Quick facts
Program location: CU AnschutzCredit hours: 40-43
Est. time to complete: 2 years
MS in Health Services Research
This program emphasizes the multidisciplinary scientific foundations of healthcare research. As a student in this program, you'll study how the interplay of social factors, health technologies, and personal behaviors impact healthcare access, healthcare cost and quality, and quality of life. You’ll be trained to think like a scientist, implementing and developing of research studies that assess predictors of disease and the effectiveness of interventions.
Quick facts, careers, and skills
When you leave this program, you’ll be ready to design and implement research studies, communicate scientific findings to both expert and lay audiences, and use evidence to help inform policy decisions.
Credit hours: 40-43
Est. time to complete: 2 years
Sample careers
Health policy analyst
Health services researcher
Research analyst
& more
Skills you'll gain
Study design
Translation of scientific findings
Policy analysis
& more
Curriculum
In this 40- to 43-credit program, you’ll take courses in biostatistics, research methodologies, study design, healthcare economics and policy, epidemiology, and clinical outcomes assessment. You'll also complete a 4-credit Master's research paper or Master's thesis based on work you'll do in collaboration with our world-class researchers.
Total program credits: 40-43
Competencies
| Identifier | Competencies |
| MS-HSR 1 | Identify the main components and issues of the organization, financing, and delivery of health services and public health systems in the U.S. |
| MS-HSR 2 | Identify, and measure, clinically meaningful and/or policy relevant outcomes and apply evidence-based practice principles. |
| MS-HSR 3 | Critically appraise existing literature and evaluate manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. |
| MS-HSR 4 | Demonstrate breadth of health services research theoretical and conceptual knowledge by applying alternative organizational and behavioral models from a range of relevant disciplines. |
| MS-HSR 5 | Pose innovative and important health services research questions, informed by systematic reviews of the literature, stakeholder needs, and relevant theoretical and conceptual models. |
| MS-HSR 6 | Select the appropriate econometric/statistical specification and estimation technique, including using specification tests and theoretical justifications for distributional assumptions, the choice of link function, and estimation approach for a variety of outcomes. |
| MS-HSR 7 | Choose and define the appropriate unit of analysis and approach to computing standard errors for conducting hypothesis test. |
| MS-HSR 8 | Understand and apply methods for causal inference and identify the assumptions that may or may not hold for a causal interpretation. |
| MS-HSR 9 | Write and know how to submit grant proposals to federal, state, and non-governmental organizations. |
| MS-HSR 10 | Describe legal, ethical and regulatory issues related to clinical research. |
| MS-HSR 11 | Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate the findings and implications of health service research findings to technical and lay audiences. |
| MS-HSR 12 | Design and conduct research studies using health services research methods. |
| MS-HSR 13 | Discuss the policy process for improving the health status of populations. |
Colorado School of Public Health
CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
3rd Floor
Mail Stop B119
Aurora, CO 80045
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