Health Care Organization and Policy

Requirement Fulfilled By:
Degree Offered: M.P.H., M.S.P.H., Dr.PH.
Chair: Martha S. Wingate, DrPH, MPH
Phone: (205) 934-3939
Website: www.uab.edu/soph/home/departments/hcop
Department Contact: Brenda Campbell
Department Contact Email: bcampbel@uab.edu

Overview

Programs in Health Policy and Organization provide training and education at the master's and doctoral level. At the master’s level, programs are available for those desiring a career in the analysis of health services policy or in the management of public health services resources. At the doctoral level, our program offers rigorous training in research methods and evidence-based public health practice suitable for careers in public health leadership, or academic settings.
Our programs require mastering major concepts of health economics, public health management and planning, health policy, and outcomes research. Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degrees are offered in health policy and organization and maternal and child health policy and leadership. The Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.) in outcomes research, and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree has concentrations in health policy and organization, outcomes research or maternal and child health policy.

Degree Programs

  • Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration in Health Policy and Organization (Including the Fast Track Program, Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM) and Online Degree Program)
  • Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration in Maternal and Child Health Policy and Leadership (Including the Fast Track Program, Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM) and Online Degree Program)
  • Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) concentration in Outcomes Research Online
  • Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) concentration in Health Policy and Organization
  • Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) concentration in Maternal and Child Health Policy
  • Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) concentration in Outcomes Research


 


Admissions

Requirement Fulfilled By:
Master Program Deadline: www.uab.edu/soph/home/apply/graduate
DrPH Program Deadline: April 1
GPA: 3.0
Number of Evaluation Forms Required: Three
Entrance Tests: GRE www.uab.edu/soph/home/apply/graduate
SOPH Admissions: www.uab.edu/soph/home/apply/graduate

UAB has many degree programs (both face-to-face and online) that can lead to professional licensure or certification. Licensure requirements vary from state to state and by professional organization. Federal Regulations require UAB to provide public or general disclosures on educational programs designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification, that is required for employment in an occupation, or is advertised as meeting such requirements. For a list of programs that customarily lead to professional licensure or certification, please visit the UAB Professional Licensure and Certification webpage.

Master in Public Health with a Concentration in Health Policy and Organization

Including the Fast-Track, Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM) and Online Degree Program


This program is designed for individuals who are planning on management-focused careers in public health.  Perhaps you aspire to be the Executive Director of a non-profit charitable organization or a senior-level manager in a health department or federal agency.  Perhaps you are a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other clinician who wants to move from direct patient care into a supervisory position with a broad focus on the health of a community. Students in this program are introduced to the public health system and the fundamental skills necessary for practice in the public health sector and managing health care organizations.  Required coursework includes basic management disciplines and selected content in economics, finance, marketing, law, and health insurance.

Curriculum

Students in this track must complete 44 credit hours. This includes the MPH core, SOPH requirements, departmental track requirements, electives and internship. Full-time students generally complete this degree in 2 years or less (4-5 semesters). Part-time students may take up to 5 years.

RequirementsHours
MPH Core Requirements: (14 hours)
PUH 601This is Public Health1
PUH 602Community Assessment3
PUH 603Quantitative Methods in Public Health3
PUH 604Programs and Policies3
PUH 605Public Health Management and Evaluation3
PUH 606Leadership for Evidence-Based Public Health1
MPH Degree Requirement: (1 hour)
ENH 690Environmental Health Perspectives1
Department Requirements: (9 hours)
HPO 603Public Health Policy3
HPO 609Public Health Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation3
HPO 615 Finance for Health Professionals3
HPO Concentration Requirements: (9 hours)
HPO 601Health Economics3
HPO 612Strategic Management in Health Programs3
HPO 636Public Health and Healthcare Delivery Systems1
HPO 637Design and Management of Complex Public Health Systems1
HPO 638Current Issues in Public Health Policy1
Applied Practice Experience: (3 hours)
PUH 688Public Health Internship3
Approved Electives: (6 hours)
Select 6 hours from 600-level or higher (HPO) courses6
Integrative Learning Experience: (2 hours)
HPO 689HPO Integrative Learning Experience2
Total Hours44

Master of Public Health with a Concentration in Maternal and Child Health Policy and Leadership 

Including the Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM), and Online Degree Program


The MPH programs in the Maternal and Child Health concentration are designed to educate individuals who will plan, administer, and evaluate programs in maternal and child health. The programs provide information about the special problems faced by women and children, including children with special health care needs, and their families. The programs develop and integrate skills from maternal and child health, health policy and leadership and demonstrate their application in problem solving and systems development.

