopmental disorders and behavioral consultation with parents (aka parent management training, aka sticker charts and time out 101). Or you can just be a dirty academic, all smug up in the ivory tower, doing research or just teaching. There is nothing wrong with that route. But, you might want to start building that side of it. This feeling is called burnout! I think it's very normal midway through your doc program. I'm also wondering if maybe some depression has snuck up on you. COVID has sucked... Did you move from your support system? Are you the first grad student in your family? Do you ever get some damn sunshine on your skin? Are you exercising regularly? Do you live on hoth and the short cold days are getting to you? Also, slow down bro. You don't have to have everything figured out and mapped perfectly. Set short term goals. Like just focus on getting to Christmas. Is there anyway to increase your involvement in the program so you feel more connected to it? I had this same feeling. I was 32 when I got licensed. I talked with my dad about it and he said, "are you gonna be 32, either way?" BTW - my parents were like yours, I never took loans, they helped me a ton. Money is important. I currently make more than anyone in my graduating class. But no one really gets wealthy by doing therapy. They get wealthy by making smart financial decisions, minimizing expenses, and finding other routes to income. For instance, you could run a private practice or start an ABA clinic or something. Don't worry about the money too much. The degree, if it doesn't kill your soul, will be the best investment you'll ever make. Grad school is supposed to suck. Its part of the experience. But, I'm wondering if maybe, the old black dog hasn't crept up on you and maybe a little good ole fashioned Prozac and therapy will help Click to expand...

borne_before said: Don't fall for the sunk cost fallacy! But, I suspect there is something else going on here... What don't you like about therapy? Are you hella self-conscious? Are you doing therapy that just isn't a great fit for your style? What are your placements? Are you taking therapy too seriously? Are you not vibing with your supervisors. There are many psychologists who just don't like doing therapy. It's often not my favorite thing, either. So I focus more on assessment of the neurodevelopmental disorders and behavioral consultation with parents (aka parent management training, aka sticker charts and time out 101). Or you can just be a dirty academic, all smug up in the ivory tower, doing research or just teaching. There is nothing wrong with that route. But, you might want to start building that side of it. This feeling is called burnout! I think it's very normal midway through your doc program. I'm also wondering if maybe some depression has snuck up on you. COVID has sucked... Did you move from your support system? Are you the first grad student in your family? Do you ever get some damn sunshine on your skin? Are you exercising regularly? Do you live on hoth and the short cold days are getting to you? Also, slow down bro. You don't have to have everything figured out and mapped perfectly. Set short term goals. Like just focus on getting to Christmas. Is there anyway to increase your involvement in the program so you feel more connected to it? I had this same feeling. I was 32 when I got licensed. I talked with my dad about it and he said, "are you gonna be 32, either way?" BTW - my parents were like yours, I never took loans, they helped me a ton. Money is important. I currently make more than anyone in my graduating class. But no one really gets wealthy by doing therapy. They get wealthy by making smart financial decisions, minimizing expenses, and finding other routes to income. For instance, you could run a private practice or start an ABA clinic or something. Don't worry about the money too much. The degree, if it doesn't kill your soul, will be the best investment you'll ever make. Grad school is supposed to suck. Its part of the experience. But, I'm wondering if maybe, the old black dog hasn't crept up on you and maybe a little good ole fashioned Prozac and therapy will help. Click to expand...

LCSW, private practice

• Oct 22, 2021

I can't answer your questions about regret because I don't have a Ph.D., but just as one data point about private practice income, I'm an LCSW in NYC in and my net income is around $12,500 a month and climbing. I currently see about 23-25 clients a week after cancellations. I also write and consult, but that doesn't usually bring in more than an additional $10K or so a year (so I guess about $160K total). That said, I have some niche skills, am licensed in two states, and have built a great referral network in the year I've been practicing privately. My therapist friends whose fees are lower, who don't have sought-after specialties, or who don't have a knack for self-promotion seem to make less. Also, I like what I do. I don't think I'd stay in the field if I didn't. The stress of running a solo practice is manageable, but the stress of doing that and disliking the work would make my life a living hell. Think about that as you consider alternative career paths. It might be worth shaving a bit off your income to, y'know, be happy.  

Qwerk said: I can't answer your questions about regret because I don't have a Ph.D., but just as one data point about private practice income, I'm an LCSW in NYC in and my net income is around $12,500 a month and climbing. I currently see about 23-25 clients a week after cancellations. I also write and consult, but that doesn't usually bring in more than an additional $10K or so a year (so I guess about $160K total). That said, I have some niche skills, am licensed in two states, and have built a great referral network in the year I've been practicing privately. My therapist friends whose fees are lower, who don't have sought-after specialties, or who don't have a knack for self-promotion seem to make less. Also, I like what I do. I don't think I'd stay in the field if I didn't. The stress of running a solo practice is manageable, but the stress of doing that and disliking the work would make my life a living hell. Think about that as you consider alternative career paths. It might be worth shaving a bit off your income to, y'know, be happy. Click to expand...

Sanman said: We should post this for everyone who says an LCSW can't make any money and they need a third rate doctorate. Publicly funded MSW FTW! Click to expand...

WisNeuro said: But...but, I really want to be a Dr! Click to expand...

AnonymousClinicalPsych said: Haha you are not a real doctor if you don't have an MD. Not my opinion. Most people in this country tend to think that. Click to expand...

Sanman said: MSW + $10 in color printing charges at Kinkos for doctoral diploma PDF downloaded of the internet+$40 frame? Click to expand...

Similar threads

• Aug 1, 2024

• Jul 28, 2024

• whatishappeningpm
• cytomegalovirus123
• Jan 31, 2024

• Jun 7, 2024
• This site uses cookies to help personalize content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies and terms of service . Accept Learn more…

• Faculty and Staff
• Visit and Apply
• COVID-19 Response
• University Resources
• Employers and Industry
• Undergraduate Advisory Committee
• Executive in Residence
• Stanley P. Mayers Endowed Lecture
• Major in HPA
• Minors in HPA
• Five year Masters Programs
• Honors Study
• Internship Experience
• Career Opportunities
• Experience Student Life Through Instagram
• Student Organizations
• Student Profiles
• Study Abroad
• Advising in HPA
• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Master of Health Administration
• Ph.D. in HPA
• Ph.D. Program Faculty
• Graduate Student Profiles
• Student News
• Student Research
• Graduate Student Council
• Graduate Student Life
• Application Process
• HPA Affiliate Program Group
• Join the HHD Alumni Society
• Support HPA
• Research in Health Policy and Administration
• Student Research Opportunities
• Center for Health Care Policy and Research
• Nursing Home Administrators
• PA Office of Rural Health
• Administration
• Undergraduate Program
• Graduate Programs
• Student Advising and Engagement
• Biobehavioral Health
• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Health Policy and Administration
• Hospitality Management
• Human Development and Family Studies
• Kinesiology
• Nutritional Sciences
• Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management
• Center for Childhood Obesity Research
• Center for Health Care and Policy Research
• Center for Healthy Aging
• Center for Safe and Healthy Children
• Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
• Dean's Office
• Center for Student Advising and Engagement
• Communications and Marketing
• Development and Alumni Relations
• Finance and Accounting
• Human Resources
• Information Systems and Services (ISS)
• Online Education and Outreach
• Research and Graduate Education
• Faculty and Staff Resources
• Computing Support/IT Help
• HHD Digest - Submission and Archive
• Communications Training and Resources
• Powerpoint Templates
• Zoom Virtual Backgrounds
• Emergency Planning
• Contacts/Directory

Apply to the Ph.D. Program in Health Policy and Administration

How to apply.

