Courses

Coursework is normally completed during the first and second years of full-time study. Between 4-10 half courses are required. Courses are chosen from the list of recommended courses for each curriculum area.

Required courses include:

• Two terms (half-courses) of the Doctoral Seminar in Health Policy;
• Two-three specialty field courses in a single field (health economics, political studies or health systems & society);
• Up to two breadth field courses outside the student’s specialty field, one in each of the two fields; and,
• Up to three methodology courses, including both quantitative and qualitative or mixed methods.

Students without prior graduate training in a given area are required to take the maximum number of required courses for that area. Students who have completed relevant graduate courses prior to admission may have had selected course requirements waived at the time of admission to the Health Policy PhD program. A minimum of four half-courses (two doctoral seminar courses, two specialty field courses) may not be waived and must be taken while the student is enrolled in the Health Policy PhD program.

The specific courses offered each year varies. Please see the course list for the 2024-2025 academic year (PDF) for more information.

Timelines and Milestones

Students typically complete the PhD program in four (full-time) years. Below is an overview of the timelines and major milestones of the program.

Note: This is a summary of basic milestones for completing the PhD program. This is for reference only.

Sample Curriculum timeline