Curriculum

Students in this track must complete 44 credit hours. This includes the MPH core, SOPH requirements, departmental track requirements, electives and internship. Full-time students generally complete this degree in 2 years or less (4-5 semesters). Part-time students may take up to 5 years.

RequirementsHours
MPH Core Requirements: (14 hours)
PUH 601This is Public Health1
PUH 602Community Assessment3
PUH 603Quantitative Methods in Public Health3
PUH 604Programs and Policies3
PUH 605Public Health Management and Evaluation3
PUH 606Leadership for Evidence-Based Public Health1
MPH Degree Requirement (1 hour)
ENH 690Environmental Health Perspectives1
Department Requirements: (9 hours)
HPO 603Public Health Policy3
HPO 609Public Health Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation3
HPO 615 Finance for Health Professionals3
MCH Concentration Requirements: (9 hours)
HPO 602MCH Evidence-Based Strategies Seminar1
HPO 605Foundations of Maternal and Child Health: Programs and Policies for Women, Children, and Families3
HPO 630Health and Development: Life Course Approach2
HPO 632Leadership in Maternal and Child Health3
Choose one of the following methods courses: (3 hours)3
Reproductive Health
Women's Health
Perinatal Health: Issues, Data, and Policies
Applied Practice Experience: (3 hours)
PUH 688Public Health Internship3
Approved Electives: (3 hours)
Select 3 hours from 600-level or higher (HPO) courses3
Integrative Learning Experience: (2 hours)
HPO 689HPO Integrative Learning Experience2
Total Hours44

Master of Science in Public Health with a Concentration in Outcomes Research Online

The health care field is placing increasing emphasis on the identification and measurement of clinical decision-making and cost/utility analysis. Continuing pressure for the development and measurement of both efficient and effective protocols and health care policies is the driving force underlying this emphasis. Increasingly, employers are seeking qualified analysts to study treatment effectiveness. This program is designed for individuals who want to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of specific health care treatments. You may be a physician who plans on a career in clinical research and wants to determine not only that a treatment works but that it is better than some alternatives after taking into account both cost and a patient's own treatment preferences. You may also be a non-clinician who likes solving complicated modeling problems that may involve simulation or clinical process modeling. Graduates of this track will work in clinical settings, government agencies, managed care organizations, insurance companies, health associations, pharmaceutical firms, and consulting firms analyzing cost effectiveness, utilization, and treatment effectiveness. 

Curriculum

Students in this track must complete 42 credit hours. This includes the MSPH core, Outcomes Research track requirements, electives and project research. Full-time students generally complete this degree in 2 years or less (4-5 semesters). Part-time students may take up to 5 years.

All students in an MSPH, MS, DrPH, or PhD program are required to complete PUH 600: Overview of Public Health. The course must be completed in a single semester (Fall or Spring); students must complete the course by the end of their second semester in the program. Students with prior public health education (BS in Public Health or MPH) or extensive public health experience (5+ years in public health practice) may be waived from this requirement by permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, but this is rare.

RequirementsHours
MSPH Core Requirements: (9 hours)
BST 611Intermediate Statistical Analysis I3
BST 612Intermediate Statistical Analysis II3
EPI 610Principles of Epidemiologic Research3
Outcomes Research Track: (21 hours)
HPO 601Health Economics3
HPO 621Clinical Decision Making and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis3
HPO 623Pharmacoeconomics and Regulation3
HPO 670Social and Ethical Issues in Public Health3
HPO 677Patient-Based Outcomes Measurement3
HPO 687Empirical Methods for Health Research3
HPO 691Policy Analysis: Modeling and Simulation3
Approved Electives: (3 hours)
Select 3 hours of 600-level or higher (HPO) courses3
Master's Directed Research (9 credit):
HPO 698Master’s Level Directed Research Health Policy and Organization9
Total Hours42

Doctor of Public Health with a Concentration in Health Policy and Organization

The DrPH degree is the highest professional degree in public health. The DrPH program in the Department of Health Policy and Organization develops leaders and research faculty who have proficiency in data analysis, management, critical thinking, teaching, and translating research into policy and practice. Students will be exposed to complex practical problems facing public health practitioners and policy-makers. The DrPH program has three concentrations (1) Health Policy and Organization, (2) Maternal and Child Health Policy, and (3) Outcomes Research.

