The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation is a 45-credit professional degree offered by the Department of Health Services Administration. The MPH program in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation is designed to train students as public health scientists and practitioners that focus practice and/or research activities on the understanding, analysis, evaluation, and development of health policy. Various agencies in the state (e.g., county and state health departments) and across the nation (e.g., NIH and CDC), including colleges/universities, health-related agencies, community groups, and even large corporations (health care systems and insurance plans), employ public health professionals with a deep understanding of health policy in order to design, implement, analyze and evaluate policies to improve the health of their constituents. This program prepares graduates to take leadership positions in government agencies, consulting companies, health care organizations such as hospitals, community clinics, or health systems corporations, as well as health policy research organizations.<br><br>The MPH concentration in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation at the University of Maryland School of Public Health (SPH) is unique in that it focuses not only on health care policies but on the analysis and evaluation of all policies that affect the public's health such as policies related to public health organizations and other public policies in education, housing, nutrition, and environmental pollution, among others that have an impact on population health. Students in the program benefit from the SPH's location in the DC area, with its proximity to federal government and agencies tasked with developing and implementing health policies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in particular the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, The Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research, the Environmental Protection Agency and Health Resources and Services Administration, as well as top private and non-profit research institutions such as RAND, Mathematica, The Urban Institute, and The Brookings Institution, which conduct high-quality, independent research and provide innovative, practical recommendations to health policy makers. Faculty in the HPM department has active collaborations with several of these agencies and institutions and students in the department have access to internships, capstone projects and post-graduation positions at these organizations. In addition, students in the program benefit from the HPM department's close links with the State of Maryland legislature and students have interned with General Assembly members, in those experiences, they have conducted research on legislative issues, co-authored legislation, assisted in preparation for hearings, and other policy related tasks.