1
Updated December 2021
Department of Health Policy and Management
Master of Public Health and Graduate Certificate
Health Policy
2022-2023
Note: All curriculum revisions will be updated immediately on the website
http://www.publichealth.gwu.edu
Program Director
Lara Cartwright-Smith, JD, MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Health Policy and Management
Milken Institute School of Public Health
950 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, 6
th
Floor
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-8641
[email protected]
A. Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy
Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Health Policy and Management—a practice-oriented academic community in Washington,
DC—is to improve health and health systems locally, nationally, and globally through: excellence in education, innovative
scholarship and applied research that is translated into practice and policy, and the promotion of
transformational leadership that advances health policy and health services management.
We are committed to:
• Preparing graduates who will become innovative and effective leaders in public health and health policy, health
services delivery, and health system transformation;
• Conducting rigorous multidisciplinary research that addresses significant health challenges, is objective, and is
translated to inform and affect health policy, health care management, and public health practice;
• Being a trusted resource for shaping and advancing health policy and management practices because of our research
integrity and rigor, the real-world leadership experiences of our faculty and staff, and our exceptional students;
• Leveraging our unique location in Washington, DC which allows for strong collaborations with health policy and
management leaders and practitioners;
• Improving the health and health care of under-served and vulnerable populations; and
• Promoting equity, social justice, and learning from the diversity among our faculty, staff, students, and alumni in
terms of background, experience, and thought.
Overview
The Department of Health Policy and Management is the home for health policy studies and research at the Milken Institute
School of Public Health (SPH). The Department focuses on virtually all facets of U.S. health policy related to both public
health and health services and emphasizes preparing students to understand and analyze health policy matters in a broad, cross-
cutting, and real-world context. Among schools of public health, the Milken Institute SPH Department of Health Policy and
Management is unique, having been created to take maximum advantage of its location in Washington, DC, the nation’s health
policy-making epicenter. The MPH in Health Policy is for students who wish to develop in-depth policy analysis skills for use
in various practice settings, including both federal and state levels of government, private-sector health policy consulting, and
not-for-profit advocacy. This program is also available as a joint degree to GW law students (the JD/MPH and LLM/MPH
programs) and physician assistant students (the PA/MPH program) who wish to enhance their clinical training with a thorough
understanding of health policy. The Graduate Certificate in Health Policy is also available (please see section “B” below),
standing alone or as a supplement to a primary (e.g., MPH, JD, MD) degree.
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Updated December 2021
Course Requirements
All MPH students admitted to the Health Policy program enroll in MPH Core Courses (17 credits), Program-Specific Courses
(20 credits) and Elective Courses (8 credits). The MPH Core includes a practice experience in which students apply their
didactic education by working for credit for an organization that engages in health policy research, analysis, or practice.
Students may wish to give greater emphasis to either public health or health services policy as they develop their course of
study with their advisor. See the Program-At-A-Glance section below for details about the required courses.
Program-Specific Competencies
Graduates of the MPH in Health Policy will be able to:
1. Understand the comparative models of structuring and financing public health and health care services, the complex
systems for delivery of services, and the methods and mechanisms for determining the benefits of public health and
health care services.
2. Locate, assess, appropriately use, and synthesize relevant information to conduct different types of applied policy
analyses.
3. Comparatively analyze, interpret, and apply laws to health-related legal questions, considering the legal rights and
responsibilities of relevant stakeholders.
4. Assess and apply microeconomic concepts and tools to analyze health policy questions.
5. Conduct statistical analyses of health policy questions using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics.
6. Understand how to find and use population health data to describe a public health problem in terms of magnitude,
person, time, and place.
7. Think creatively to develop and implement innovative policies that effect change and work collaboratively with
stakeholders with a variety of viewpoints to achieve policy goals.
8. Speak and write clearly and effectively, conveying information and opinions in a structured and credible way and
adapting communication styles and content to the needs of the intended audience.
