Health Services Research PhD PDF Print
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Health Services Research offers opportunities to study both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and students are encouraged to develop facility in mixed research methods.  Students specialize either in health economics or health outcomes and quality during their studies.  The program also has particular strengths in health services research on organizational behavior and transformation, and on how to improve the implemenation and sustainability of desired changes in health care.  Graduates of the program are prepared for academic faculty positions and research positions in industry and the public sector.

The BUSPH Health Services Research program focuses on developing independent research scientists and scholars with excellent methodological skills, strong substantive knowledge of health care settings and policies, and an understanding of diverse interdisciplinary perspectives.  The desired program outcome is for students to develop the necessary skills to conceive, design, and execute innovative research projects of high quality within the peer review process.  The program's practical context will enable students to produce research findings that address challenging problems in clinical and management settings and to apply them in those settings.

Doctoral students in this program develop the ability to create theoretical and conceptual models that incorporate elements of frameworks from across fields.  Conceptual frameworks available for study include social sciences (e.g. economics, sociology, anthropology); the management sciences (e.g. organizational theory, operations research); epidemiology and clinical sciences; and law and political science.

The PhD program engages the individual in a comprehensive, hands-on experience of health services research.  This program ties classroom education closely to practical experience in research.  Students are assisted, encouraged, and expected to begin dissertation research projects early in their studies.  Students also have the opportunity to collaborate with senior faculty mentors in innovative research crucial to the improvement of healthcare delivery, treatment outcomes and government policies.
 
Faculty are actively engaged in diverse areas of research, and the department is closely affiliated with two centers for health services research in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Find out: What is health services research?

See Eligibility for Admission and Funding Information for more program details. For complete program information, including departmental contact information,  download the PhD Guide.

Program Competencies

In addition to the MS in Health Services Research competencies, upon completion of the PhD in Health Services Research, the graduate is able to:

  • Acquire knowledge of the context of health and health care systems, institutions, and actors, and environment;
  • Apply or develop theoretical and conceptual models relevant to health services research;
  • Pose relevant and important research questions, evaluate them, and formulate solutions to health problems, practice, and policy;
  • Use or develop a conceptual model to specify study constructs for a health services research question and develop variables that reliably and validly measure these constructs;
  • Describe the strengths and weaknesses of study designs to appropriately address specific health services research questions;
  • Sample and collect primary health and health care data and/or assemble and manage existing data from public and private sources;
  • Execute and document procedures that ensure the reproducibility of the science, the responsible use of resources, and the ethical treatment of research subjects;
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the appropriate application of analytical techniques to evaluate health services research questions;
  • Work collaboratively in teams within disciplines, across disciplines, and/or with stakeholders;
  • Effectively communicate the process, findings, and implications of health services research through multiple modalities with stakeholders; and
  • Effectively translate knowledge to policy and practice.
Coursework

The core courses required for the PhD are an extension of the core courses required for the MS. The PhD includes 69 credits of coursework, approximately half in core courses and half in field courses and electives.

Core PhD Courses
EP 713 Introduction to Epidemiology
EP 713 Introduction to Epidemiology
PM 814 Contemporary Theoretical and Empirical Issues in Health Services Research
PM 814 Contemporary Theoretical and Empirical Issues in Health Services Research
BS 703 Biostatistics
BS 703 Biostatistics
PM 811 Health Services Research and Methods
PM 821 Advanced Health Services Research Methods
PM 821 Advanced Health Services Research Methods
PM 824 Theory & Research on Organizations
PM 826 Health, Illness, and the Use of Health Services
LW 751 Public Health Law
LW 751 Public Health Law
PM 842 Health Economics for Health Services Research
or
- CAS EC 501 Microeconomic Theory or
- GRS EC 701 Microeconomic Theory (a one-semester first-year course required for PhD students in the Health Economics field, offered in the Boston University Economics Department on Charles River Campus)

PhD Field Courses
Required field courses for PhD students in the Health Outcomes & Quality field:
PM 837 Evaluating Health Care Quality
PM 837 Evaluating Health Care Quality
PM 855 Cost Effectiveness Analysis and Decision Analysis
PM 830 Developing Patient-Based Health Status and Outcomes Measures
PM 830 Developing Patient-Based Health Status and Outcomes Measures

Required field courses for PhD students in the Health Economics field:
PM 855 Cost Effectiveness Analysis and Decision Analysis
- 8 credits (two 4-credit courses) from the Boston University Economics Department chosen with approval by PhD Program Director.
- 1-credit Health Economics Research Seminar (register as PM932)
Eligibility for Admission to the PhD Program

Successful applicants hold a Master's degree in a field related to health services research (i.e. social/behavioral science, epidemiology, management, biological sciences or health professions), or should have completed substantial course work in these fields. Exceptional candidates holding a Bachelor's degree may be considered for an articulated MS/PhD program and should indicate their intention to enroll in an articulated program in an application to the MS program.
  1. A high level of past academic performance is expected, particularly in courses within the applicant's undergraduate major/Master's field or his/her course work related to health services: recommended GPA > 3.5/4.0.
  2. Applicants must have completed a minimum of one semester of college-level calculus and one semester of college-level statistics, each with a passing grade of B or better.
  3. All candidates will be required to submit GRE scores.  Competitive applicants will have scores above the 50th percentile, with substantially higher scores in at least one area. 
  4. Applicants must demonstrate competence in English. Candidates from countries where English is not the language of instruction must submit official results of either the TOEFL or IELTS in their SOPHAS application. Scores of 100 and above on the internet-based TOEFL, 600 and above on the paper-based TOEFL, or 7.0 total band score on the IELTS are required.  Test scores may be up to two years old, and certain international applicants may request a waiver of the testing requirement; however, provision of current TOEFL or IELTS scores is preferred. 
  5. At least 1 - 2 years of research experience is strongly encouraged.
  6. Students are required to have on admission, or to obtain through additional study, an understanding of the U.S. health care system and its financing structure.
  7. Documentation of academic skills and interests from three references. The Admissions Committee will be especially interested in references from former undergraduate or recent graduate program professors and former supervisors of health or research-related employment.
  8. Applicants must provide evidence of their preparedness, interest, and elementary understanding of the health services research field in the form of a concise personal statement. This statement should include the following elements:
    • the candidate's reason for studying health services research;
    • his/her desired particular area of study within the department;
    • the anticipated value of health services research training at Boston University to the candidate's personal career plans; and
    • the relevance of his/her prior education and experience.
In order to be accepted, applicants must go through an interview, in person or via telephone, with the PhD Admissions Committee.

Information on the application process is available from the School of Public Health Admissions Office.  Questions regarding the application process can be directed to asksph@bu.edu.

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PhD Funding Information

Students will be eligible to work as research assistants on funded research projects in the Department of Health Policy & Management and we expect that all students will do so in the course of their studies unless they are employed in health services research environments in other settings.   

In addition to research within the department, many of the faculty members conduct research and have funding opportunities at our affiliated U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs research centers: the Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research (CHQOER); the Center for Organization, Leadership, and Management Research (COLMR); and the Office for Productivity, Efficiency and Staffing (OPES). 

The Program Director, department faculty, and program manager will actively assist students in obtaining funding and identifying employment opportunities on funded faculty projects.  Some of these projects may take place outside of the department and include placement at the Boston University School of Medicine or the Boston Medical Center.

In addition, some advanced students, with assistance from program faculty, have sought and obtained dissertation research grants from federal agencies and other funders.

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