Health Policy and Law.
Functional Certificate
Learn to develop, implement, and evaluate policies that address the design and funding of innovative health systems like the Affordable Care Act, help forestall climate change, address mental health and substance use, deal with the distribution of scarce resources, and reduce health disparities.
For admission eligibility, degree requirements, deadlines, and application information, contact the Admissions Office at asksph@bu.edu.
View the BU Bulletin for Course Requirements
What You Will Learn
- Upon graduation, students will be able to:
- Critically evaluate health policy issues at multiple levels of government (local, state, and national) both domestically and globally, with special attention to political, social, economic, and organizational factors.
- Appraise and defend the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of health policies.
- Develop policy proposals that recognize legal and political constraints.
- Determine the factors influencing successful policy implementation
- Articulate and justify policy and legal analysis to diverse audiences through written and/or oral deliverables.
Sample Course Titles
- Health Law, Policy, and Policymaking
- Health Care Finance
- Health Economics
- Health Regulation & Planning
- Analysis of Current Health Policy Issues
- Health Insurance and the Affordable Care Act
Sample Practicum
- Intern, Public Finance, Partners Healthcare
- Intern, Massachusetts State legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
- Intern, Community Catalyst-Health Reform Advocacy
Integrative Learning Experience
Students will participate in a mock legislative hearing. The topic and stakeholder perspective will be selected by the certificate director and other faculty members to reflect a debate on an issue currently before the federal or state governments.
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