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Updated December 2021
Master of Public Health in
Health Policy
Program-At-A-Glance
2022-2023
Required MPH Core Courses
Semester Offered
PUBH 6000
MPH Applied Practice Experience
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6002
Biostatistical Applications for Public Health
Fall, Spring, Summer, Online
PUBH 6003
Principles and Practice of Epidemiology
Fall, Spring, Summer, Online
PUBH 6007
Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health
Fall, Spring, Summer, Online
PUBH 6009
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation
(prerequisite: PUBH 6007)
Fall, Spring, Summer, Online
PUBH 6011
Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public
Health
Fall, Spring, Summer, Online
PUBH 6012
Fundamentals of Health Policy
Fall, Spring, Summer, Online
PUBH 6021
Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 1:
Leading Self and Teams in Public Health
(Note: Must be taken in first semester)
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6022
Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 2:
Managing Organizations & Influencing Systems in PH
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6023
Interprofessional Education Experience
Fall, Spring, Summer
Total
MPH Core Course Credits
Required Program-Specific Courses
PUBH 6310
Statistical Analysis in Health Policy
(prerequisite: PUBH 6002)
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6315
Introduction to Health Policy Analysis
(prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6320
Advanced Health Policy Research and Analysis Methods
(prerequisites: PUBH 6315)
Spring, Fall
PUBH 6325
Federal Policymaking and Policy Advocacy
(prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6330
OR
PUBH 6335
Health Services and Law (prerequisite: none)
OR
Public Health and Law (prerequisite: none)
Fall and/or Spring
Fall and/or Spring, Online
PUBH 6340
Health Economics and Financing (prerequisite: none)
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 6350
Health Policy Capstone (prerequisites: 6310, 6320, and
departmental approval) Notes: Must be taken in final
MPH semester, or second to last if graduating in
December. Formerly “Culminating Experience.”)
Spring, Summer
Health Policy Selective
(choose one course from list below):
Choose
one course
from
this
list
• PUBH 6356. State Health Policy
(prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6370. Medicare/Medicaid Law & Policy
(prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6384. Health Care Quality and Health Policy
(prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6367. Population Health, Public Health and
Health Reform. (prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6355. Comparative Health Policy
(prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6399. Value-Based Payment Reform
(prerequisite: PUBH 6315)
Fall
Spring
Fall
Fall
Varies
Spring and/or Summer
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Updated December 2021
• PUBH 6361. Health Workforce Policy (prerequisite:
PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6561 or 6399. Maternal and Child Health
Policy (prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
Summer
Varies
Total
Program-Specific Course Credits
Elective Courses
Any PUBH or
HSML course
A personalized combination of elective courses. Any
PUBH or HSML course will count as an elective toward
the MPH in Health Policy degree (prerequisites may
apply). Courses listed as selectives above will count as an
elective if not counted as a selective. Residential MPH
program students may take up to 15 PUBH credits online.
As elective course offerings vary, please
check the current semester’s course
schedule for a list of health policy
electives and other PUBH and HSML
electives.
Regularly-offered HPM electives include:
• PUBH 6352. Basics of Economics for
Health Policy (Fall, 1 credit)
• PUBH 6354. Substance Use Disorder
Policy (Spring, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6355. Comparative Health Policy
(Varies, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6356. State Health Policy (Fall, 2
credits)
• PUBH 6361. Health Workforce Policy
(Summer, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6367. Population Health, Public
Health and Health Reform. (Fall, 2
credits)
• PUBH 6368. Law, Medicine, and Ethics
(Fall and online, 3 credits)
• PUBH 6370. Medicare/Medicaid Law &
Policy (Spring, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6378. HIV Policy (Varies, 2
credits)
• PUBH 6390.
