What is Health Services Research and why study it?
The National Institutes of Health have a self-study website that provides a solid introduction to the field of HSR and its importance in our society. You can find this information at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/ihcm/index.html.
HSPA Program Description
Health Services and Policy Analysis is a small interdepartmental academic program which has on average 25 students at various stages of completion. This is a four-to-five year full-time program of study with a residency requirement (no on-line or distance courses available). Students who complete all requirements receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley.
The reputation of the HSPA program at UC Berkeley has become well-established as one of the leading doctoral training programs for health services research. From its inception over 20 years ago, one of its distinguishing features has been its interdisciplinary nature. Students gain breadth in the social sciences as they relate to health and in research methods; furthermore, they gain depth in one of the disciplinary areas: economics, organizations and professions, politics and political science, and population health.
A second distinguishing feature is that the students are accepted and supported fiscally by the program and its faculty, rather than being supported by one faculty member. Students are initially assigned one advisor but may opt to consult with a guidance committee of two or more professors prior to their dissertation research.
Students who graduate with a PhD in Health Services and Policy Analysis are well-prepared to assume academic careers in research and teaching. Many of our graduates accept post-doctorate fellowships to continue specific training in their area of interest and research.
