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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (30 credits) | ||
| GRAD 800 | RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT IN RESEARCH TRAINING | 0 |
| HSRA 810 | U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: AN OVERVIEW | 3 |
| HSRA 860 | HEALTH ECONOMICS | 3 |
| BIOS 808 | BIOSTATISTICS II | 3 |
| HSRA 920 | QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH | 3 |
| HSRA 930 | DESIGN OF HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH | 3 |
| HPRO 910 | HUMANISTIC TRADITIONS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | 3 |
| HSRA 940 | INTEGRATED SEMINAR IN ECONOMICS AND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH | 3 |
| HSRA 960 | SEMINAR IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| EPI 957 | SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| EPI 910 | RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| Electives (18 credits) | ||
(at least 9 credit hours must be 900-level; substitutions to electives allowed with approval of Supervisory Committee Chair) | ||
| HPRO 901 | SYSTEMS THINKING FOR HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCH | 3 |
| HPRO 902 | COMPLEX SYSTEMS THINKING | 3 |
| HPRO 916 | IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE MODELS AND METHODS | 3 |
| HPRO 925 | SCIENTIFIC WRITING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | 3 |
| BIOS 810 | INTRODUCTION TO SAS PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| BIOS 818 | BIOSTATISTICAL LINEAR MODELS: METHODS AND APPLICATION | 3 |
| BIOS 825 | CORRELATED DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| BIOS 918 | BIOSTATISTICAL LINEAR MODELS: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS | 3 |
| BIOS 924 | BIOSTATISTICAL THEORY AND MODELS SURVIVAL DATA | 3 |
| BIOS 925 | THEORY OF GENERAL LINEAR AND MIXED MODELS IN BIOSTATISTICS | 3 |
| BIOS 935 | SEMIPARAMETRIC METHODS FOR BIOSTATISTICS | 3 |
| EPI 945 | ANALYTICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS | 3 |
| BMI 810 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS | 3 |
| BMI 825 | INTRODUCTION TO R PROGRAMMING FOR BIOMEDICINE | 3 |
| NRSG 931 | TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP | 3 |
| HSRA 999 | DOCTORAL DISSERTATION | 1-15 |
| 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 830 | FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH (Foundations of Public Health is required for students who have not completed a master’s degree from a CEPH-accredited unit. Other exemptions based on previous coursework may be considered by the COPH Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs on a case-by-case basis. *) | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional required coursework for student entering the PhD program WITHOUT a master's degree | ||
| HPRO 830 | FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| EPI 820 | EPIDEMIOLOGY IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| BIOS 806 | BIOSTATISTICS | 3 |
| HPRO 895 | PUBLIC HEALTH: LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY | 3 |
| HSRA 830 | HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY AND BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| HSRA 841 | HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS | 3 |
| HSRA 853 | STRATEGIC PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| HSRA 872 | HEALTH CARE FINANCE | 3 |
| HSRA 873 | HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| HSRA 874 | HEALTH POLICY | 3 |
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. |