Milestones

During the first two years, students will be expected to complete 56 units of core courses and 16 units of electives. The core courses include six methods courses, five content courses, one course designed to prepare students for submission of predissertation research grants, and six 1-unit (S/U) health services research and implementation science colloquia. Elective requirements may be fulfilled through formal coursework and completion of a minimum of two quarters of a community-engaged health research practicum rotation. Elective courses may be taken to develop competencies in another specialization or concentration (e.g., clinical epidemiology, health policy, health behavior, global health, human-centered design) or to enhance expertise in qualitative methods, mixed methods, or advanced statistical methods.  

Students who do not have an Master of Public Health (MPH) from a CEPH-accredited institution or Master of Arts (MA) in health-related behavioral science will be required to take introductory courses in public health, biostatistics, epidemiology and health behavior. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the program director if evidence of competency in these topics is provided. Students will be expected to successfully pass their qualifying examination by the end of the second year or beginning of the third year, advance to candidacy by the end of the third year, and successfully defend their dissertations by the end of the fifth year. All students will be expected to have met each of the foundational public health learning objectives specified by the Council of Education in Public Health.

Sample Program of Study