Prescription Drugs: Policy
and Public Health (Online, 3 credits)
• PUBH 6384. Health Care Quality and
Health Policy (Fall, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6399. Cost-Benefit Analysis in
Health Care (Spring, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6399. Reproductive Health Policy
(Varies, 2 credits)
PUBH 6399. Health Care on the Hill
(Summer, 1 credit)
• PUBH 6399. Emerging HP Issues in HC
Finance (Summer, 1 credit)
• PUBH 6045. National and Global Public
Health Systems (Spring, 1 credit)
• PUBH 6399. Health Care in Retail
Settings (Spring, 1 credit)
• PUBH 6399. Health Impact Assessments
(Varies, 2 credits)
• PUBH 6399. Value-Based Payment
Reform (Spring and/or Summer, 2
credits)
• PUBH 6399 or 6561. Maternal and Child
Health Policy (Varies, 2 credits)
Total
Elective Credits
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Updated December 2021
Course Distribution Summary
Required MPH Core Courses
17 Credits
Required Program-Specific Core Courses,
including the Practicum and Capstone
20 Credits
Elective Courses
8 Credits
Total
45 Credits
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Updated December 2021
Interprofessional Education (IPE) Experience (PUBH 6023)
MPH students are required to select an IPE experience from a host of options provided throughout enrollment to participate in
a one-time, case-based or activity-based learning experience. The IPE experience is a way to actively participate in a
supervised environment to work with people from other professions/programs outside of public health. Students are eligible to
enroll in the IPE upon successful completion of most of the MPH core coursework including: PUBH 6002, 6003, 6007, 6011,
6012 and 6021. Students will have many opportunities to register for this zero-credit (no fee) IPE course (PUBH 6023-
Interprofessional Education Experience) and will receive credit upon successful completion.
See https://publichealth.gwu.edu/content/interprofessional-education-gwsph
.
Applied Practice Experience (Practicum & EPR) (PUBH 6000)
The Applied Practice Experience (APEx) may be satisfied with either a practicum or, for experienced public
health professionals, through an expedited portfolio review (EPR).
The practicum is a planned, supervised, and evaluated practice experience that aims to provide students with an opportunity to
synthesize, integrate, and apply practical skills, knowledge, and training learned through courses, to gain applied experience in
a professional public health work environment, and to work on public health practice projects that are of particular interest to
you. Information about the Practicum will be introduced through school-wide Practicum Information Sessions held by the
Office of Applied Public Health and through meetings with your department practicum staff and faculty.
During the practicum, you will work at least 120 hours in the field under the supervision of the site preceptor who has agreed to
directly supervise the work you are conducting. Students are required to fulfill all requirements of the 120-hour practicum to
receive credit for PUBH 6000.
If you have had prior work experience, then you will find that the practicum provides the opportunity to hone skills or to gain
new experience in a different area. However, if you have substantial public health experience relevant to your
department/track, including 5+ years of full-time public health work for students after receiving your undergraduate degree, or
3+ years of full-time work for students who already have a graduate degree prior to beginning the MPH, then you may be able
to satisfy the APEx requirement through an EPR instead of doing the practicum, with advanced approval by your department’s
practicum team.
See https://publichealth.gwu.edu/academics/practicum for student and preceptor guidebooks, competencies, and other
resources. The following chart gives examples of potential practicum sites for Health Policy students:
SAMPLE PRACTICUM TOPICS AND SITES
HEALTH POLICY
T
OPIC
S
ITE
Injury Prevention
Association of State and Territorial Health
Officials
Insurance Coverage for Kids
Children’s Defense Fund
Community Health Centers
National Association of Community Health
Centers
Vaccine Policy
Sanofi Pasteur
Responding to National Mass Casualties
US Department of Health and Human Services,
Office of Policy and Strategic Planning
Newborn Screening Programs
March of Dimes
Federal Health Initiatives
Congressional Offices on Capitol Hill
Mental Health of Kids in the Criminal System
Department of Juvenile Services
Medically Underserved in DC
District of Columbia Primary Care Association
Public Insurance Programs
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Updated December 2021
Health Policy Capstone (Culminating Experience)
The Health Policy Capstone (PUBH 6350) is a 2-credit course that must be taken in the student’s final semester of MPH
study. PUBH 6320, Health Policy Research and Analysis Methods, is a non-negotiable pre-requisite to the Health Policy
Capstone. Designed to bring together all the competencies learned throughout the MPH in Health Policy curriculum, this
course serves as the capstone for MPH students in Health Policy. In addition to weekly classes, this seminar requires the
production of a substantial health policy analysis or similar product, which can serve as a polished writing sample for the new
graduate. The Capstone course is separate and distinct from the Practicum in Health Policy. Register for the Capstone using a
paper Registration Transaction Form through the HPM Department (you can’t register online).
