Program Overview

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Public Health - Ph.D.

Overview

The Ph.D. degree in Public Health bridges population health and research methods to prepare graduates for careers in academics, industry, and public service agencies. Students concentrate in either epidemiology or prevention science and complete two to three years of coursework with an additional two or more years of research.

Admissions

• Master's degree in a related discipline from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.000 graduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• GRE score or other standardized graduate admission exam with a quantitative component
• Résumé
• Goal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Interview with faculty
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 94 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 65 PTE score
  • Minimum 120 DET score

Coursework

Major Requirements

• BST 83014: Applied Regression Analysis of Public Health Data (3 credits)
• EHS 72018: Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health 1 (3 credits)
• EPI 72017: Fundamentals of Public Health Epidemiology 1 (3 credits)
• EPI 72028: Methods of Evidence-Based Public Health (3 credits)
• EPI 73027: Biological Basis of Public Health (3 credits)
• HPM 72016: Public Health Administration 1 (3 credits)
• SBS 73020: Advanced Research Methods in Prevention Science (3 credits)
• SBS 74634: Social Determinants of Health Behaviors 1 (3 credits)

Concentrations

• Choose from the following:
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Policy and Management
  • Prevention Science

Epidemiology Concentration Requirements

• BST 83012: Survival Analysis in Public Health (3 credits)
• EPI 73034: Longitudinal Data Analysis (3 credits)
• EPI 83016: Principles of Epidemiologic Research (3 credits)
• Content-Related Electives (9 credits)
• EPI 80199: Dissertation I (30 credits)

Health Policy and Management Concentration Requirements

• HPM 70199: Professional Development Experience (1 credit)
• HPM 73031: Public Health Policy Analysis (3 credits)
• HPM 81000: Public Health Law and Regulation (3 credits)
• Content-Related Electives (12 credits)
• HPM 80199: Dissertation I (30 credits)

Prevention Science Concentration Requirements

• SBS 73018: Theories of Prevention Science (3 credits)
• SBS 73019: Evaluation Research Methods in Prevention Science (3 credits)
• Content-Related Electives (12 credits)
• SBS 80199: Dissertation I (30 credits)

Graduation Requirements

• Minimum Major GPA: 3.000
• Minimum Overall GPA: 3.000
• Pass concentration-specific candidacy exam

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Explain public health history, philosophy, and values.
2. Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Public Health Services.
3. Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population's health.
4. List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the United States or other community relevant to the school or program.
5. Discuss the science of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
6. Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge.
7. Explain effects of environmental factors on a population's health.
8. Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population's health.
9. Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population's health.
10. Explain the social, political, and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities.
11. Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease.
12. Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health, and ecosystem health (e.g., One Health).

Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Public Health bridges public safety and health career pathways to address a nationwide shortage of public health workers.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Epidemiology concentration prepares students to examine the distribution and determinants of diseases in populations. Graduates are able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to examine critical and/or emerging health issues, gain advanced ability to conduct large studies and analyze data sets in order to project health trends in populations of interest.
• The Health Policy and Management concentration prepares students to design and implement studies and use advanced research methods to examine critical and emerging health issues. The heart of the concentration is a focus on interdisciplinary skills to meet the rapidly changing health needs of communities.
• The Prevention Science concentration is an interdisciplinary program aimed at promoting healthy behaviors in populations across the life course. Graduates are prepared to design and evaluate public health interventions and have expertise in a variety of theoretical and substantive perspectives for conducting research within systems of the family, health and education, workplace, and community.

Why Kent State University

Kent State University offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Public Health that prepares students for careers in academics, industry, and public service agencies. The program is designed to address the nationwide shortage of public health workers and provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this field.

Accreditation

The Ph.D. degree in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).