Areas of Emphasis

Students are required to complete an "area of emphasis" taking a minimum of five courses or 15 credits in specialized theory or methods courses. The area of emphasis is typically chosen after the first year.

Students may choose one of the defined areas, or may design an area of emphasis with courses selected in conjunction with his/her mentor, based on past course work, experience, proposed dissertation topic, and career goals. Students who choose two areas of emphasis must meet the course requirements of both.

Prospective students are welcome to contact faculty representatives of the areas of emphasis to learn of current research activities and opportunities.

AREA OF EMPHASIS:

Health Systems Research

Lead Faculty: Chris Johnson

This area of emphasis provides PhD students with greater depth and preparation to conduct research about the performance of health care and public health systems.

Students must complete an organizational theory course to fulfill the PhD Program's theory course requirement. An additional organizational theory course is required for this area of emphasis.

A course in clinical epidemiology is required because clinical studies of health system effects on clinical health outcomes are common in this field.

Because studies of health systems often require longitudinal data for patients, providers, health care organizations, insurance plans and other units, students also are recommended to learn statistical methods for analyzing correlated data.

Because studies of health systems often blend quantitative and qualitative methods ("mixed methods" approaches), a qualitative methods course is recommended.

Finally, students must complete an additional methods course from the menu of courses listed in Evaluative Science and Statistics area of emphasis.

Students who complete this area of emphasis will be prepared to design and conduct studies of the health care and public health system's performance.

Required Courses:

HSERV 582

Theoretical Perspectives on Health Behavior Change (3-4)

and one additional organizational theory course from the following courses:

HSERV 590

Organizational Theory and Applications in the Study of Health Services

MGMT 583

Comtemporary Research in Organizational Behavior (4)

SOC 516

Organizations (3)

SOC 586

Special Topics in Organization and Industrial Sociology (3)

and two from the following courses:

HSERV 521

Qualitative Methods in Health Services Research (3)

BIOST 540

Correlated Data Regression (3)

EPI 542

Clinical Epidemiology (2)

G H 541

Fundamentals of Implementation Science in Global Health (4)

and one methods course from the Evaluative Sciences & Statistics area of emphasis:

(HSERV 584 or HSERV 527 specifically recommended.)