Program Overview

Health Related Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences prepares students to develop solutions to complex health problems by conducting rigorous research and analyzing data. The program was designed for experienced working health professionals who are passionate about a particular subject and are ready to expand their understanding of that topic through research.

Program Mission/Purpose

The program focuses on practice-based and problem-solving knowledge, which is threaded throughout the curriculum to prepare students to become leaders in education, research, and administration upon graduation. Students entering the Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences program are not discipline or track dependent, which opens opportunities for people from various departments to work on the same project in a collaborative manner.

Program Goals

1. The program will provide students with the ability to understand and conduct research in health-related sciences.
2. The program will provide the student with the ability to analyze alternatives and develop responses in their disciplines to address the current and future challenges in health care.
3. The program will provide students with the skills to educate health professionals in their discipline using current principles of teaching and curriculum development.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the PhD in Health Related Sciences program will:

1. Demonstrate the ability to design and execute research plans, analyze research results, present conclusions, and discuss research findings in an area of interdisciplinary health sciences using appropriate research methods.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in scientific writing for the translation of research into practice.
3. Display expertise in educational design and professional skills related to interdisciplinary health sciences with application to future health care or academic practices.
4. Display the ability to examine current issues and future trends in healthcare theory, policy, and the healthcare environment from an interdisciplinary perspective.
5. Demonstrate the ability to work with and for diverse populations in a sound and ethical manner.

Admission Requirements

• Degree: Ph.D.
• Semester(s) of entry: Fall (begins end of June)
• Deadline dates: April 15 (January 15 for priority consideration; after April 15 considered on space-available basis)
• Test requirements: None specified

Special Requirements

• It is recommended that prospective applicants contact the program in advance of submitting an application to discuss research interests and the program's blended structure.
• When required, applicants must have a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 600.
• The Ph.D. program in health-related sciences utilizes two six-month semesters per year (January through June and July through December), which include both on- and off-campus components.
• Some research areas have additional licensure and certification requirements.

Degree Requirements

In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students must successfully complete a total of 51 credit hours, two comprehensive examinations, a research proposal defense, and the final dissertation defense.

Curriculum Structure

The proposed curriculum is designed to take four years to complete. Students spend the first two and one-half years (six-month-long semesters) completing coursework. The final year and one-half is spent developing the doctoral dissertation. Research components are present in each year of the program, and a research emphasis is present throughout the entire curriculum.

Continuation Requirements

After admission to the Ph.D. program, the student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all of the coursework completed at VCU. A student who falls below that minimum will have one semester to remedy the deficiency.

Course Transfer or Waiver

A maximum of 25 percent of the coursework other than research may be transferred from another VCU program or outside institution and applied toward the Ph.D. course requirements.

Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to provide a vehicle through which students can demonstrate the ability to integrate their educational experiences by adequately addressing complex questions pertinent to the current and developing knowledge of the allied health fields.

Curriculum Requirements

• Interdisciplinary courses:
  • ALHP 701: Health Services Delivery Systems (3 hours)
  • ALHP 702: Finance and Economic Theory for Health Care (3 hours)
  • ALHP 708: Health Science Ethics (3 hours)
  • ALHP 712: Instructional Design and Evaluation for Health Sciences (3 hours)
  • ALHP 716: Grant Writing for Health Science Research (3 hours)
• Research methods:
  • ALHP 760: Descriptive and Univariate Statistical Methods for Health Sciences (3 hours)
  • ALHP 761: Health Science Research Design I (3 hours)
  • ALHP 762: Multivariate Statistical Methods for Health Sciences (3 hours)
  • ALHP 763: Health Science Research Design II (3 hours)
  • ALHP 765: Data Management for Health Science Research (3 hours)
• Independent study:
  • ALHP 781: Doctoral Seminar (3 hours)
  • ALHP 792: Independent Study (3 hours)
  • ALHP 793: Research Practicum (3 hours)
  • ALHP 795: Teaching Practicum
• Dissertation:
  • ALHP 890: Dissertation Seminar (3 hours)
  • ALHP 899: Dissertation Research (9 hours)

The minimum total of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 51. Students who complete the requirements for this degree will receive a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Related Sciences.