Health Economics, MS
Graduate School Policies and Procedures apply to this program
Please click here to see Economics department information.
Introduction
Program Director: Brian Duncan, Ph.D.
Graduate Advisor: Daniel Rees, Ph.D.
The M.S. program in Health Economics provides graduate-level training in economics, specifically in the economics of the health care industry. Our M.S. program emphasizes extensive training in mathematical and quantitative analysis, including substantial exposure to applied econometrics, working with large and diverse data sets, and a wide range of statistical software. The M.S. in Health Economics builds off the strengths of the Economics Department, which is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy (HSMP), which is housed in the Colorado School of Public Health, allowing students to take courses on both the downtown Denver and Anschutz Medical campuses. The program gives students the applied skills that employers demand, provides those pursuing advanced degrees an edge in gaining admission to top-flight Ph.D. programs, enhancing the student's career and professional development.
Degree Requirements
- Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework, of which 21 hours are core requirements. Each student's plan will be worked out in conjunction with the graduate advisor. Students are expected to meet all course prerequisites.
- Students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate (5000 and above) level credit hours.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of B- (2.7) in all major courses taken at CU Denver and must achieve a minimum cumulative major GPA of 3.0. All graded attempts in required and elective courses are calculated in the major GPA. Students cannot complete major or ancillary course requirements as pass/fail. No course may be taken more than twice and only one attempt will retain the credit.
- Students must complete all credits for the degree with CU Denver/CU Anschutz faculty.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the following | 21 | |
| ECON 5073 | Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 5803 | Mathematical Economics | 3 |
| ECON 5813 | Econometrics I | 3 |
| ECON 5823 | Econometrics II | 3 |
| ECON 7073 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory II | 3 |
| ECON 7661 | Health Economics I | 3 |
| ECON 7662 | Health Economics II | 3 |
Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take nine credit hours in courses numbered 5000 or higher with an ECON or HSMP subject code. Courses numbered 6611 or higher with a BIOS subject code may be taken with the graduate advisor’s approval. | 9 | |
| ECON 5030 | Data Analysis with SAS | 3 |
| ECON 5050 | Special Economic Problems | 3 |
| ECON 5083 | Macroeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 5090 | History of Economic Thought | 3 |
| ECON 5150 | Economic Forecasting | 3 |
| ECON 5410 | International Trade | 3 |
| ECON 5530 | Economics of Natural Resources | 3 |
| ECON 5540 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ECON 5660 | Health Economics | 3 |
| ECON 5740 | Industrial Organization | 3 |
| ECON 5800 | Special Topics | 3 |
| ECON 6010 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 6020 | Advanced Macroeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 6053 | Seminar In Applied Economics | 1.5 |
| ECON 6054 | Seminar In Applied Economics II | 1.5 |
| ECON 6060 | Special Topics | 3 |
| ECON 6073 | Research Seminar | 3 |
| ECON 6210 | Public Finance | 3 |
| ECON 6410 | International Trade | 3 |
| ECON 6420 | International Finance | 3 |
| ECON 6610 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| ECON 6666 | The Economics of Health Behaviors | 3 |
| ECON 6770 | Economic Growth and Development | 3 |
| ECON 6801 | Advanced Mathematical Economics | 3 |
| ECON 6810 | Econometrics and Forecasting | 3 |
| HSMP 6601 | Introduction to HSMP | 3 |
| HSMP 6602 | Health Equity | 3 |
| HSMP 6604 | Health Care Economics | 3 |
| HSMP 6605 | Health Policy | 3 |
| HSMP 6606 | Public Health Administration | 2 |
| HSMP 6608 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Public Health | 2 |
| HSMP 6609 | Cost Benefit and Effectiveness in Health | 2 |
| HSMP 6610 | Health Care Financial Management | 3 |
| HSMP 6613 | Addressing Health Equity in Colorado's Safety Net | 1 |
| HSMP 6614 | MCH Program Management & Policy Analysis | 3 |
| HSMP 6615 | Current Global Health Policy Issues | 2 |
| HSMP 6616 | Intro. to Health Policy Analysis and Communication | 1 |
| HSMP 6617 | Interpreting Health Policy and Management Research | 2 |
| HSMP 6618 | Comparative Health Systems | 2 |
| HSMP 6621 | Interprofessional Education and Development I | 1 |
| HSMP 6622 | Interprofessional Education and Development II | 1 |
| HSMP 6630 | Grant Writing for Public Health Professionals | 2 |
| HSMP 6633 | Management of Non-Profit Organizations in Public Health | 2 |
| HSMP 6634 | Management, Budgeting and Public Health Administration | 3 |
| HSMP 6640 | Leadership for Public Health Practice Part 2 | 3 |
| HSMP 6650 | MPH Research Paper | 1-2 |
| HSMP 6651 | HSR Masters Research Paper | 1-6 |
| HSMP 6670 | Special Topics: Health Systems, Management and Policy | 1-3 |
| HSMP 7010 | Foundations in Health Services Research | 1 |
| HSMP 7601 | Research Design and Proposal Preparation | 3 |
| HSMP 7605 | Managing a Learning Healthcare System: Theory to Prac | 3 |
| HSMP 7607 | Methods in Health Services Research I | 3 |
| HSMP 7609 | Methods in Health Services Research II | 3 |
Graduate Examination
Students must successfully complete a capstone project in which proficiency in the knowledge and skills comprising the MS degree in Health Economics is demonstrated.
To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.