Health Services and Policy Analysis
Introduction
Degree Program
Admissions
Financial Support
Opportunities for Graduates
Further Information
Introduction
The Health Services and Policy Analysis Program integrates and applies disciplinary knowledge in economics, organizational theory, or politics and policy analysis to the health care system. Students receive a thorough grounding in research methods and the application of these methods to the analysis of health policy issues.
The Health Services and Policy Analysis Program is administratively located in the School of Public Health, but it is an academic program that is interdisciplinary in nature. Core and specialty courses are located in departments and schools across campus, as are faculty group members. For more program information, please visit http://hspa.berkeley.edu
Degree Program
The Health Services and Policy Analysis (HSPA) Doctoral Program at UC Berkeley is a full-time four-year program, and upon completion students receive a Ph.D. degree from the Graduate Division of the Berkeley campus.
Students select one of three specialty fields for intensive study:
- health economics
- organizations
- health politics/policy analysis
After completing the required course work at the end of the second year, students take a written exam in their area of specialization. They are also required to submit a paper demonstrating their competency in research methods. To advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, students must pass an oral qualifying exam by demonstrating their knowledge of the field of health services and policy analysis. Finally, a dissertation that advances the state of knowledge in the field is required.
Ph.D. students have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working with faculty as graduate student researchers or graduate student instructors at UC Berkeley and/or UCSF. Students are required to attend research seminars in which a broad range of topics is introduced. Speakers who are invited to present have been from universities, health organizations, and research centers across the country.
The minimum requirements include:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Many applicants hold a Master's degree in a related area.
- Grade point average of 3.0 or better in upper division course work, and in any subsequent graduate work.
- Two complete sets of official transcripts from each institution attended beyond high school (one set each for the School of Public Health and the Graduate Division).
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores within the last five years.
- Three letters of recommendation submitted in envelopes sealed by the recommender.
International Applicants: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language.
Applications for admission are only accepted for the fall semester. They are available online from October through November. The deadline to submit is December 1. For application and instructions, please visit http://www.grad. berkeley.edu/admissions.
Applicants are also required to meet the School's admissions requirements to be admitted to the program.
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Financial Support
Sources of financial support include campus fellowships administered by the Graduate Division, HSPA program fellowships, and Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Instructor appointments. The department also participates in a training grant of interest to students in the Ph.D. program, a multidisciplinary training program in health services research supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Opportunities for Graduates
Graduates from the Health Services and Policy Analysis Program are employed in leading universities, policy research centers, and think tanks across the country. It is expected that through their research, teaching, and provision of expert advice Berkeley graduates will play a leadership role in addressing the many challenges facing the health care system.
Further Information
For further program information, please visit http://hspa.berkeley.edu. You may contact the program manager, Dion Shimatsu-Ong, at hspa_phd@berkeley.edu or at (510) 643-8571.