Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health will allow the public health practitioner to be a primary investigator on population-based studies and thus enable the researcher to compete for NIH and other funded studies. It will also enable the student to teach and conduct research as faculty at schools of medicine, schools of public health and other academic settings, as well as cancer centers, HMOs, and other health organizations.
The first incoming PhD in Public Health class began fall 2004, the PhD program has been continuously accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) since 2004.
Most students require four to six years to successfully complete a doctoral degree. The university allows seven years to complete the doctoral degree.
Core Requirements
- Complete additional coursework
- Pass a general examination, a qualifying examination
- Write and submit an original research proposal
- Complete the dissertation project
- Pass a written and oral defense of the project
Admissions Frequently Asked Questions
Prerequisite
Applicants must have a master’s degree. Those entering the doctoral program without an accredited Master of Public Health or Master of Science in Public Health degree will be required to complete, with a minimum grade of B-, course work in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Credits earned from taking these courses will not be counted as part of the required credits for the PhD degree. Students may submit a request for waiver for any of these courses to the division faculty for approval.
Students will not be allowed to begin dissertation coursework as a PhD student until the courses listed above are completed.
Applicants must meet academic minimum requirements for admission. The requirements listed are the minimum set by the Graduate School of the University of Utah and do not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Also, each academic department or program defines additional requirements. Applicants are evaluated with respect to university and departmental requirements and with respect to the pool of available applicants.
The minimum academic requirements for graduate admission are the following:
- A bachelor's and master’s degree from a regionally-accredited college/university,
- At least a 3.00 or higher undergraduate weighted mean GPA*
*If the candidate has a GPA below 3.0 they must submit a justification letter. This letter should detail why the candidate's GPA is lower than 3.0 and why they feel that they are prepared to pursue the public health degree in spite of their lower GPA. This letter is different than the Statement of Purpose and will be included with the candidate’s application file. - Meeting the academic department's admission standards and receiving a recommendation for admission to their program.
Application Fees
- Applicants must complete both a SOPHAS application and a Slate (University of Utah) application and upload all required documents to be considered for admission. We cannot waive SOPHAS or Slate application fees. You can apply for a fee waiver for SOPHAS if you feel you qualify.
- SOPHAS
- Official transcripts for US/Canadian applicants
- Unofficial transcripts & WES, ECE, or other accredited transcript evaluation for international applicants
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose that identifies initial faculty mentor
- Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- English proficiency for international applicants (TOEFL/IELTS)
- Official transcripts for US/Canadian applicants
- Slate
- Unofficial transcripts
- English proficiency for international applicants (TOEFL/IELTS)
Required Documents
- Transcripts & Transcript Evaluation: Applicants must upload to SOPHAS and Slate a transcript from each institution they earned credit.
- Three Letters of Recommendation: Required for each master's applicant; the recommendation letters should come from persons familiar with the applicant's academic and professional capabilities, achievements, work experience and/or personal qualities—not family or friends. There is no specific format for these letters.
- Statement of Purpose: The statement, not to exceed 1,000 words, should include comments relevant to public health degree(s), reasons for choosing public health as a future career area, any previous relative work experience, and how the training will facilitate your career goals.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae: Resumes and CVs should be professional and up-to-date.
Other Requirements
- English Proficiency for International Students: Please see the Office of Admissions website for details on demonstrating English Proficiency and sending your test scores.
- Personal Interview: May be required, including international applicants. Telephone interviews may be conducted and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Initial Faculty Mentor: Review the research areas of faculty to identify those working in your area(s) of interest. Please identify these faculty members and describe your research interests in your statement of purpose. Applications will be reviewed by the nominated faculty members as part of the admissions process.
Resident Tuition
Non-Resident Fees
WICHE
The Division of Public Health’s MPH, MSPH, PhD and Certificate programs are approved for the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). Students receiving WICHE are eligible for resident tuition rates PLUS 10%. Please visit the WICHE website for more information.
Funding Opportunities
PhD students accepted to the program may be offered Teaching Assistant, Graduate Assistant, and/or Graduate Research Assistant positions. The assistantship positions may include reduced tuition and a stipend as compensation for 20 hours per week of work with a faculty member. The tuition benefit will cover fall and spring semesters. Summer semester is not covered under the tuition benefit. Additionally, the tuition benefit does not cover the public health tuition differential, and admitted students are required to cover the costs of the differential tuition each semester. Admitted students will also receive a stipend for fall and spring semesters.
Please note that students are only eligible for the tuition benefit and stipend if they are a full-time student taking at least 9 credit hours each fall and spring semester. Funding is renewable each semester for students in academic good standing, not on academic probation. To be in academic good standing the student must receive a B- or better in all of your PhD coursework.
Students are admitted to the PhD program in the fall semester each year. For guaranteed consideration, please submit your application by January 15, 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.
Applicants are responsible for monitoring the progress of their applications to ensure all required documents, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other information is received by the deadline. The SOPHAS and Slate online applications allow applicants to track their application status by logging back into the system with their PIN and password and clicking “check status” in SOPHAS or “check your application” in Slate.
You must submit an official transcript from each institution from which you have earned college credit (except the University of Utah) to the Office of Admissions. Please see the Office of Admissions website for details on how to submit official transcripts. If you fail to submit official transcripts, you will be unable to register for classes.
Due to the competitiveness of the program, the division requires a $100 non-refundable seat fee to hold your spot. In addition to holding your seat the deposit will be used in partial support of student activities. Please send response sheet and make the seat payment by the set deadline outlined in your admissions letter. Pay seat fee here.