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Health policy research is a scientific field of inquiry that examines the structures, functions and outcomes of health services delivered to individuals and populations and the impact of and implications for policies governing the delivery of these services. Health policy research has been developing for the past 50 years, and given this maturity and established professional identity, the development of outstanding training programs in health policy research has become a growing priority for the field. The University of Pennsylvania provides a unique and fertile environment for a Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP). Penn has leading Schools of Medicine, Business, and Nursing with internationally recognized scholars spanning the spectrum of health policy research. The retention and recruitment of outstanding health policy researchers within these schools has resulted in a cohesive and growing group of faculty members for the training program. Each year Penn graduates over 150 medical students and 100 fellows, many of whom are interested in issues of health care delivery and health policy. A growing number of the current faculty members in the School of Medicine want to develop expertise in health care policy and health services research.
The MSHP is a two-year rigorous, skills-based research degree that enables clinicians to leverage their knowledge of medical practice to improve the ways in which health care is organized, financed, managed and delivered. This program is based out of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine in close collaboration with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) and the Department of Health Care Systems at the Wharton School. Building upon the transdisciplinary nature of LDI, this program is also affiliated with the Annenberg School for Communication, the School of Social Policy and Practice, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing and the Law School.
The MSHP curriculum spans four major domains: health economics, health policy, qualitative and quantitative measurement, and statistics. There are six core courses developed specifically for the MSHP. In addition, all students participate in a research-in-progress symposium and work with a research mentor toward completing a research thesis (two credits). A total of 12 course credits are required for completion of the degree. The educational experience is deepened with a two-year career development series that introduces students to skills that are important for success, including negotiations, conflict resolution, managing teams, personal finance, motivation and productivity, using social media professionally and preparing for media interviews.
Students completing the MSHP program are well situated to pursue careers in academia, government, community and health policy. Customized educational experiences teach students to engage effectively with community partners, policy makers, and other interested stake holders. Through mentored research, students learn to plan and execute policy-relevant, patient-centered research using a variety of different methodologies including qualitative, simulation, quasi-experimental, and experimental study designs.