With the approval of the departmental Doctoral Committee, students may design a focus area other than the following suggested focus areas. You can also be a part-time student, taking 8 or fewer credits each term. A full-time student can complete the program in four years. Core courses are not offered every term, but they are sequenced so that students can complete the program in a timely fashion. The program is designed to prepare students to work in academic or research settings.
Graduates are members of college and university faculties.
Some graduates are directors of or are principle investigators in research institutions or hospital research departments. Faculty are engaged in research involving the analysis of health care financing, health care for children, assessment of health care needs of the elderly, analysis of risk-taking behaviors and analysis of issues related to health care reform, to name just a few areas of interest. Many students in the program come from professional backgrounds and all students in the program have had some experience in the health field. Three to six students are accepted each year. Financial aid is not guaranteed.