Curriculum

All students in an MSPH, MS, DrPH, or PhD program are required to complete PUH 600: Overview of Public Health. The course must be completed in a single semester (Fall or Spring); students must complete the course by the end of their second semester in the program. Students with prior public health education (BS in Public Health or MPH) or extensive public health experience (5+ years in public health practice) may be waived from this requirement by permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, but this is rare.

A minimum of 62 credit hours are required to complete the degree. Students will complete at least 12 credit hours of analytical or methodological courses; 15 hours of DrPH core course, 12 hours of HPO concentration courses, 3 hours of any 700-level electives (as approved by advisor). Students must also complete the doctoral seminars (HPO 796) comprehensive examination (HPO 797), practicum (HPO 793), dissertation proposal/Proposal development (HPO 798), and dissertation research (HPO 799).

Students in the Health Policy and Organization concentration will be required to meet concentration specific prerequisites (or their equivalent as determined by the program director and advisor). These credits do not count towards the total degree hours:

RequirementsHours
HPO CONCENTRATION PREREQUISITES (12 hours)
HPO 601Health Economics3
HPO 609Public Health Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation3
HPO 636Public Health and Healthcare Delivery Systems1
HPO 637Design and Management of Complex Public Health Systems1
HPO 638Current Issues in Public Health Policy1
HPO 720Health Insurance and Managed Care3
Total Hours12

DrPH Concentration in Health Policy and Organization Degree Requirements

RequirementsHours
DrPH Core Requirements: (15 hours)
HPO 716Advanced Leadership and Practice Seminar3
HPO 717Seminar in Public Health Policy3
GRD 717Principles of Scientific Integrity3
BST 703Methods in Evidence-Based Public Health3
PUH 685 3
Concentration Core: (12 hours)
AH 706Strategic Management Theory and Research3
HPO 715Finance for Health Professionals3
HPO 718Management Concepts in Public Health Programs3
PUH 703Public Health Grant Writing3
Methods Core (12 hours):
HPO 728Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research in Public Health3
HPO 781Research Methods and Study Design3
HPO 787Empirical Methods for Health Research3
Additional 700 Level Methods Elective3
Approved Electives: (3 hours)
Select 3 hours of approved 700-level courses3
Doctoral Seminar: (Minimum 2 hours)
HPO 796Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy and Organization1
HPO 796Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy and Organization1
DrPH Practicum and Research: (18 hours)
HPO 793DrPH Practicum6
HPO 797Directed Readings for DrPH Comprehensive Examination 3
HPO 798Doctoral Level Directed Research Health Policy and Organization3
HPO 799Dissertation Research HPO6
Minimum Course Credit Hours:62

Doctor of Public Health with a Concentration in Maternal and Child Health Policy

The DrPH degree is the highest professional degree in public health. The DrPH program in the Department of Health Policy and Organization develops leaders and research faculty who have proficiency in data analysis, management, critical thinking, teaching, and translating research into policy and practice. Students will be exposed to complex practical problems facing public health practitioners and policy-makers. The DrPH program has three concentrations (1) Health Policy and Organization, (2) Maternal and Child Health Policy, and (3) Outcomes Research.

Curriculum

All students in an MSPH, MS, DrPH, or PhD program are required to complete PUH 600: Overview of Public Health. The course must be completed in a single semester (Fall or Spring); students must complete the course by the end of their second semester in the program. Students with prior public health education (BS in Public Health or MPH) or extensive public health experience (5+ years in public health practice) may be waived from this requirement by permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, but this is rare.

A minimum of 62 credit hours are required to complete the degree. Students will complete at least 12 credit hours of analytical or methodological courses; 15 hours of DrPH core course, 12 hours of HPO concentration courses, 3 hours of any 700-level electives (as approved by advisor). Students must also complete the doctoral seminars (HPO 796) comprehensive examination (HPO 797), practicum (HPO 793), dissertation proposal/Proposal development (HPO 798), and dissertation research (HPO 799).

