Department of Health Systems and Policy (HSAP)
Piscataway/New Brunswick Campus

Concentration Competencies for the MPH Degree

Upon graduation, a student with the MPH degree in Health Systems and Policy will be able to:

• Use economic theories, concepts and methodologies in the analysis of current health care issues and problems;
• Assess community health needs and disparities within the context of social, cultural, political and economic forces;
• Apply quantitative and qualitative research methods in the analysis of health service and policy issues; and
• Assess and delineate public health policies and practices recognizing legal and ethical implications for individuals and populations.

Concentration Competencies for the PhD Degree

Upon graduation, a student with the PhD degree in Health Systems and Policy will be able to:

• Apply economic theories and demographic methods to the analyses of basic issues and trends in the population’s health, health care use, spending, and delivery, health insurance status, and with regard to specific health policy interventions;
• Construct conceptual and empirical models describing the behavior of individuals and households regarding their health status and their access to and use of health care services and private and public health insurance;
• Apply relevant statistical techniques and software to the analyses of large data sets; and
• Critically evaluate both proposed and implemented health policy interventions and the empirical research seeking to assess the impact of policy interventions in the health care sector.

Concentration Competencies for the DrPH Degree

Upon graduation, a student with the DrPH degree in Health Systems and Policy will be able to:

• Apply economic theories and demographic methods to the analyses of basic issues and trends in the population’s health, health care use, spending, and delivery, health insurance status, and with regard to specific health policy interventions;
• Construct conceptual and empirical models describing the behavior of individuals and households regarding their health status and their access to and use of health care services and private and public health insurance;
• Apply relevant statistical techniques and software to the analyses of large data sets;
• Critically evaluate both proposed and implemented health policy interventions and the empirical research seeking to assess the impact of policy interventions in the health care sector; and
• Demonstrate analytic and quantitative skills in health policy assessment in community settings*.

*May be fulfilled through MPH fieldwork