To be admitted to the Ph.D. Program in Health Policy and Administration (HPA), you must apply through Penn State's standardized online application system. Visit the Graduate School website for information on how to apply to the J. Jeffrey and Anne Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State .

The application portal for the HPA Ph.D. program opens on September 1 for students enrolling in the fall semester of the following year. For full consideration, your completed application and all supporting materials must be received on or before December 15 .

Application Materials

1. statement of purpose.

Items to consider when writing your Statement of Purpose to help the HPA Ph.D. program committee better understand your goals and how they align with the  learning outcomes of the Ph.D. program .

• Become familiar with HPA  Ph.D. program faculty  research and identify those faculty whose research areas align most with your interests. Consider reaching out to them and introducing yourself.
• Describe your background and the reasons for pursuing a research doctoral degree in health policy and administration, and include your future career goals.
• academic preparation, including any experience in undergraduate and graduate coursework and opportunities you pursued outside of the classroom that will enable you to succeed in our program.
• experience engaging in scholarly research and what you have learned from your research experience.
• experience working with and learning from individuals from various backgrounds and different perspectives

2. Current curriculum vitae or resume

3. three letters of reference.

• Ideally, your letters of reference should be written by someone engaged in research who is familiar with your research skills or research potential (e.g., a supervisor).

4. Transcripts

• One unofficial transcript or scanned copy of the official transcript (or a notarized translation in English if the original is in a different language) from each institution attended.

5. TOEFL/IELTS

Note: Applicants submitting TOEFL/IELTS scores must request that scores be sent to Penn State electronically using school code 2660 Penn State University.

6. GRE scores (optional)

• We accept, but do not require, GRE scores. You may wish to submit GRE scores if you believe they will help us assess your ability to complete our program, which requires comfort with mathematical expressions, a solid foundation in quantitative empirical methods, and the ability to read and write analytically challenging content in English. Applicants who choose to submit GRE scores should have them sent to Graduate Enrollment Services (GES) at Penn State electronically using school code 2660 Penn State University.

More Information

For detailed information, including required coursework, the dissertation, and other milestones necessary to complete a Ph.D. in our program, please see our  Ph.D. program handbook . If you are interested in the  Dual Title program in Health Policy and Administration and Demography , please discuss that in your statement.

If you have any questions, please email our graduate program coordinator, Ashlee Foreman , or our professor-in-charge of doctoral studies, Dave Vanness .

PhD in Population Health Sciences

Prepare for a high-impact career tackling public health problems from air pollution to obesity to global health equity to the social determinants of health.

The PhD in population health sciences is a multidisciplinary research degree that will prepare you for a career focused on challenges and solutions that affect the lives of millions around the globe. Collaborating with colleagues from diverse personal and professional backgrounds and conducting field and/or laboratory research projects of your own design, you will gain the deep expertise and powerful analytical and quantitative tools needed to tackle a wide range of complex, large-scale public health problems.

Focusing on one of five complementary fields of study at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and drawing on courses, resources, and faculty from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, you will become well-versed in a wide variety of disciplines while gaining specialized knowledge in your chosen area of study.

As a population health sciences graduate, you will be prepared for a career in research, academics, or practice, tackling complex diseases and health problems that affect entire populations. Those interested in pursuing research may go on to work at a government agency or international organization, or in the private sector at a consulting, biotech, or pharmaceutical firm. Others may choose to pursue practice or on-the-ground interventions. Those interested in academics may become a faculty member in a college, university, medical school, research institute, or school of public health.

The PhD in population health sciences is a four-year program based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the world-renowned Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. The degree will prepare you to apply diverse approaches to solving difficult public health research issues in your choice of one of five primary fields of study:

• Environmental health
• Epidemiology
• Social and behavioral sciences
• Global health and population

In your first semester, you and your faculty adviser will design a degree plan to guide you through the program’s interdisciplinary requirements and core courses, as well as those in your chosen field of study. After successfully completing the preliminary qualifying examination, usually at the end of your second year, you will finalize your general research topics and identify a dissertation adviser who will mentor you through the dissertation process and help you nominate a dissertation advisory committee.

