PhD in Health Services Research, Administration, and Policy

PhD Program in Health Services Research, Administration, and Policy

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The UNMC PhD program in Health Services Research, Administration, and Policy will train students to be excellent scholars and health services researchers not only in academia but also in large corporations, insurance companies, government agencies, health care organizations, and consulting firms. Incorporating the core competencies of health services research, the program focuses on methods and application of health services research, health administration, and health policy. Program graduates will be equipped to serve the public and private sectors in Nebraska, the Midwest region, the nation, and the world.

Students will gain valuable experience by working closely with faculty whose research interests include health economics, health insurance and managed care, the implications of payment on health care delivery, the application of advanced spatial decision systems in medical geography, and the rural implications of major health policy changes. Program faculty conduct research and service activities primarily through the Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research. Information about the center's research projects can be found on the Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research Website.   

• Admission Requirements
• Application Process
• Degree Requirements
• HSRA Graduate Program Committee

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to the PhD program are listed below.

• Official transcripts of graduate and undergraduate programs attended
• GRE scores (no more than three years old)
• Resume or CV
• Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional references (preference for two letters from individuals who know you in an academic setting and one letter from an individual who knows you in a professional setting)
• A statement of intent that describes your:
  • Interest in and potential for contributing to the field of health services research, administration, and policy
  • Career goals
  • Self-assessment of your fit into the UNMC program
  • Self-assessment of your qualifications, experiences, and general preparation for succeeding in the program
• TOEFL score - The TOEFL score is required for international students and students who have earned their undergraduate degree from a non-English speaking institution. Minimum scores required are: 550 on the paper-based TOEFL or 213 on the computer-based TOEFL.

The standards for the above criteria are determined by the Graduate Program Committee of the Department of Health Services Research and Administration. The committee reviews each applicant’s file as a whole, taking into account the prospective student’s academic qualifications and professional experience.

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Application Process
Apply online to the UNMC graduate school at UNMC Graduate Studies Application

Please make sure you are selecting the correct program you wish to apply for to avoid slowing your application process. Complete the UNMC application forms and pay the application fee. The application deadline for fall is June 1 for U.S. applicants and April 1 for foreign applicants. However, applications received by March 1 may be given greater consideration than those received later. Therefore, all students are strongly encouraged to apply by March 1. In addition, students who are interested in applying for graduate assistantships should apply by March 1.

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Degree Requirements
Students enrolled in the PhD program in Health Services Research, Administration, and Policy are required to complete a total of 90 credit hours in course and dissertation work in order to graduate, including the following:

Credits	Course Work
42	Core courses
15	Concentration courses
9-15	Elective courses
18-24	Dissertation

Students will select one of the following concentration areas:

1. Methods & Application of Health Services Research
2. Health Administration
3. Health Policy

Below is a sample list of courses students would be expected to take. The exact list of courses may change.

Core Courses – Basic Level	Credit Hours	Course Number
US Health Care System	3	HSRA 810
Health Care Policy	3	PA 8740
Administration of Health Care Systems	3	PA 8730
Health Economics	3	HSRA 860
Organizational Theory and Behavior	3	PA 8090
Biostatistical Methods II	3	BIOS 818
Epidemiology I	3	EPI 820
Foundations of Public Health	3	HPRO 830
Health Care Finance	3	PA 8720

The basic-level core courses (a total of 27 credit hours) are required for every student enrolled in the PhD program. These courses are designed to help students build a basic foundation of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills.

Core Courses – Advanced Level	Credit Hours	Course Number
Foundations of Health Services Research, Administration, and Policy	3	HSRA 910
Health Services Research Methods I (Design of Health Services Research)	3	HSRA 920
Health Services Research Methods II (Quantitative Methods)	3	HSRA 930
Qualitative Research Methods	3	PA 9960
Advanced Management Analysis	3	PA 8450

The advanced-level core courses (a total of 15 credit hours) are required for every student enrolled in the PhD program. These doctoral-level seminar courses are designed to help students build a strong foundation for scholarship in health services research.

After completing both basic-level and advanced-level core courses (a total of 42 credit hours), students will select one of the following concentration areas: Methods & Application of Health Services Research, Health Administration, or Health Policy.

Methods & Application of Health Services Research	Credit Hours	Course Number
Categorical Data Analysis, Survival Data Analysis, Correlated Data Analysis, or Epidemiology II (the student chooses 2 out of the above 4 courses)	3 + 3	BIOS 823, 824, or 825, or EPI 821
Integrated Seminar in Economics and Health Services Research	3	HSRA 932
Translating Health Services Research into Practice/Policy	3	HSRA 933
Application of Medical Geography to Health Services Research	3	HSRA 934
Health Administration	Credit Hours	Course Number
Health Insurance and Managed Care	3	HSRA 830
Seminar in Advanced Management Theory	3	PA 9600
Public Finance Administration or Public Budgeting	3	PA 8480 or PA 8400
Public Budgeting & Financial Theory	3	PA 9700
Advanced Seminar in Health Care Administration	3	HSRA 940
Health Policy	Credit Hours	Course Number
Public Policy Evaluation	3	PA 8320
Policy Design & Implementation	3	PA 8300
Intergovernmental Management or Seminar in Public Policy Analysis	3	PA 8566 or PA 8330
Advanced Topics in Public Administration: Public Policy Seminar	3	PA 9900
Advanced Seminar in Health Policy	3	HSRA 950

Students are expected to complete courses in their selected concentration area totaling 15 credit hours. In addition, students are expected to complete elective courses related to their doctoral study totaling 9-15 credit hours. Students are expected to work with their supervisory committee to determine the appropriate elective courses to take. In principle, the selected elective courses should contribute to the student’s doctoral study and scholarship development.

Students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all courses completed for the PhD. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA will result in suspension or termination from the PhD program. In order to graduate, students are also expected to pass a comprehensive exam and the final defense of their dissertation. The study period is expected to be 4-5 years if the student is admitted to the program with a related master’s degree (e.g., Master of Health Administration, Master of Public Health) and 5-6 years if the student is admitted to the program with a bachelor's degree.

Supervisory Committee
Each student is required to form a supervisory committee. The chair of the supervisory committee will serve as the student’s main mentor during the study period. Students are expected to work together with the chair of their supervisory committee to identify other committee members. A supervisory committee will consist of at least four graduate faculty members (including the chair), with at least one faculty member coming from outside of the HSRA department. The main responsibility of the supervisory committee is to provide guidance and approval for the student’s doctoral study, including the design of coursework plan and dissertation research. The supervisory committee is also responsible for developing and administering the comprehensive exam for the student.

Comprehensive Exam
Once students complete their course work (including core, concentration, and elective courses), they are expected to take and pass a comprehensive exam in order to move on to the dissertation research stage. The contents and format of the comprehensive exam will be determined by the student’s supervisory committee. The comprehensive exam will be designed to test students’ knowledge and skills related to the program curriculum as well as the core competencies of health services research, administration, and policy.

Dissertation Research
After passing the comprehensive exam, students are expected to conduct and successfully defend their dissertation research by working with their supervisory committee. Generally, students are expected to complete their dissertation research within two years. Since this PhD program is a research-oriented degree program, a high standard of dissertation research that complies with the core competencies of the health services research discipline is expected. Although not required, students studying in this program are encouraged to complete and/or publish some research products (e.g., peer-review journal articles, policy briefs, or reports to public health agencies) before their graduation from the program.

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