Health Services Policy and Management, Ph.D.
Admissions
Applicants should submit an application packet through the School of Public Health Application Service unless advised otherwise by the department.
Admission Requirements
- Applicants must have a Master’s degree; preferably in public health, health administration, public policy, or a related field (e.g., economics, political science, sociology).
- The Health Services Policy and Management PhD degree is a 61-credit hour program (including 12 credit hours of dissertation preparation).
- A grade point average of 3.00/4.00 or higher is required on previous undergraduate and graduate course work.
- All international applicants are required to provide English language proficiency exam scores unless they are from--or have earned a degree in--a country where English is an official language. Minimum score requirements are:
- TOEFL iBT: 95
- IELTS International Academic Course Type 2: 7 (overall band score)
- PTE Academic: 60
- Duolingo: 125
Application Requirements
- Resume or CV
- A personal statement that explains why you are interested in pursuing your PhD, outlines your research interests, and describes what appeals to you about our program, including potential faculty with whom you would like to work.
- Three letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional sources
- Official transcripts from all schools or colleges previously attended
- Non-US institution transcripts must be verified by World Education Services (WES) or equivalent evaluation service. Please submit a comprehensive course-by-course evaluation (WES ICAP).
- Scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are optional.
- If applicable, submit English proficiency exam scores electronically using the following codes for USC:
- TOEFL: 5818
- IELTS: University of South Carolina, Columbia Graduate Admissions
- PTE: University of South Carolina
- Duolingo: University of South Carolina Graduate Admissions
Graduate Assistantship
All full-time PhD students are guaranteed to receive full coverage of tuition, fees, and health insurance, as well as a generous stipend during their first two years in the program. In exchange, they work with department faculty as graduate research assistants and graduate teaching assistants to gain applied experience and enrich the learning process beyond the classroom. To qualify for an assistantship, a student must be fully admitted to a degree program, be enrolled full-time, and maintain a 3.00 GPA.
Profile of Admitted Doctoral Students
For Fall 2024, there were 66 applicants. Eleven were accepted. Six enrolled. Their mean graduate GPA was 3.83 (on a 4.00 point scale).
Degree Requirements (Minimum of 61 hours Post-Masters)
Public Health Core Requirements (3 Hours)
Required if the student does not have a CEPH accredited graduate degree.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PUBH 700 | Perspectives in Public Health | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
Foundational Knowledge in Health Services Policy and Management (15 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSPM 710 | Introduction to the US Health Care System | 3 |
| HSPM 711 | Health Policy | 3 |
| HSPM 712 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HSPM 715 | Introduction to Health Services Research | 3 |
| HSPM 805 | Health Services Research Design | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
- 1
All students must complete CITI training during their first semester as part of HSPM 805.
Analytical Methods in Health Services Policy and Management (18 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSPM 810 | Fundamentals of Data Analysis | 3 |
| HSPM 811 | Linear Regression Models | 3 |
| HSPM 812 | Panel Data Analysis | 3 |
| HSPM 813 | Categorical Data Analysis | 3 |
| HSPM 815 | Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Health Services Research | 3 |
| HSPM 830 | Secondary Data Sources for Health Services Research | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Concentration Area (12 Hours)
Students select one of the following concentration areas:
- Health Economics and Outcomes Research
- Health Policy and Politics
- Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health
In consultation with their faculty advisor and with the approval of the PhD Program Director, students register for four 3-credit hour courses in their concentration area. One of these courses must be theory-based. Students may select courses from a variety of departments including: BIOS, ECON, EPID, HPEB, HSPM, LAWH, PHAR, POLI, and SOCY.
Doctoral Seminar (4 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSPM 800 | Doctoral Seminar | 1 |
Note: Students take this 1 credit hour course in both the Fall and Spring semesters during their first two years in the program for a total of 4 credit hours.
Dissertation (12 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSPM 899 | Dissertation Preparation (Grant Writing and Proposal Development) | 3 |
| HSPM 899 | Dissertation Preparation | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Note: In the fall semester of their third year, all students should register for the section of HSPM 899 that is organized as a 3- credit hour course entitled Grant Writing and Proposal Development. From the spring semester of their third year until they graduate, students should register for their dissertation chair's section of HSPM 899.
Examinations
The qualifying examination is a cumulative exam covering material from the first year of the doctoral program. It is offered once per year, in late spring or early summer (May/June). Students must successfully pass the exam to continue in the program and may retake the exam once in July if they do not pass on the first attempt. The exam is given in two sections and tests students on: (1) foundational health policy and management content and theory (HSPM 710, HSPM 711, HSPM 712, HSPM 715) and (2) research design and methods (HSPM 805, HSPM 810, HSPM 811, HSPM 815).
The comprehensive examination is a cumulative exam covering material from the first two years of the doctoral program. It is offered once per year, in late spring or early summer (May/June). Students must pass the qualifying examination and complete all courses except HSPM 899 prior to taking the comprehensive examination. Students must successfully pass the exam to continue in the program and may retake the exam once the following year if they do not pass on the first attempt. The exam is given in three sections and tests students on:
- Health Services Research and Research Design (HSPM 715, HSPM 805, HSPM 815, HSPM 830)
- Analytical Methods (HSPM 810, HSPM 811, HSPM 812, HSPM 813)
- Concentration Area (Specific courses vary)
The exam has both a written and an oral component. The written component is a take-home exam in which students answer questions based on assigned reading(s). All students take the same written exam for the research design and analytical methods sections and work with their advisor to identify 1-2 faculty members who will write their concentration area exam questions. In the oral component, each student meets individually with the faculty graders to discuss the written component and clarify any concerns the faculty have with the student's responses.
Proposal and Dissertation Defense:
Each student must prepare and defend a dissertation proposal consisting of a minimum of three chapters describing the importance of the research topic chosen, reviewing the relevant literature, and outlining the data and methods to be used.
Each student must prepare and defend a dissertation that addresses a significant knowledge gap regarding health policy or the organization, financing, or delivery of health services, broadly defined. Students may prepare their dissertation as a monograph or elect the increasingly popular three paper option.
Teaching Requirements
All doctoral students are required to satisfy a teaching requirement prior to defending their dissertation by:
- Completing the teaching assistant training course offered by the Center for Teaching Excellence, and
- Presenting at least once in the department's doctoral seminar