PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The PhD program in Public Health leads to an interdisciplinary research degree intended to prepare graduates for practice-based research. Upon completion of the degree, students will be able to:
- Explain key concepts across the spectrum of public health disciplines, including epidemiology, biostatistics, health systems, social/behavioral sciences and environmental health.
- Formulate public health research questions that are informed by theory, literature review, data, and community needs.
- Select appropriate study designs to address specific public health research questions.
- Collect, analyze and interpret data (obtained either prospectively or retrospectively) to address public health research questions.
- Communicate findings and implications of public health research through multiple modalities to diverse audiences.
Practical public health experience is a strength of the USU PhD in Public Health program. USU students have unique opportunities to work with a variety of public health agencies due to its centralized location near Washington DC. Students receive broad exposure to the major public health issues confronting the U.S., as well as more global issues, and they learn to systematically and critically evaluate the scientific literature, identifying the inherent strengths and weaknesses of various sources of data.
CURRICULUM
The minimum residency requirements for a doctoral degree will be 36 months of full-time graduate study. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed no later than seven years after initiating the program of graduate study at USU. Full-time status for trainees in graduate education programs will be defined as 12 or more credit hours per academic quarter. The minimum requirement for formal course work will be 48 credit hours, and the minimum requirement for total academic credit will be 144 credit hours. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in every required course.
PREREQUISITES
These courses are required for students without a prior MPH. Students with a prior MPH may choose, in consultation with their academic advisor, to audit or waive these courses or to serve as a teaching assistant. In either case, students are responsible for the material covered in these courses but they will not count towards the credits for the PhD.
PMO503 Biostatistics I 4
PMO511 Intro to Epidemiology 4
PMO526 Health Systems 4
PMO530 Behav & Soc Sciences 4
PMO540 Intro to Env Health 4
PMO680 Intro to Public Health 1
CORE REQUIREMENTS (40 CREDITS)
These courses must be completed before the student advances to candidacy
PMO502 Introduction to SAS 1
PMO504 Biostatistics II 4
PMO508 Biostatistics III 5
PMO512 Epidemiologic Methods 4
PMO513 Advanced Epidemiologic Methods 4
PMO523 Fundamentals of U.S. Healthcare Policy 3
PMO531 Program Planning & Development 3
PMO541 Advanced Environmental Health 3
PMO991 Ethics in Public Health 3
IDO704 Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Research 1
PMO599 Health Risk Communication 2
PMO671 PMB Doctoral Seminar (1 for 3 quarters)
PMO527 Principles of Healthcare Management 2 OR PMO598 Health Economics 3
IDO515 Grant Writing for Graduate Students 2 OR PHD882 Proposal Development and Grantsmanship 3
MED501 Rhetoric & Academic Writing 2 OR PHD881 Principles of Scholarly Writing 3
ELECTIVES (MINIMUM 12 CREDITS)
Recommended Public Health Elective
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
PMO514 Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases 3
PMO515 Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Control 2
PMO519 Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology 3
PMO611 Classic Studies in Epidemiology 2
PMO997 Field Epidemiology 2
PMO522 Meta-Analysis 2
PMO595 Introduction to Complex Sample Survey Analysis 2
Health Services Administration
PMO103 Fundamentals of Healthcare Finance 2
PMO529 Healthcare Financial Management 2
PMO532 Quality Assessment & Improvement in Healthcare 2
PMO533 Decision Making in Health Services 2
PMO535 The Law of Health Care 2
PMO576 Human Resource Management in Healthcare 3
PMO592 Healthcare Technology Assessment 3
PMO998 Foundations of Leadership 1
PMO1010 Diversity and Leadership 2
Global Public Health
PMO528 Global Health I 4
PMO529 Global Health II 4
PMO548 Joint Medical Operations and Humanitarian Assistance 6
PMO569 Malaria Epidemiology and Control 3
PMO613 Public Health Issues of Disasters in Developing Countries 4
PMO1007 Advanced Seminar in Global Health Policy 3
PMO1014 Measures of Effectiveness in Global Health 2
TEACHING ASSISTANT ASSIGNMENTS (MINIMUM 6 CREDITS)
PMO691 Doctoral Student Teaching Practicum 6+
PhD students are required to serve as teaching assistants (TA) annually (minimum 2 times). At least one of their TA assignments should be in a 4+ credit MPH core course (i.e. PMO503, PMO511, PMO526, PMO530, or PMO540). The role of the TA will vary by course content but TAs are expected to make significant and measurable contributions to the courses in which they participate, sharing responsibility with the Course Director. Course Directors are responsible for developing specific learning objectives for the TA and for articulating the responsibilities of the TA.
