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Stanford Health Policy (SHP) is a premier, highly multidisciplinary academic and research enterprise jointly operated by the Department of Health Policy (DHP) within the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Center for Health Policy (CHP) within the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). Located in the heart of the Stanford campus, SHP bridges the worlds of clinical medicine, social science, and international affairs.
The mission of Stanford Health Policy is to conduct rigorous, evidence-based research that lays the foundation for better domestic and international health policies and healthcare systems. By engaging faculty, researchers, and students from across the university—including medicine, economics, statistics, business, law, engineering, and psychology—SHP addresses the world’s most pressing health challenges, translating quantitative analysis into actionable public and private sector reforms.
Drawing upon its world-class, multidisciplinary faculty, Stanford Health Policy offers innovative, research-driven educational programs designed to train the next generation of health policy leaders, scholars, and analysts:
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health Policy: A highly selective, research-intensive doctoral program. Students develop deep expertise in quantitative policy analysis, choosing from specialized tracks such as Health Economics, Decision Sciences, and Evaluative Methods.
Master of Science (M.S.) in Health Policy: A professional graduate degree that equips students—including clinical fellows, medical students, and policy professionals—with advanced skills in health services research, epidemiological methods, biostatistics, and health economic evaluation.
Scholarly Concentration in Health Services and Policy Research: This program for medical students acknowledges the complexity of health policy and its far-reaching effects on societal health and guides physicians-in-training in health services research and discusses ways to shape national health policies.
SHP research is global in scope and highly quantitative, utilizing advanced statistical modeling, big data analytics, and randomized controlled trials to evaluate and optimize health outcomes:
Health Economics and Domestic Health Policy: Evaluating the impact of federal and state health regulations, Medicare/Medicaid policies, insurance market designs, and alternative payment models on healthcare quality and costs.
Global Health and Development: Designing and assessing health interventions in low- and middle-income countries, addressing infectious disease management, maternal-child health, and the strengthening of global health infrastructure.
Decision Science: Applying economic theory and cost-effectiveness analyses to evaluate clinical guidelines, pharmaceutical drug pricing, preventative health campaigns, and the deployment of medical technologies.
Health Equity and Social Determinants: Investigating how socioeconomic status, geography, race, and environmental factors impact healthcare access, quality of care, and population-level health disparities.
