The Vanderbilt Ph.D. in Health Policy Program is a full-time, residential, 72 credit-hour program with students admitted for the fall semester. Credits will encompass required methods curriculum, content-area courses, scientific writing, and ethics in health services research.
The degree requirements are completed over four years (eight academic terms) on a full-time basis.
In the first two years students will complete core coursework, including interdisciplinary courses according to their selected sequence in epidemiology, economics, or social sciences. Students will complete qualifying exams the end of their second year.
Students will participate in Health Policy seminar and focus on their dissertation research, along with pursuing other relevant research opportunities in years three and four.
With DGS approval, transfer credit may count toward the minimum 24 didactic credit hours required in the Graduate School.
| Year 1 | |
| Fall | Spring |
| Epidemiology I (4) | Regression Analysis I (3) |
| Statistical Methods in Education Research (3) | Policy and Program Evaluation (3) |
| Health Policy I (3) | Health Economics (3) |
| Health Policy Research Seminar (1) | Health Policy Research Seminar (1) |
| Electives (4) | Electives (5) |
| Year 2 | |
| Fall | Spring |
| Regression Analysis II (3) | Health Policy II (3) |
| Decision Analysis I (3) | Administrative Data Research (3) |
| Policy and Program Eval II (2) | Biostatistics (4) |
| Health Policy Research Seminar (1) | Health Policy Research Seminar (1) |
| Electives (6) | Electives (4) |
| Year 3 | |
| Fall | Spring |
| Proposal Writing (3) | Health Policy Research Seminar (1) |
| Health Policy Research Seminar (1) | Dissertation (3) |
| Year 4 | |
| Fall | Spring |
| Health Policy Research Seminar | Health Policy Research Seminar |
| Dissertation (2) | Dissertation (2) |
Click here to view full course requirements.
