About
Since its founding in 1921, the Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM) has been dedicated to advancing the public health field through the development, implementation, and evaluation of health and social policies. HPM is dedicated to advancing local, state, national, tribal, and global health policy to make a difference. The faculty’s policy-making expertise provides a sound basis for systemic changes to promote health, monitor, and evaluate the results of those changes and train tomorrow’s leading policymakers and administrators. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School was ranked #1 in Health Policy and Management by peers in the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report Rankings.
The Department trains public health professionals and researchers in diverse disciplines and fields relevant to the translation of public health sciences into practice and policy. The goal is to train researchers and public health leaders to become agents of change to advance the public’s health through effective, efficient, and equitable policies, programs, and services.
The Department is committed to advancing research, education, and practice in the following areas:
- Bioethics and Health Policy: The ethical issues relevant to public health policy, practice, and research.
- Health Economics and Policy: The concepts and methods of economic analysis to study how clinical and public health resources are and should be allocated.
- Health and Public Policy: The development, analysis, implementation, and evaluation of health and social policies that promote population health and quality of life.
- Health Services Research and Policy: The organization, financing, and delivery of both curative and preventive services, and their impact on access, quality, outcomes, and cost, particularly for the most vulnerable.
- Leadership and Management: The leadership and management needs of health and public health organizations in today's rapidly changing environment.
Degree Programs
Research Centers & Institutes
HPM faculty come from many disciplinary and professional backgrounds but share a common focus on research and practice that addresses major health and social policy issues and their impact on population health. The Department's research efforts are largely organized around centers and institutes in areas of public health importance.
- Center for Gun Violence Solutions
- Center for Health Disparities Solutions
- Center for Health Services & Outcomes Research
- Center for Hospital Finance and Management
- Center for Injury Research & Policy
- Center for Law & the Public's Health
- Center for Mental Health & Addiction Policy Research
- Center for Population Health IT
- Evidence-Based Practice Center
- Hopkins' Economics of Alzheimer's Disease and Services Center
- Institute for Health and Social Policy
- Primary Care Policy Center
- Risk Sciences & Public Policy Institute
- Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care
- Johns Hopkins University Public Policy Center,
- Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy
- Berman Institute of Bioethics
Affiliated Centers, Institutes, and Initiatives
- Hopkins Business of Health Initiative
- Johns Hopkins Drug Access and Affordability Initiative
- Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC)
The research conducted by these centers and institutes is timely and rigorous, responsive to the needs of clinicians, healthcare administrators, officials, and policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. The Department's research is broad, beyond the U.S. and North America, to promote and protect health across the world including the European Union, South America, the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Africa.
Faculty
The faculty of the Department are trained in many disciplines and lead a wide range of research and practice. Areas of focus include:
- Analyzing and evaluating the effects of policy changes on the health of individuals and populations.
- Assessing the organization, financing, and delivery of health care and public health services and their impact on access, quality of care, patient outcomes, and cost.
- Developing and testing community-based models of health and preventive services to improve access, quality of care, patient outcomes, and cost.
- Improving methods for measuring the health of populations and individuals, risks to health, and the characteristics of health services provided to individuals and populations, including access to care, quality, and cost.
- Analyzing the ethics of public health policy, practice, and research.
The department also has a distinguished part-time faculty including leaders in management, practice, policy, and public health. The part-time faculty hold appointments as adjunct professors, senior associates, and associates. They teach courses, serve as preceptors, and are available to mentor students.
A full list of faculty associated with the Department can be found here.
Department Governance
The Department strives to ensure that policy and decision-making processes are participatory and that decision criteria are transparent to all stakeholders. The Department engages faculty, staff, and students in its governance. Standing committees consist of elected or appointed members, and there are formal and informal opportunities to meet with the department leadership to discuss issues and policies. Central to the functioning of the Department are the Leadership Team and several standing faculty and staff committees.
