Healthcare Policy and Research, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Program goal

The doctoral program in healthcare policy and research trains students to understand the economic, political and social factors that affect access to care and the quality and cost of health care. Graduates of this program will have strong methodological and theoretical skills that will prepare them to make important contributions to the fields of health care policy and public health. Their training will enable them to add to scientific knowledge about how health policy, social factors, financing systems, organizational structures, care processes, health technologies and personal behaviors affect health care outcomes.

The program is structured to provide progressive mastery of the design and analysis of health services research. Program graduates will be able to formulate health care policy; to plan, implement and evaluate health programs and policies; and to interpret research findings in ways that are practical and policy-relevant to a variety of audiences. Trainees obtain experience working with colleagues in public health, medicine, psychology and other disciplines and to advance to positions as health policy researchers in academia, government or the private sector.

Student learning outcomes

1. Critically evaluate health policy research to identify gaps in knowledge and develop a health policy research proposal

2. Translate research evidence into health policy practice recommendations and disseminate through multiple channels including research papers and policy briefs

3. Design and execute a research study in health policy, health services or related areas utilizing advanced analytical techniques and data

VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs

The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.

It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.

Degree candidacy requirements

A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis or dissertation, must qualify for continuing master’s or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student’s graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student’s faculty regarding the student’s academic achievements and the student’s readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following degree candidacy policy as published in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for complete information and instructions.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on degree candidacy requirements.

Graduation requirements

As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.

Apply online at sophas.org and submit a VCU supplemental application following instructions available at sophas.org.

Admission requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications.

1. A college-level course in calculus with a minimum grade of B is preferred.
2. Applicants must have graduated from an accredited university or its equivalent, with a master’s degree in a related discipline (e.g., economics, public health, public policy, health administration, public administration). Applicants must have completed relevant course work (including microeconomics and introductory statistics) or have professional experience in a health-related field (two years minimum) that provides an appropriate background for graduate-level study in healthcare policy and research.
3. Applicants from countries where English is not the primary and official national language must complete one of the following:
   1. English proficiency verification through official TOEFL score 550 or higher, or other accepted proficiency test allowed by the university
   2. Graduate with a master's degree following two years of study at a U.S. institution
   3. English language proficiency certification through appropriate English training programs at other U.S. institutions, or English language proficiency certification by passing the English Language Proficiency Examination and/or the corresponding English Language Institute courses
      
      VCU policy also requires that prospective students who have studied outside of the U.S. must provide an official WES or ECE external credential evaluation as a required part of the admissions process.
4. Applicants must present three letters of recommendation from individuals who are in a position to judge their ability to engage in interdisciplinary graduate study in healthcare policy and research. At least one recommendation must be from an individual who can comment on the applicant’s academic qualifications (e.g., former instructor or adviser).
5. Applicants must provide a written statement of professional intent that includes the proposed area of research and identifies the faculty member(s) with which the applicant is interested in working.
6. Applicants must present a curriculum vitae or resume.
7. A recent writing sample, such as a first author, peer-reviewed publication; a master’s thesis; a book chapter; a policy brief or report; or a graduate course paper is required. An undergraduate course paper may be substituted if none of the above is available.
8. Prospective students must be available to interview via teleconference technology such as Zoom.

Degree requirements

In addition to the general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained. Students must receive a minimum grade of B for all required courses. A student who receives a grade of C in a required course shall repeat the course. A second grade of C in a required course may result in dismissal from the program. At the discretion of the HCPR committee, a student who is retaking a required course may still be eligible to take the comprehensive examination and to start the dissertation prior to repeating the course.

At the end of the second year of required course work, students will take a written comprehensive examination designed to evaluate the student’s ability to:

1. Integrate course material
2. Demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation of the literature in healthcare policy and research
3. Demonstrate quantitative analysis skills

After passing the written comprehensive examination, the student will schedule the oral candidacy examination within six months. Following successful defense of the proposal, the student will prepare three manuscripts of publishable quality that will comprise the body of the dissertation and will orally defend the dissertation. An alternative format may be approved by the candidate’s adviser.

It is anticipated that students will complete the program in four to five years. All requirements for the Ph.D. degree should be completed within six years from the date of admission to the degree program. Extensions may be approved in extenuating circumstances.

Public health learning objectives

In addition to meeting VCU Graduate School and program requirements for graduation, all students enrolled in the School of Population Health must demonstrate competence in foundational public health learning objectives. This requirement is waived for students who previously completed a CEPH-accredited degree at the bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral level.

Course requirements

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 59.

Students who complete the requirements for this degree will receive a Doctor of Philosophy in Healthcare Policy and Research.

Contact
Askar Chukmaitov, Ph.D., M.D.
Associate professor and graduate program director
achukmaitov@vcu.edu

Additional contact
Nerice Lochansky Luu
Education administrator
nlochansky@vcu.edu

Program website: healthpolicy.vcu.edu