One of the great challenges of the 21st century is to increase healthy life expectancy – i.e. to promote a qualitative instead of a quantitative paradigm – with a coherent physical, mental and emotional approach to health, as well as strengthening prevention and rehabilitation in addition to treatment. An important element in achieving these goals is an appropriate health policy framework and an efficient, high-quality and affordable health care system.

ELTE's Health Policy Planning and Financing MSc Programme approaches health policy and its financing with a transdisciplinary social science perspective, including not only the main orienting knowledge of economics, health- and public policy, finance and statistics, but also in a holistic view to health and wellbeing other disciplines like sociology, epidemiology, psychology and legal-ethical knowledge are integrated into its curriculum. It will also focus on the different stakeholders involved in healthcare planning and management, financing and delivery at local, regional, national and international levels.

Graduates can find a wide range of employment opportunities in both the public and private sectors: central and regional health administration organizations, the National Health Insurance Fund, healthcare institutions (hospitals, complex care organizations), pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and distributors, voluntary health insurance funds, commercial insurers, non-profit organizations, as well as educational and research centres and the media.

We recommend the programme to those who

• wish to combine their medical/social science knowledge with skills and competencies offered by this programme

• want to understand the complexities of health systems

• value quality-based approaches in system assessment and optimization projects

• seek ways to include low-level stakeholders in community problem solving  

The programme is available in the following language(s)

• English

Full credit acknowledgement applies to the following bachelor programmes

(However, it is not a requirement for the applicant to obtain a degree from any of these programmes)

• Social Studies

• Sociology

• Health Care and Disease Prevention

• Nursing and Patient Care

• Public Administration Manager

• Health Care Management

• Business Administration and Management

Career opportunities

After graduation, students mostly enter the following sectors and/or start their careers in the following positions:

• Policy Advisor in Health Policy

• Market Access Manager at an international pharmaceutical company

• Analyst at a health technology analysis institute

• Manager at a health fund

• Strategic Director at a health insurance company

In numbers

• 4 semesters

• 120 credits

Soft skills delivered by the programme

• abstraction skills

• quantitative methods

• analytical skills

• market research skills 

• multidisciplinary approach

• participatory design

• solution design