How Collegis helped Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions validate demand, shape a competitive Doctor of Health Sciences program, and generate strong enrollment for its first cohort.
While Mass General Brigham University already offered a PhD in Health Professions Education and discipline-specific clinical doctorates, leadership saw an opportunity to develop a distinct Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) program aligned with evolving workforce and market needs.
As the degree-granting entity of Mass General Brigham — with a system spanning 12 hospitals and more than 82,000 employees — the University is closely connected to a large and growing population of clinical leaders and educators. In exploring this new offering, the University partnered with Collegis to better understand market and consumer demand, assess the competitive landscape, and ensure the program was both relevant and accessible to prospective learners.
This work helped shape a program designed to meet real-world needs that balanced clinical leadership development, applied scholarly knowledge, skills, and experiences, and a strong emphasis on quality, safety, and continuous quality improvement. The resulting program is grounded in interprofessional education and practice and responsive to both external demand and internal workforce needs across the health system.
Mass General Brigham University needed deeper insight into market demand and competitive positioning to inform its program development strategy.
Key considerations included:
The market scan revealed an emerging opportunity with relatively low competition, but also declining search demand — making strong positioning, competitive pricing, and targeted marketing essential for success.
Collegis partnered with Mass General Brigham University to translate market insights into a clear program strategy and targeted outreach plan.
Key components included:
Together, these efforts helped the University launch a competitively positioned program and generate strong early interest among prospective students.
Mass General Brigham University launched its Doctor of Health Sciences program in Fall 2025 with strong initial demand.
Key results include:
These outcomes demonstrate how a market-informed strategy can help institutions launch new programs with confidence and generate early enrollment momentum.
Launching a new academic program requires more than a promising idea. Institutions need clear insights into market demand, competition, and positioning. With the support of Collegis program research and marketing strategy, Mass General Brigham University launched a doctoral program aligned with market opportunity — resulting in a successful first cohort and strong student demand.
Mass General Brigham University’s success highlights the value of data-driven program development. With the right market research, marketing strategy, and enrollment support, institutions can turn program ideas into market-ready offerings.
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