- Welcome
- Calendar
- For Prospective Students
- For Students
- Degree Programs
- Faculty and Staff
- Research
- Public Service and Outreach
- Career Development
- For Alumni and Friends
- News
- Contact Us
Robert M. La Follette
School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Telephone: 608.262.3581
Fax: 608.265.3233
Last updated:
October 14, 2011
© Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Domestic Policy Field: Health Policy & 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. Faculty who engage in health policy research advise students on electives to take that meet their interests.
Wisconsin serves as an
exciting laboratory for health policy which means La Follette
students have access to quality internships and jobs in this area. It is 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. There are many opportunities for students to attendfocused events on campus each semester.
Students interested in health policy and management follow one of two options
1. Pursue the Master's of Public Affairs with the health policy and management focus for which they choose health policy electives.
2. 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.
La Follette School faculty in this field
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 800 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 Policy Field
PA 548 Economics of Health Care
PA 864 Health Policy and Policy Design
PA 974 Comparative & National Social Policy
Alumni Employment in Health Policy and Management
- community outreach specialist, Health First Wisconsin
- budget and policy Analyst, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
- 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
- health policy analyst, Government Accountability Office, Washington DC
- researcher, UW Population Health Institute