Master of Science in Health Policy Student Handbook

Introduction

This Handbook sets forth departmental policies, procedures, and requirements that pertain to Master of Science in Health Services & Policy Research students in the Department of Health Management and Policy. Graduate degrees offered by The University of Iowa are granted by the Graduate College in accordance with the requirements contained in the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College.

Students are urged to consult the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College for details about Graduate College requirements. In addition, the Graduate College periodically posts deadlines for adding or dropping courses, application for degrees, submission of theses, etc. Students are responsible for being aware of and complying with these deadlines. Students should also familiarize themselves with applicable sections of The University of Iowa General Catalog. The latter includes the University-endorsed Student Bill of Rights, Code of Student Life, and policies related to student rights and responsibilities.

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Master of Science in Health Services & Policy Research is to provide students with content knowledge and methodological skills pertaining to the practice of health policy analysis and foundations of health services research.

The vision of the Master of Science in Health Services & Policy Research program is to be nationally recognized for preparing graduates for policy analysis and research careers in a variety of settings including academic institutions, government agencies, private, non-profit, and other organizations explicitly involved with health policy. Students will be prepared with subject matter expertise and a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodological skills. Students will also be prepared for doctoral studies in health policy, health services research, and other closely related fields.

Faculty Advisors

Students will be assigned a faculty academic advisor for course registration and plan of study direction. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor on a regular basis. Students who wish to be assigned to a different advisor should make the request through the Student Services Office. The faculty research proposal advisor may be a different faculty member than the academic advisor. Additionally the Department invites students to consult with all faculty members, and alumni, for informal advising and counseling.

Plan of Study

Students must develop an initial Plan of Study during their first semester and have it signed by their academic advisor. This approved Plan of Study must be filed with the Student Services Office. In order to register for the second semester, and subsequent semesters, the student’s Plan of Study must be reviewed and approved by their advisor and filed with the Student Services Office.

The MS plan of study may be modified on an as-needed basis to improve students’ educational experience. When this occurs the Department makes every effort to allow students to choose whether to follow the plan of study the student entered under, or the revised plan of study. The student should discuss this choice with her/his advisor. In rare instances, special accommodations may need to be made to a student’s individual plan of study in order to prevent delay of graduation.

Curriculum

The MS in Health Services and Policy Research curriculum requires that the student complete 30 semester hours of course work.

Semester 1 – Fall Required Courses           (12 s.h.)                            Credits

HMP:5005                 Intro to Health Care Org. & Policy                        3

                                    (or HMP:4000)

HMP:5610                 Health Policy                                                           3

BIOS:5110                 Introduction to Biostatistics                                   3

CPH:6100                 Essentials of Public Health                                   2

HMP:7950                 Design Issues in Health Services Research       3

CPH:7270                 Principles of Scholarly Integrity                             0

Semester 2 – Spring Required Courses      (11 s.h.)                            Credits

BIOS:5120                 Regression Modeling and ANOVA in Health Sciences     3

HMP:5410                 Health Economics I                                                 3

HMP:6850                 Independent Study & Research                            3

HMP:xxxx                  Elective                                                                     3

HMP:xxxx                  Elective                                                                      3

CPH:7270                 Principles of Scholarly Integrity

Electives

Students take electives to be exposed to other areas or to gain greater depth within their interest.

Possible elective offerings:

HMP:6610                 Legal Aspects of Health Care (3 s.h)      

BIOS:4120                 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 s.h.)

HMP:5450                 Health Insurance and Managed Care (3 s.h.)

HMP:5650                 Health Policy Analysis (3 s.h.)

HMP:6710                 Federalism and Health Policy (3 s.h.)                                        

HMP:6750                 Seminar in Health Policy (3 s.h.)  

HMP:7550                 Cost-Effectiveness & Decision Analysis (3 s.h.)

EPID:4400                 Epidemiology I: Principles (3 s.h.)

HMP:7940                 Primary Data and Mixed Methods (3 s.h.)                     

HMP:7960                 Analytic Issues in Health Services Research I (3 s.h.)