Course Descriptions and Registration
For descriptions of all public health courses, see http://bulletin.gwu.edu/courses/pubh/
. Additional information about courses
and registration can be found here: http://publichealth.gwu.edu/academics/. For course schedules from current and prior
semesters, go to https://my.gwu.edu/mod/pws/ (select main campus and then public health – log in required).
Flexible Programming (Online Courses)
MPH-HP students may take up to 15 (of the 45 required) credits online, which may be completed prior to beginning residential
coursework or at the same time as residential coursework. Note that online courses follow a quarterly academic calendar rather
than semesters and that schedules for online courses may not be posted at the same time as the residential programs:
https://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/academics/curriculum/academic-calendar/
. For more information about online courses, see
the course schedule for the semester you’re interested in here: https://my.gwu.edu/mod/pws/ (select online and then public
health – log in required) and general information here: https://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/academics/curriculum/.
Transfer Credit Policy
Up to 12 graduate credits that have not been applied to a previous graduate degree may be transferred to the Master of Public
Health program. External credits must have been earned from an accredited institution in the last 3 years with a grade of 3.0
(B) or better. SPH Graduate Certificate students can transfer as many credits as meet program requirements, up to 18 credits, to
the MPH. Graduate Certificate students wishing to transfer to a degree program may apply to do so via the online change of
concentration petition after completion of 3 or more courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. A grade of B or better is
required for a course to be transferred. Refer to the Milken Institute SPH Graduate Student Handbook for details on these and
other requirements: https://publichealth.gwu.edu/content/services-students
(click link for Graduate Student Handbook).
Required Academic Integrity and Human Subjects Research Training
All MPH students, regardless of concentration, must successfully complete the Academic Integrity quiz in their first two weeks
of study. All students must also complete on-line CITI social-behavioral training module before registering for the practicum.
Refer to the Milken Institute SPH Graduate Student Handbook for details on these and other requirements:
https://publichealth.gwu.edu/content/services-students
(click link for Graduate Student Handbook).
Professional Enhancement Hours
All undergraduate, certificate, masters, and doctoral degree students in the Milken Institute School of Public Health are
required to attend eight hours of Professional Enhancement activities during their program. Professional Enhancement
activities supplement the academic curriculum and help prepare students to participate actively in the professional community.
They enhance practical knowledge and awareness of public health issues – either in general or in a student’s area of study.
Students can fulfill this requirement by attending workshops, seminars, or other relevant professional meetings, which are
frequently held at Milken Institute SPH and elsewhere in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Examples of SPH-sponsored
events include sponsored speakers, such as the Geiger-Gibson Distinguished Visitor Seminar and the Southby Lecture, and
frequent brown bag lunches with presentations by faculty and visiting experts. Examples of conference sponsors include
Academy Health, the National Academy for State Health Policy, the Pan American Health Organization, the American Public
Health Association, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Examples of organizations that regularly hold health
policy events include Kaiser Family Foundation, Bipartisan Policy Center, Alliance for Health Reform, and the Brookings
Institution. Opportunities for professional enhancement are regularly publicized via the Milken Institute SPH and Department
of Health Policy & Management listservs and newsletters.