SEMINARS (MINIMUM 3 CREDITS)
PMO661 Current Topics in Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics - 3 credits
PMB seminar (PMO661) attendance is strongly recommended for all PhD students and candidates while they are in residence at USU campus. Doctoral students must register for course credit and attend departmental seminars during at least three quarters. Attendance at seminars conducted by other departments, the Packard Lecture, and other university events is strongly encouraged. In addition, students are required to attend three quarters of PMB Doctoral Seminar (PMO661), typically in the second year of residency.
JOURNAL CLUB (MINIMUM 9 CREDITS)
PMO971 PMB Doctoral Journal Club (1 for 9 quarters)
A different student each week will present a current scientific paper published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and lead the discussion. Each student in the class will read the selected scientific article and come prepared to discuss the salient points. PMB faculty will attend the weekly seminar and are encouraged to join in the discussion. The major objective of the course is to develop and refine critical reading skills, as well as presentation skills.
PRACTICUM (OPTIONAL)
PMO675 DrPH Public Health Practicum (1-6 credits, pass/fail)
Students are encouraged to devote up to 240 hours to a practicum experience prior to graduation. The practicum will typically be conducted after the student has completed the core coursework. With permission of the student’s advisor and PMB doctoral programs director, the practicum may be conducted jointly with the development of the student’s dissertation proposal.
QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS & ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY
The PhD Qualifying Examination is composed of a written and an oral examination. The overarching intent of the qualifying examination is to determine if the doctoral student has developed the knowledge and skills needed for the application and synthesis of public health research.
WRITTEN QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
The written exam will be given once a year, typically in summer. The written exam will be designed to demonstrate the student’s mastery of the core areas of public health through a series of related essay questions. The length and structure will be determined by the PMB Doctoral Committee, but will typically be an open-book take-home exam administered over several consecutive days. A student who passes the written qualifying exam is eligible to sit for the oral portion of the qualifying exam.
ORAL QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
After completing all core courses and passing the written exam, the student will form an oral qualifying examination committee. The student should meet with committee members as needed prior to the oral examination. On a date and time agreed upon by the student and the student’s oral examination committee, the student will take the oral qualifying examination. The examination should be scheduled so that at least the majority of members can attend in person.
The examination will consist of a presentation by the student centering on the research proposal he/she intends to conduct for the dissertation, followed by questions from the committee. At least two weeks prior to the examination the student will provide committee members with a copy of his/her research proposal. At the exam, the committee will ask questions pertaining to the proposal, the presentation, issues remaining from the written examination, or any other items or topics the Chair considers germane to the student’s training and research. The committee must decide if the proposed research is of sufficient scope and quality for the student to advance to candidacy.
ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY
Students will advance to candidate status within the PhD program once they have successfully passed both the written and oral components of the PhD Qualifying Examination, successfully completed 48 credit hours of formal course work (including all core courses) with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B), and submitted a completed USU form 641 to the Graduate Education Office, documenting the formation of a Dissertation Committee.
DISSERTATION
The Dissertation Advisory Committee is typically the same as the oral examination committee. Modification to the committee membership must be approved by the Director of Graduate Programs and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education.