HMP:7961                 Analytic Issues in Health Services Research II (3 s.h)

Additional Expectations

In addition to the coursework included in the plan of study, it is expected that MS students will avail themselves of the many additional educational opportunities in the Department, College, and University. In particular, MS students are expected to attend the weekly HMP Friday Seminar and attend major Department functions including the annual Levey Healthcare Leadership Symposium and presentations by speakers invited to campus by the Department.

HMP: 6850 Final Capstone Research Proposal

The MS in HSPR student will be expected to produce either a potentially publishable manuscript, (complete with empirical analyses involving primary and/or secondary data) OR a research proposal modeled on the format of a major research grant application (R01 or equivalent) used by one of the following US funding agencies: NIH, AHRQ, or PCORI. The capstone research project should focus on evaluating some aspect of the organization or delivery of health services or the impact of specific health policies on health services use and health outcomes. The capstone research project will be completed in consultation with their faculty research proposal advisor. 

If the student elects to complete a research proposal, they should closely follow the research plan structure and page limits for the selected format.  For example, if an NIH R01 format is selected, the research plan would have the following sections: Specific Aims (1 single-spaced page), and the Research Strategy (limited to 12 pages), with the following three sections: Significance, Innovation, and Approach.  The proposal should have separate sections for each of the designated scoring criteria used by the funding agency. The student should also complete the sections related to human subject protection.

A cover sheet before the research plan should list the title, student’s name, department, date approved, and include signature lines for committee members.

After the project has been distributed to committee members, an oral examination will be conducted by the committee to evaluate the proposed research plan. 

Review of the prospectus by the Committee will result in: (a) approval of the proposed research as outlined in the project; (b) approval subject to recommended modifications and subsequent approval by the Committee chairperson; (c) a recommendation that the student prepare a supplement to the project for approval by the Committee members; or (d) recommendation that another project be prepared and considered at a subsequent oral examination.

The student should discuss the expected date of graduation with the Director of HMP Student Services after successful defense of the student’s capstone proposal.  A copy of the project, with the cover page signed by all Committee members, should be retained in the student’s file and an electronic copy should be provided to the department (to the Director of HMP Student Services or the Director of the PhD Program).

Faculty Capstone Advisor

The faculty advisor overseeing the capstone research proposal must be a Department of Health Management and Policy primary tenure-track faculty member, but not necessarily the student’s academic advisor.

Capstone Committee

The student is responsible for identifying faculty to serve as members of her\his capstone committee. The committee for the master’s degree consists of three Graduate College faculty members, including at least two tenure-track faculty members with primary appointments in the Department of Health Management and Policy, one of whom is the student’s faculty advisor.

Capstone Research Project Defense

The student will be required to make an oral presentation of the research project. This presentation will be scheduled by the student in consultation with the advisor and committee members. A copy of the project must be delivered to committee members two weeks prior to the defense.

The capstone defense will be evaluated by the examining committee as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with two unsatisfactory votes making the committee report unsatisfactory. An unsatisfactory vote is interpreted as an insufficient attempt at the research project.

If the capstone receives a satisfactory evaluation, the student must make any corrections and modifications on the proposal as required by the examining committee and obtain the signatures of all members of the committee.

Graduation

At the beginning of the semester in which the master’s candidate expects to receive the MS degree, they will review their academic record and progress on the proposal with their advisor. If all work on the research proposal is likely to be completed by the end of the semester, the master’s candidate will complete the application for graduation.

Grading System

To receive a master’s degree, a student must be in “good standing” and registered in the University during the semester in which the degree is to be awarded. To be in good standing, the master’s student must show promise of scholarly distinction by maintaining a grade point average greater than 3.00 while enrolled in the Department. Masters students must also meet the general requirements established by the Graduate College.

Grades

Courses in the Department are letter-graded. Grades carrying advanced degree credit are A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- and S-Satisfactory.

Incompletes

Students who receive an incomplete (I) must remove that grade in accordance with the deadlines posted by the Graduate College or the grade is automatically converted to an F.