The Leadership Team (LT) is charged with making day-to-day decisions for the Department and facilitating strategic change. The committee consists of the Chair of the Department, the Associate Chair for Academic Programs, the Associate Chair for Faculty, the Associate Chair for Research and Practice, the Associate Chair for Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism & Equity (IDARE), the Department Administrator, and the Director of the Department’s Office of Academic Affairs.
The Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE) promotes scholarship and training to cultivate an environment where all people, especially those who are historically marginalized, disenfranchised, or excluded, can thrive. The committee, which is comprised of students, staff, and faculty, works closely with the School's IDARE office and HPM leadership to build a diverse inclusive community in HPM and support actions grounded in anti-racism and equity. Further information on HPM's IDARE activities can be found on our website.
The Academic Policy and Admissions Committee (APAC) monitors the department’s policies related to admissions, curriculum, and methods for assessing the quality of education in the Department. The scope of APAC’s responsibilities includes oversight of academic policies, review of new programs, monitoring consistency among program curricula, setting standards for admissions, and other issues of concern related to the academic health of the department. Members of APAC include program directors and student representatives.
The Faculty Development Committee (FDC) monitors department faculty progress, appointments, and promotions and makes recommendations to the Department Chair in accordance with the School’s policies. The committee is composed of senior faculty in the department.
The Practice Committee is charged with creating a culture and environment that advances opportunities for faculty, students, and staff to learn more about, participate in, and be recognized for public health practice efforts. Members of the committee include faculty and students.
The Social Committee is charged with improving interactions among faculty, staff, and students. It organizes department-wide events such as the annual holiday party. Members of the committee include faculty, staff, and students.
The Student Endowment Awards Committee is charged with reviewing and selecting recipients for Departmentally-based student endowments. Faculty members are appointed by the chair to serve on this committee.
HPM Departmental Academic Policies
Advising
All students are assigned a faculty adviser at the time of admission to the program. Advisers play an important role in the student's academic life. The adviser is expected to keep abreast of school and departmental degree requirements so that they can counsel advisees on courses and the proper progression towards the degree. Registration, add/drop, pass/fail agreements and many other School forms require the signature of the student's adviser. In addition, any special requests or petitions that a student submits to any of the administrative offices of the School will require the endorsement of the student's adviser as well as that of the Department chair.
In an effort to eliminate unclear expectations for both faculty and students, the following guidelines have been developed.
Expectations, Rights, and Responsibilities
Students can expect their adviser to work with them in defining educational goals, coursework, and independent studies that will assist in achieving their goals. In addition, the adviser periodically will review academic progress with the student, including assessing the student's strengths and weaknesses. Advisers provide advice while students must make the final choices consistent with the guidelines and policies of the Department, School, and University.
Students are responsible for scheduling regular meetings with their advisers, in-person or by phone, to discuss goals, progress, problems, and next steps. If an adviser does not know the answer to specific questions or issues, the adviser will refer the student to knowledgeable sources. Advisers are expected to make a regular time available for student-adviser meetings or have a clearly stated process by which students can schedule a time to meet individually. Students have the right to change advisers and individual faculty members have the right to accept or not to accept any specific student as an advisee. The first step in the process of changing advisers is to consult the program director.
All tenure-track faculty are expected to have an advising load consistent with their rank and are expected to commit their best efforts to provide students with the academic advice and career direction needed to be successful. Non-tenured professional faculty and scientists frequently advise master's and doctoral students. Their advising and teaching roles and loads vary, depending on their primary academic commitments.
Advisers are expected to provide what guidance they can in helping a student meet the financial demands of tuition and living expenses. This may include assistance in completing applications for scholarships, dissertation grants, and training grants. The Department's Office of Academic Affairs and the School's Office of Financial Aid share responsibilities for advising students on financial aid and work opportunities.
Minimum Expectations for Student-Adviser Meetings
The following are minimum expectations for scheduled meetings between a faculty adviser and advisee. In general, meetings should be scheduled so students can prepare for the meeting, should be at least a half-hour or more in duration, and should be conducted in an appropriate location, desirably without interruptions.