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Updated December 2021
Students must submit documentation of Professional Enhancement activities to the Office of Student Records. The
documentation consists of the Professional Enhancement Form found at http://publichealth.gwu.edu/academics/forms
(which
includes a prior approval signature from the student’s advisor, a description of the program agenda, and proof of attendance).
Course Planning Tips
NOTE: Always see your advisor for course scheduling and sequencing strategies, but remember that proper course
selection, fulfilling requirements, and on-time graduation are the student’s responsibilities.
The Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy curriculum consists of three types of courses:
• Required Core Courses (PUBH 6002, 6003, 6007, 6009, 6011, 6012, 6021, and 6022)
• Required Program-Specific Courses, including Capstone
• Electives
The MPH core courses are designed to provide students with a broad public health context as well as a foundation for
subsequent coursework. Early completion of these core courses ensures that students will have the base of knowledge to
successfully complete the program specific courses and to get as much as possible out of them.
PUBH 6021 (Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 1: Leading Self and Teams in Public Health) must be taken in
the student’s first semester. In rare cases where special circumstances apply, the Program Director may give permission for a
student to take it in their second semester.
PUBH 6012 is the prerequisite for most of the program-specific required courses in health policy. Therefore, students seeking
to graduate in two years must take PUBH 6012 in one of the first two semesters of study.
PUBH 6315 is the prerequisite for 6320 (Advanced Health Policy Research and Analysis Methods). Students must take 6315
before 6320.
PUBH 6310 (Statistical Analysis for Health Policy) and PUBH 6320 (Advanced Health Policy Research and Analysis
Methods) are the course prerequisites for PUBH 6350, the Health Policy Capstone. Students must take 6310 and 6320 before
6350 (the Capstone). Ideally, students will take 6320 the semester immediately before 6350.
PUBH 6350, the Health Policy Capstone, must be taken in the student’s final MPH semester if the final semester is spring or
summer. If the student’s final semester is fall, he or she must take the capstone in the summer preceding the final semester.
Registration for the Capstone requires Departmental approval via registration transaction form.
Please check the course schedule for a given semester to determine all applicable prerequisites.
Timing and Accelerated Options
We recommend that students allow at least five semesters to complete the MPH program. (This is typically two fall and spring
semesters and one summer.) Students must complete the MPH program within five years.
The program technically can be done in a minimum of four semesters if started in a Spring or Summer semester, but students
on this accelerated path must carefully plan their program and ensure they register as soon as registration opens to ensure that
they get into the courses they need. Students may encounter schedule conflicts that prevent them from taking the courses they
prefer and potentially delay graduation.
It is possible for students admitted to the residential MPH in Health Policy program to take online courses their first semester,
which must include PUBH 6002 and PUBH 6012, and then complete the rest of the program on-campus in 12 months, which
may be May to May or August to August (spending three semesters in residence in Washington, DC). Students wishing to
pursue an accelerated option should talk with their assigned academic advisor and/or the program director to plan
their program carefully before they begin.
The MPH in Health Policy is designed to be accessible to working professionals with all core courses available in the late
afternoon (3 pm or later) or evening in Fall or Spring semesters, in addition to the opportunity to take up to 15 credits online.
Note that it is not possible for all courses to be made available after 6 pm so a student may need some flexibility in their
work schedule if working full time while pursuing the MPH.
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Updated December 2021
Graduation Requirements
• Graduate Credit Requirement: Completion of 45 graduate credits.
• Course Requirements: Successful completion of all required courses (the MPH Core Courses, Program-Specific
Courses, and Electives).
• Grade Point Requirement: A 3.0 (B average) overall grade point average at the completion of the degree
requirements.
• Successful completion of the Interprofessional Education (IPE) experience.