Audits

A student may audit a course with permission of her/his faculty advisor and the course instructor. No academic credit is given for an audited course, but a grade of either Audit Successful or Audit Unsuccessful is recorded on the student’s transcript. It is the prerogative of the course instructor to set requirements for the audit. MS students who receive grades of Audit Unsuccessful may be required to complete remedial coursework.

Academic Achievement

Students should review the website listed below for Graduate College Publications, particularly the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College, which governs most aspects of study: https://grad.uiowa.edu/academics/manual

Dismissal and Probation

  1. A master’s student will be dismissed from the MS in Health Services and Policy Research Program if they earn less than a 2.6 cumulative G.P.A. after completing six or more semester hours toward the MS. A master’s student will be dismissed from the MS Program if they earn less than a 2.85 cumulative G.P.A. after completing nine or more semester hours in the MS.
  2. A master’s student will be placed on probation and may be dismissed from the MS Program by simple majority vote of the primary HMP faculty excluding the Department Head, under the following conditions:
    1. If, after completing six or more semester hours toward the MS, the student has a cumulative grade point average of less than 3.00; or,
    2. If the student receives one or more course grades of F or U.
  3. Placement on Probation A student will be notified in writing by the Department Head if they are placed on probation. The letter will specify the reasons for probation, the specific steps the student must take to be restored to good standing in the MS Program, the time allowed to perform the remedial steps, and a warning that the student faces the possibility of dismissal from the MS Program. A copy of this letter will be placed in the student’s file and sent to the student’s academic advisor.
  4. Special Counseling. A student on probation is expected to arrange counseling sessions with her/his advisor to discuss progress in meeting the standards and requirements outlined in her/his letter of probation.
  5. Removal from Probation. A student placed on probation will be removed from probation upon successful completion of the objectives as specified in her/his letter of probation. The performance of each student on probation who does not qualify for removal from probation after one semester shall be reviewed by primary HMP faculty, excluding the Department Head, after the end of each session during which the student has registered until they have met the requirements for removal from probation. By simple majority vote, the primary HMP faculty, excluding the Department Head, will then select one of the following courses of action:
    1. Continue the student on probation; or
    2. Dismiss the student
    3. The student will be notified in writing of any action taken by the faculty
  6. Appeal. A student has the right to a review by the Department Head of a faculty decision that results in the student being placed on probation or dismissed. The faculty decision shall be deemed final unless it is appealed within 14 calendar days of written notification. This period may be extended at the discretion of the Department Head. Upon receiving the student’s written request to the Department Head, a time and place for an appeal hearing will be set. The student will be notified in writing of the time and place of the hearing. At this hearing, the student and her/his representative may appear in person and submit a written and/or oral statement and supporting materials. The Department Head may uphold, modify, or reverse the faculty decision based on the evidence submitted at the hearing. The Department Head’s decision shall be in writing and shall state the decision and basis for that decision. A copy of the decision will be placed in the student’s file and the original will be mailed to the student. The Department Head’s decision shall be the final action by the MHA Program when an appeal is sought.
    1. Attendance at Probation and Appeal Meetings. Meetings of the HMP faculty relating to probation or dismissal will be closed. An appeal hearing will be closed to all but the student and her/his representative, the Department Head, and other persons the Department Head deems necessary.
    2. Extradepartmental Review. According to the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College:

      Questions involving judgment of performance will not be reviewed beyond the departmental level. If, however, the student feels there has been unfairness or some procedural irregularity concerning dismissal, the student may pursue a grievance according to the Academic Grievance Procedure (AGP) established by the Graduate College. The AGP is available in the Graduate College. The student should consult with the Graduate College prior to initiating an academic grievance.

Human Subjects Research

Proposed research must be discussed with the student’s advisor and comply with the University of Iowa’s Human Subjects Research policies and procedures to protect human subjects from disclosure of confidential information or other unexpected harm. Copies of the University’s policies and procedures should be reviewed prior to initiating any research project.

Students who are planning research that includes human subjects should review the requirements and rules on the Human Subjects Office website at http://research.uiowa.edu/hso/.