Degree | Year in Program | Minimum Meeting Frequency |
---|---|---|
Master of Health Administration | Year 1 | One in-person meeting in each academic term |
Year 2 | Zoom or in-person meeting in each academic term | |
Master of Science in Public Health in Health Policy |
Year 1 | One in-person meeting in each academic term |
Year 2 |
Check-in each academic term (either in-person or by Zoom) |
|
Master of Health Science in Health Economics and Outcomes Research |
Year 1 Year 2 |
One in-person or Zoom meeting in each academic term For online program, one Zoom meeting each academic term |
PhD in Health Policy and Management | Year 1 | One in-person or Zoom meeting in each academic term |
Years 2-3 | One in-person or Zoom meeting every 3-4 weeks | |
During Thesis Research |
One in-person or Zoom meeting in each academic term; written comments on thesis drafts within 4 weeks of receipt. |
Email Signature Lines
If a student in the Department chooses to indicate an affiliation with the University in an email signature line, the line must contain information on the student’s candidacy status.
Teaching Assistantships
Students can TA in the department but need instructor AND departmental approval prior to starting work. For more information, students must talk to the instructor and if both agree, will complete the necessary paperwork. For the most updated policy and open positions, please see the Department's portal page (separate login required).
All TA’s who serve in HPM courses, regardless of their department or program, are required to take the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) TA training course designed to guide students in their roles and responsibilities as TA’s prior to beginning any work.
CTL’s TA Training has been approved by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Teaching Excellence & Innovation (CTEI) to fulfill the Teaching Academy – Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program – Phase I requirement. Students interested in obtaining a Teaching Academy certification can finish CTL's TA training and continue their path with the Teaching Academy. For more information on the Teaching Academy Program please follow this link.
Student Conflict Mediator
Are you stressed about a challenging relationship with a faculty mentor, supervisor or staff member? Are you unsure about how to proceed with your concern? Do you feel unfairly treated?
The Health Policy and Management Conflict Mediator can help with all of these types of concerns. The HPM Conflict Mediator provides a confidential, impartial, informal, and independent place to discuss Departmental student concerns, access information, clarify policies and procedures, discuss response options, and get problem-solving assistance. Those using the Conflict Mediator’s services can remain anonymous, if they choose, and in control over what, if any, actions are taken (unless information disclosed is legally required to be reported). The Conflict Mediator will not take sides in a dispute and does not serve as an office of record or keep any personally identifiable records. The Conflict Mediator does not take part in any formal process but can talk with you about your formal and informal options.
The HPM Student Conflict Mediator is Professor Jon Vernick.
HPM Student Coordinating Committee (SCC)
The Department of Health Policy and Management has an active and organized student group, the Student Coordinating Committee (SCC). The SCC works to facilitate communication and interaction between the Department (faculty and administrators) and the students. The SCC works each year to plan and develop different opportunities aimed at achieving this goal. Participation by all HPM students is welcomed and encouraged.
Required Course Waivers/Substitution Policy
In rare cases, students may request a waiver or substitution of a required program course. Any request must be submitted in writing according to the guidelines outlined below at least one week prior to the start of the academic term and be approved in writing by the student's Program Director.
Examples of when a substitution might be appropriate:
- A student has successfully completed a graduate level course with a grade of "A" or "B" that covered the same content areas as the required course. (The completed graduate-level course syllabus must be submitted with the request.)
- A course or series of courses fulfills a general area of the required curriculum, such as biostatistics or epidemiology, but the student wishes to take a different course or series that is equally or more advanced than the normal requirement and that better aligns with their overall academic and career goals.
Course substitutions must abide by the following principles:
- A strong rationale must be made for how the substitution will benefit the student's overall academic and career goals.
- The resulting curriculum meets the requirements of the learning competencies of the student's program.
Procedure for making a substitution request:
- The request for substitution must be submitted to the student's Program Director in writing at least one week before the substituted course is to be offered.
