Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

The following academic requirements apply to students matriculating in the academic year 2012–2013.

• Completion of a minimum of 40 credits of graduate-level courses
• Completion of required core DrPH program courses
• Completion approved research methods elective credits, approved management/policy elective credits, and approved general elective credits
• Completion of public health leadership practicum
• Comprehensive examination
• Dissertation topic approval
• Dissertation proposal approval
• Oral defense of public health practice dissertation

DrPH Program Requirements

In keeping with its interdisciplinary approach to doctoral education, the DrPH Program offers students the opportunity to fulfill their program requirements through unique core courses and a variety of electives offered by all seven School of Public Health academic departments. The DrPH curriculum emphasizes a mixture of professional and academic skills that focus on leadership and management, advocacy and policy, ethics, finance, and research methods. Full-time students must complete the program within five years; part-time students must complete the program within seven years. Incoming students who do not hold a Master of Public Health are required to complete prerequisite coursework in biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, and health policy and management. All DrPH students must complete the following core courses. DrPH students must receive at least a 3.0 (B) grade in each of these classes.

DrPH Program Core Courses

• PH 851 Needs Assessment
• PH 853 Strategic Planning and Communications
• PH 854 Program and Policy Evaluation
• PH 856 Law and Ethics for Public Health Leaders
• PH 857 Health Economics and Financial Management for Public Health
• PH 858 Cases in Public Health Management
• PH 866 Public Health Leadership Seminar
• PH 986 Public Health Practicum

Additional Course Requirements

In addition to the core course requirements, students will complete 8 research methods credits, 4 management/policy elective credits, and 8 general elective credits.

Research Methods Requirement and Elective

In addition to completing the required Research Methods courses—PM 811 for domestic (U.S.) public health practitioners and IH 811 for international public health practitioners—students will also complete a research methods elective. Students should consult with their advisor to help them choose the methods elective course that will be most applicable to their program. Students may select from a list of preapproved research methods courses. (Please see the DrPH Program Student Guidebook for the complete list of preapproved courses.) In certain cases students may petition for other courses to fulfill this requirement and, with written approval from their advisor and the Assistant Dean for DrPH Education, may designate a different elective course.

Management/Policy Elective: Students should consult with their advisor to select four credits of coursework focusing on public health management and/or policy.  Students may select this elective from any of the five SPH departments represented in the list of management/policy electives approved by the DrPH Program.  Students may petition to take a course that is not on the approved elective list by making a request to the Assistant Dean for DrPH Education.

General Electives

Students will be able to choose from a list of elective courses that have been approved by the DrPH Program. Students may petition to take a course that is not on the elective list by making a request to the Assistant Dean for DrPH Education.

Additional Degree Requirements

• DrPH Public Health Leadership Practicum
• Comprehensive Exams
• Public Health Practice Dissertation

All DrPH students must adhere to the Graduation Calendar in preparing and submitting the dissertation in 2012–2013.