Residence Requirement

The Graduate College has the following residence requirement for MS students: Of the minimum of 30 semester hours required for the degree, at least 24 semester hours must be completed under the auspices of The University of Iowa after admission to a graduate department/program. Various forms of extramural registration may quality toward fulfillment of the 24 semester hours registration requirement (see Section II. G. Extramural Registration) in addition to regular on-campus registration. A student must be registered in the semester in which s/he earns his/her degree.

Student Conduct

CPH Procedures for Responding to and Addressing Unethical Conduct and Violations of the Graduate College and Iowa Code of Student Life

The University of Iowa Code of Student Life, published each year as an insert to The Daily Iowan, governs student non-academic conduct (including graduate students).

The Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations governs student academic conduct.

Research misconduct, such as the fabrication or falsification of data and plagiarism, is defined by the US Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Research Integrity (definition of misconduct). Egregious acts of research misconduct may also result in additional action by the University of Iowa as stated in section 27.6, Ethics in Research, of the University’s Operations Manual.

Health Services and Policy Research MS program students in the Health Management and Policy Department are expected to adhere to all sets of policy guidelines. Students may be sanctioned or dismissed from their program in the event of policy violations.

Please contact the CPH Assistant Dean for Student Services or your Graduate Program Coordinator for further information about these policies.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value of the University of Iowa and the College of Public Health. At the University of Iowa, we hold ourselves to the highest standard of professional and scholarly ethics, are accountable for our decisions and actions, exercise responsible stewardship of the resources with which we are entrusted, and treat one another with honesty and fairness. Academic integrity embodies the principles of honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect, forming the foundation of ethical scholarship and intellectual growth. Upholding academic integrity is not only essential for maintaining the credibility and integrity of the academic community but also for nurturing individuals who contribute positively to society through their knowledge, skills, and ethical conduct. Academic misconduct undermines the efforts and achievements of other students, erodes the trust and credibility that society places in educational institutions, and can have long-lasting consequences for the individuals involved, especially in post-graduate careers.

Academic integrity is a teaching and learning issue, and our policies and procedures are written in that spirit. Academic misconduct can involve many gray areas. The ways that students are allowed to work with other classmates or utilize additional resources can differ between courses which can lead to confusion. Instructors are responsible for making expectations regarding academic integrity and academic misconduct clear and explicit to students in the course syllabus, assignment instructions, and exam instructions. Students are responsible for actively seeking clarification from their course instructors if they are uncertain about whether a situation might involve academic misconduct.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT REPORTING PROCEDURES, SANCTIONS, AND APPEALS

Reporting Academic Misconduct

Each UI college tracks offenses on a shared database (Maxient), with academic misconduct reports thus shared across UI colleges and with more severe consequences for repeat violations.

Incidents of academic misconduct will be investigated and reported in a manner that ensures due process and fairness.

  • Instructors: Instructors are required to report incidents of academic misconduct by filing a violation report and notifying the accused student in writing. Instructors should contact the Assistant Dean of Student Services for access to the reporting form.
  • Students: a student who witnesses an incident of academic misconduct is expected to report the violation to the course instructor. During any investigation, the reporting student may be asked for additional information. The confidentiality of the reporting student will be protected to the greatest extent possible; however, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in all cases.

Reports of academic misconduct are shared with the Graduate College, the Assistant Dean of Student Services in the College of Public Health, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Public Health, as well as the Director of Graduate Studies / Program Director and Departmental Executive Officer (DEO, Department Chair) in the student’s home department. Academic misconduct records stored in Maxient are not transferred to the student record in MAUI. However, depending on the result of a case (e.g., dismissal/expulsion), a dean’s level note acknowledging academic misconduct as the reason for dismissal/expulsion may be added to the student’s MAUI advising notes. Access to dean’s level MAUI advising notes is highly restricted and campus advisors (e.g., DGS, DEO, Graduate Program Coordinator, faculty advisors) do not have access to these notes. Notes associated with academic misconduct are not recorded on the student’s transcript. Records of academic misconduct violation(s) will be kept for seven years or until the student graduates, whichever comes first.

