Course I · Fall · Didactic
Political Determinants of Health I
Identifies policy and political levers as interventions for population health, building the conceptual foundation for nurse-led equity work in health systems and policy spaces.
About the Concentration
Nurses leading systemic change
Preparing future advanced practice nurses to act on the political systems that shape health - not just respond to them.
Political determinants of health create the social drivers that affect all other dynamics of health. By understanding these determinants, their origins, and their impact on the equitable distribution of opportunities and resources, I firmly believe we will be better equipped to develop and implement actionable solutions to close the health gap.
— Daniel E. Dawes, JD · Concentration Co-Director
Yale School of Nursing is launching the first-in-the-nation, nurse-led MSN concentration in Political Determinants of Health.
This two-course sequence will equip students with the skills and perspective necessary to bridge clinical care, policy advocacy, and equity-driven systems change - translating evidence about voting, governance, and public policy into the everyday practice of advanced nursing.
- 01
Political determinants
Voting rights, public policy, governance — the laws and structures that govern us.
- 02
Shape social conditions
Where we live, what we eat, how we move, the air we breathe.
- 03
Influence health outcomes
Chronic disease, maternal health, life expectancy — the quality and quantity of life.
01
Political
Voting rights · Public policy · Governance
02
Social conditions
Housing · Transportation · Environment · Food access
03
Health outcomes
Chronic disease · Maternal health · Life expectancy
Coursework & Curriculum
Policy meets practice
The concentration consists of two sequential courses — one didactic, one experiential — taken across the fall and spring of your first or second specialty year, totaling 4 credits and 45 experiential hours. Coursework draws on political science, law, economics, history, sociology, and anthropology.
Course II · Spring · Experiential
Political Determinants of Health II
Builds competencies in analyzing how voting, governance, and public policy drive health outcomes — with experiential hours that translate analysis into practice.
Meet the Co-Directors
Interdisciplinary leadership
Concentration Co-Director
Daniel E. Dawes, JD
Founding Dean & Senior Vice President for Global Health, Meharry Medical College
Yale Presidential Fellow
Yale Presidential Fellow
Daniel E. Dawes is an internationally recognized leader in the health equity movement and a scholar of the political determinants of health. He is the Founding Dean of the School of Global Health and Senior Vice President for Global Health at Meharry Medical College, a Yale Presidential Fellow, and author of The Political Determinants of Health.
Dawes was an instrumental figure in developing landmark federal legislation, including the Mental Health Parity Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the ADA Amendments Act, and the health equity provisions of the Affordable Care Act. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on the CDC’s Advisory Committee to the Director and the NIH’s National Advisory Council for Nursing Research.
Concentration Co-Director
Kassandra Perez, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, CUNP
Lecturer, Yale School of Nursing
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System-West Haven
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System-West Haven
Kassandra Perez is a Lecturer at Yale School of Nursing and a practicing acute care nurse practitioner at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System-West Haven, where her clinical work centers on urologic care.
Her research and clinical interests focus on prostate cancer, including patient knowledge gaps prior to prostatectomy, the survivorship continuum, and bone health management for patients on androgen deprivation therapy.
Details
Eligibility & cost
Open to MSN specialty students at YSN who can complete the concentration in their first or second specialty year. Applicants typically apply in the year preceding enrollment, with students notified by email when the window opens. Students with remote clinical placements are welcome — Zoom is provided for experiential sessions.
Who can apply
Open to YSN MSN students who can complete the concentration in their first or second specialty year. Applicants typically apply in the year preceding enrollment; the concentration is taken alongside — not in place of — specialty coursework.
Application window
The window opens in the year preceding enrollment. Students are emailed when the window opens. The application requires advisor approval, a personal statement, and an unofficial transcript.
Cost
Students who enroll are charged an additional fee equivalent to four credits at the School's per-credit tuition rate. Visit the YSN Tuition & Fees page for the most up-to-date cost information.
Frequently Asked
Questions, answered
Reach out to Dr. Elizabeth Doyle at elizabeth.doyle@yale.edu if your question isn't answered here.
Who can apply?
The concentration is open to MSN specialty students at Yale School of Nursing who can complete it in their first or second specialty year. Applicants typically apply in the year preceding enrollment in the concentration. The concentration runs in parallel with your specialty curriculum — it is an addition, not a substitute.
Online/Hybrid MSN-PMHNP students are welcome to apply, but should note that the experiential component will require travel to Connecticut for on-campus fieldwork.
When does the application window open?
The application window opens in the year preceding enrollment in the concentration. YSN students will be emailed when the window opens, with a link to the application.
How will I know when applications open?
YSN students will be notified by email when the application window opens. There is no separate sign-up — if you are a current MSN specialty student, the announcement will come directly to your Yale inbox. Watch for messaging from the YSN admissions and student affairs team.
Are students guaranteed admission?
No. Concentrations are selective and may have capacity limits, so admission cannot be guaranteed.
What is the time commitment?
The concentration totals 4 credits and 45 experiential hours across two sequential courses — Political Determinants of Health I (2 credits, didactic) and Political Determinants of Health II (2 credits, experiential).
What does the concentration cost?
Students accepted into a concentration are charged an additional fee equivalent to four credits at the School's per-credit tuition rate. Current tuition information is available on the YSN Tuition & Fees page.
Can I use financial aid such as loans to cover the cost?
Yes. Students who enroll in a concentration can have their financial aid packages adjusted to include the additional tuition in their cost of attendance.
Can I participate if I have a remote clinical placement?
Yes. Students with remote clinical placements are welcome. Zoom will be provided for experiential sessions so distance does not limit participation.
How does this concentration prepare me for practice?
Graduates are positioned as leaders who can bridge clinical care, policy advocacy, and equity-driven systems change. The curriculum builds competencies in analyzing how voting, governance, and public policy drive health outcomes — drawing on political science, law, economics, history, sociology, and anthropology.
Who directs the concentration?
The concentration is directed by Daniel E. Dawes, JD — Founding Dean and Senior Vice President for Global Health at the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College, a Yale Presidential Fellow, and author of The Political Determinants of Health.
The concentration is co-directed by Dr. Kassandra Perez, YSN faculty member, who anchors the concentration within the day-to-day life of the school and supports students throughout the experience.
Connect & Learn
Upcoming events
Information sessions, faculty Q&A, and policy conversations — details for the upcoming cycle will be posted as dates are confirmed.
Info Session
Date TBA
Coming SoonPolitical Determinants of Health Information Session
Join Concentration co-directors Daniel Dawes and Kassandra Perez for an overview of the new MSN concentration — curriculum, eligibility, and the application process.
Ready to lead
Shape the policy & practice of nursing
Join the first cohort of nurses prepared to operationalize the political determinants of health. All you need to apply is an advisor approval, a copy of your unofficial transcript, and a short personal statement. Detailed instructions can be found in the application.