Courses of Study 2024-2025 
    
    Jan 18, 2025  
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Courses of Study 2024-2025

Health Care Policy

In the Brooks School of Public Policy . 

Health Care Policy Major

The Health Care Policy (HCP) major is offered within the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, and merges curriculum from both the social and natural sciences. HCP builds on the research strengths of the Brooks School faculty, who use the theories and methods from economics, sociology, political science, and demography to study the effects of government policies on individuals and families, public health, education, crime, product markets, financial markets, and a wide variety of other social impacts. The research tools learned and used—robust theory, rigorous empirical quantitative skills, and practical applications to real-world policy issues—are highly sought after by the best in the healthcare industry and government.

The HCP major prepares students for leadership roles in health policy. Some of these leadership roles require a strong foundation in the natural sciences, which is available through the major. In addition, graduates will be prepared for careers that combine clinical health care with involvement in the broader health care system and public policy.

HCP will provide students with in-depth training in the analysis of health care and public policies that affect health, access to medical care, and medical spending. Students will learn to integrate analytical thinking and data analysis skills. HCP majors employ theories and methods from economics and demography to analyze health care and policy. Students will learn to apply theories designed to explain the development of government policies addressing health care and how the private health care system interacts with the public sector to affect health, access, and costs. The HCP requirements provide all students with a strong foundation in natural sciences while allowing flexibility in course selection to pursue either: a non-premedical track; or a premedical track that meets the course requirements for admission to medical school and other health professional graduate programs.

The following requirements apply to students entering the program in August 2023 and January 2024.

HCP Introduction to Public Policy (4 credits)

HCP Public Policy Required Courses (15 credits)

Students must take all of the following:

HCP Demography Coursework (3-4 credits)

Choose one from the following:

HCP Public Policy Concentration Courses (18 credits)

Students must take a minimum of 18 credits of 3000-level or above PUBPOL courses in addition to areas 1-3 above. 12-15 of these credits must be Health Care and Health Policy Courses, and 3-6 of these credits must be Social Policy Courses.     

Health Care and Health Policy  (12-15 credits):  

Social Policy  (3-6 credits):

*May count for Health Care and Health Policy or Social Policy, not both. 

**May count towards Health Care and Health Policy or Focus Area, not both.

***May count towards one area: Health Care and Health Policy or Social Policy or Focus Area.

HCP Additional PUBPOL Electives (3 credits)

Any 3 additional PUBPOL credits except PUBPOL 4030 (e.g.  PUBPOL 2040 - Economics of the Public Sector , PUBPOL 2300 - [Introduction to Policy Analysis] , and PAM 3240 - Risk Management and Policy ).

First Year Writing Seminars (6 credits)

The two required first-year writing seminar courses must be completed within the first two semesters at Cornell.

HCP Introductory Economics (3 credits)

HCP Intermediate Microeconomics (4 credits)

Choose one of the following:

HCP Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution social sciences requirement.

Choose one of the following:    

Please note that PUBPOL 2250 cannot count for both the Introduction to Sociology requirement AND the Additional PAM Electives requirement.

HCP Mathematics (3-4 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution quantitative and analytical courses requirement.

Choorse either of the following:

  • Score of 4 or 5 on AP Calculus BC exam
  • Any 3-credit Cornell math course except MATH 1101  and MATH 1710  (must be taken at Cornell) 

It is important to note that while AP Calculus AB credit (with a score of 4 or 5) may be applied as elective credits, it does not fulfill this specific requirement.

HCP Biology Lecture (6-8 credits)

Choose two of the following:

HCP Biology Lab (2 credits)

HCP Introductory Chemistry

Introductory Chemistry (3-4 credits)

HCP Focus Coursework (14 credits)

Choose from the following:

Please note that the following courses must be taken in sequence if you choose to take them: CHEM 3570 & CHEM 3580, BIOMG 3310 & BIOMG 3320, BIOMG 3310 & BIOMI 2900.

** May count towards Health Care and Health Policy concentration area OR Focus Area coursework, not both.

***May count towards only one Health Care and Health Policy concentration OR Social Policy concentration OR Focus Area.

HCP Ethics (3 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution humanities requirement.

Choose one of the following:  

HCP Additional Distribution Coursework (10-12 credits)

Any course with the course distribution codes ALC, BIO, ETM, GLC, HST, PHS, SCD, SSC, SDS, SMR, PBS, BIOLS-AG, BIONLS-AG, SBA, KCM, MQR, LA, CA, or HA may fulfill this requirement. Language courses are also eligible to count here.

HCP Electives (variable)

Any courses that are not taken in the areas mentioned above will count as Electives.

HCP Physical Education Requirement (2 courses)

While Physical Education is a graduation requirement, it does not count toward the minimum credit requirements for full-time status at the college or university level, nor does it contribute to the 120 credits required for graduation.

HCP Swim Test Requirement

Completion of a successful swim test is required for graduation.

Health Policy Minor

The program offers a 15-credit minor in Health Policy for Cornell undergraduates outside of the Brooks School majors. Health policy minors apply concepts from sociology, demography, and economics to provide a focused analysis of policy issues in the healthcare industry. Health Policy minors complete PUBPOL 2350 - [The U.S. Health Care System]  (3 credits), 9 credits of upper-level health policy coursework from the list below, and additional PUBPOL course electives to reach a minimum of 15 credits of policy coursework.

Upper-level Health Policy Coursework:

The most up-to-date list of upper-level health policy coursework can be found on the Brooks School website.

Minor Policies:

  • There can be no substitution for any of the required courses.
  • Students must enroll in the PUBPOL section of the course. Cross-listed sections are NOT applicable.
  • Students must earn a grade of B- or better in every course. S/U will only be accepted if it is the only grade option available.
  • PUBPOL special studies courses (PUBPOL 4000 , PUBPOL 4010 , PUBPOL 4020 , PUBPOL 4030 ) do NOT count towards the Health Policy Minor.

Questions related to the Health Policy minor should be addressed to the Brooks Undergraduate program staff at BrooksUGProgram@cornell.edu.

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