Department of Behavioral Sciences
Health Policy Studies
The Program
One of the most important elements of American society is its health care system. A vast and complex enterprise, it provides vital services to the entire population and is one of the largest employers in the country. The study of American health policy and the development of the healthcare system is an important and timely enterprise, attracting students in universities and colleges allover the country. At the University of Michigan–Dearborn, students interested in the various health professions can begin their pre-professional education by enrolling in the program in health policy studies (HPS). This program provides interdisciplinary perspectives on many aspects of health policy and health care delivery. By taking courses rooted in sociology, political science, humanities, economics, management, and education, the student receives liberal arts and pre-professional preparation for both graduate school and the job market. The program is built on three foundations: the University’s general liberal arts distribution requirements, the HPS core, and the specialty tracks or minors. The HPS core includes courses that provide multiple perspectives on American health policy and health care system.
The four specialty tracks include:
- administration
- planning
- health behavior and education
- an individualized track
Depending on which specialty a student chooses,course work will be in carefully selected, appropriate areas. The program also provides an opportunity for the student to tailor the curriculum to his/her own interests through elective courses.This curriculum reconceptualizes traditional,disciplinary study to focus on a topic-oriented interdisciplinary program with an applied orientation. It combines the best of UM–D’s liberal arts tradition with a practical, real-world orientation.
Health Policy Studies as a Minor
Because of the social importance of this field and its frequent prominence as a national and state policy issue, many students in other fields find HPS a useful minor. This is accomplished by taking five of the core courses (15 hours). Students choosing this minor are encouraged to meet with the program director to work out an appropriate selection of courses.
For Pre-Medical Students
It is increasingly crucial that future physicians understand the health care system, its continuous development and its policy issues. For pre-medical students, the program recommends taking some combination of medical sociology, health policy, medical ethics, health care and the law, financing the health care system, comparative health care systems, and the senior seminar. This would constitute an important minor. Nationally, employment for people with business backgrounds is growing in the health care field, making HPS an excellent minor for business,economics, and students with other majors. Choose from courses listed above and consider medical information systems as well.
The Faculty
Lawrence Radine, Ph.D.
Director of HPS and Associate Professor of Sociology
Teaching: Research Methods, Health Care and the Law
Office: (313)593-5114 in Room 4031 CB
E-mail address: radine@umich.edu
Marilynn M. Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Emerita Director of HPS Program and Emerita Professor of
Sociology
E-mail address: mmrosent@umich.edu
Elias Baumgarten, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Teaching: Medical Ethics
Office: (313)593-5179 in Room 3088 CASL Building
E-mail address: elias@umich.edu
Daniel E. Moerman
Professor Emeritus
E-mail address: dmoerman@umich.edu
Thomas Nantais, M.B.A.
Vice President
for Finance Henry Ford Health Care System
Adjunct Lecturer of Sociology
Teaching: Health Finance
Office: (313)593-5113 in Room 4020 CB
E-mail address: tomnant@umd.umich.edu
Other visiting faculty also teach courses in the HPS program.
The Curriculum
Core Courses All HPS students take the following 29 hours of core course work:
|
HPS/SOC 440 |
Medical Sociology |
|
HPS/SOC 410 |
Social Research Methods |
|
HPS/POLSCI 364 |
Health Policy and Administration |
|
ANTH 430 |
Medical Anthropology |
|
PHIL 442 |
Medical Ethics |
|
HPS/SOC 456 |
Health Care and the Law |
|
HPS 451 |
Financing the Health & Medical System |
|
or ECON 355 |
Economics of the Medical Sector(with permission of the HPS director) |
|
HPS 350 |
Medical Information Systems |
|
HPS 401 |
Internship |
|
HPS 402 |
Senior Seminar |
Prerequisites for Core Courses
Prerequisites are ideally taken in the freshman and sophomore years when the student is fulfilling the CASL distribution requirements. You may obtain a list of these requirements from the Department of Behavioral Sciences. These courses can be taken to fulfill some distribution requirements. Getting all the prerequisites for the core and the track requires careful planning.
|
SOC 200 |
Understanding Society |
|
POL 101 |
Introduction to Political Science |
|
PHIL 240 |
Ethics |
|
MIS 120 |
Management Information Systems |
|
ECON 201 |
Principles of Macroeconomics |
|
ECON 202 |
Principles of Microeconomics |
|
ACC 298 |
Principles of Accounting |
Note: A minimum of 120 hours is required for graduation and this should include 48 credits of upper division courses.
Professional Opportunities in HealthCare
HPS graduates can consider the following locations for entry-level job opportunities:
- hospitals
- health maintenance organizations
- ambulatory care clinics
- community health organizations
- long-term care facilities
- health insurance industry
- medical supplies and equipment business
- pharmaceutical industry
- private health consultancies
- quality assurance agencies
- health profession societies
Recent graduates of this program are working in the following areas:
- quality assurance
- health education
- health promotion
- health care law
- management of clinical departments
- administration of community health organizations
- health services research
- health finance
- health maintenance organization marketing
- health corporation information systems
- professional review organizations
For More Information
For more information about the health policy studies program, contact: Lawrence Radine, Ph.D., Director Health Policy Studies Program 4012 CB The University of Michigan–Dearborn 4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn, MI 48128-1491 313-593-5520. To request an application or obtain more information about admission: Office of Admissions and Orientation University of Michigan–Dearborn 4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn, MI 48128-1491313-593-5100; email: admissions@umd.umich.edu.
Updated 07/16/2007 by CASL Webmaster
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Faculty Teaching Schedules and Office Hours
"Strengthening the Safety Net in Detroit & Wayne County"
(Powerpoint file)
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"The Medically Underserved"
(Powerpoint file)
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"U.S. Health Services: Structure and Finance"
(Powerpoint file)
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"Complementary / Integrative Medicine : Why the interest?"
Michael D. Seidmann, MD, FACS
(Powerpoint file)
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"Nutrition and Health : Fact or Fantasy?"
Michael D. Seidmann, MD, FACS
(Powerpoint file)
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