Academic Programs
Students may choose a general or specialized track and are encouraged to develop areas of emphasis with their faculty mentors.
- Postdoctoral Program in Health Services
- PhD Program in Health Services
- Master of Health Administration (MHA)
- Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Science in Health Services (MS)
- Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Health Information Management
- Undergraduate Major in Public Health
This program has been training postdoctoral students for over twenty-five years.
The majority of our trainees have been physicians with an interest in clinical
research and they have chosen to obtain a MPH/MS degree in health services. They
recognize that the skills obtained with this degree can jump start their
research careers. Our long history of training postdoctoral students in health
services research has resulted in many excellent physician role models for
fellows to emulate. We admit physicians from primary care and subspecialties,
which creates a stimulating intellectual environment.
Non-physician postdoctoral trainees with a degree in a non-health services field
may want to pursue an MPH/MS degree in health services. Those with a PhD in a
health services-related field often prefer to pursue an independent research
program and career development toward a junior faculty position by writing
grants, such as K awards. Non-physician postdoctoral trainees pursue
individually-tailored course work and research experience to learn new skills.
They spend most of their time conducting research under mentor supervision.
This doctoral program trains health services researchers and health policy analysts for careers in academic institutions, health delivery systems, public health departments, government agencies, and the private sector. An in-residence program, it prepares students to conduct high-quality independent, collaborative research and policy analysis by offering multidisciplinary, applied research opportunities on a wide variety of topics under the close mentorship of faculty. Students obtain advanced knowledge of the determinants of population health and of the health care system and they are exposed to several competing theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing both population health and the provision of health care. They develop research skills to identify and critically analyze the social, behavioral and health system effects on health and how organization, delivery, financing, and management of health services affect system performance.
The Two-year, In-residence Program
This interdisciplinary program uses both a managerial and clinical perspective to guide students in mastering theoretical knowledge and analytical skills applicable to management roles in "real world" health care settings such as hospitals, medical groups, managed care organizations, and long-term care facilities. It prepares students for careers in management, planning, consulting, and policy-making.
In addition to the core MHA degree program, we offer three concurrent degree programs with our academic partners, the University's Schools of Business, Public Affairs and Medicine - leading to MHA/MBA, MHA/MPA, and MHA/MD degrees.
The Executive MHA Program
Designed for mid-career clinically oriented health professionals and managers, building on their experience, this degree program is closely modeled on the in-residence program. It offers advanced curriculum in planning, organizing, and implementing programs that improve the cost-effectiveness and quality of patient care.
The Certificate Program in Medical Management
The four-course CPMM is designed to introduce experienced practitioners to principles of health services management. Students may apply CPMM credits to the Executive MHA program.
The Two-year, In-residence MPH in Health Services
The MPH in Health Services is a 2-year graduate degree program that offers analytical and practical knowledge and skills to candidates who have some experience in health fields and who want to assume positions of greater responsibility in improving the public's health and the effectiveness of health care and population health services.
Beginning in 2010, the In-Residence MPH in Health Services is changing from a course of study organized around five specialized tracks to an MPH offered in two educational formats -- the MPH in Health Services (General Program) and the MPH in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP). All applicants must choose either the General Program or the COPHP.
Choosing between the two educational formats in which the MPH in Health Services is offered is best made by considering career goals, both upon graduation and in early career. If the student's career goal is to pursue advanced research opportunities, the general format should be chosen. If the student's career goal is to earn a doctorate in Health Services or a similar field, the general format is usually the better choice. With some exceptions, students wanting to pursue a second degree concurrently should also choose the general format. Students who wish to pursue careers in public health practice or health policy might choose either format, depending on their learning style and the relative mix of knowledge and skills that they wish to acquire. The COPHP has been uniquely designed for individuals who want to go into public health practice, and should be chosen by those who favor a collaborative, problem-based learning method and extensive fieldwork as preparation for this kind of career.
When applying to the General Program, applicants may choose a generalist focus, or one of the Program's concentrations:
- Health Care System Performance
- Health Policy
- Maternal and Child Health
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
General questions about the MPH, MS or affiliated concurrent programs can be directed to hservmph@u.washington.edu
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Community-Oriented Public Health
Practice Program (MPH)
http://depts.washington.edu/cophp/ -
Health Care and Population Health Research (MPH)
http://depts.washington.edu/hpr/ -
Health Policy Analysis and Process (MPH)
http://depts.washington.edu/hpap/ -
Maternal and Child Health (MPH)
http://depts.washington.edu/mchprog/ -
Social and Behavioral Sciences (MPH)
http://depts.washington.edu/sbs/ - Concurrent Degree Programs
- Concurrent MD/MPH Program
- Admission Information
- MPH in Health Services Learning Objectives
- Graduate Certificates in Public Health
The Extended MPH Degree Program
The Extended MPH Degree Program is an accredited, nationally recognized partial distance learning, partial on-site program for professionals in healthcare or connected to public health who wish to earn a Master's degree in Public Health through the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. Its integrated curricula concentration is in health services management and includes environmental, educational, and personal health approaches to the solution of public health problems. Additional pathways in health education and maternal and child health are also available.
Students in the MS degree program pursue a curriculum that focuses on research methods in health services, and weekly join MPH students in one of the MPH track seminars as an integrating experience. Historically, students in the MS program have attended the Health Care and Population Health Research seminar and have been mentored by the faculty of the Health Care and Population Health Research Track. MS students are also encouraged to pursue certificates offered by programs in the School of Public Health. The MS degree program is often chosen by physicians and post-doctoral fellows and is sometimes undertaken as the first step toward a doctorate in Health Services.
The Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Health Information Management addresses the use of data in health care and focuses on areas such as patient data systems and electronic records. The program also offers a Post-baccalaureate Certificate.
The major introduces undergraduates to public health issues such as emerging infectious diseases, chronic diseases, access to health care and modes of health care delivery, the geography of health, the effects of environment on health and disease, and the tools medical researchers use to understand the biological mechanism of disease and the modes of disease spread, prevention, and cure.
