The Health Policy Analysis concentration prepares students to research, analyze and implement public health policies at local, state and federal levels.
The policy landscape today is more complex and dynamic than ever, as health-care reform and the Affordable Care Act present ongoing challenges and opportunities for firms, consumers, nonprofit organizations, policy researchers and governments. Our curriculum provides students with the tools to measure and understand the implementation and impact of health policies in today’s environment, and the perspective to recommend and take appropriate actions based on critical analysis.
Students will learn how to enhance the public’s health by understanding the way policies are designed, implemented, analyzed and assessed.
Concentration requirements
A total of 15 credits is required.
- Health Economics (3 credits)
- Quantitative Methods for Health Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- Health Politics & Policy (3 credits)
- Transdisciplinary problem-solving course (3 credits)
- Practicum with a health policy focus (3 credits)
Transdisciplinary problem-solving course options include:
- TPS: Health Reform Implementation
- TPS: Chronic Disease, Policy & Prevention for Public Health
- TPS: Interrogating Health, Race and Inequalities
- TPS: Gender, Poverty and Global Health
In addition, students are strongly encouraged to choose skill labs related to health policy analysis.
Practicum
Students in the health policy analysis concentration have completed their practica at sites such as:
- Centene Corp.
- Health Capital Consultants
- St. Louis Area Food Bank
Concentration chair
Derek Brown, PhD
Derek Brown, a professor at WashU Public Health, focuses on costs, access to care, quality, and disparities among Medicaid populations, with a goal of improving valuation of health outcomes and policies and promoting better economic evaluation of public health policies. Brown teaches courses in health economics and health policy and serves as a faculty affiliate at numerous WashU research centers.
Apply
Join us in our commitment to building a healthier world for all.
The application for the Master of Public Health program must be completed through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) – the centralized application service for public health. You must designate your chosen MPH program under Washington University in St. Louis – School of Public Health within the SOPHAS program finder.