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Graduate Committee
Dr. Hongmei Wang (Chair & Graduate Program Director), Dr. Wael ElRayes, Dr. Ronnie Horner, Dr.Jungyoon Kim, Dr. David Palm, Dr. Hyo Jung Tak, and Sachi Verma (student representative) 

The PhD program in Health Services and Policy Research educates students to be scholars and health services researchers for careers in academia and also in large corporations, insurance companies, government agencies, health care organizations, and consulting firms. Incorporating the core competencies of health services research, the program focuses on methods and application of health services research, health administration, and health policy. Program graduates will be equipped to serve the public and private sectors in Nebraska, the Midwest region, the nation, and the world. Students will gain valuable experience by working closely with faculty whose research interests include health economics, health care finance, organizational behavior, medical geography, policy analysis, program & policy evaluation, health outcomes research, public health informatics, workforce, public health services research, and under-served populations. Program faculty conduct research and service activities through the Center for Rural Health Research and the Center for Health Policy

PhD Curriculum

Students can enroll in the PhD program in Health Services and Policy Research program with or without a prior master's degree (Master of Public Health, Master of Science, Master of Arts, or equivalent degree in public health, policy, management, or related fields from a college of university that is accredited by a recognized accreditation authority).  The curriculum detailed below is required of all PhD students (including MD/PhD scholars), and is designed to build a strong foundation of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills for scholarship in health services research. Students enrolling without a master's degree must complete an additional 30 credits of coursework.

Coursework

Core Courses (30 credits)
GRAD 800RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT IN RESEARCH TRAINING0
HSRA 810U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: AN OVERVIEW3
HSRA 860HEALTH ECONOMICS3
BIOS 808BIOSTATISTICS II3
HSRA 920QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH3
HSRA 930DESIGN OF HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH3
HPRO 910HUMANISTIC TRADITIONS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH3
HSRA 940INTEGRATED SEMINAR IN ECONOMICS AND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH3
HSRA 960SEMINAR IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION3
EPI 957SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS3
EPI 910RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT3
Electives (18 credits)
(at least 9 credit hours must be 900-level; substitutions to electives allowed with approval of Supervisory Committee Chair)
HPRO 901SYSTEMS THINKING FOR HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCH3
HPRO 902COMPLEX SYSTEMS THINKING3
HPRO 916IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE MODELS AND METHODS3
HPRO 925SCIENTIFIC WRITING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH3
BIOS 810INTRODUCTION TO SAS PROGRAMMING3
BIOS 818BIOSTATISTICAL LINEAR MODELS: METHODS AND APPLICATION3
BIOS 825CORRELATED DATA ANALYSIS3
BIOS 918BIOSTATISTICAL LINEAR MODELS: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS3
BIOS 924BIOSTATISTICAL THEORY AND MODELS SURVIVAL DATA3
BIOS 925THEORY OF GENERAL LINEAR AND MIXED MODELS IN BIOSTATISTICS3
BIOS 935SEMIPARAMETRIC METHODS FOR BIOSTATISTICS3
EPI 945ANALYTICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS 3
BMI 810INTRODUCTION TO BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS3
BMI 825INTRODUCTION TO R PROGRAMMING FOR BIOMEDICINE3
NRSG 931TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP3
HSRA 999DOCTORAL DISSERTATION1-15
At the conclusion of ALL didactic coursework on their program of study and completion of GRAD 800, students must take a Comprehensive Examination prior to registering for dissertation credit hours.
College of Public Health Required Course
HPRO 830FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH (Required of students who have not completed an MPH or takken a foundational course at a CEPH-accredited institution)3
Additional required coursework for student entering the PhD program WITHOUT a master's degree
HPRO 830FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH3
EPI 820EPIDEMIOLOGY IN PUBLIC HEALTH3
BIOS 806BIOSTATISTICS3
HPRO 895PUBLIC HEALTH: LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY3
HSRA 830HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY AND BEHAVIOR3
HSRA 841HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS3
HSRA 853STRATEGIC PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION3
HSRA 872HEALTH CARE FINANCE3
HSRA 873HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION3
HSRA 874HEALTH POLICY3

 PhD Competencies in Health Services and Policy Research

HSRAPHD1 Compare and analyze alternative theoretical and conceptual models from a range of relevant disciplines to health services and policy research.
HSRAPHD2 Design solutions for health policy problems based on knowledge of the structures, performance, quality, policy, and environmental context of health and health care.
HSPRAPHD3 Critically evaluate evidence, synthesize findings, and draw inferences from literature relevant to health services and policy research.
HSRAPHD4 Create and evaluate appropriate interventional (experimental and quasi-experimental) or observational (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) study designs to address specific health services and policy research questions.
HSRAPHD5 Appropriately interpret the results of data analysis and discuss their implications for policy and practice in order to support decision-making in health services and policy.
HSRAPHD6 Produce manuscripts, reports, and oral presentations and develp other communication modalities to effectively communicate findings and implications of health services and policy research to technical and lay audiences.