Master of Science

To receive the MS degree, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of issues in health policy and the quantitative skills necessary for research in this area.

List of MS Requirements:

• Submission of Course Plan (also known as Master's Program Proposal), approved by the primary advisor and program director, by the end of the autumn quarter of the first year

• Submission of Thesis Proposal, approved by the primary advisor and program director, by the end of the spring quarter of the first year

• Submission of Collaborative Master's Plan, after consultation with and approval of primary advisor, by November of the second year

• Successful completion of all course requirements, with 45 units of health-policy-related coursework (minimum)

• Successful completion of Master's Thesis, with approval of the student’s thesis committee

Note: If a required course is not offered during a student’s time in the program, alternate plans for replacement courses can be made with the student’s advisor(s) and program director(s).

Master's Program Proposal: Students must submit a Course Plan (Master's Program Proposal), approved by the primary advisor and program director, by the end of the autumn quarter of the first year.

Thesis Proposal:  Each student will submit a thesis proposal by the end of the first year in the program. The proposal should describe the research project which will fulfill the requirement for the master’s thesis, including identifying the research question and describing the data sources and methods which will be used, and list a second reader. In the proposal, the student should identify the members of their thesis committee. The primary advisor, the second reader, and the program director must approve the proposal.

Collaborative Master's Plan: Each student will submit a Collaborative Master's Plan by November 1st of their second year. This plan will require an initial independent assessment of the student’s goals for the program, their career plans and their readiness to complete the thesis. The student will then meet with their advisor to review the assessment, allowing them to add and adjust steps required to meet the goals and satisfy the requirements for completion of the program.

Thesis:  The thesis may take one of several forms, such as:

• Original analysis of data, whether collected primarily for the thesis or as secondary data analysis

• A decision model or cost-effectiveness analysis

• A quantitative policy analysis

The quality of the master’s thesis should be such that it can be converted into a manuscript for publication.

Thesis Committee:  Each student will propose a thesis committee, to be approved by the Program Director, comprised of at least two faculty members associated with the master’s degree program, one of whom must be a core faculty member, and the second must be either core or affiliated faculty. All committee members must read and approve the final thesis. Depending on the project topic, additional faculty members may serve as mentors either as committee members or in a less formal arrangement.