Online Master’s in Healthcare Law & Policy Programs
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Healthcare is one of the most regulated industries in the world, and the introduction of an estimated 10,000 pages of legislation in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) added thousands of new regulations and policies and millions of new patients. With trillions of dollars invested in healthcare and a rapidly evolving legal landscape, the stakes and complexities in the area of health law and policy have never been higher. Those with a comprehensive understanding of both healthcare and law and how they interact with each other can not only advance their career but also advocate for better patient care and reformed legislation.
Healthcare law reaches into a vast number of professions. Advanced practice nurses, paralegals, physicians, insurance professionals, community service managers, and social workers can all benefit from furthering their education by obtaining a master’s degree in health law and policy. Such master’s degrees are often paired with a law school but do not require a Juris Doctor (JD) or Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score to attend, thus providing an excellent legal education that bolsters one’s current career track instead of deviating from it.
Professionals who do have their JD, however, can pursue a master of laws (LLM) in health law and policy to specialize in the legal intricacies that affect large corporations, small businesses, local governments, and patients alike. With a field as sprawling as healthcare, sub-specialties and minor concentrations reach across the spectrum, and whether one is considering a role in the public or private sector, options exist for a deeply targeted education—whether as part of an LLM, a master of health policy, or even a focused specialization in compliance.
The Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, and there’s a growing demand for interpretation, implementation, and further reform advocacy by educated professionals. With the new American Healthcare Act looming on the horizon, the demand for these skills is expected to only increase. Fortunately, some of the world’s best universities and professors are training a new crop of specialists to meet that demand, and the programs are more accessible than ever.
| Featured Healthcare Law & Policy Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | Clinical Research Management - Regulatory Science (MS) | View Full Profile |
| Arizona State University | Corporate and Health Care Compliance (MLS) | View Full Profile |
| Arizona State University | Regulatory Science (MS) | View Full Profile |
| Johns Hopkins University - Advanced Academic Programs | MS Food Safety Regulation | View Full Profile |
| Johns Hopkins University - Advanced Academic Programs | MS Regulatory Science | View Full Profile |
| The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences | Graduate Certificate - Regulatory Affairs | View Full Profile |
| The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences | MSHS - Regulatory Affairs | View Full Profile |
Featured Online Master’s in Health Law & Policy Degrees
University of Cincinnati offers an online healthcare policy and regulation certificate program. This fully online program does not require any campus visits.
The program trains students to evaluate the impact of different policies and programs in healthcare, affecting patients and other individuals. The faculty for the program includes world-class professors who are active leaders in health administration.
The major admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree program, official undergraduate transcripts, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0, letters of reference, a current resume, a letter of intent, and TOEFL scores for international students.
The program comprises 12 credit-hours. Some of the course topics include organization and delivery of health systems, health policy and regulation, legal and ethical issues, principles of leadership, healthcare finance, and analysis and decision-making.
Through this program, students develop an understanding of how the law applies to the healthcare system and equips them with skills to organize, manage, and regulate the delivery of healthcare services. They are well-equipped to make decisions and actionable plans for achieving specific healthcare goals within a society.
At the end of the program, graduates can pursue several opportunities in healthcare law, government relations, planning and development, information and privacy, health education, and health insurance. They can take up roles such as chief executive officer, information systems manager, government relations officer, and planning and development manager.
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months
- Estimated Tuition: $747 per credit-hour
Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law has an online master of legal studies (MLS) with a concentration in corporate and healthcare compliance. Students learn about constitutional law, legal entities and structure, criminal procedure, company policies for regulatory adherence, U.S. law, and the interpretation of laws and regulations, among other foundational topics for non-lawyers in healthcare. Notably, ASU has externships with entities such as the U.S. Court of Appeals (Federal Circuit), the U.S. Patent Office, and the Arizona State Supreme Court.
To apply, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA, and they must submit a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, a writing sample, and a resume. The school considers applicants’ work experience and career aspirations, among other factors.
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Accreditation:Higher Learning Commission
- Format: Online with no campus residency
- Tuition: $1,155 per credit
- Program length: One or two years
Duquesne University offers an online master of health administration (MHA) program through the John G. Rangos School of Health Sciences. The program consists of the following three concentrations: health informatics and data analytics, healthcare compliance and risk management, and population health.
The healthcare compliance and risk management track teaches students to identify and reduce the risk of regulatory, legal, and policy violations. The courses are taught by experts from the industry with considerable experience. Using this knowledge, students can structure programs that promote ethical business practice and minimize risks.
While the coursework program is offered fully online, students are required to attend a three-day on-campus residency. This offers them an opportunity to network with faculty, classmates, prospective employers, and industry experts. The program faculty includes internationally renowned professors who actively practice in the healthcare community.