The dissertation is defined as an extensive written treatment of a public health topic based on the original scholarly research. A dissertation is required of all aspirants for a PMB doctoral degree. An acceptable alternative pathway is the manuscript-based thesis if agreed upon by the candidate and his or her thesis committee. The Dissertation Committee, also known as the “Thesis Committee” or “Thesis Advisory Committee” advises the doctoral candidate and helps guide his or her research.
The Dissertation Examination Committee is responsible for reading the dissertation, and certifying its acceptability as to scope and quality, and conducting the defense of the dissertation. In most cases, the candidate’s Dissertation Committee also serves as the Dissertation Examination Committee. The defense of the dissertation consists of an oral presentation of the dissertation and response to questions. A private defense (involving the candidate, his or her dissertation examination committee members and invited guests) and a public defense using a seminar format are required.
ADMISSION
Admission to this program will be preferentially offered to active duty military officers with a background in a health related field. Other applicants will be considered for admission with preference given to health professionals sponsored by other U.S. government agencies. Applicants are expected to have at least a Master’s degree in a related field with an outstanding academic record (undergraduate and graduate transcripts and GRE scores), some public health experience, and demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public health.
*International Students will be considered if they have earned a degree from a United States College/University.
TRANSFERRING
Students transferring into the PhD program from other institutions may apply up to 24 academic credits of comparable graduate level courses to meet the MPH and PhD requirements. The individuals responsible for this approval include the student’s advisor, the Director of PMB Doctoral Programs, the Director of PMB Graduate Programs, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. The grades from transferred courses will not contribute to the overall grade point average for coursework completed at this University. Students who have previously completed the MPH program at this University may apply up to 24 credits from elective courses toward the required 48 credits of formal coursework.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- A complete employment history
- A personal statement describing how the applicant became interested in public health and how they envision incorporating the training they would receive in their future careers
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic, professional, and/or military service background.
- Active-duty Uniformed Services personnel must obtain the sponsorship of their parent organization and should mention in their packet of where they stand in the process of obtaining sponsorship
Additional Application Requirements
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Deadline for full consideration of applications is December 1st to begin the program the following July.
If active duty service members require a letter of competitiveness or early consideration for admission before that date, they should notify the University’s Graduate Education Office. Late applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, especially as they concern the needs of the Uniformed Services.
FINANCIALS
TUITION AND FEES
Tuition: $0
Fees: $0
Equipment: $0
Tuition and fees are waived for all students.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT – CIVILIAN
Civilian PhD students may be eligible for USU graduate student stipends if they meet the University eligibility criteria.
USU provides an attractive package of financial support to students, which will be administered as a part-time Federal salary for your position as a Research Associate. Total compensation is highly competitive with other local universities. As an Administratively Determined (AD) Federal employee, your salary is subject to standard taxes and withholdings.
As an AD employee, students receive standard Federal benefits including contributions towards health insurance, retirement, and transit costs. Students are supported as Federal employees for the first three years of their enrollment. After this period, if funding is available students may transition to employment as Research Associates by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF). These positions are supported by grants awarded to mentors or by fellowships awarded to students.
DOCTORAL STUDENT RESEARCH FUNDS
USU maintains a special fund to finance doctoral student research. This resource is designed to provide funds to graduate students in addition to those provided by their major advisor. Funds are available to graduate students who have completed two years of graduate study at USU or who have been advanced to candidacy and are devoting a majority of their time to their dissertation research. Graduate research funds are currently available for two academic years. Funding beyond two years is evaluated on a case by case basis and must be approved by the Graduate Education Committee. In recent years, the maximum amount of funds available each year to eligible graduate students has varied between $1,500 and $2,500.
SERVICE OBLIGATION
Civilian students do not incur service obligation to the United States government after the completion of their graduate studies.
Active-duty Uniformed Services personnel may incur an obligation for additional service in accordance with the applicable regulations governing sponsored graduate education.