PhD in Health Policy Management

Become well prepared to take on independent research roles

The PhD in Health Policy and Management program at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is ideal for students who are interested in developing the analytical, methodological, and professional skills needed to tackle the many health policy and management challenges facing Indiana, our nation, and the world.

As a core discipline within the field of public health, health policy and management focuses on the creation of new knowledge that informs the advancement of health services delivery within and across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

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With a PhD degree in HPM, you will be well prepared to take on independent research roles as academic faculty members.

Students pursuing this degree must complete at least 90 credit hours that include advanced graduate coursework, passing a qualifying examination, and researching and defending a dissertation that makes an original contribution to the field.

The department’s distinguished faculty members instruct, mentor, and collaborate closely with students. You’ll benefit from working with faculty members who are nationally recognized for their research in health information technology, healthcare organizations, health policy and law, health impact assessment, and more.

To support this research, faculty members have a diverse research funding portfolio that includes grants and contracts from the NIH, AHRQ, SAMHSA, NCAA, CDC, and numerous Indiana state agencies.

You will have access to outside expertise through the department’s longstanding close collaborations with the IU School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute, the IU Kelley School of Business, the IU McKinney School of Law, the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, the Indiana Hospital Association, the Indiana State Department of Health, and top health systems and professional organizations throughout the state and nation.

Justin Blackburn, PhD
Associate Professor and PhD Program Director

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Faculty

The Health Policy and Management (HPM) department is comprised of a renowned, award-winning and connected faculty. The faculty’s research interests are varied and focused on important local and global health issues, including health information technology, population health, healthcare organizations, health policy and law, health impact assessment, and public health systems and services.

View the Health Policy & Management faculty

Curriculum

All PhD students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 90 credits. For those without a recent MPH degree in health policy, the curriculum would consist of required core courses, methods courses, elective courses, a doctoral minor, doctoral research seminars and guided dissertation research.

Competencies

The PhD in Health Policy & Management focuses on 10 core competencies that serve as a measure of growth and criteria for assessment.

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Students

PhD students in the HPM department come from diverse backgrounds and have varied research interests. The students’ research interests include health information technology, mental health services, the organization of public health systems, and the impact of health policies and laws.

Meet our Health Policy & Management PhD students

Admissions

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Learn what you must complete in order to be admitted to this degree program.

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Still have questions?

Our associate director of graduate affairs, Shawne Mathis, is available to meet with you virtually or in-person.

Contact Shawne