Admission requirements for the program include a four-year bachelor’s degree, a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0, curriculum vitae, an essay and a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and TOEFL scores for international students. Previous work experience or GRE is not required for admission.
Made up of 42 credit-hours, the program is designed to make students knowledgeable preparing them to redefine the future of healthcare.
The curriculum includes courses such as healthcare human resources management, healthcare economics and policy, healthcare marketing and strategic planning, healthcare law and ethics, and healthcare information systems.
Students learn how to design, develop, and adopt IT-based innovations for improving healthcare delivery. Through the coursework, they also explore major issues in health promotion and disease prevention, discuss epidemiological concepts, learn how to identify the risk of policy, regulatory or legal violations, and develop programs for mitigating risk. Graduates of this program go on to work for leading companies, nonprofits and public institutions, and more.
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,315 per credit-hour
Students pursuing an online graduate-level health law and policy education at Hofstra University have the chance to link up with the Gitenstein Institute for Health Law and Policy, a school where students, faculty, and industry leaders collaborate to make positive changes in the national healthcare system. Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law offers two master’s programs in health law and policy. Students with a law degree (JD or LLB) can enroll in the master of laws program, while students without a law degree can enroll in the master of arts program.
In the online 30-credit LLM program, students will take nine courses over 18 months. In the classroom, students are challenged with discussion topics pulled from the headlines, and, upon graduation, they join an alumni base of over 10,000 professionals working at the highest levels of the public and private sectors. Students will study topics like bioethics, business transactions in healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid law, healthcare compliance, and public health law and policy. The courses may be taken exclusively online, but state restrictions may apply in Alabama, Minnesota, and Arkansas. No LSAT, GMAT, or GRE scores are required to apply.
- Location: Hempstead, New York
- Accreditation: American Bar Association (ABA)
- Format: Online with no campus residency
- Tuition: $1,292 per credit
- Program length: 18 months
Seton Hall created the Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy to provide comprehensive education on how law and policy interact and impact the healthcare and life sciences industries. The master of science (MS) in jurisprudence program has consistently ranked in the top ten in the nation and offers students the ability to specialize in several fields, including health and hospital law.
The program is designed for those without a law degree and will begin with introductory and review classes on law fundamentals. The core classes are in healthcare compliance and the law of patient care, and electives include biotechnology, food and drug law, and bioethics. All students take a three-credit advanced writing seminar, with the goal of producing law-review quality papers backed up with advanced research on a topic relevant to the student’s interest. The program consists of a minimum of 31 credits. Some courses are offered only on-campus, but it is possible to earn either degree exclusively through online offerings. No LSAT, GMAT, or GRE scores are required.
- Location: Newark, New Jersey
- Accreditation: American Bar Association (ABA)
- Format: Online with the option to take some on-campus courses
- Tuition: $1,102 per credit
- Program length: 18 months to two years
The University of Maryland’s online master of public health (MPH) in public health practice and policy focuses on supplementing industry knowledge with intensive leadership training that is woven into every course, enhanced with a thorough mentorship program, and finalized in an integrated internship and capstone project.
After completing core classes on the principles of public health—with topics such as health systems, epidemiology, and biostatistics—students take courses on practice and management, research methods, strategic planning, economic analysis, and law and ethics. The program consists of 42 multidisciplinary credits and requires six to eight residency days on-campus. No LSAT, GMAT, or GRE scores are required.
- Location: College Park, Maryland
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Format: Online with on-campus residencies
- Tuition: $796 per credit
- Program length: 18 months
The University of Denver’s online master’s degree with a concentration in healthcare policy and regulatory leadership offers a professional practitioner faculty, a customizable schedule, and a career-focused education through its project- and practice-based curriculum. Concentration courses focus on comparative healthcare systems, healthcare public policy and the legislative process, quality improvement for healthcare leaders, and implementation and evaluation of healthcare policies. Electives are offered in healthcare macroeconomics, management principles, change management, and organizational behavior. The program consists of 48 credits, split across 12 courses into ten-week terms. Classes may be taken either online or on-campus, and no GMAT or GRE scores required.
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Format: Online
- Tuition: $31,680 for full program
- Program length: 18 months to three years
As one of the top ten graduate public health schools, UC Berkeley’s MPH degree with a concentration in health policy management (HPM) gives students access to a public research university that puts them in contact with industry leaders. In addition to core requirements, the health policy and management concentration offers courses in strategic management in the healthcare sector, organizational behavior and management, healthcare finance, advanced health policy, the economics of population health, and health economics.
A separate field-based component provides a pathway for students to obtain practical experience—self-direction with structured guidance is the operating model. The program consists of a minimum of 42 credits, 90 percent of which can be completed online. Two campus visits are required: five days in the first year, and ten days in the second year, each occurring in June. GRE scores are required, but exemptions and further considerations are available.
