PhD Program in Population Health Sciences
Program Overview
PhD Program in Population Health Sciences
The PhD Program in Population Health Sciences is designed to be interdisciplinary, with 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.
Curriculum Overview
The curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of population health sciences, including core courses, emphasis-specific courses, and electives. Students who hold a relevant master's degree take a minimum of 62 credits to earn a PhD in Population Health Sciences, while students without a previous master's degree take a minimum of 80 credits.
Requirements
- Students must complete the following requirements:
- Program of Study
- Supervisory Committee
- Qualifying Examination
- Dissertation Proposal
- Dissertation
- Students must also complete a minimum of 62 credits (with a relevant master's degree) or 80 credits (without a previous master's degree) to earn a PhD in Population Health Sciences.
- All coursework must be completed at a cumulative 3.0 GPA (B grade average), with all courses passed with a B- or better.
Program of Study
The interdisciplinary curriculum begins with core courses completed by all students in their first two years. Integrated with the core curriculum, students will take the required coursework of their chosen emphasis as well as electives. The number of elective credits required varies by emphasis, but all electives must be approved by a student's primary faculty mentor or the Director of Graduate Studies.
Electives
Students can take elective courses from departments across the University of Utah. Course offerings may vary by semester, and students should check the main campus class schedule to view current options. Some examples of elective courses include:
- Ethics: NURS 7101, PHIL 7570, PADMN 6870
- Mathematical Biology: MATH 6830
- Computational Methods: CS 6340, CS 6350, CS 6353, CS 6630
- Health Economics & Econometrics: ECON 7800, ECON 7801
- Genetic Epidemiology: MDCRC 6320
- Biomedical Informatics: BMI 6010, BMI 6015, BMI 6018, BMI 6030, BMI 6203, BMI 6701
Independent Study
As an alternative to traditional coursework, students can establish an Independent Study. Independent Studies are learning experiences arranged between a student and supervising faculty member to receive credit. Students interested in establishing an independent study must submit an Independent Study Proposal Form to the Director of Graduate Studies for approval.
Applied PHS Experience
The Applied Population Health Sciences Experience practicum is required for students in the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology emphasis. This practicum is designed to give students the opportunity to gain experience in a healthcare setting relevant to their research.
Supervisory Committee
Each student is expected to select a Supervisory Committee by the end of the Spring semester of year two. The Committee is responsible for approving the student's academic program, preparing and evaluating the qualifying examinations, approving the thesis or dissertation subject, reading and approving the final dissertation, and administering and judging the final oral examination (dissertation defense).
Qualifying Exam
The purpose of the qualifying exam is to test the overall competencies in the emphasis that the student has chosen and to evaluate whether the student has in-depth knowledge related to the dissertation work that they are or will be proposing. The qualification exam should be completed by the early Spring semester of year three.
Dissertation Proposal
The dissertation proposal exam should be completed by the end of the Spring semester of year three. PhD students work with their faculty mentor and approved Committee to write their dissertation proposal. At the point of the dissertation proposal, students must declare which dissertation style they will complete (traditional book style or submitted manuscripts).
Dissertation
Students have two options when completing their dissertation:
- Manuscripts for Publication
- Traditional Book Style
Graduation
The semester of graduation depends on when a student completes their dissertation defense. Students must meet all of the University of Utah requirements as well as the department requirements for graduation.
Core Curriculum
Population Health Sciences students will take the required core courses as described below:
| Catalogue Number | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PBHLT 6300 | Epidemiology I | 3 |
| PHS 7030 or PHS 7035 | Applied Modern Causal Inference | 3 |
| PHS 7100 | Epidemiology Theory & Methods | 3 |
| PHS 7200 | Principles of PHS | 2 |
| MDCRC 6450 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| MBIOL 7570 | Research Ethics | 1 |
| PHS 7970 | Dissertation (minimum) | 14 |
| Total Number of Credits | 29 |
Emphases Curriculum
The PhD Program in Population Health Sciences offers three emphases: Biostatistics, Clinical and Translational Epidemiology, and Health Systems Research. Each emphasis has its own specific curriculum, which can be found in the program's documentation.
Education Team
The Education Team for the PhD Program in Population Health Sciences includes:
- Kayla Suhrie, Academic Program Manager
- Roger Altizer, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies
Forms
The program uses various forms, including:
- Applied Population Health Sciences Experience
- Approval to Schedule Dissertation Defense Form
- Clinical Rotations Tracking Sheet
- Declaration to Accept or Decline Graduate Subsidized Student Health Insurance Form
- Dissertation Proposal Form
- Dissertation Proposal Grading Rubric
- Dissertation Form
- Graduate Workflow
- IDP Form
- Independent Study Form
- International Grading Assistant Form
- Internship Credit Application
- PHS Education Program Timeline
- Request for Supervisory Committee Form
- Travel Assistance Form
- Qualifying Exam Approval Form
University Forms
The program also uses various University forms, including:
- Leave of Absence
- Residency Reclassification
- Graduate Transfer Credit Authorization
- Non-Matriculated Credit Hour
- University of Utah Health PowerPoint Template