- A brief rationale for the substitution must be provided in writing.
- A completed course-by-course curriculum plan for the degree must accompany the request.
- Approval or denial will be provided by the Program Director within one week of being received. Decisions on course substitutions may not be appealed. As such, students should be prepared to complete the required curriculum if the request is denied.
- Waiver or substitution decisions are communicated to the HPM Office of Academic Affairs for documentation.
Funding/HPM Student Endowment Opportunities
Master's Tuition Scholarship
The Master's Tuition Scholarship (MTS) provides eligible MSPH and MHA students with a tuition scholarship worth 75% of one year's tuition. The scholarship can be applied in one of two ways: (1) All 75% applied in Year 2; or (2) 25% applied in Year 1 and 50% applied in Year 2. Students in these programs must declare which option they prefer in the summer before matriculating. Once a preference has been selected, students may not change their scholarship allocation. Upon completion of the 2nd year field placement or residency, the scholarship will be concluded. Students are not permitted to enroll in courses using the scholarship once they have completed the program.
PhD Funding
All PhD students admitted to the Department are offered a standard funding package which includes: 4 years of tuition and 4 years of a stipend; health, dental, and vision insurance, along with the University's clinic fee is supported for the duration of one's enrollment in the PhD program up to 7 years.
Student Endowment Awards
The Department has a number of Student Endowment Awards that provide competitive opportunities for students to obtain additional funding. These awards are limited to enrolled students only. Recipients are selected based on the match to the spirit of the funder's wishes.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must meet minimum standards to remain enrolled in the degree programs in the Department of Health Policy and Management. A student's failure to meet the criteria is grounds for being placed on academic warning and/or being dismissed from the program.
Students enrolled in the 2-year Master of Health Administration (MHA) and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) programs who do not achieve the minimum GPA by the end of the 4th term in the first year and successfully complete all year 1 required coursework may be prevented from initiating their 2nd year placement or residency. Program Directors, in consultation with the HPM Student Matters Committee, will determine the appropriate course of action.
Guidelines for Student Employment
Master's Students
Full-time master's students who work for the Bloomberg School are eligible to work a maximum of 19.99 hours per week during each academic term. During periods of academic non-enrollment (i.e., summer, spring break, etc.) student employees may work up to 40 hours per week. This work-hour limit does not apply to the Year 2 placement or residency for the MHA and MSPH programs. For FICA TAX purposes, "summer" begins on June 1st and ends on the last day of August prior to the first day of Term 1. During this time, students may work up to 40 hours per week. International students should always consult with their OIS officer prior to accepting any employment offer.
PhD Students
HPM PhD students may be permitted to work more than 19.99 hours per week during each academic term when the work opportunity is well-aligned with their degree program and will not interfere with their role as full-time students. Those funded by NIH training grants may seek part-time employment coincidental to their training program to further offset their expenses. Trainees may spend on average an additional 25% of their time (e.g., 10 hours per week) in part-time research, teaching, or clinical employment as long as those activities do not interfere with, or lengthen, the duration of their NRSA funding.
Eligible HPM PhD students wishing to work more than 19.99 hours per week must obtain written approval from their academic/thesis advisor and program director documenting how the additional work beyond 19.99 hours aligns with their program and progress in the program. Approval or disapproval by the advisor and program director will be based on the student's stage and performance in their program, any policies or requirements specific to the student's source of funding, and the nature of the additional work.
International students under limited circumstances may be able to work more than 19.99 hours but the work must be related to the student's program and approved in advance by OIS before increasing the student's work hours.
During periods of academic non-enrollment, (i.e., summer, spring, winter break), student employees may work up to 40 hours per week.
Program Prerequisites
All students matriculating into the Department of Health Policy and Management are required to complete the following training modules prior to the start of their first term of enrollment. These training sessions are incorporated into the Department's Summer Orientation session, which runs from early June through the end of August, prior to the start of the formal academic year. Some HPM programs may have additional prerequisites that are noted on their requirements page.