All population health sciences students are trained in pedagogy and teaching and are required to work as a teaching fellow and/or research assistant to ensure they gain meaningful teaching and research experience before graduation. Students also attend a special weekly evening seminar that features prominent lecturers, grant-writing modules, feedback dinners, and training opportunities.

All students, including international students, who maintain satisfactory progress (B+ or above) receive a multiyear funding package, which includes tuition, fees , and a competitive stipend.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Anyone with a distinguished undergraduate record and a demonstrated enthusiasm for the rigorous pursuit of scientific public health knowledge is encouraged to apply. Although a previous graduate degree is not required, applicants should have successfully completed coursework in introductory statistics or quantitative methods. Preference will be given to applicants who have either some relevant work experience or graduate-level work in their desired primary field of study.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Like all PhD (doctor of philosophy) programs at the School, the PhD in population health sciences is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). Applications are processed through the Harvard Griffin GSAS online application system located at gsas.harvard.edu/admissions/apply.

OUR COMMUNITY: COMMITTED, ACCOMPLISHED, COLLABORATIVE

As a PhD in population health sciences candidate, you will be part of a diverse and accomplished group of students with a broad range of research and other interests. The opportunity to learn from each other and to share ideas both inside and outside the classroom will be one of the most rewarding and productive parts of the program for any successful candidate. The program in population health sciences provides these opportunities by sponsoring an informal curriculum of seminars, a dedicated student gathering and study area, and events that will enhance your knowledge, foster interaction with your peers, and encourage you to cooperatively evaluate scientific literature, while providing a supportive, collaborative community within which to pursue your degree.

As members of both the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences communities, students have access to the Cambridge and Longwood Medical Area campuses. Students also qualify for affordable transportation options, access to numerous lectures and academic seminars, and a wealth of services to support their academic and personal needs on both sides of the Charles River.

LEARN MORE Population Health Sciences Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health www.hsph.harvard.edu/phdphs

Get the Reddit app

Public health can be applied in a multitude of ways throughout one's career. With such great potential for unique career paths, we are here to share career ideas and advice for how to take advantage of a public health education and mindset in the best possible way.

finding health policy job; changing from medical job to public health PhD

I'm looking at finding a health policy related job while I work on my dissertation. (I have a clinical background and am currently getting my PhD in public health with a health policy emphasis.) Any tips or advice? I have medical clinical experience in my field, but minimal public health evaluation or analysis experience. This lack of experience seems like it's a barrier into pivoting to this field. My advisors haven't been helpful.

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

MD/PhD Program

The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a joint degree program with Harvard Medical School, which leads to an MD and PhD. Those interested in earning an  MD/PhD in Health Policy  will apply only to HMS/MD-PhD via AMCAS, with all tailored Harvard Griffin GSAS application components included in the MD-PhD secondary application. Note that funding is available to support part or all of medical school tuition for qualified students, but is very competitive. Additional questions MD/PhD Program may be addressed to  Elizabeth Barks , Director of Administration and Operations.

JD/PhD Program

The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a coordinated degree program with Harvard Law School, which leads to a JD and PhD. To be admitted to the program, students must apply to and be separately admitted to both the Law School and the PhD Program in Health Policy. For more information about the coordinated program, see the  JD/PhD Program Description . Note that the Law School has financial assistance programfor some eligible JD/PhD students. Current and admitted students interested in the coordinated program are encouraged to contact  April Pettit , in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS for questions about the JD program, or  Dan Volchok , Assistant Dean of Student Success at Harvard Griffin GSAS for questions about the PhD programs. Prospective students interested in the coordinated program may reach out to  HLS J.D. Admissions  and the  GSAS Office of Admissions  to learn more.