Curriculum

Fellows of The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University are required to complete the requirements for a Master of Public Health degree (MPH) from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health or a Master in Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School, as well as additional fellowship program requirements.

MPH Requirements – Harvard Chan School of Public Health

For fellows pursing the MPH, a minimum of 45 credits is required for graduation, including 12.5 credits of Commonwealth Fund Fellowship requirements, 12.5 credits of MPH Public Health core curriculum, and 15 credits of Field of Study requirements for either Health Management or Health Policy.  

MPH Public Health Core Curriculum

The MPH public health core curriculum (12.5 credits) is comprised of:

• Foundations for Public Health (ID 100), a school-wide online course

• The biostatistics and epidemiology core courses

• Five courses (MPH 101-106) in other foundational public health areas.

Fields of Study

Fellows pursuing the MPH must choose either the Health Management or Health Policy Field of Study.

Health Management (HM)

The Health Management (HM) Field of Study prepares students for management careers in the unique environment of health care. The curriculum for the health management field of study consists of the required MPH public health core curriculum as well as required coursework to develop competency in financial literacy, strategic acumen, innovative thinking, and change leadership. Students will be able to analyze and take actions to improve organizational performance using the skills and frameworks learned in coursework and through field experiences.

Health Management Field of Study Requirements: 15 credits

Health Policy (HP)

The Health Policy (HP) Field of Study 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. The curriculum for the health policy field of study consists of the required MPH public health core curriculum as well as required courses in economics, U.S. health policy, political analysis and strategy, and analytical methods.

Health Policy Field of Study Requirements: 15 credits

MPA Requirements – Harvard Kennedy School

Fellows who already have an MPH and are completing a Mid-Career Master of Public Administration must fulfill the requirements set by the Kennedy School for graduation. For more information on the MPA requirements, please visit the Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) Program website.

Fellowship Requirements

In addition to the completion of the academic training leading to the MPH or MPA, Fellows are required to complete fellowship-specific course requirements and participate in fellowship activities related to leadership and health policy training. Fellows must complete these training components which are designed specifically to help them acquire the skills that will prepare them for leadership positions in health care delivery systems, minority health and health policy.

It is required by the Fellowship program that fellows acquire 12.5 credits total in the areas of: leadership, health policy and politics, healthcare delivery and high performance systems, and economics/finance. Please note that Field of Study requirements may overlap with the requirements of the fellowship but may require more credits in Economics and/or Finance. Details on the Field of Study requirements can be found the Harvard Chan School MPH Curriculum Guide.