Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in a public health discipline represents outstanding scholarly achievement and signifies a capacity for independent study.1

Degree Requirements

  • For students with a master’s degree, satisfactory completion of a prescribed course of study of at least one (1) academic year and a minimum of at least 48 semester credit hours. A maximum of six (6) semester credit hours of dissertation count toward the minimum 48 credit hours. If the student chooses to elect a practicum, no more than three (3) credit hours of practicum and three (3) credit hours of dissertation count toward the minimum of 48 credit hours. Therefore, at least 42 credit hours of didactic courses other than practicum or dissertation must be successfully completed.1
  • Satisfactory completion of PH 101 Foundations in Public Health (online, not-for-credit course);
  • Satisfactory completion of two minor areas of study or one minor area of study and one breadth area;
  • Satisfactory completion of one epidemiology course, if one is not already covered in the major, minor, or breadth areas;
  • Satisfactory performance on a preliminary examination as described by the degree program;
  • Satisfactory defense of the dissertation proposal and completion of an original research dissertation.
1

For students with a bachelor’s degree admitted as a direct-admit, satisfactory completion of a prescribed course of study of at least one (1) academic year and a minimum of at least 72 semester credit hours is required.

Prescribed Course of Study

Major requirements are listed within the departmental sections of this catalog. Degree requirements may be altered in successive catalogs. Students are bound by the requirements of the catalog in force at the time of their admission or readmission.

Minor and Breadth

Students in the PhD program are required to complete either two minors or one minor and one breadth area of study. Students should consult with their advisor when choosing a minor and/or breadth to align with their academic goals. For more information about the minor and breadth requirement for PhD students, see the Academic Polices section.

Preliminary Exam

The preliminary examination will be taken after the courses prescribed by the degree program have been successfully completed. If a student is unable to successfully complete (i.e., demonstrate competence in) the preliminary examination after two attempts, the student will be dismissed from the PhD program. For students with a bachelor’s degree, the opportunity to complete a MS degree program is not automatic, and acceptance into the MS program is decided by departmental faculty. For more information, see the Academic Policies section.

Practicum

The practicum, or applied practice experience, is an application of learning to a “real world” setting. All practicums consist of an organized internship at an extramural agency or organization engaged in work related to public health. Alternatively, a practicum may be done intramurally if the project interacts with practice agencies. Although not a requirement, PhD students are encouraged to include a practicum in their degree plan.

Dissertation

Students are required to complete an original research dissertation that makes a substantial contribution to knowledge in public health. This requirement will be fulfilled when an oral defense of the dissertation research proposal and the final dissertation have been successfully completed, the document has been approved and signed by all members of the dissertation committee, and a copy has been filed in the Dean’s Office.

Available Programs:

The School of Public Health offers the following Doctor of Philosophy programs:

1

For students with a bachelor’s degree admitted as a direct-admit, satisfactory completion of a prescribed course of study of at least one (1) academic year and a minimum of at least 72 semester credit hours is required.