University of Lucerne

The University of Lucerne is the youngest university in Switzerland, although its roots reach back as far as 1600. Established in 2000 after a public vote in the Canton of Lucerne, the university is accredited by the Swiss Federal Council and a member of swissuniversities since 2005. It is organized in four faculties: Theology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Law, and Economics and Management. Since August 2019, the former Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, which was rooted in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, is a newly and independent department named Health Sciences and Medicine under the auspice of the rector. The new department has three pillars: health sciences and health policy, medicine, and rehabilitation, and it is in the lead of the university for the collaboration with SSPH+.

Department of Health Sciences and Medicine

The new Department of Health Sciences and Medicine at the University of Lucerne offers since 2009 a PhD program in Health Sciences, since 2013 a MA in Health Sciences, since 2019 an MSc in Health Sciences and from 2020 a joint Master in Medicine (in collaboration with the University or Zurich). In addition, the Department of Health Sciences and Medicine hosts the "Center for Rehabilitation in Global Health Systems” and the "Center for Health, Policy and Economics” to strengthen its interdisciplinary research and education programs. The department is also active in knowledge translation through the Swiss Learning Health System, which aims to foster dialogue between different stakeholders, and develop and integrate evidence-based solutions to challenges in the health system. Six faculty members cover the following areas: Health Services Research, Health Economics, Health Communication, Health and Social Behavior, Health Policy, Medicine and Rehabilitation. An additional focus is put on Community Care in collaboration with the Institute of Family Medicine and Community Care, and the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, and Rehabilitation in collaboration with the Swiss Paraplegic Research in Nottwil.