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Rutgers School of Public Health

Health Behavior, Society and Policy

Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Systems & Policy (45 credits)

The MPH degree in Health Systems and Policy (HSAP) provides students with an understanding of the organization and delivery health care, the sources of payment for health care, and health policy and health system issues in the United States. Students take required courses in health policy, public health law and ethics, health economics, health services research and evaluation, and health care management. In these courses they learn about economic theory and techniques to assess and evaluate health care issues and problems. They learn to use the principles of health economics to examine the features of the health care market, including health insurance, demand for health care, physician payment, health reform, and cost containment strategies. Students are provided with the skills needed to understand health care politics and policy in the United States through examination of American political values, government structure and process, and the goals of relevant stakeholders. In other required courses students learn how health organizations deliver care and methods used to manage them, as well as the constitutional and legal basis for the regulation of health.

In addition to fifteen (15) credits of required course work, students have the opportunity to select nine (9) credits of elective coursework in areas of health policy, research, data management and statistical methods, and health care management. Towards the end of their course of study, students are provided with a “real world” hands on research experience through fieldwork in their area of interest.

The Department offers the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree on both the New Brunswick and Stratford Campuses. Requirements for the MPH are identical for both campuses and students accepted into HSAP can take courses on either campus.

Dual Degrees

  • MD/MPH
  • DO/MPH
  • JD/MPH
  • MPH/MBA
  • MPH/MSPA
  • BS/MPH
  • BA/MPH
  • MSBS/MPH
  • MBS/MPH

Competencies

Competencies for the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Systems & Policy (45 credits)

Each Concentration identifies competencies for each degree offered. These competencies reflect the full range of knowledge, skills, and other attributes that a student will acquire as a result of completing the requirements for a particular degree.

Upon graduation, a student completing the MPH curriculum in Health Systems and Policy will be able to:

  • Use economic and social science theories, concepts, and/or methodologies in the analysis and evaluation of current health care issues, including health and health care inequalities
  • Explain the appropriate use of quantitative and qualitative research methods in the analysis of health service and policy issues
  • Assess the role of social, cultural, political, legal, or economic factors in shaping health care delivery systems
  • Assess and delineate public health policies and practices recognizing legal and ethical implications for individuals and populations
  • Evaluate the political, social, or institutional contexts in which health policies are developed

Curriculum

Curriculum for the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Systems and Policy (45 credits)

Students seeking the MPH in Health Systems and Policy degree must complete 45 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of least 3.0; earn no more than nine (9) credits bearing grades less than “B,” and complete the degree requirements within six years. Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted. Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted and semester when each course is typically offered is noted parentheses. Students should review the Forward Schedule for long-term course planning and the Course Schedule for each semester to determine when, where, and how a course is offered.

  • CORE COURSES (18 credits)
    • PHCO 0501 - Health Systems and Policy
    • PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
    • PHCO 0503 - Introduction to Environmental Health
    • PHCO 0504 - Introduction to Biostatistics (Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment)
    • PHCO 0505 - Social and Behavioral Health Sciences in Public Health
    • PHCO 0513 - Leadership and Management Essentials for Public Health
  • PRACTICUM (3 credits)
    Note: Students should review the Practice Experience webpage for information about Practicum.
    • PRAC 0715 - Applied Practice Experience (0 credits) [Prerequisite: APE Learning Agreement and select PHCO and concentration courses]
    • PRAC 0716 - Practicum Capstone (3 credits) [Prerequisite: Completion of the APE and Practicum Capstone Learning Agreement]
    • Review the School’s Registration Calendar for important MPH Practice Experience Registration dates specific to PRAC 0715 and PRAC 0716.
  • REQUIRED COURSES (15 credits) Note: Students should review the Course Descriptions in the School Catalog for specific information about prerequisites required for required courses and recommended electives.
    • HBSP 0600 - Health Behavior and Policy Research Design and Methods (Fall/Spring/Summer)
    • HBSP 0620 - Public Health Ethics and Law (Spring)
    • HBSP 0621 - Health Care Economics (Fall/Spring)
  • Choose two of the following five (these courses can also be used as electives):
    • HBSP 0622 – Health Politics and Policy (Spring) -or-
    • HBSP 0623 – Cross National Comparison of Health Systems (Spring) -or-
    • HBSP 0624 – Population Health and Public Policy (Fall) -or-
    • HBSP 0625 - Issues in Private and Public Health Insurance (Spring) -or-
    • UGPH 0630 – Global Food Systems and Policy (Fall)
  • OTHER REQUIREMENTS (0 credits)
    • PRAC 0621 - Interprofessional Education (0 credits) [Fall/Spring]
      Students are required to register for and complete an Interprofessional Education activity prior to graduation.
  • RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (9 credits)
    • HBSP 0630 - Topics in Health Systems and Health Care Policy
    • EPID 0563 - Introduction to Outcomes Research (Fall)
    • EPID 0673 - Social Epidemiology (Spring)
    • UGPH 0515 - Global Noncommunicable Disease and Environmental Risk Factors (Spring)
    • UGPH 0560 - Foundations in Maternal and Child Health (Fall)
    • UGPH 0600 - Introduction to Global Public Health (Fall/Spring)