Curriculum
The curriculum of this four-year program is designed to be interdisciplinary including core courses completed by all students, regardless of their chosen emphasis. Students apply directly into one of three emphases: Biostatistics, Clinical and Translational Epidemiology, or Health Systems Research.
Credits
Students who hold a relevant master’s degree take a minimum of 62 credits to earn a PhD in Population Health Sciences. Students who do not have a previous master’s degree take a minimum of 80 credits to earn a PhD in Population Health Sciences.
Pre-Requisites
Students are strongly encouraged to take one semester of graduate level epidemiology and at least two semesters of graduate statistics before entering the Population Health Sciences PhD program. Students should be proficient in at least one statistical package (SAS, STATA or R).
Core Curriculum
Population Health Sciences students will take the core courses as described below.
| Course Prefix and Number | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PHS 7000 | Biostatistics II in R | 3 |
| PHS 7020 | Analysis of Secondary Data | 4 |
| PHS 7030 | Applied Modern Causal Inference | 3 |
| PHS 7100 | Epidemiologic Theory and Methods | 3 |
| PHS 7310 | Comparative Health Systems Seminar I | 2 |
| PHS 7305 | PHS 1st Year Seminar | 1 |
| MDCRC 6450 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| Total Number of Credits | 19 | |
Biostatistics Emphasis
Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Emphasis
Health Systems Research Emphasis
Qualifying Exam
After completing their coursework (generally by the conclusion of the spring semester of their second year), students will take a qualifying examination to assess their knowledge within their specific discipline and of the tools of research required in PHS.