- Introduction to Online Learning
- PH.550.860 Academic & Research Ethics
Withdrawals
Failure to register for a term results in an automatic withdrawal. A withdrawn student must be formally readmitted before resuming a program of study. Students requesting to be readmitted must submit the most current transcript prior to the withdrawal and a cover letter explaining the reasons for the withdrawal and why the student wants to be readmitted to the program director who will recommend to the HPM Student Matters committee approval or rejection of the request.
Registration
All MSPH, MHS, and MHA students are expected to maintain a continuous registration through graduation. Those enrolled in full-time programs must register for a minimum of 12 credits each in terms 1-4. International students should work with the Office of International Services to make sure they understand the requirements of their visa. Students should reach out to their program director with any questions about how to meet the requirements within the context of their specific degree program.
Registration requirements for HPM PhD students can be found in the HPM PhD requirements section.
Academic Leave of Absence (LOA)
Academic leave of absence refers and is limited to students in a degree program requiring continuous enrollment who have completed a minimum of one academic term of program coursework, and who, while in good academic standing, are forced to withdraw temporarily from graduate work due to reasons beyond their control, such as illness, military service, financial exigency, or pressing personal reasons justifying an interruption of the degree program. Please read the school-wide academic leave of absence policy for further information.
An active file fee of $50 per term is assessed for each term within the leave of absence period. The Department will cover this fee for all full time HPM degree-seeking students for up to 8 terms (which is the limit per the School’s Leave of Absence Policy). For further information, contact the HPM Office of Academic Affairs.
Bloomberg School Policies
Graduate Student Sick Leave
All students receiving a fellowship/stipend from BSPH for full-time study while enrolled in a Master's or PhD program at the School are entitled to 15 days (three weeks) of paid sick leave per year. Days may be used for a student's own sickness or to care for a family member. Unused days may not be carried over into the following 12-month period and are not payable upon departure.
When a student takes sick leave, they should notify their faculty adviser and keep them as up-to-date as feasible. At its discretion, the department or adviser may require the student to submit verification of the need for sick leave from their healthcare provider to the University Health Service Center for review. Any documents containing a student's medical information must be kept separate from their academic file. Extended absences (more than two weeks) must be reported by the student and the adviser to the Department Administrator as quickly as possible. If the illness requires an extended absence, the student may apply for a leave of absence.
Academic Ethics Code
The faculty and students of the Bloomberg School of Public Health have the joint responsibility for maintaining academic integrity and guaranteeing the high standard of conduct of this institution. Please read the Code of Academic Ethics for more information.
Compliance Line
The mission of Johns Hopkins University is to educate its students and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world. In service to this mission, the university strives to promote an environment of integrity, ethics, and safety. All members of the Johns Hopkins community are expected to uphold these standards, which is why the Johns Hopkins Compliance Line was established. This independently administered hotline allows for anonymous (if desired) reporting of serious concerns or violations of any kind.
Student Grievance Procedure
On occasion, disputes arise between students and other members of the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health community. The School encourages individuals involved in such disputes to resolve the matter directly between themselves. For those disputes that cannot be resolved informally, the following policy has been created to provide students or student groups with a formal process to seek resolution of a grievance. A grievance covered by these procedures is a complaint by a student or group of students alleging that they have been adversely affected in their capacity as students.
Parental Accommodations
Contact the HPM Academic Office to discuss the accommodations policy and how it impacts the student at least three months before the birth or adoption of a child, as we may need to create a plan that instructors, supervisors, students, and advisers approve of. Please read the University parental accommodations policy for graduate students and postdocs.
Additional Bloomberg School Policies impacting on students can be found here
Bloomberg School Offices and Services
The following are selected offices and services provided by the Bloomberg School or the Johns Hopkins University which the Department of Health Policy and Management recommends its students utilize. A full list of BSPH offices and services can be found here.
- Career Services
- Student Disability Services
- SOURCE (Service learning and community engagement)
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- Student Life
- Records and Registration
- Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE) Office