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Harvard Ph.D. Program in Health Policy

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The Harvard PhD in Health Policy, awarded by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, is a collaborative program among six Harvard University faculties: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

While the program is interdisciplinary in nature, students specialize in one of five concentrations:  decision sciences, economics, management, methods for policy research, or political analysis.

Approximately 110 faculty members from schools within the University are involved with the program, and students are free to take classes throughout the University. A hallmark of the program is the accessibility of faculty members to students and the commitment of faculty to students enrolled in the program.

The program started in 1992, and there are 67 students currently enrolled and over 250 alumni.

PhD Program in Health Policy Concentration Areas:

Decision sciences.

Methods for Policy Research

Political Analysis

Doctor of Public Health

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary degree that provides advanced education in public health along with mastery of skills in leadership, management, communication, and innovative thinking. The program is designed for experienced professionals with a master’s degree and at least six years of full-time public health or public service experience in a relevant discipline. The DrPH prepares professionals for high-impact leadership roles in public health and health care through advanced training in foundational concepts, theories, and methods of public health; application of social and managerial sciences; and development of leadership and management skills.  

The program blends traditional academic training with experiential learning and competency development to enable systematic change. Through the completion of their capstone project, also known as the Doctoral Project, degree candidates practice and develop personal leadership skills while engaging in a project that contributes to the advancement of public health or healthcare.  

• Abbreviation : DrPH  
• Degree format : On campus  
• Time commitment : Full-time  
• Average program length : 3 years full-time
• The first 2 years are completed full-time on campus  
• The third year focuses on the Doctoral Project  
• Estimated cohort size : 10 students per year  
• Start term : Summer  
• The Doctor of Public Health fosters a highly collaborative, small group learning environment.  
• DrPH students receive hands-on experience working to achieve a specific public health objective under the guidance of Harvard’s world-renowned faculty.  
• The DrPH degree teaches the intricacies of data translation and application to achieve real results in the field.  

Harvard DrPH graduates are ready to lead and are equipped with experience gained through real-world fieldwork. Graduates have the skills to start new organizations or work from within to change existing ones and know how to translate public health research into effective policies, programs, and initiatives that dramatically improve individual and population health.  

Graduates of the DrPH program are trained to pursue careers in a variety of industries:  

• Government  
• Health ministry  
• Hospital/Health care delivery  
• Non-profit/NGO  
• Private sector   

Students in the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program are supported by the Harvard Chan School staff through graduation. Students are closely connected with faculty, staff, and academic advisors to meet their educational and professional goals.  

All DrPH students have access to the Office of Career and Professional Development, other Harvard Chan faculty who may serve as professional mentors, and the extended Harvard Alumni Network.  

Admission information

Eligibility requirements.

The Doctor of Public Health program is for talented professionals who aim to apply their experience to advance public health or health care.  

  Eligible DrPH applicants should have at a minimum:  

• A master’s or doctoral degree in the health sciences or in another related field or non-US equivalent.
• At least six years of full-time public health and/or public service experience in a relevant discipline. Advanced degrees will not be considered in lieu of work experience as coursework will build directly on professional skills and experiences.  
• Prior coursework in public health-related methods and in specific technical areas of public health is also beneficial.  

Candidate applications should display a history of energy, creativity, and passion for public health as well as an appetite and vision to effect change. The DrPH Admissions Committee seeks to admit students with interest and experience across a broad cross-section of public and private areas of public health and health care locally, nationally, and internationally.  

Application requirements

All applications must be submitted through SOPHAS – the centralized application for schools and programs of public health . In addition to the application, applicants must submit:

• Statement of purpose and objectives
• Official test scores ( optional )
• Three letters of reference
• Resumé/curriculum vitae
• Post-secondary transcripts or mark sheets (World Education Services credential evaluation for applicants with degrees from outside of the United States.)
• English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS), if applicable

Learn more about the application process .

Application deadline

Applicants may apply to only one degree program for either full- or part-time status. Applications are reviewed in their entirety and decisions are released via email in late February/early March. Decisions are not released until all application components are received.

For more information

Doctoral Degree Programs

Additional information.

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook

Join a world-class community of scholars and education leaders exploring new frontiers in learning and teaching.

Doctoral study at Harvard means full immersion in one of the world's most dynamic and influential intellectual communities. At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, two distinct doctoral programs leverage the extraordinary interdisciplinary strengths of the entire University. The Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) prepares experienced educators for system-level leadership roles in school districts, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and beyond; and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.)  empowers cutting-edge interdisciplinary research informed by the cognitive sciences, economics, medicine, the humanities, and more.

Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.)

The Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D) is a three-year, practice-based program designed to produce system-level leaders in American pre-K-12 education. The Ed.L.D. curriculum mines the vast intellectual and professional resources of HGSE, the Harvard Business School , and the Harvard Kennedy School , and includes a 10-month residency in the third year.

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.)

The Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.) , offered jointly with the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences , provides unrestricted access to faculty and resources at all Harvard graduate and professional schools. This five-year Ph.D. is ideal for conducting groundbreaking interdisciplinary research that directly informs and impacts education practice and policy.

• PhD in Health Policy

In This Section

• PhD in Public Policy
• PhD in Political Economy & Government
• PhD in Social Policy
• Job Market Candidates

The PhD in Health Policy is a highly interdisciplinary program that will develop the specialized skills you need for a research and teaching career in health policy.

The program is collaborative at its core, with its curriculum drawing from six Harvard schools:

• Harvard Business School
• Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
• Harvard Kennedy School
• Harvard Law School
• Harvard Medical School
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

With more than 100 Harvard faculty members from these schools integrated in the program, you have access to the insights of leading experts across the full academic and professional spectrum.

Balance broad and specialized knowledge.

As a PhD in Health Policy student, you take courses throughout Harvard’s specialized schools. This allows you to become familiar with the conceptual frameworks, vernacular and perspectives of researchers from other disciplines.

At the same time, developing specialized skills in a discipline is a hallmark of the program, which is why you specialize in one of five concentrations:

• Decision Sciences
• Methods for Policy Research
• Political Analysis

The PhD in Health Policy degree is awarded by the  Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). Our graduates leave the program well equipped to make an impact in academia, government agencies, research institutes, think tanks, foundations, and multinational corporations. 

‘Let us in!' Howard U. nursing graduation cut off after venue reaches capacity

“i didn’t get to walk. i graduated magna cum laude and i didn’t even get to walk. i’m the class of 2020. i didn’t get to walk for my high school graduation and i didn’t get to walk for my college graduation", by walter morris, news4 reporter • published may 10, 2024 • updated on may 10, 2024 at 3:34 pm.

A graduation ceremony for nursing students at Howard University ended abruptly Thursday after the auditorium reached capacity.

Families filled Cramton Auditorium to watch students in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences walk across the stage. But as they walked, dozens of loved ones were locked out, with some trying to push their way in.

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“Let us in! Let us in!” some chanted.

“While they were doing the keynote speaker, there was, like, loud banging, even before that, for like 10 minutes straight,” graduate Bria Flowers said. “Just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.”

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“Because of the size of the room and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down,” Dr. Gina S. Brown, dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, told the crowd to a chorus of boos.

But D.C. Fire and EMS denied shutting down the ceremony.

"D.C. Fire and EMS did not shut down tonight’s event,” the department said in a statement. “At 6:42 p.m., we responded to the Cramton Auditorium for a medical local at the request of campus police. The patient was evaluated and refused transport, and D.C. Fire and EMS departed."

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“I’m confused why it got so crazy, how it got so quick, so bad so fast,” graduate Kiana Hamilton said.

A glass door broke during the commotion.

“Glass started getting broken,” graduate Halle Ragoonanan. “One of my classmate’s hands got cut.”

Howard said security removed someone from the building prior to the ceremony. That person returned and broke a window.

"This incident led to a disturbance among guests outside of the facility, resulting in a disruption of the program,” Howard’s statement said. “Guests in attendance were immediately dispersed following this incident."

One student was treated for a cut.

Ragoonanan said her heart was broken as she and her family looked to make up for moments they missed because of the pandemic.

“I didn’t even get to walk,” she lamented. “I didn’t get to walk. I graduated magna cum laude and I didn’t even get to walk. I’m the class of 2020. I didn’t get to walk for my high school graduation and I didn’t get to walk for my college graduation.”

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“All the money we spent,” another graduate said. “My father and grandmother came down from North Carolina.”

Some of those students will get to walk this weekend. The university’s main commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday.

The school plans to give individual awards to students Friday.

This article tagged under:

Strategies for success in a nursing PhD program and beyond

Affiliations.

• 1 Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 2 Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing & Patient Care Services, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, 02215 Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
• 3 Boston College, William F. Connell School of Nursing, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
• 4 Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, 77 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
• 5 VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, University Drive (151C), Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA; University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsbugh, PA 15261, USA.
• 6 Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
• 7 University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsbugh, PA 15261, USA.
• PMID: 35272827
• PMCID: PMC8943909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.01.004

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to inform newly enrolled PhD students of program expectations, strategies for success, and next steps in the career of a nurse scientist.

Methods: We used empirical evidence and insights from the authors to describe strategies for success during a nursing PhD program and continued career development following graduation.

Findings: Measures of success included maintaining health, focus, integrity, and a supportive network, identifying mentors, pursuing new knowledge and advancing research to transform health outcomes.

Conclusion: Nursing PhD programs help to shape future researchers and leaders. Choosing to obtain a PhD in nursing is an investment in oneself, the discipline, and the science.

Clinical relevance: Nursing PhD programs offer opportunities to advance science, impact healthcare and health outcomes, and prepare for a variety of career opportunities. Informing newly enrolled PhD students may better prepare them for what lies ahead and facilitate student retention.

Keywords: Career development; Mentoring; Nursing PhD programs; Nursing education; Nursing science; Post-graduate education.

Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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