PhD in Health Policy
Coursework and Schedules

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRACK

 

Health Economics

Decision Science

Evaluative Methods

CURRICULAR AREA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health Policy Foundations

HRP 201A, 201B, 201C: First-Year Core Tutorial

HRP 201A, 201B, 201C: First-Year Core Tutorial

HRP 201A, 201B, 201C: First-Year Core Tutorial

 

HRP 391: Health Law - Finance and Insurance

HRP 391: Health Law - Finance and Insurance

HRP 391: Health Law - Finance and Insurance

 

HRP 392: Analysis of Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Health Care

HRP 392: Analysis of Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Health Care

HRP 392: Analysis of Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Health Care

 

HRP 252: Outcomes Analysis

HRP 252: Outcomes Analysis

HRP 252: Outcomes Analysis

 

 

 

 

Core Methods

One year sequence in econometrics:

At least two quarters of one of the two following sequences:

At least two quarters of one of the two following sequences:

 

 

 

 

 

ECON 270: Intermediate Econometrics I

ECON 270: Intermediate Econometrics I

ECON 270: Intermediate Econometrics I

 

ECON 271: Intermediate Econometrics II

ECON 271: Intermediate Econometrics II

ECON 271: Intermediate Econometrics II

 

ECON 272: Intermediate Econometrics III

ECON 272: Intermediate Econometrics III

ECON 272: Intermediate Econometrics III

 

OR

OR

OR

 

MGTECON 603: Econometric Methods I

MGTECON 603: Econometric Methods I

MGTECON 603: Econometric Methods I

 

MGTECON 604: Econometric Methods II

MGTECON 604: Econometric Methods II

MGTECON 604: Econometric Methods II

 

MGTECON 605: Econometric Methods III

MGTECON 605: Econometric Methods III

MGTECON 605: Econometric Methods III

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

POLISI 450A: Political Methodology I: Regression

 

 

 

POLISI 450B: Political Methodology II: Causal Inference

 

 

 

POLISCI 450C: Political Methodology III: Model-Based Inference

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

EDUC 400A: Introduction to Statistical Methods in Education

 

 

 

EDUC 400B: Statistical Analysis in Education: Regression

 

 

 

EDUC 430B: Causal Inference in Quantitative Education and Social Science Research

 

 

 

 

 

Microeconomics - One year sequence

Microeconomics - at least one quarter-long course from among the following options

Microeconomics - at least one quarter-long course from among the following options

 

ECON 202: Microeconomics I

GSBGEN 675: Microeconomic Theory

GSBGEN 675: Microeconomic Theory

 

ECON 203: Microeconomics II

OR

OR

 

ECON 204: Microeconomics III

MGTECON 600: Microeconomic Analysis I

MGTECON 600: Microeconomic Analysis I

 

OR equivalent, e.g. GSBGEN 675 or MGTECON 600 can be substituted for ECON 202 and/or MGTECON 601 can be substituted for ECON 203

MGTECON 601: Microeconomic Analysis II

MGTECON 601: Microeconomic Analysis II

 

 

OR

OR

 

 

ECON 202N: Microeconomics I for Non-Economics PhDs

ECON 202N: Microeconomics I for Non-Economics PhDs

 

 

OR

OR

 

 

ECON 202: Microeconomics I

ECON 202: Microeconomics I

 

 

ECON 203: Microeconomics II

ECON 203: Microeconomics II

 

 

 

 

Discipline-specific courses

HRP 249: Topics in Health Economics

HRP 263: Advanced Decision Science Methods & Modeling in Health

Choose 4 advanced methods courses to create a defined cluster in a methodological area relevant for the student's program and related to their content area of specialization. 

A range of methodology courses are available in areas including qualitative research, survey/interview/ethnography methods, legal research methods, data sciences, epidemiological methods, and related areas.

 

AND

AND

 

Choose 4 courses in the following 4 fields in economics:

Choose 4 methods courses such as:

 

 

 

 

Development Economics

MS&E 211X: Introduction to Optimization (Accelerated)

 

Public Finance

MS&E 221: Stochastic Modeling

 

Labor Economics

MS&E 223: Simulation

 

Industrial Organization

MS&E 226: "Small" Data: Prediction, Inference, Causality

 

 

MS&E 263: : Healthcare Operations Management

 

 

MS&E 463: Healthcare Systems Design

 

 

 

 

 

AND

AND

AND

 

 

 

 

 

Choose at least 8 units of additional health-policy-related courses such as:

Choose at least 8 units of additional health-policy-related courses such as:

Choose 4 advanced courses to create a defined cluster in a content area relevant for the student’s program and related to their methodological area of specialization. 

The program emphasizes potential content cluster areas in law, ethics, organizations, machine learning and data science.  Additional areas may be possible in consultation with the program. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EASTASN 217: Health and Healthcare Systems in East Asia

EASTASN 217: Health and Healthcare Systems in East Asia

 

HRP 209: Health Law: The FDA

HRP 209: Health Law: The FDA

 

MED 209: Health Law: Quality and Safety of Care

MED 209: Health Law: Quality and Safety of Care

 

MED 237: Health Law: Improving Public Health

MED 237: Health Law: Improving Public Health

 

MED 238: Leading and Managing Health Care Organizations: Innovation and Collaboration

MED 238: Leading and Managing Health Care Organizations: Innovation and Collaboration

 

 

 

 

Practice of Research

HRP 800: Second-year Core Tutorial – 3 quarters (Aut, Win & Spr)

HRP 800: Second-year Core Tutorial – 3 quarters (Aut, Win & Spr)

HRP 800: Second-year Core Tutorial – 3 quarters (Aut, Win & Spr)

 

MED 255: The Responsible Conduct of Research

MED 255: The Responsible Conduct of Research

MED 255: The Responsible Conduct of Research

 

Health Policy Research in Progress Seminar (Aut, Win & Spr)

Health Policy Research in Progress Seminar (Aut, Win & Spr)

Health Policy Research in Progress Seminar (Aut, Win & Spr)

 

Health Economics Seminar

 

 

 

Health Economics Problem Solving Group

 

 

 

For more information on individual courses go to: http://explorecourses.stanford.edu/browse

 

Sample Course Schedules

 

Final schedules to be discussed with, and approved by, the student's primary advisor.

