- Faculty and Staff
- Research
- Public Service and Outreach
- Career Development
- For Alumni and Friends
- Calendar
- News
- Contact Us
- Sitemap
Domestic Policy Focus Field: Health Policy and Management
Regularly scheduled courses at La Follette and across the campus cover a breadth of health policy areas from perspectives that include public policy, economics, epidemiology, health services, safety and ethics. Many La Follette faculty engage in health policy research. Wisconsin serves as an exciting laboratory for health policy which means La Follette students have access to quality internships and jobs in this area. Wisconsin one of four states that offer low-income health insurance to all family members (BadgerCare); it is an innovator in offering health insurance to state employees; it has a health cooperative that attempts to coordinate health care for private firms; and it has a pool for high-risk individuals. Students also can attend policy-focused events that take place on campus each semester.
Students interested in health policy and management follow one of two options
- Pursue the Master's of Public Affairs with the health policy and management focus for which they choose three or more health and management elective courses
- Pursue a dual degree to earn a Master's in Public Affairs and a Master's in Public Health through the School of Medicine and Public Health.
Both options can lead to managerial positions in health-focused government agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses with government interests and international non-governmental organizations, including think tanks such as Urban Institute, Mathmatica, and RAND and government agencies such as the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Business Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Field coordinator: Barbara Wolfe
La Follette School faculty in this field
- Barbara Wolfe
- Carolyn Heinrich
- Pamela Herd
- Robert Haveman
- Karen Holden
- David Weimer
- Thomas DeLeire
- Susan Webb Yackee
Electives from Other Departments
Students may take courses from other departments depending on their interests. Students should consult their advisors if they are unsure whether a course is appropriate for their focus field. These elective courses include:
CON SCI/SOC 532 Health Care for Individuals, Families and Society
LAW 940 Rights and Responsibilities
in Health Care
PHS 794 Biological Basis of Population Health
PHS 875 Assessment of Medical Technologies
Core Courses
PA 818 Quantitative Tools for Public Policy Analysis
PA 869 Workshop in Public Affairs, Domestic Issues
PA 873 Introduction to Policy Analysis
PA 874 The Policymaking Process
PA 878 Public Management
PA 880 Microeconomic Policy Analysis
PA 799 Professional Development Workshop
Recommended Public Affairs Electives
PA 819 Quantitative Methods for Public Policy
PA 827 Internship
PA 871 Public Program Evaluation
PA 881 Cost-Benefit Analysis
Public Affairs Electives for this Focus Field
PA 548 Economics of Health Care
PA 864 Health Policy and Policy Design
PA 882 Social Welfare Policy and Management
Employment and Internships in Health Policy and Management
- assistant director, Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine, a program of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
- senior associate in planning and evaluation, Pew Charitable Trusts
- vice president and director of marketing, Marshall Erdman & Associates in Madison, which specializes in the design and construction of medical facilities
- consultant who works on Medicaid issues with state governments around the country for Navigant Consulting in Seattle
- analyst, Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau
- benefits administrator for the city of Denton, Texas, who handles all health, life, vision, dental and disability benefits for about 1,200 employees and 100 retirees