Program Mission Statement

The PhD program with emphasis in Health Systems Management (HSM) has been developed to provide advanced level training in research methodology, policy and planning, analysis of health systems and management strategies. Because of the program's emphasis on research approaches and skills with applications in health services area, this program will be most useful to individuals interested in teaching, research and policy analysis.

Program Description

This program is designed for individuals seeking careers in teaching, research and policy analysis in health systems management, health policy and health services research areas.  Applicants with relevant master’s degrees or exceptionally qualified bachelor’s degree holders are welcome to apply. Depending upon the prior graduate level course work of the applicant, credit hour requirements will vary.

Program Competencies

After completion of the PhD program in Health Systems Management, the graduate will be able to:

• Demonstrate ability to design research projects. (ESCD 7770 or HSMG 7770, BIOS 6040, EPID 7120, ESCD 7780, ESCD 7790, BIOS 7600, EPID 6240 or INHL 6240, EPID 7310)
  
• Demonstrate ability to apply advanced methods in data analysis. (BIOS 6040, ESCD 7790, HSMG 7150 or ESCD 7710, ESCD 7430 or HSMG 7430, ESCD 7730, ESCD 7750, EPID 7310, BIOS 7820)
  
• Apply higher level statistical theory and application. (BIOS 604, EPID 712, ESCD 779, ESCD 7730, ESCD 7750, BIOS 7450, BIOS 7250, EPID 6240 or INHL 6240, BIOS 7820)
  
• Analyze health sector management and policy issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective. (HSMG 7150 or ESCD 7710, HSMG 7170, HSMG 6450, ESCD 7610, HSMG 7550, HSMG 7660, HSMG 6370 or ESCD 7310, HSMG 7710)
  
• Interpret the process of health policy analysis and health policy making (HSMG 6450, HSMG 6370 or ESCD 7310, HSMG 7550, HSMG 7540, HSMG 7580)
  
• Analyze health services research and health management issues from economic and social perspectives. (HSMG 6450, ESCD 7790, ESCD 7780, HSMG 7550, EPID 6240 or INHL 6240, EPID 7310)
  
• Appraise and utilize analytical approaches. (BIOS 6040, BIOS 7250, BIOS 7450, ESCD 7790, ESCD 7730, ESCD 7750, ESCD 7800)
  
• Demonstrate ability to handle and analyze large data sets. (HSMG 7770 or ESCD 7770, HSMG 7710, HSMG 6370 or ESCD 7310)

Admissions Requirements

Each prospective student applying for the PhD degree must submit the following:

• Official transcripts of all baccalaureate and graduate course work (Note: transcripts should be sent directly from each College or University attended to the Office of Admissions); a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 point scale for graduate course work is preferred for admission into the doctoral program within the Department of HSM;
• GRE, GMAT, MCAT or other graduate entrance test scores.  A GRE combined score of 1200 in verbal and quantitative sections is preferred;
• Statement of career goals and research ideas.  This statement/essay should be between 500 to 1000 words;
• A resume (or curriculum vitae);
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with the academic and/or professional performance of the applicant; at least one of the recommendations must be from a person with an earned doctoral degree;
• For applicants from non-English speaking areas, TOEFL is required

Program Requirements

An individual degree plan will be developed for each of the students based on their prior coursework, relevant professional experience and student's personal interests and career goals. The credit hour requirements for the PhD program in Health Systems Management are:

• Minimum 60 didactic hours beyond baccalaureate degree (excluding prospectus research hours);
• No more than 30 hours can be transferred from prior graduate level work completed with grades B or better at Tulane or other graduate institutions;
• At least 30 credits of academic coursework must be completed at Tulane University. If MPH core courses are taken, the hours will not be counted towards the minimum 30 credit hour requirement;
• Students must also complete an interdisciplinary doctoral seminar for 2 credit hours;
• All doctoral students must complete the public health core courses BIOS 6030 and EPID 6030 or the equivalents if not taken as part of their prior degree programs.

Students with prior MPH or Masters degree in any of the social sciences or related fields will be eligible for waiver of some of the courses required for the PhD program.

Within 12 months after completing all the coursework, the student should take the comprehensive examination. By completion of coursework, students must also complete a teaching assistantship for one semester in an HSM-offered course and one semester research assistantship with an HSM faculty member.

Upon completion of comprehensive exams, students prepare and defend a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus includes the first three sections of the dissertation - introduction, literature review and methods. The prospectus defense is an oral presentation of the written work and defense of methods, analysis and results before the committee and guests. All dissertations have open invitations within the school for students and faculty.

The dissertation must be defended within seven years of the start of the program. The student is responsible for arranging a dissertation committee made up of five members - three members from the Department of Health Systems Management, a member from another department in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and an outside (non-Tulane) member. The dissertation chair must be a full member (non-adjunct) of the Department of Health Systems Management, and no more than two members of the committee can be adjunct faculty. The dissertation will be successfully defended when the committee agrees to its completion and all required changes are made by the student.

Doctoral students must register for Dissertation Research (2 credits per semester) until the comprehensive examination and prospectus have been successfully completed and the student's status has been changed to doctoral candidate. As doctoral candidates, students register for zero credit hour Dissertation each semester unless a leave of absence is authorized. The student must register for dissertation in the semesters in which the dissertation is defended and/or submitted.

-Download Sample Course Plan
-Download Curriculum Worksheet

School Core Courses (6 credits)

Program Required Courses (18-20 credits)

Management and Policy Courses (minimum of 6 credit hours)

Additional Information

Scholarships
Funding packages are available for exceptionally qualified students which include tuition scholarships and research/teaching assistant stipends. Contact the program director for more information.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Ann Butcher
Director, HSM Doctoral Programs
E-mail: butcher@tulane.edu
Phone:  504-988-5230  504-988-5230
Fax: 504-988-3783
Location: Tidewater, 1951

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Department of Health Systems Management
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
1440 Canal Street, Suite 1900, New Orleans, La 70112
504.988.5428 phn  504.988.3783
hsm@tulane.edu