Possible schedule options are:

Health Economics (HE) Track

Decision Sciences (DS) Track

Evaluative Methods (EM) Track

Q1 Fall

ECON 270

ECON 270

ECON 270

ECON 202

GSBGEN 675

GSBGEN 675

HRP 392

HRP 392

HRP 392

HRP 201A

HRP 201A

HRP 201A

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

 

Q2 Win

ECON 271

ECON 271

ECON 271

ECON 203

HRP 263

Content Area Course

HRP 391

HRP 391

HRP 391

HRP 201B

HRP 201B

HRP 201B

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

 

Q3 Spr

ECON 272

HRP 252

HRP 252

ECON 204

Health Policy Course

Content Area Course

HRP 252

Health Policy Course

Content Area Course

HRP 201C

HRP 201C

HRP 201C

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

MED 255

MED 255

MED 255

 

Q4 Sum

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

 

Q5 Fall

Health Policy Course

Health Policy Course

Content Area Course

ECON Field Course

DS Methods Course

Methods Area Course

ECON Field Course

DS Methods Course

HRP 800

HRP 800

HRP 800

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

 

 

Q6 Win

ECON Field Course

DS Methods Course

Methods Area Course

HRP 800

HRP 800

Methods Area Course

Health Policy Course

HRP Graduate Research

HRP 800

HRP Graduate Research

  

HRP Graduate Research

 

Q7 Spr

ECON Field Course

Health Policy Course

Methods Area Course

HRP 249

DS Methods Course

HRP 800

Health Policy Course

HRP 800

HRP Graduate Research

HRP 800

HRP Graduate Research

 

HRP Graduate Research

 

 

 

Q8 and beyond

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research

HRP Graduate Research
 

For full details please see Stanford’s Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures and the Health Policy PhD Handbook. 

The minimum number of units required for a Ph.D. degree at Stanford (satisfied both through coursework and research units) is 135.

First year:

  • Completion of first-year coursework with a minimum grade of B- in all courses and an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 (equivalent to a grade of B)
  • Completion of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) meeting with primary advisor within the first quarter
  • Completion of CITI/HIPAA training and research ethics/responsible conduct of research (MED 255) course
  • Regular meetings with primary advisor(s) (at least quarterly required, more frequent meetings are recommended)
  • Development and presentation of first-year research proposal (as part of the Spring Quarter Tutorial)
  • Completion of progress assessment/milestone meeting with primary advisor (Spring Qtr)

 

Second Year: 

  • Completion of second-year coursework with a minimum grade of B- in all courses and an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 (equivalent to a grade of B)
  • Completion of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) meeting with primary advisor within the first quarter
  • Regular meetings with advisor(s) (at least quarterly required, more frequent meetings are recommended)
  • Maintenance of CITI/HIPAA training.
  • Development of second-year research project (as part of Tutorial)
  • Development and submission of funding/grant proposal (as part of Tutorial)
  • Completion of progress assessment/milestone meeting with primary advisor (Spring Qtr)
  • Taking and passing Written Qualifying Exam
  • Submission, and approval by advisor, of the Second Year Paper
  • Advancement to PhD Candidacy
  • Presentation of second-year research project

 

Third Year:

  • Completion of IDP meeting with primary advisor within the first quarter
  • Regular meetings with primary advisor (at least quarterly required, more frequent meetings are recommended)
  • Maintenance of CITI/HIPAA training
  • Development of dissertation proposal
  • Taking and passing the departmental PhD Oral Exam - dissertation proposal defense 
  • Completion of progress assessment/milestone meeting with primary advisor (Spring Qtr).

 

Fourth Year (& Beyond):

  • Completion of IDP meeting with primary advisor within the first quarter.
  • Regular meetings with primary advisor (at least quarterly required, more frequent meetings are recommended)
  • Maintenance of CITI/HIPAA training 
  • Completion of progress assessment/milestone meeting with primary advisor (Spring Qtr)
  • Completion of dissertation
  • Final presentation of dissertation

 

Exams

Written Qualifying Exam:

  • In order to advance to PhD Candidacy students must take and pass a written qualifying exam - material will cover broader health policy concepts (such as ones covered in the first year Tutorial) as well as track specific topics
  • Given at end of second year
  • The exams will be evaluated and graded by core faculty

 

Oral Exam:

  • In accordance with University policy (see: http://gap.stanford.edu) students must take and pass an Oral Examination as part of the PhD degree requirements
  • The Oral Examination (colloquially known as “the proposal defense”) will be focused mainly on the student’s dissertation proposal - as well as examining feasibility and understanding of the dissertation proposal, it assesses the candidate’s command of the field of study
  • Students are required to take the Oral Exam after passing their Written Qualifying Exam, and when the advisor believes that the student is ready. 

 

PhD Dissertation:

  • Students must present a PhD dissertation that is the result of independent investigation and that constitutes a contribution to knowledge in health services research and health policy
  • Students must select a primary dissertation advisor and at least 2 additional faculty members to serve on the dissertation committee
  • Presentation of a prospectus outlining the proposed research to the committee and approval by the committee - as part of the oral examination
  • Submission of a final draft of the work signed by all members of the dissertation committee
  • Final talk to present thesis work and findings