• Successful completion of the MPH APEx/Practicum Requirement: Students are required to fulfill all aspects of the
Applied Practice Experience (Practicum or Expedited Portfolio Review).
• Successful completion of the required on-line CITI human subjects research training module.
• Successful completion of 8 Professional Enhancement hours.
• Time Limit Requirement: The degree must be completed within five years.
• Transfer Credit Policy: Up to 12 graduate credits that have not been applied to a previous graduate degree may be
transferred to the Master of Public Health program upon approval. External credits must have been earned from an
accredited institution in the last 3 years with a grade of 3.0 (B) or better. SPH Graduate Certificate students can
transfer as many credits as meet program requirements, up to 18 credits, to the MPH. Graduate Certificate students
wishing to transfer to a degree program may apply to do so via the online change of concentration petition after
completion of 3 or more courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. A grade of B or better is required for a course
to be transferred.
• Online Course Policy: MPH-HP students may take up to 15 (of the 45 required) credits online, which may be
completed prior to beginning residential coursework or at the same time as residential coursework.
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Updated December 2021
Sample Schedules for the MPH in Health Policy
Table 1 (full time students) and Table 2 (part time students) present sample course schedules that students admitted to the MPH
program in Health Policy can use as a guideline to structure their program of studies. In all cases, 45 credits are required to
complete the degree, including core courses (17 credits), program specific courses (20 credits), and Health Policy electives (8
credits).
Table 1: Sample Schedule for 2-Year Completion (fall start)
*Note that course schedules are subject to change.
Semester
Cr
Course #
Course Name
Fall 1
st
year
11 credits
3
2
2
3
1
PUBH 6002
PUBH 6007
PUBH 6012
PUBH 6003
PUBH 6021
Biostatistical Applications for Public Health
Social & Behavioral Approaches to Public Health
Fundamentals of Health Policy
Principles and Practice of Epidemiology
Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 1:
Leading Self and Teams in Public Health
Spring 1
st
year
10 credits
3
3
2
2
PUBH 6011
PUBH 6310
PUBH 6315
PUBH/HSML
course
Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public Health
Statistical Analysis in Health Policy
Introduction to Health Policy Analysis
Elective
Summer 1
st
year
6 credits
2
2
2
0
PUBH 6009
PUBH 6325
PUBH/HSML
course
PUBH 6000
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation
Federal Policymaking and Policy Advocacy
Elective
Practicum
Fall 2
nd
year
9 credits
3
3
1
2
0
PUBH 6320
PUBH 6330 or 6335
PUBH 6022
PUBH ____
PUBH 6023
Advanced Health Policy Research and Analysis Methods,
Health Services & Law or Public Health & Law
Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 2:
Managing Organizations & Influencing Systems in PH
Health Policy Selective
Interprofessional Education Experience
Spring 2
nd
year
9 credits
3
2
2
2
PUBH 6340
PUBH 6350
PUBH/HSML
course
PUBH/HSML
course
Health Economics and Financing
Health Policy Capstone
Elective
Elective
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Updated December 2021
Table 2: Sample Schedule for 3-Year Completion (fall start)
*Note that course schedules are subject to change.
