Careers: Health Services PhD


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Graduates from the UW Health Services PhD program pursue research careers in top-tier universities, the health care industry, government agencies, and research and policy-making organizations. Alumni from our program have received numerous grants and awards. Many also remain actively involved with the program.

Career Success

Alumni Throughout Health Services and Related Fields

80+

students have graduated

100%

full-time employment among job seekers

48%

are faculty researchers

60%

faculty alumni hold tenure-track positions

42%

research-only, non-faculty positions

10%

completing post-doctoral studies

Where They Work

23

schools and universities

23

pharmaceutical, insurers,
consulting, and research firms

9

state, local, federal,
and tribal government

4

non-health, private sector companies

3

health care organizations, clinics, or hospitals

3

nonprofit, community orgs, or foundations

Source: 2018 alumni aurvey

Potential Professions

A sampling of professions held by Health Services PhD graduates:

  • Professor and Chair, Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University
  • Core Investigator, Health Services Research and Development Service Center of Excellence, VA Puget Sound Health Care System
  • Director, Health Research and Analytics, Berkley Medical Management Services
  • Director, Office of Community Health Systems, Washington State Department of Health
  • Epidemiologist 3, Prevention and Community Health, Washington State Department of Health
  • Global Wellness Manager, Compensation and Benefits, Microsoft Corporation
Alumni Bios

Our Program’s Career Services

We offer a variety of services and resources to support our students and recent alumni with their job searches.

Alumni Database

We have a strong network of more than 100 alumni, and we maintain a database (updated annually) with alumni contact and employment information. Our staff can query this database by title, organization, and location, and share contact info with students for those alumni who have elected to network and support future public health professionals. So, for example, if a student lets us know they are looking for a job in Boston, or trying to get a position at Kaiser, or seeking nutrition-related work, we can help them connect to the relevant alumni.

Alumni Email List

After graduation, we sign alumni up for our alumni email list, which we use to share information about jobs, upcoming events, and more.

LinkedIn Group

Being a member of our program’s LinkedIn group allows students and alumni to direct-message other members, even if they are not connected to them on LinkedIn. This group and its members can facilitate networking and job-seeking.

Faculty Advising

Our faculty advisors are available for meetings to discuss students’ career paths and opportunities.

UW Career Services

Our students and alumni also benefit from resources provided by the UW School of Public Health, UW Career Center, including its events and access to the free, online job system known as Handshake, and the UW Alumni Association.