- Location: Berkeley, California
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Format: Online with two on-campus visits
- Tuition: $1,158 per credit
- Program length: Two to two and a half years
As one of the top five best online graduate programs for public health, the master of jurisprudence (MJ) in health law with a concentration in regulatory analysis and compliance at Widener University’s Delaware Law School, takes students through real-world simulations to teach efficient and effective resolutions to ethical issues. Students take courses in critical legal analysis, healthcare compliance and ethics, healthcare and business transactions, and healthcare quality and liability. A final capstone project has the students prepare a complete compliance program.
Eligible students may seek the further credential of becoming a certified compliance and ethics professional (CCEP). The program consists of 29 credits. The degree may be completed entirely online, and no GMAT or GRE scores are required.
- Location: Wilmington, Delaware
- Accreditation: ABA, Compliance Certification Board (CCB)
- Format: Online
- Tuition: $1,148 per credit
- Program length: Two to five years
Nova Southeastern University’s online master of science (MS) in health law trains students to identify, research, and communicate complex issues at the crossroads of law and health, and then incorporate applicable statutory law, case law, and administrative law to aid in their resolution. Interdisciplinary courses range from regulatory compliance and healthcare ethics to cyberlaw and FDA law. Each student must complete four breadth classes, four program core classes, three electives, and one capstone, with the option to write a thesis and a scholarly article suitable for publication. The program consists of a minimum of 40 credits, all of which can be completed online, with opportunities to attend class sessions via webinar. No GMAT, LSAT, or GRE scores are required.
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Format: Online
- Tuition: $670 per credit
- Program length: Two years
The University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law offers an online master of legal studies (MLS) in health law and policy. It’s available both online and in person. The program comprises ten courses that last 7.5 weeks each in the distance-based format, including five health law courses and five core courses in legal fundamentals. With multiple start dates and exceptional student support, UA’s program imparts a solid foundation in the growing field of health law, with training in FDA regulations, legal analysis and writing, emergent technologies shaping the industry, and healthcare business legislation, among other integral areas.
- Location: Tucson, Arizona
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Format: Online
- Tuition: $650 per credit
- Program length: One year
Professors to Know in Online Master’s in Health Law & Policy Degrees
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Paul Arshagouni,MD - Argosy University
Dr. Paul Arshagouni is the associate dean of graduate and distance education programs at Western State College of Law at Argosy University, where he teaches courses in the law of patients' rights, legal perspectives on healthcare ethics, and healthcare as an employee benefit. He received his doctor of medicine from the University of California, Irvine, and his master of public health and JD from University of California, Los Angeles. Before entering the legal profession, Dr. Arshagouni served as director of pediatrics at a community clinic and a clinical professor at UC Irvine. Since going into legal academics in 2002, he has published scholarly articles and given keynote presentations on the subject of surrogacy laws, the bioethical foundations of assisted reproductive technologies, and healthcare reform.
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Janet L. Dolgin, PhD - Hofstra University
Dr. Janet Dolgin is a professor of law at Hofstra University, where she teaches classes such as bioethics and public health policy. She received her doctorate in anthropology from Princeton University and her JD from Yale University. Much of her work focuses on the intersections between those two fields—particularly in analyzing legal responses to shifts in the family and the structure of healthcare. She has written many scholarly articles, co-authored a course book on bioethics and law, and directed numerous conferences on health law and policy, and co-authored books. Dr. Dolgin is currently the director of the Gitenstein Institute for Health Law and Policy, as well as co-director of the Hofstra Bioethics Center.
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John Jacobi, JD - Seton Hall Law School
Professor John Jacobi is the faculty director of the Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy Program at Seton Hall, where he teaches courses in topics such as public health law, disability law, and health finance. He received his JD, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Whether through his work as special assistant to the commissioner at the New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate or as senior associate counsel to the Governor of New Jersey, Professor Jacobi has applied much his energies and expertise to advocate for the health and civil rights of disadvantaged populations. John Jacobi has served and continues to serve on numerous government and nonprofit boards and committees.
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Tara Sklar, JD, MPH – University of Arizona College of Law
Professor Tara Sklar is the Director of the Health Law & Policy Program at the University of Arizona, where she launched and oversees a suite of 43 online courses in health law across four programs: aging law & policy, health information privacy, health law for health professionals, and regulatory science.
Sklar’s research examines the role of laws and policies in influencing the health and well-being of older adults. Her work is published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, and the American Journal of Law & Medicine, among others. Her research is also regularly featured by top media outlets such as NPR, PBS, The Conversation, and Harvard Law’s Bill of Health.