Semester
Cr
Course #
Course Name
Fall 1
st
year
6 credits
3
2
1
PUBH 6003
PUBH 6012
PUBH 6021
Principles and Practice of Epidemiology
Fundamentals of Health Policy
Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 1: Leading
Self and Teams in Public Health
Spring 1
st
year
7 credits
3
2
2
PUBH 6011
PUBH 6007
PUBH/HSML
course
Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public Health
Social & Behavioral Approaches to Public Health
Elective
Summer 1
st
year
5 credits
2
3
PUBH 6315
PUBH 6002
Introduction to Health Policy Analysis
Biostatistical Applications for Public Health
Fall 2
nd
year
6 credits
3
3
PUBH 6310
PUBH 6330 or
6335
Statistical Analysis in Health Policy
Health Services & Law or Public Health & Law
Spring 2
nd
year
5 credits
2
2
1
0
PUBH 6009
PUBH 6325
PUBH 6022
PUBH 6000
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation
Federal Policymaking and Policy Advocacy
Essentials in Public Health Practice & Leadership 2:
Managing Organizations & Influencing Systems in PH
Practicum
Summer 2
nd
year
5 credits
3
2
PUBH 6340
PUBH/HSML
course
Health Economics and Financing
Elective
Fall 3
rd
year
5 credits
3
2
0
PUBH 6320
PUBH ____
PUBH 6023
Advanced Health Policy Research & Analysis Methods
Health Policy Selective
Interprofessional Education Experience
Spring 3
rd
year
6 credits
2
2
2
PUBH/HSML
course
PUBH/HSML
course
PUBH 6350
Elective
Elective
Health Policy Capstone
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Updated December 2021
B. The Graduate Certificate in Health Policy
For those seeking a solid foundation in the substance of health policy and the skills of health policy analysis but who do not
wish to undertake the full MPH, the Department offers an 18-credit Graduate Certificate. Designed to provide both basic and
advanced-level skills in policy research and analysis, the Graduate Certificate also includes elective course offerings to fit the
student’s desires. If enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Health Policy Program, the student will meet often with his/her
advisor to craft a personalized course of study through the Elective Course offerings. Specifically, the Graduate Certificate in
Health Policy requires:
• PUBH 6002, Biostatistical Applications for Public Health (3 credits) (prerequisite: none)
• PUBH 6012, Fundamentals of Health Policy (2 credits) (prerequisite: none)
• PUBH 6310, Statistical Analysis in Health Policy (3 credits) (prerequisite: PUBH 6002)
• PUBH 6315, Introduction to Health Policy Analysis (2 credits) (prerequisite: PUBH 6012)
• PUBH 6320, Advanced Health Policy Research and Analysis Methods (3 credits) (prerequisite: PUBH
6315)
• Elective Courses (5 credits)
The Graduate Certificate in Health Policy is available standing alone, as a supplement to an MPH degree from a different
department (Epidemiology, Global Health, Environmental & Occupational Health, etc.), or as a supplement to another degree
(e.g., the J.D.). When pursued as a supplement to an MPH degree from another department, 5 cross-over credits from the MPH
degree are available to count towards the 18-credit Graduate Certificate. In other words, for students seeking both an MPH
from another department and a Graduate Certificate in Health Policy at the same time, a total of 58 credits are required to
complete both programs of study.
Graduation Requirements
• Graduate Credit Requirement. 18 graduate credits are required.
• Course Requirements: Successful completion of all required courses.
• Grade Point Requirement: A 3.0 (B average) overall grade point average at the completion of the degree
requirements.
• Successful completion of the required on-line CITI human subject research training module.
• Successful completion of 8 Professional Enhancement hours.
• Grade Point Requirement. A 3.0 (B average) overall grade point average or better is required.
• Time Limit Requirement. The certificate must be completed within 2 years.
• Transfer Credit Policy. The Program Director/Advisor may approve up to 4 graduate credits that have not been
applied to a previous graduate degree to be transferred to the graduate certificate. The course(s) must be relevant
to the graduate certificate. Credits must have been earned in the last 3 years with a grade point of 3.0 or better.
Graduate Certificate students wishing to transfer to an SPH MPH program can transfer as many credits as meet
program requirements, up to 18 credits. Graduate Certificate students wishing to transfer to a degree program may
apply to do so via the online change of concentration petition after completion of 3 or more courses and a
cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. A grade of B or better is required for a course to be eligible for transfer.
• Online Course Policy: Graduate Certificate students may take selected courses for credit online, which may be
completed prior to beginning residential coursework or at the same time as residential coursework.
Additional Certificate information including can be found on the Milken Institute SPH website:
http://publichealth.gwu.edu/academics/graduate/certificates