Curriculum

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Community Health Sciences is designed to educate candidates to become independent, innovative, and productive research scientists. The program emphasizes social and behavioral science theories and methods, community-engaged research, and social justice with the goal of training the next generation of community health scholars.

This unique and comprehensive doctoral program builds on the strengths of the BU School of Public Health Community Health Sciences department and addresses the growing focus on social justice and partnerships with affected communities in public health education. It aligns with Boston University’s strategic priorities by offering a high-quality residential education experience, fostering research that addresses complex public health challenges, and promoting social justice through scholarship.

The skyline of Boston's South End neighborhood from as seen from the top floor of the Prudential Building

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SPH Debuts New PhD in Community Health Sciences

The one-of-a-kind social and behavioral sciences-focused doctoral program will emphasize social justice and community engagement.

Program Requirements

The program is designed for individuals with a master’s degree in public health or a related field. Students pursue a program of study through required courses that provide breadth in key theoretical frameworks and methodologies and elective courses that provide specialized skills. The program uniquely integrates advanced methodological training with a social justice perspective and a focus on collaborations with community members and organizations to ensure that research is rigorous, impactful, equitable, and grounded in real-world contexts.

Students complete 44 credits, including eight credits of electives; at least 36 of these credits must be from course offerings at BUSPH. Students will additionally participate in departmental seminars and training in the ethical conduct of research. Students must complete a two-step qualifying process to advance to candidacy for the doctoral degree. To receive the PhD degree, students must complete and orally defend a doctoral dissertation that advances health equity.

Faculty

A key strength of the PhD program in Community Health Sciences is the engagement of a talented interdisciplinary faculty that is eager to mentor doctoral students in a variety of areas. Faculty are actively engaged in diverse areas of research & scholarship that integrate social and behavioral science approaches to enhance the health and well-being of communities and promote health equity.

Funding

The Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health Sciences (CHS) program provides funding to all students admitted into the program for four years. As a full-time student, you will receive financial aid in the form of fellowship or assistantship support. Your financial aid package will consist of a stipend as well as a scholarship to cover tuition, mandatory fees, and individual basic health insurance.

Outcomes

Program Goals

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Analyze the social and behavioral determinants of health and health equity across individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels.
Develop theoretically informed public health research questions rooted in a social justice perspective.
Apply a range of social and behavioral science approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, community-engaged, and implementation science methods, to design and conduct original research seeking to advance health equity.
Demonstrate the professional skills essential to becoming a leader in using social and behavioral science approaches to advancing health equity.
Communicate research findings effectively to diverse audiences.

Career Outcomes

Graduates of the PhD in Community Health Sciences program are well-prepared for academic, research, public health practice, and policy careers that require expertise in community-engaged research and social justice-focused scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the ideal applicant look like?

How many students are accepted?

What does the curriculum look like?

Students will complete 44 credits, including eight credits of electives; at least 36 of these credits must be from course offerings at BUSPH. In addition, doctoral students take part in a monthly doctoral seminar and a monthly proseminar. They will be required to complete a two-step qualifying process to advance to become Candidates for the doctoral degree. Students must complete a two-step qualifying process to advance to candidacy for the doctoral degree. To receive the PhD degree, students must complete and orally defend a doctoral dissertation that advances health equity.

Required courses

SPHSB 855 Social Justice in Action: Theories and Methods for Community Health Sciences
SPHPH 803 Community-Based Participatory Research: Theory and Methods
SPHSB 865 Community-Engaged Research for Social Justice
SPHEP 775 Social Epidemiology
SPHSB 818 Qualitative Research Methods
SPHPM 839 Implementation Science: Linking Research to Practice
SPHBS 730 Introduction to Statistical Applications in R
SPHBS 845 Data Science and Statistical Modeling in R
SPHPH 885 Grant Writing for Doctoral Students I
SPHPH 886 Grant Writing for Doctoral Students II
SPHPH 895 Pedagogy and Curriculum Development
SPHPH 896 Mentored Teaching Practicum
SPHPH 700 Foundations of Public Health
SPHSB 980 Continuing Study in Community Health Sciences

Electives

Students will choose 8 credits of electives to supplement their training. Students can conduct an independent study or independent research approved by the Doctoral Program Director and their faculty mentor for up to 4 credits of elective coursework. Students will also have the option to select graduate-level courses outside of BUSPH to replace 4-8 credits of electives. The Doctoral Program Director and the student's faculty mentor will need to approve any courses outside of BUSPH or outside of the following elective options:

SPH BS 852 Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
SPH BS 805 Intermediate Statistical Computing and Applied Regression Analysis
SPH BS 821 Categorical Data Analysis
SPH BS 857 Analysis of Correlated Data
SPH BS 849 Bayesian Modeling for Biomedical Research & Public Health
SPH BS 853 Generalized Linear Models with Applications
SPH BS 751 Essentials of Quantitative Data Management
SPH EP 722: Data Collection Methods for Epidemiologic Research
SPH MC759 Perinatal and Child Health Epidemiology
SPH EH 811 Intro GIS for Public Health
SPH PH 843 Quantitative Methods for Health and Social Policy Research
SPH PM 828 Advanced Qualitative Methods
SPH EP 860 Novel Analytical Methods for Epidemiology
SPH PM 822 Advanced Quantitative Methods for Health and Social Policy Research
SPH PM 842 Health Economics for Health and Social Policy Research
SPH GH 806 Using Mobile Technologies to Improve Health Outcomes
SPH EP 790 Mental Health Epidemiology

What is the timeline for the admissions process?

Should I mention specific faculty or research projects in my statement of purpose?

Should we/can we reach out to faculty now?

Is the program funded? What does funding look like?

How long does the program typically take to finish?

Can I attend the program part-time or online?

What will students be able to do after completing the program?

Admissions

How to Apply

Learn more about the PhD in CHS's full admissions requirements and application deadlines.

For inquiries regarding the PhD program, please contact Kimberly Nelson, PhD, MPH.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s degree in public health or a related discipline (e.g., psychology, sociology, social work).
Minimum of one graduate-level course in biostatistics with a grade of B or better.
Minimum of one graduate-level course in epidemiology with a grade of B or better.
At least 1–2 years of research or applied experience in a public health or related setting is strongly encouraged.

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Health Sciences.