HELP 2010-2011 University Catalog Health and Medical Policy, MS (CHHS) Print-Friendly Page

Banner code: HH-MS-HMP

Unit: Health Administration and Policy 

The master’s program in health and medical policy is offered jointly by the College of Health and Human Services and the School of Public Policy. It prepares students to become health and medical systems policy analysts, consultants, and public health advocates in the US and internationally. It provides students with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to develop improved national/international health and systems planning, and decision-making and to support policy formulation for health and medical professionals, health systems development, resource allocation, and advocacy for national/international public health. Students applying to the program will be admitted to one of two concentrations: Health Policy or Global Medical Policy .

The Health Policy concentration prepares students to analyze and develop policy solutions to complex health and related social service problems facing the nation and local communities. The concentration is designed to provide students with humanistic and analytic skills necessary to propose, design, implement and analyze pragmatic policy-centric solutions to a myriad of complex domestic social and health system problems.

Admissions Requirements

The following requirements are for students applying to the Health Policy concentration.

Completed applications for fall and spring semesters are reviewed on a rolling basis, with late applications considered on a space-available basis. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, with a preferred GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale.

The following items must be included when applying:

• Graduate application with fee (no fee waivers)
• 750 - 1,000 word written statement of student’s goals and interest in the program
• Current résumé
• Two official transcripts of all university work completed. International students must also submit a translation of all international transcripts into English, if applicable.
• Two letters of recommendation, with at least one from an individual who is qualified to attest to the candidate’s academic potential.
• For international applicants, TOEFL scores with a minimum score of 575 on the paper-based exam; 230 on the computer-based exam; or 88 with a minimum of 20 on each of the subsections on the Internet-based exam. IELTS will be accepted in lieu of the TOEFL; minimum of 6.5 required. Students may also be required to be tested by the English Language Institute at George Mason University.
• Certificate of Financial Responsibility (for students requesting an F-1 or J-1 visa).

Submission of GRE or GMAT scores is not required except for School of Public Policy students seeking Merit-Based Scholarships.

Students may be admitted for non-degree study and apply a limited number of credits toward the master’s degree should they choose to apply to the degree program later, in accordance with university policy.

Academic Policies

Per university regulation, students are dismissed from the university after accumulating grades of F in two courses or 9 credits of unsatisfactory grades.