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Frequently Asked Questions about the
What degrees are offered at The Institute? What types of individuals seek a degree in the evaluative clinical sciences? What kinds of academic concentrations are offered? What are the specific requirements for admission to The Institute? How long does it take to complete the degree? Can I enroll on a part-time basis? Are there any joint degree programs? What is the cost of tuition and course fees? What about financial aid or scholarships? How do I learn more about the graduate programs at The Institute?
What is The Dartmouth Institute? The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice was formed in August 2007, from the former CECS (The Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth). CECS was established in 1989, as locus of scientists and clinician-scholars from Dartmouth’s medical and graduate schools who conduct cutting edge research on critical medical and health issues with the goal of measuring, organizing, and improving health and health care in the U.S. Their collective research has important implications for medical practice and economics. At the macro level in the graduate degree programs, the evaluative clinical sciences provide the basis on which to make rational policy choices and resource allocations; at the micro level in the graduate degree programs, the evaluative clinical sciences hold the promise of reforming the doctor-patient relationships through shared decision-making and of improving the quality and value of clinical care. What degrees are offered at The Institute? The Institute offers three graduate degree programs – a Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MS), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Post-doctoral programs are also offered. What types of individuals seek a degree at The Institute? Students in the MS and MPH programs at The Institute are seeking leadership roles in the health care and public health arenas. Typically, one third of the students are pre-medical or recent college graduates, one-third are mid-career professionals (i.e. nurses, administrators, consultants, attorneys, physical therapists, etc), and one-third are practicing physicians. Students in the PhD and post-doctoral programs are typically interested in a career as independent researchers or academics in health services research and policy with an emphasis on the evaluation and improvement of health care. What kinds of academic concentrations are offered? For the MS degree, the following concentrations are available: 1) Clinical/Health Services Research, 2) Health Care Leadership. For the PhD degree, students take a multidisciplinary and individualized approach to the Evaluative Clinical Sciences. For the MPH degree, students receive a strong public health foundation based on the core public health competencies. Courses in each degree program are designed to provide the analytic and quantitative training necessary to evaluate health care practices in clinical or public health settings. What are the specific requirements for admission to The Institute? The Admissions Committee at The Institute examines all facets of an application: 1) career goals and objectives as stated in the admission essay; 2) previous academic performances as displayed through transcripts; 3) experience, including paid employment, research, or volunteer activities; and 4) references regarding the applicant’s academic ability and potential to make contributions through the evaluative clinical sciences. Applicants to the MPH and MS Programs who do not have an advanced or professional degree must submit GRE or MCAT scores. All applicants to the PhD Program must submit GRE or MCAT scores. Competitive applicants to the Masters Degree (both MS and MPH) and Ph.D. Program typically have: How long does it take to complete the degree? For the MS and MPH degrees, full-time students can complete it in one year, although fellows in our postdoctoral programs generally take two years. Part-time students can complete the program in 2-3 years. For the PhD program, many accepted into the PhD program have already completed a relevant Master’s degree program. For these students, all requirements for the PhD degree may be completed in three years. Otherwise, the expected length is four years. The MPH, MS, and PhD programs begin in July of each year and the PhD program can start in either the summer or fall terms (depending on previous coursework). Can I enroll on a part-time basis? Students in the MS and MPH programs are accepted on a full or part-time basis. Per term, courses meet once a week, either all day or half-day. Students in the PhD program are enrolled on a full-time basis. Are there any joint degree programs? There are two joint degree programs – the MD/PhD Program and the MD/MPH (or MS) Program - between Dartmouth Medical School and The Institute. Both of these challenging programs are designed for students who wish to prepare for careers in health care leadership and in the development and application of new knowledge. The MD/PhD program combines systematic and rigorous research preparation for the PhD degree with the full MD curriculum. The MD/PhD program provides flexibility to allow each student to fulfill individual interests and research demands. The five-year MD/MPH (or MS) program combines the basic and clinical education in the MD program with The Institute’s rigorous core curriculum that provides an understanding of the challenges facing the U.S. health care system and a firm grounding in the skills required to evaluate and improve public health and health care. There is also a joint degree program – the MBA/MPH (or MS) Program – between the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and The Institute. This three-year program combines the rigorous business and management training at Tuck with The Institute’s rigorous core curriculum that provides an understanding of the challenges facing the U.S. health care system and a firm grounding in the skills required to evaluate and improve public health and health care. What is the cost of tuition and course fees? For the 2007/2008 academic year, tuition for a full-time MPH or MS student is $46,620 for four terms.Part-time tuition is (per term) $4,662 for 1-6 credits, $8,159 for 7-11 credits, and $11,655 for 12+ credits. Tuition for a PhD student is $46,620 for four terms. There are materials fees for most courses (which sometimes take the place of textbook purchases). Most students bring a laptop computer (mostly Windows-based, some Mac-based) to class for labs and all students are required to purchase Dartmouth health insurance or show proof of health insurance. What about financial aid or scholarships? Tuition and stipend scholarships are available only for the PhD Program. Contact Dartmouth ’s Financial Aid office for assistance with loans for graduate students at 603.646.2451 or at financial.aid@dartmouth.edu. In addition to student loans, you are encouraged to apply for scholarships to help offset the cost of tuition. A number of programs providing scholarships can be found here. You are also encouraged to look for additional information to find scholarships or other alternative loans that fit your specific financial needs. How do I learn more about the graduate programs at The Institute? For more information about the graduate programs at The Institute at Dartmouth or an application packet for any of the graduate degree programs, please contact us at: Center for Education at The Institute 30 Lafayette Street, 1st Floor
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