Students in the Maternal and Child Health Policy concentration will be required to meet concentration-specific prerequisites (or their equivalent as determined by the program director and advisor). These credits do not count towards the total degree hours:

RequirementsHours
MCH CONCENTRATION PREREQUISITES (12 hours)
HPO 602MCH Evidence-Based Strategies Seminar1
HPO 601Health Economics3
HPO 605Foundations of Maternal and Child Health: Programs and Policies for Women, Children, and Families3
HPO 609Public Health Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation3
HPO 630Health and Development: Life Course Approach2
Total Hours12

DrPH Concentration in Maternal and Child Health Degree Requirements 

RequirementsHours
DrPH Core: (15 hours)
HPO 716Advanced Leadership and Practice Seminar3
HPO 717Seminar in Public Health Policy3
GRD 717Principles of Scientific Integrity3
BST 703Methods in Evidence-Based Public Health3
PUH 6853
Concentration Core: (12 hours)
HPO 714Life Course Seminar3
HPO 718Management Concepts in Public Health Programs3
HPO 720Health Insurance and Managed Care3
PUH 703Public Health Grant Writing3
Methods Core: (12 hours)
HPO 728Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research in Public Health3
HPO 781Research Methods and Study Design3
HPO 787Empirical Methods for Health Research3
Additional 700 Level Methods Elective3
Approved Elective: (3 hours)
Select 3 hours of additional 700 level electives 13
Doctoral Seminar: (Minimum 2 hours)
HPO 796Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy and Organization1
HPO 796Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy and Organization1
DrPH Practicum & Research: (18 hours)
HPO 793DrPH Practicum6
HPO 797Directed Readings for DrPH Comprehensive Examination 3
HPO 798Doctoral Level Directed Research Health Policy and Organization3
HPO 799Dissertation Research HPO6
Total Hours62

 
1

Must be 700 level & may be selected from anywhere within the university with advisor approval.


Doctor of Public Health with a Concentration in Outcomes Research

The DrPH degree is the highest professional degree in public health. The DrPH program in the Department of Health Policy and Organization develops leaders and research faculty who have proficiency in data analysis, management, critical thinking, teaching, and translating research into policy and practice. Students will be exposed to complex practical problems facing public health practitioners and policy-makers. The DrPH program has three concentrations (1) Health Policy and Organization, (2) Maternal and Child Health Policy, and (3) Outcomes Research.

Curriculum

All students in an MSPH, MS, DrPH, or PhD program are required to complete PUH 600: Overview of Public Health. The course must be completed in a single semester (Fall or Spring); students must complete the course by the end of their second semester in the program. Students with prior public health education (BS in Public Health or MPH) or extensive public health experience (5+ years in public health practice) may be waived from this requirement by permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, but this is rare.

A minimum of 62 credit hours are required to complete the degree. Students will complete at least 12 credit hours of analytical or methodological courses; 15 hours of DrPH core course, 12 hours of HPO concentration courses, 3 hours of any 700-level electives (as approved by advisor). Students must also complete the doctoral seminars (HPO 796) comprehensive examination (HPO 797), practicum (HPO 793), dissertation proposal/Proposal development (HPO 798), and dissertation research (HPO 799).

Students in the Outcomes Research concentration will be required to meet concentration-specific prerequisites (or their equivalent as determined by the program director and advisor). These credits do not count towards the total degree hours:

RequirementsHours
CONCENTRATION PREREQUISITES (6 hours)
HPO 601Health Economics3
HPO 720Health Insurance and Managed Care3
Total Hours6

DrPH Concentration in Outcomes Research

RequirementsHours
DrPH Core: (15 hours)
HPO 716Advanced Leadership and Practice Seminar3
HPO 717Seminar in Public Health Policy3
GRD 717Principles of Scientific Integrity3
BST 703Methods in Evidence-Based Public Health3
PUH 6853
Concentration Core: (12 hours)
HPO 721Clinical Decision Making and Cost Effectiveness Analysis3
HPO 777Patient-Based Outcomes Measurement3
HPO 791Policy Analysis: Modeling & Simulation3
PUH 703Public Health Grant Writing3
Methods Core: (12 hours)
HPO 728Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research in Public Health3
HPO 781Research Methods and Study Design3
HPO 787Empirical Methods for Health Research3
Additional 700 Level Methods Elective3
Approved Electives: (3 hours)
Select 3 hours of any 700-level electives 13
Doctoral Seminar: (Minimum 2 hours)
HPO 796Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy and Organization1
HPO 796Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy and Organization1
DrPH Practicum & Research: (Minimum 18 hours)
HPO 793DrPH Practicum6
HPO 797Directed Readings for DrPH Comprehensive Examination 3
HPO 798Doctoral Level Directed Research Health Policy and Organization3
HPO 799Dissertation Research HPO6
Total Hours62
1

Must be 700 level & may be selected from anywhere within the university with advisor approval.