2016-2017 Graduate Studies Bulletin (Archived Copy) [Archived Catalog]
Health Services Policy and Management
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M. Mahmud Khan, Chair
Overview
The Department of Health Services Policy and Management promotes individual and community health through improvements in the organization and management of public health and health care delivery. The department offers the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), the Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.), and three dual degrees: the Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Public Health (M.S.N./M.P.H.), the Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health (M.S.W./M.P.H.), and the Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration (J.D./M.H.A.) (see Graduate Dual Degree Programs ). Two doctoral programs are offered: the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.).
Master’s programs prepare students to assume leadership positions in public, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations in public health, health services, health policy, and related fields. The M.P.H. emphasizes preparation for a career in the public health sector. The program includes full public health foundation courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, administration, and health promotion, education, and behavior. The M.H.A. emphasizes preparation for a career in management in the private health care sector. The program has a substantial emphasis on accounting and finance. All programs may be taken part-time. The M.P.H. may be taken by distance education via live satellite broadcast in the state of South Carolina. A Certificate of Graduate Study in Gerontology may be combined with any degree program (see bulletin section for the College of Social Work).
The Ph.D. program prepares students to be health services researchers and to teach in university settings. The Dr.P.H. program takes experienced health care managers and physicians and prepares them for senior policy and management positions in public and private organizations.
Admission
Applicants should submit an application packet through the School of Public Health Application Service (www.sophas.org) unless advised otherwise by the department.
Master’s Programs
Health Services Policy and Management, M.P.H. and Health Services Policy and Management, M.H.A.
Applicants for a master’s degree must submit the following:
- transcripts of all college-level academic work
- two letters of recommendation
- scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT)
- a statement of professional goals
- a personal resume
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam scores, if the applicant’s native language is not English
International applicants should contact the program director before applying to the program.
An interview with departmental faculty is highly recommended.
Graduate Assistantship
All full-time M.H.A. and M.P.H. students are expected to work as graduate assistants in health service organizations in the community to acquire work experience and enrich the learning process through on-the-job application of concepts and techniques learned in the classroom. To qualify for an assistantship, a student must be fully admitted to a degree program, be enrolled as a full-time student, and maintain a 3.00 GPA.
Dual Degrees
Students seeking admission to dual degree programs must meet the admissions requirements of both programs. Our requirements are listed above. The School of Nursing, College of Social Work, and School of Law specify the admission requirements for their programs.
The Department of Health Services Policy and Management and the School of Nursing, College of Social Work, and School of Law offer coordinated programs that lead to a dual degree. The requirements for the M.P.H. or M.H.A. portion of each dual degree program are the same as for the standalone degrees. The M.S.N., M.S.W., and J.D. portions of the dual degree programs are determined by the respective schools and college. Some courses do fulfill requirements for both portions of the dual degree. A dual degree program thus typically requires fewer semester hours in total than two programs were taken separately
Profiles of Admitted Master’s Students
M.P.H.: For fall 2012, there were 52 applicants. Thirty-two were accepted. Their mean GRE score was 306 in combined verbal & quantitative and 3.7 in writing on the new scoring scale. Their mean undergraduate GPA was 3.32 (on a 4.00 point scale).
M.H.A.: For Fall 2014, there were 105 applicants; 57 were accepted while 24 enrolled. Their mean GRE score was 301 in combined verbal & quantitative and 3.9 in writing based on the new writing scale. The mean GMAT score based on the old scale was 1,030. Overall mean undergraduate GPA was 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
Doctoral Programs
Health Services Policy and Management, Ph.D.
Applicants for the PhD program must submit:
- transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate work
- scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT)
- three letters of recommendation
- a statement of professional goals
- a personal resume
- copies of publications, if any
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam scores, if the applicant’s native language is not English.
International applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program director before applying to the program.
An interview with departmental faculty is highly recommended.
Admission criteria for the Doctor of Philosophy program include:
- Master’s degree in health administration, business administration, public health, or public administration is strongly preferred. Exceptional applicants with baccalaureate degrees will also be considered.
- A grade point average of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) is required on previous undergraduate and graduate course work. Exceptions to this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the faculty.
The Ph.D. degree requires an approved program of 60 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students with a relevant master’s degree may complete the PhD in Health Services Policy and Management by completing a minimum of 42 additional credit hours (including 12 credit hours of dissertation preparation). A student without a prior master’s degree will be required to complete a minimum of 60 graduate credit hours to graduate.
Health Services Policy and Management, Dr.P.H.
Admission criteria for the Doctor of Public Health program include:
- Applicants should have a master’s degree in health administration, business administration, public health, or public health administration. Exceptions will be considered by petition to the faculty. Applicants must have worked in a health-related midlevel management or policy position for at least four years.
- Previous graduate-level course work should include health care finance, statistics, organizational behavior, health economics, and epidemiology. Students lacking one or more of these will be required to make up the deficiency. Courses taken to make up deficiencies do not count toward the Dr.P.H. program. Students with three deficiencies will have a conditional admission contingent on successful completion of make-up courses.
- A grade point average of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) is required on previous graduate course work.
Applicants must submit:
- transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate work
- scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), except for applicants with a doctoral-level degree (such as M.D., D.D.S., or Ph.D.) by petition to the faculty
- three letters of recommendation from persons who can reflect upon the applicant’s prior academic and professional performance
- a statement of career goals
- a personal resume
- copies of publications, if any
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam scores, if the applicant’s native language is not English (may be waived, by petition to the faculty, if academic experience in the U.S. demonstrates English proficiency).
International applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program director before applying to the program.
An interview with the departmental faculty is highly recommended.
Profile of Admitted Doctoral Students
Ph.D.: For Fall, 2011, there were 29 applicants to the Ph.D. program, of whom nineteen were accepted. The mean GRE scores of accepted applicants were 474 (verbal) and 664 (quantitative). Their mean graduate GPA was 3.86 (on a 4.0 scale).
Dr.P.H.: For Fall, 2011, there were four applicants to the Dr.P.H. program, of whom three were accepted. The mean GRE scores of accepted applicants were 473 (verbal) and 623 (quantitative). Their mean graduate GPA was 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale).
Programs and Courses
Programs
CoursesHealth Services Policy and Management
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