Students ordinarily complete all degree requirements in four years — about two and one-half years of formal coursework, including directed research, followed by a thesis, which generally takes one to one and a half years to complete. The first year of coursework is normally spent on quantitative methods, economics, and courses in the disciplinary cluster. Typically, the student completes two Health Care Management and Economics courses during the first year. The second year, and the first half of the third year, are devoted to the remaining Health Care Management and Economics courses and the disciplinary cluster. The third and fourth years are spent on full-time work on dissertation research.

Disciplinary Clusters
The purpose of the disciplinary cluster is to equip candidates to conduct research in their areas of choice and to teach in fields in addition to Health Care Management and Economics. The courses may be drawn from the following clusters:

• Economics/Public Management
• Operations and Information Management
• Statistics/Epidemiology
• Finance/Accounting
• Management
• Marketing
• Public Policy and Management

Student Involvement in the Department
Students participate in faculty-supervised projects as research fellows, starting in the second year of the program. This work provides first-hand knowledge of research methods and design and often furnishes the basis for a dissertation topic. It also teaches students the art of securing funding for research, which is important for any aspiring health services researcher. Students are also expected to participate in the Leonard Davis Institute's Research and Policy Seminar Series, which feature external speakers working on cutting-edge health services research projects and policy issues. In addition to regular seminars, all PhD students are expected to participate in the department colloquium, which features discussion of research in progress by faculty members, students, and guests.

Health Care Courses

The major field course requirements are selected from the following list. Normally, all PhD students are expected to take HCMG 900, 901, and 903.

Statistics and Microeconomics
A one-year graduate level sequence in statistics or in probability and statistics is required. Any of the following sample sequences can be used. Students may substitute other graduate level courses upon approval of the graduate director of the Statistics department.

• STAT 520 and 521 This is an applied and computational statistics and econometrics sequence. It has been specifically designed for students with interests in applied economics, operations management or other quantitative specialties. This should be appropriate for a majority of doctoral students at Wharton.
• STAT 520 and 512 This consists of a course in applied statistics and an introductory course in statistical theory.
• STAT 510 and 520 This consists of a course in probability theory and an introductory course in applied statistics.
• STAT 550 and 551 The sequence covers mathematical statistics and theory and applications of linear models. This sequence is primarily designed as an introduction for doctoral students in statistics.
• ECON 705 and 706 Theoretical foundations of econometrics, and time series theory and methodology.
• STAT 500 and 501 This may be a better choice for students with backgrounds and research interests in the social and behavioral sciences since it concentrates more on methods frequently applied it those areas.

• ECON 681 and 682 (or ECON 701 and 703)

Sample Program Sequence

General requirements for candidates in Health Care Management and Economics are the following: