Doctoral Program in Health Economics at Harvard School of Public Health

[appl09]

Hi everyone!

This message should be of interest to any of the PhD applicants interested in health economics and development economics and interested in economics-related doctoral programs at Harvard. Harvard's Department of Global Health and Population is accepting applications for a third year for a new doctoral program in Health Economics for next fall. The application deadline is December 15, 2010.

The program is chaired by David Bloom and David Canning, both are leading Harvard economists in the areas of HIV/AIDS, aging, retirement and development economics. The program is also affiliated with the Harvard Program on the Global Demography of Aging. Other Harvard faculty members affiliated with the program at William Hsiao, David Cutler, Jessica Cohen, Rodrigo Soares, Ajay Mahal, Winnie Yip, Joseph Newhouse, Gunther Fink, Peter Berman and Gita Sen.

The coursework in the first year will include the standard PhD coursework in microeconomics, probability theory and econometrics through Harvard's Department of Economics in addition to 3 courses in demography, health measurement and global health through HSPH.

The second year will involve 4 field courses at the Economics Department in a choice of the following areas: labor economics, development economics, public economics or labor economics.

The adcom is looking for applicants with strong preparation in mathematics and economics and with interest in conducting doctoral research on developing countries. The application is on the Harvard School of Public Health admission application homepage. Choose the Economics Track in the Department of Global Health, when applying.

[cuass]

Thanks for the information.

How many applications does the program receive every year?
How many students are admitted?

[appl09]

Thanks for the information.

How many applications does the program receive every year?
How many students are admitted?

Not that many - about 100 per year. Usually, 5-6 students get admitted per year and 3-4 with generous aid packages.

[cornellec11]

Not that many - about 100 per year. Usually, 5-6 students get admitted per year and 3-4 with generous aid packages.

What are the opportunities for students in this program to work with Econ Department faculty?

[appl09]

If your ability and interests are a good match, it hasn't stopped anyone in this program. I can think of several people in the program working with faculty members in the Economics Department on IO, labor, experimental and behavior economics topics, both as their primary chair or members of their committee.

[hgradhopeful]

this is to the OP and other folks who are knowledgable about this: what are programs that are similar to this one at top schools? programs in econ that are strong in development and health or programs based at schools of public health but strong or joint with econ?

[cuass]

Johns Hopkins has a Ph.D. in Health Economics:

PhD in Health and Public Policy

Another interesting program in Health Economics at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine:

Health economics at the LSHTM | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | LSHTM

[hgradhopeful]

Thanks, cuass! The Johns Hopkins program looks good but none of the affiliated faculty members work on development problems.

The LSHTM definitely has a development focus but do any of its members publish regularly in top econ journals? It seems like most of their research is going to public health journals.

[appl09]

The best places for what you look for would be Princeton ECON, Harvard ECON, Harvard HSPH, Berkeley ECON, MIT ECON, Yale ECON and maybe Columbia ECON.

[hgradhopeful]

thanks.