Academic Misconduct Procedures and Sanctions

In the event that academic misconduct is suspected, the following procedures will be followed:

Course-Level Procedures

  • An instructor who suspects a student of an incident of academic misconduct will investigate whether the suspected misconduct has, in fact, occurred.
  • Instructors who intend to report a student for misconduct should inform the student about their concerns. The instructor will make reasonable attempts to arrange a meeting with the student as soon as is feasible with the student to clarify the situation and to discuss specifics of the incident. The student should be provided the opportunity to respond to the allegation. If the student does not respond or chooses not to meet with the instructor, the instructor should proceed with sanctioning the student (see below) and reporting the incident. 
  • If the meeting between the instructor and the student ultimately results in no sanction (e.g., grade reduction) because the allegation of academic misconduct is not supported, then the process will be considered completed. No additional reporting will be required, nor will there be any information related to the situation entered into the student’s record.
  • If after meeting with the student the instructor determines that the allegation of academic misconduct is founded, then the instructor will make a decision regarding whether or not a sanction (e.g., grade reduction) will be applied and report the allegation by filing a violation report.
    • If the instructor decides not to apply a grade sanction (e.g., issues a warning or provides the student with learning opportunities to address any misunderstandings of academic misconduct), the incident must still be reported.
    • Examples of Course-level Sanctions. In the case of academic misconduct that is related to a course, the instructor will determine the appropriate sanction. Sanctions may include but are not limited to:
      • Failing the assignment or assigning a lower grade than otherwise would have been given for the assignment
      • Requesting a revision of the work in question and accepting the revision for grade assignment
      • Failing a student for the course (must only be considered in consultation with the departmental/programmatic administrative home for the course)

Instructors are responsible for making expectations regarding academic integrity and academic misconduct clear and explicit to students in the course syllabus, assignment instructions, and exam instructions.

  • The Assistant Dean of Student Services in the College of Public Health will notify the student of any violation report received and the right of the student to request an appeal hearing for review of the case.
  • The student may:
    • Accept responsibility and the instructor’s sanction.
    • Accept responsibility but appeal the instructor’s sanction. Reasons could include inequitable enforcement of the sanction, the sanction is too severe, or the sanction is out of alignment with stated policy in the syllabus.
    • Deny responsibility for the violation and appeal the instructor’s sanction.

Student Appeals of Course-Level Sanctions

  • If the student has any questions about the appeals process, then they should contact the Assistant Dean for Student Services in the College of Public Health or their Graduate Program Coordinator. Contact information for the Assistant Dean will be provided in the notification letter.  The student may also choose to discuss their situation confidentially with a representative of the Office of the Ombudsperson.
  • Appeals must be in writing to the DEO (Department Chair) of the department in which the course is offered within 30 calendar days of written notification of the instructor’s finding. An email to the DEO is sufficient.
  • The DEO will review the case and submit a decision letter to the student and to the Assistant Dean for Student Services in the College of Public Health.
  • If the student is not satisfied with the DEO’s decision, the student may then request a review by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (ADAA) in the College of Public Health. The request must be written within 30 calendar days of receiving the DEO’s finding. An email to the ADAA is sufficient.
  • The ADAA will review the case and submit a decision letter to the student and to the Assistant Dean for Student Services in the College of Public Health.
  • If the student is not satisfied with prior decisions, then the student has the right to appeal to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Graduate College, followed by the Office of the Provost, and finally up to the Iowa Board of Regents.
  • Copies of the final determination document will be given to the student, kept by the department, and also given to the Assistant Dean for Student Services to be stored in the Maxient system.
  • When a conflict of interest in the chain of appeals is identified (e.g., the DEO or ADAA is also the student’s instructor, advisor, or supervisor), then an appropriate substitute to hear the appeal will be made.
  1. Departmental Procedures

In the event that academic misconduct is founded, the student’s home department/program will make a determination as to whether or not additional sanctions will be applied by the department/program according to the following procedures:

