Penn State University Combined M.S., Ph.D. in Health Policy & Administration, and Demography

The Ph.D. in Health Policy is designed for students who are interested in pursuing research careers in both academic and non-academic settings. The core curriculum familiarizes students with the organization and financing of health services, as well as the statistical methods required to do state-of-the-art empirical work in health policy, health administration, and related disciplines. Beginning in the second year of the program, students obtain specialized training in one of three tracks: health economics; healthcare management and organizations; or population health and demography. Students may complete graduate minors in gerontology or demography. An option to complete a dual-title Ph.D. in Demography is also available.

Predoctoral training is provided through a multidisciplinary, dual-title graduate program in Demography. This unique program allows students to earn a dual-title master’s and doctoral degree in Demography and another academic field. The program enables students to develop expertise and skills in demographic theory, methodologies, and policy analysis while maintaining a professional identification with their social science disciplines. Demography studies the size, composition, and distribution of the population; changes in these characteristics; the processes that determine these changes (fertility, mortality, aging, family status changes, immigration); and their social, economic, and cultural causes and consequences. 

For more information, please visit the Penn State Health Policy & Administration and Population Research Institute websites.