Greetings,
I am writing to introduce our Master of Science program in Health Policy and
Economics at Cornell University's medical school in New York City, Weill
Cornell Medical College. The program provides a strong foundation in economic concepts and current policy issues pertaining to healthcare. Students learn to apply advanced research methods to evaluate policies and programs while gaining hands-on experience in data analysis under the mentorship of faculty members. Graduates of the program have employment opportunities as researchers and policy analysts in the healthcare industry, research institutes, government, and consulting firms. Our graduates are also well-prepared to pursue doctoral studies.
I have copied more information about the program below.
I also invite you to our upcoming webinar on October 15th that will cover all aspects of the program and any questions that you may have – click here for more information and to register.
Please feel free to contact our department if you have any questions. If you would like to discuss the curriculum in more detail, I am also happy to talk with you on the phone.
Thank you for your interest in our program.
Sincerely,

HyeYoung Jung (“Arian”), Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Healthcare Policy & Research
Director, Master of Science in Health Policy and Economics
Weill Cornell Medical College
402 East 67th Street
New York, NY 10065
Phone: 646-962-8047
One of our recent alumni is currently Director of Data and
Analytics for a growing healthcare startup in Boston. Read more about her story online
Goal of the M.S. in Health Policy and Economics
Our program seeks to train the next generation of leading healthcare researchers and analysts. Students learn to apply advanced research methods such as biostatistics, econometrics, and decision science to evaluate policies and programs while gaining hands-on experience in data analysis under the mentorship of faculty members.
Career Opportunities
After completing their degree, our students have opportunities as data and policy analysts in healthcare delivery organizations, insurance companies, federal and state health departments, research institutes, academia, and consulting. Employers in these fields increasingly need individuals with advanced skills in analytics, economics, policy evaluation, implementation science, and comparative-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness research – and our alumni are well-prepared for Ph.D. programs if they wish to further pursue their studies. Each student will be paired with a faculty member to mentor their thesis and provide advice on career paths. One of our recent alumni is currently Director of
Data and Analytics for a growing healthcare startup in Boston. Please read more about her story online .

Student Diversity
Students enter our program with unique experiences and diverse backgrounds including medicine, healthcare administration, public policy, population health, sociology, and economics.
Mentoring
We keep our class sizes and student-to-faculty ratio low so that our students get the most personalized experience possible. Because of this, mentorship by a faculty member throughout the program is provided to all of our students. Many even continue their relationship well after becoming alumni and working in their careers. Our faculty within the
Department of Healthcare Policy and Research have over 170 years of combined experience and are experts in topics such as health policy, informatics, economics, health services research, biostatistics, epidemiology, cost effectiveness, and comparative effectiveness.
Curriculum
As the name implies, the curriculum for our program provides a strong foundation in health policy and econom ics. Understanding how incentives present in the nation’s healthcare system influence the cost and quality of care is essential to keep up with the changing healthcare landscape and to provide the best care possible. Utilizing cutting edge statistical approaches, our students learn to conduct rigorous analyses with healthcare data using computing packages such as SAS, Stata and R. The results of these analyses allow them to better comprehend how changes in health policy and new interventions in the delivery of care may improve the health of people across the country.
Collaboration
Being in New York City is a huge asset for our program. Local institutions collaborating with Weill Cornell Medical College include New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Hospital for Special Surgery, Rockefeller University, the State Department of Health, the New York City Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, and more. We have close ties to other departments within the Medical College and University, as well as Cornell Tech.
Differences between an M.P.H. and Our Program
There are differences between an M.P.H. and our program. For example, most M.P.H. programs tend to place greater emphasis on population health and epidemiology. M.P.H. programs also tend to be more theoretically oriented while our Health Policy and
Economics program is more applied with a practice-based focus. Our program emphasizes

a broader policy perspective to include payment policy, health insurance coverage, and structural issues related to the healthcare delivery system. Our goal is to prepare our students to work effectively in organizations and in the related policy environment as welltrained healthcare researchers with strong analytic skills.
Application
Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences will begin accepting applications for the Master of Science in Health Policy and Economics on Thursday, October 1, 2015. The
Master of Science in Health Policy and Economics is offered through the Department of
Healthcare Policy and Research at Weill Cornell Medical College. Full-time students can complete coursework in 12 months and part-time students in 18-24 months. Standardized test scores are not required. However we encourage applicants to take and submit scores as they can help strengthen an application.
More information on the program and application process can be found on the program’s website at http://hpr.weill.cornell.edu/HPE
If you have any questions about the program, please do not hesitate to contact us at hpreducation@med.cornell.edu