Health Services and Policy, PhD

This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • demonstrate breadth of health services research theoretical and conceptual knowledge by applying alternative models from a range of relevant disciplines;
  • apply in-depth disciplinary knowledge and skills relevant to health services research;
  • apply knowledge of the structures, performance, quality, policy, and environmental context of health and health care to formulate solutions for health policy problems;
  • pose innovative and important health service research questions, informed by systematic reviews of the literature, stakeholder needs, and relevant theoretical and conceptual models;
  • select appropriate interventional, observational, or qualitative study designs to address specific health services research questions;
  • know how to collect primary health and health care data obtained by survey, qualitative, or mixed methods;
  • know how to assemble secondary data from existing public and private sources;
  • use conceptual models and operational measures to specify study constructs for a health services research question and develop variables that reliably and validly measure these constructs;
  • implement research protocols with standardized procedures that ensure the reproducibility of the science;
  • use appropriate analytical methods to clarify associations between variables and to delineate causal inferences;
  • ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research in the design, implementation, and dissemination of health services research;
  • work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams;
  • effectively communicate the findings and implications of health services research through multiple modalities to technical and lay audiences;
  • understand the importance of collaborating with stakeholders, such as policymakers, organizations, and communities to plan, conduct, and translate health services research into policy and practice; and
  • demonstrate hands-on teaching experience.