  • Following a report of academic misconduct, a review committee of 2-3 primary faculty members will be appointed by the DEO, with one member designated as the chair. The committee chair will inform the student in writing of the departmental review. A meeting will be convened to allow the student an opportunity to discuss the alleged misconduct. The committee will meet to review the available evidence. After the committee has reviewed the report, the committee may assign the student additional sanctions (see below for examples) based on the severity of the offense and the number of previous offenses by the student reported to the department. The committee chair will report the outcome to the student in writing.
  • Examples of Departmental Sanctions. Academic misconduct can involve many gray areas and borderline situations. In these cases, the department might combine or change the sanctions listed below so that they better fit the situation. At the department’s discretion, egregious acts of misconduct may lead to more severe sanctions than suggested below even for a student’s first or second report of misconduct.
  • For first report – The student receives a warning letter in which they are notified of the consequences of any additional offenses related to academic misconduct. The student is required to meet with the Director of Graduate Studies and/or Department Chair (DEO) to discuss the alleged violation(s) and departmental expectations regarding academic integrity. A summary of the violation report will be provided to the student. During the meeting, the DGS and/or DEO will review the sanction imposed by the instructor, review departmental sanctions, and review the appeal process and the deadline to appeal.
  • For second report – The department may require the student to enroll in a non-credit academic integrity seminar. The seminar is completed online, and most students complete the assigned readings and assignments in about 5-15 hours. The student will be charged a course fee of between $100 and $200. 
  • For additional reports – In addition to any penalties listed above, the department may dismiss the student from the graduate program or recommend expulsion from the University. Decisions to dismiss a student from the graduate program or expel the student from the University are made in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Graduate College. Dismissal from the program/department may not automatically dismiss a student from the Graduate College.

Students who fail to complete any of the assigned sanctions may be restricted from course registration in future semesters. Degree conferral may be held for students in their final semester of enrollment until they complete their assigned sanctions.

  1. Student Appeals of Departmental Sanctions
  • If the student has any questions about the appeals process, then they should contact the Assistant Dean for Student Services in the College of Public Health or their Graduate Program Coordinator. The student may also choose to discuss their situation confidentially with a representative of the Office of the Ombudsperson.
  • Appeals must be in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (ADAA) in the College of Public Health within 30 calendar days of written notification of the department’s finding. An email to the ADAA is sufficient.
  • The ADAA will review the case and submit a decision letter to the student and to the Assistant Dean for Student Services in the College of Public Health.
  • If the student is not satisfied with the ADAA’s decision, then the student has the right to appeal to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Graduate College, followed by the Office of the Provost, and finally up to the Iowa Board of Regents.
  • Copies of the final determination document will be given to the student, kept by the department, and also given to the Assistant Dean for Student Services to be stored in the Maxient system.
  • When a conflict of interest in the chain of appeals is identified (e.g., the ADAA is also the student’s advisor or supervisor), then an appropriate substitute to hear the appeal will be made.

Department Resources Available to Students

Student Workrooms

Rooms in the HMP suite are available for students’ use in conducting collegiate or departmental business, including course work. Students will be allowed access to these rooms with their Iowa One card. Rooms can be reserved by speaking with the Administrative Services Coordinator.

Students shall not engage in behaviors that may cause destruction or misuse of property. Students who cause damage to University equipment will be assessed damage costs. Students must also be courteous to fellow CPH students who share the student commons areas.

Computers are not to be used for playing games or other non-program-related activities including spamming, discriminatory or harassing use, or accessing inappropriate material on the internet. Students working on course assignments, which require computer usage, have priority for computer time.

Office Equipment and Services

Office equipment, including printers, and copying machines, and services of the Department staff are available to students only for approved Department business. No equipment should be removed from any of the supply rooms.

Any equipment malfunction should be reported immediately to the Department office staff. A fax machine is located in N235 CPHB and is available for department-related faxes.

Student Use of Conference Rooms

The Corbeil Conference Room (N202) and room N228 may be used by students for studying or group meetings if the room is available. Students intending to use them for meetings should schedule them through the department Administrative Services Coordinator. Students will be asked to leave these rooms if faculty or staff have them scheduled.