Students apply the principles of public health, health administration, and health policy to a formal inquiry and analysis of a problem or issue relevant to health administration and their career interests. The essay allows the student to demonstrate their mastery of health policy concepts, principles, and theoretical models gained from formal coursework.
Master of Health Administration (MHA) students are now required to link their master’s essay to an issue, problem, or initiative relevant to their field placement. Although Master of Public Health (MPH) students are also encouraged to draw on their field experiences for a topic, they may choose to develop a research paper on any theme relevant to public health policy, agency, or program management with the approval of their essay advisor. The table below of HPM master’s essay titles reflects the diversity of topics and methodologies of our students’ research studies.