Curriculum & Program Requirements
To be officially accepted in the GPHAP, all students must be enrolled and pursuing a masters degree from one of the participating professional schools at the University.
The Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy allows students to choose a course of study in health service administration and policy that closely matches their interests and career plans to developments in this expanding field. GPHAP is an interdisciplinary program that draws faculty and students from professional schools on campus--the Graduate School of Business, the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, and the School of Social Service Administration. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded a Certificate in Health Administration and Policy in addition to the M.A., M.P.P., or M.B.A., or the M.D./M.B.A. awarded by their respective graduate schools.
Building on the core training provided by the participating schools, GPHAP prepares leaders in health administration and policy by developing students' analytical skills and providing the opportunity to apply their training to real problems in healthcare delivery. All students must fulfill the core requirements of their respective schools. These requirements ensure that students have backgrounds in economics, organizational behavior, statistics, policy analysis and financial management. Through field placements or internships, students begin to apply the theoretical and analytical tools in a practical setting. Students benefit greatly from the alternative perspectives on health care presented by professors and students from different programs. While training in the different schools overlaps, the business school emphasizes business administration of healthcare organizations and healthcare consulting, the public policy school stresses health policy analysis and economics, and the social services administration school emphasizes management of services, especially to vulnerable populations.
Students also complete four health courses as part of their two-year curriculum. Health Services System is taken during the spring quarter of the first year and provides an overview of the field, including studies in epidemiology, health services organization, reimbursement, the determinants of health services use, and the roles and behavior of various health services providers. The second required course, Special Problems in Health Care Management is taken during the spring quarter of the second year of study. This course is more focused on the micro-level of health administration and current topics in the field. Students must also take two electives from a university-wide list of health care courses, including courses in health economics, marketing, medical sociology, policy analysis for health care, quality improvement, program evaluation, health care for the poor, and epidemiology. The electives are designed to provide students with the flexibility needed to customize their course selections to meet their career goals.
Program Requirements
Academic
All GPHAP students must complete four courses consisting of two required courses, and two health electives.* Students must maintain a grade of "B" or higher in the introductory SSA 475 course. All of the courses taken to fulfill the GPHAP requirements must be taken for a grade and not taken on a pass/fail basis.
The Required Course Sequence:
1. Health Services System (SSA 47500) taken during the Spring Quarter of 1st year
2. Special Problems in Health Care Management (SSA 46600, PPHA 46200) taken during Spring Quarter of 2nd year
3. Two Health Electives from a campus-wide list of approved electives*Clinical SSA students are required to take an additional social administration, financial management or budget course from approved list since this is not a requirement of their degree training. Please consult with Program Director for written approval.
An Adobe PDF of approved health electives may be viewed HERE
Practical
GPHAP students must complete a supervised practicum as part of their training, providing the opportunity for students to apply theoretical knowledge to real life administrative and policy challenges. The practicum requirement can be fulfilled in a number of ways:
- Summer Internships
- Field Placements (1 academic year)
- Research Assistantships (1 academic year)
- Professional Experience (with approval from the program Director)
Co-curricular
Students are expected to attend three health related workshops, seminars, lectures or GPHAP special events offered on campus each quarter and must provide a short synopsis of each event attended.
Please see the summary addressing some Frequently Asked Questions.