Health Policy (MS)

专业详情

University requirements for the M.S. degree are described in the “Graduate Degrees” section of this bulletin.

The Master’s Degree in Health Policy provides students with the skills to conduct and interpret research in health policy and clinical decision-making.

The MS program is typically completed in two years.  All candidates must satisfactorily complete 45 units of graduate course work with a 3.0 (B) or better, as well as a master’s thesis that represents original health services research. In addition to satisfying the core course requirements, students must take additional courses in one of four concentration areas.

The core faculty interests include outcomes research, health economics, health care organization, health care access, implementation science, quality of care, decision analysis, clinical guidelines, and assessment of patient preferences and quality of life.

Application deadline: February 15, 2022. 

For additional information on course requirements and admissions process, see the program website. Please address inquiries to the HRP Education Program Manager at hrpadmissions@stanford.edu.

Submit an application through the Stanford Graduate Admissions website by clicking on “Apply Now.”

Applications are evaluated based on the applicant’s commitment to and aptitude for a career in health policy research as demonstrated via transcripts, statement of purpose, relevant work and research experience, and letters of recommendation. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional in the 2021-2022 application cycle (thought this may change in future years), but is still highly encouraged and may be waived for applicants with an M.D. or similar degree. Applicants from non-English speaking countries should provide evidence of competence in English on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). See Stanford University GRE and TOEFL policies and requirements on the Graduate Admissions website.

Required Supporting Documents

To be submitted in the Stanford Graduate Admissions Application:

• Statement of Purpose that includes area(s) of interest
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official GRE General Test scores (optional in 2021-2022 application cycle)
• Official TOEFL scores (if applicable)
• Unofficial transcripts for all college/university degrees
• CV with relevant work and research experience

Advisors and Mentors

Academic advising by our faculty is a critical component of our graduate students’ education.

All matriculating students will be assigned a faculty advisor from the group of core faculty to help them design their academic program. Students will remain with this advisor until the time that they have developed other arrangements for advising.

Advisors will meet with students within the first quarter of each year to discuss students’ curricular and research plans.  Additionally, students will meet with their advisor(s) on a regular basis throughout each year to discuss course selection, progress through the program, development of research projects, and career plans. 

Each student will propose a thesis committee, to be approved by the Program Director, comprised of at least two faculty members associated with the Master’s degree program, one of whom must be a core faculty member, and the second must be either core or affiliated faculty.  The chair of the thesis committee will be the student’s primary faculty advisor, and a member of the core faculty.  All committee members must read and approve the final thesis.  Depending on the topic of the project, additional faculty members may serve as mentors either as a committee member or in a less formal arrangement.  Other faculty members may be added to the thesis to serve as “content experts” for projects concerned with specific diseases or medical treatments. 

Thesis

The completion of a master’s thesis is an essential component of the MS program in Health Policy. The thesis allows students to apply methodologic principles to specific issues in health or medical care, and to demonstrate the following:

•     Familiarity with health care organization, financing, and policy issues

•     Awareness of technical, methodological, and other issues relevant to health services research

•     Comprehension of analysis techniques, their proper use, and limitations

•     Knowledge in a substantive area of health services

•     Ability to communicate scientific reasoning and argue analytically

Each student must submit a 1-2 page thesis proposal by the end of the first year in the program. The proposal should describe the research project which will fulfill the requirement for the master’s thesis including identifying the research question and describing the data sources and methods to be used. For collaborative projects, the student should identify the collaborators and describe in detail their role on the project. For projects using secondary data, the student should provide evidence that the data will be available for the proposed research and describe how they will access the data. In the proposal, the student should identify the members of the thesis committee.

All committee members must read and approve the final thesis.  Depending on the topic of the project, additional faculty members may serve as mentors either as a committee member or in a less formal arrangement. Other faculty members may be added to the thesis to serve as content experts for projects concerned with specific diseases or medical treatments.