Courses & Programs
Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Downstate Medical Center has a rich legacy of excellence in education, research, and community service. Our School of Public Health, with roots beginning in 2001, now stands at the forefront of public health education, with a focus on urban and immigrant populations. Our exciting vision is one full of hope, possibility, challenges, and eventually, greater health equity for all.
Achieving health equity requires determination and idealism, but it also requires a keen sense of where power resides and skill in working from positions of authority to effect change. These are just some of the skills students develop within the Department of Health Policy and Management. We are committed to building tomorrow’s leaders in health care and health policy. Here students learn skills critical to running complex health care organizations, as well as how the ‘rules of the game’ are shaped through local, regional, national, and global policies. To this end, our Department is home to two concentrations in the Masters of Public Health program: (1) Health Policy and Management and (2) Healthcare Administration.
MPH in Health Policy and Management
The goal of the Health Policy and Management Concentration is to prepare students to be leaders in social and health policy locally and globally. It is imperative that those who will develop and implement policy change understand how our social and health services systems came to be; how they currently operate and function; and how to identify and implement evidence-informed and community-engaged solutions to promote our nation’s health. To do this, the Health Policy and Management Concentration equips students with the skills required to plan, implement, and evaluate the policy and management strategies required to advance the health of all communities. Through courses like Access, Cost, and Quality of Care, Advocacy and Politics, Policies in Maternal and Child Health, and Health Management Concepts, we offer students a sweeping view of the contours of the American (and global) social and healthcare policy landscape, reveal some of the most deep-seated problems, and empower the next generation of health policy leaders to enact change.
MPH in Healthcare Administration
The goal of the Healthcare Administration Concentration is to prepare students to become effective leaders and managers across a wide array of healthcare settings. Graduates of this program will receive the skills to optimize team and organizational performance, especially in efforts to advance health equity. Students will learn to create evidence-informed decisions by accessing: (1) the best available evidence, (2) expertise of policy and clinical experts, and (3) input from the professionals and patients impacted. Particular emphasis is provided in leading organizations with skills in cultural humility, structural competency, and community engagement so as to advance social justice and health equity. Core concepts are taught through case-based and experiential learning opportunities as well as integration in an applied practice experience. The Masters of Public Health in Healthcare Administration will prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders with the skills in healthcare management, strategic development and leadership, and systems improvement to achieve our goal for equitable access to quality healthcare.
For details about the academic requirements and course descriptions, please click: