The Doctor of Philosophy in Health Economics & Health Services Research program provides specializations in either health economics or health services research. The program helps students understand how health services, systems, technologies, and policies can be designed to function in ways that are effective, equitable, efficient, and ethical. Students train under faculty who have teaching and research expertise in fundamentals of health economics, healthcare supply and demand, economic evaluation of public health, survey design, quantitative/statistical methods, big data management and analysis, health outcomes and quality of care studies, disparities in healthcare, economic and social determinants of health, healthcare decision making, and healthcare policy. In addition to the major courses, students also choose two minor areas of concentration from other fields in public health.

See the Fall 2024 to Summer 2025 PhD Health Economics and Health Services Research Degree Planner.

All doctoral students have access to expertise, faculty, and research across all locations.

This degree program is managed by the Department of Management, Policy and Community Health (MPACH).

The department chair is Dr. Aanand Naik, and the academic and admissions advisor is Leticia Valles.

For more information about the Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, visit their web page.

In addition to the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health’s general admission requirements, Health Economics and Health Services Research PhD candidate applications will also be evaluated against the following considerations:  

• An earned master’s degree or equivalent in one of the social sciences, policy, law, management or public health
• Successful completion of coursework covering quantitative methods, statistics and mathematics

The PhD program requires students to complete 48 credit hours* as detailed in the Health Economics and Health Services Research PhD degree planner. Most full-time students complete the PhD program in three to five years. For more information about academic requirements at UTHealth School of Public Health, reference the academic catalog.

*For students who do not hold a graduate degree in public health, additional coursework and time to bring you up to competence may be required.