The Program

The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership at Harvard University is a one-year, full-time, academic degree-granting program designed to prepare physicians to become leaders who improve the health for all, with emphasis on disadvantaged, vulnerable, and uninsured populations. Fellows focus on transforming health care delivery systems and promoting innovation in policies, practices and programs that address health equity and the social determinants of health. Fellows complete academic work leading to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, or a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at the Harvard Kennedy School with prior MPH. Fellows also participate in leadership forums and seminars with nationally recognized leaders in health care delivery systems and health policy; site visits, shadowing, and practicum projects.

Each fellowship provides: $80,000 stipend, full tuition, individual health insurance, books, travel, and related program expenses, including financial assistance for a practicum project.

The Fellowship is designed to prepare physician-leaders who will, over time, improve the capacity of the health care system to promote policies and practices that improve access to high quality care for all. To accomplish this, the program will:

  • Provide strong academic training and coursework, including an MPH or MPA, for highly qualified physicians.

  • Enhance the leadership ability of physicians, offering them substantive knowledge in health policy and management, while creating a network of physician-leaders capable of advancing successfully among the public, nonprofit/private, and academic sectors.

  • Provide each fellow with mentoring by Harvard senior faculty and administrators as well as access to national leaders in health policy and public health practice.

  • Bring together the faculty and resources of Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Kennedy School, and other Harvard professional schools to provide an enhanced core curriculum addressing transformation of health care delivery systems, health policy and practice, health provision and managed care, and health quality improvement.

  • Utilize resources at HMS, including the Office for Culture and Community Engagement (OCCE), to enhance the networking, career development, and career advancement of fellows.

FIELDS OF STUDY: HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND HEALTH POLICY

The Master of Public Health 45-credit degree provides established professionals and medical students with specialized knowledge and skills to advance their career in public health.

The 45 credit MPH offers two fields of study:

Health Management  

Building on the principles and values of public health, the health management field of study prepares students for a variety of health-related careers. Students earning their MPH in Health Management take foundational courses in public health—such as epidemiology and the social and structural determinants of health—to gain population-health perspective and expertise. Building off this context, students also take management courses to build practical skills in financial and managerial accounting, innovation, entrepreneurship, strategy, and   behavior. Students learn to improve organizational performance leveraging the frameworks and knowledge obtained through coursework, field experience, and engagement with classmates from around the world, with a wide range of professional experience.

Program graduates have filled management and leadership roles in the U.S. and abroad in both public- and private-sector firms, including health care delivery organizations, health systems, community health providers, health insurance companies, NGOs, consultancies, and organizations solving public health challenges and improving community well-being across the globe.

Health Policy

The MPH in Health Policy prepares students to apply economic, legal, and political analysis to the design, implementation, and evaluation of health care and public health policies in the United States or other countries with high-income economies. Through the study of biostatistics, epidemiology, and other quantitative disciplines, students also acquire skills in interpreting and evaluating scientific evidence to inform their policy work. Students are encouraged to choose elective courses that will help them develop greater expertise in a policy area of interest, such as access to care, health care quality, pharmaceutical policy, injury prevention, or health care financing.

Graduates work in policy positions in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors as policy analysts, advocates, and consultants.

 

Core Curriculum and Course Listing

 

Please see the core curriculum and course listing in the Curriculum page.

 

Advanced Training

 

The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership at Harvard University incorporates academic work leading to a master degree in public health management and training components beyond the basic curriculum: Leadership Forums, Seminar Series, Practicum, Site Visits, Shadowing, Journal Club, Annual Meeting.