PhD - Population Health Science
Main ContentPlan of Study
Population Health Economics Track
The Population Health Economics track prepares doctoral students for conducting independent research on the economics of health and healthcare. The curriculum provides a firm grounding and applied skills in economic evaluation, modern microeconomic theory, and microeconometrics. A typical dissertation research will focus on the economic evaluation of health interventions or technologies, behavioral economics, or an applied econometric analyses project.
Year 1 - Fall |
PHS 700 | Essentials of Population Health Science | 3 |
PHS 702 | Statistical Methods in Research | 3 |
PHS 703 | Epidemiology I | 3 |
PHS 750 | Population Health Research Methods I | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 1 - Spring |
PHS 704 | Epidemiology II | 3 |
PHS 717 | Principles of Classic, Modern, and Emerging Health Behavior Theory | 3 |
PHS 731 | Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
PHS 742 | Multivariate Regression | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 2 - Summer |
PHS 740 | Writing and Reviewing Scientific Papers | 2 |
PHS 747 | Qualitative Methods and Analysis | 3 |
Total | | 5 |
Year 2 - Fall |
PHS 701 | Applied Demography | 3 |
PHS 714 | U.S. Healthcare Organizations and Delivery | 3 |
PHS 743 | Program Evaluation for Population-Level Interventions | 3 |
PHS 749 | Longitudinal and Multilevel Models | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 2 - Spring |
PHS 712 | Science Communication and Dissemination I | 3 |
PHS 713 | Implementation Science | 3 |
PHS 718 | Proseminar | 1 |
PHS 753 | Systems Science and Population Health | 3 |
Total | | 10 |
Year 3 - Summer |
PHS 744 | Bioethics and Society | 1 |
Total | | 1 |
Year 3 - Fall |
PHS 760 | Health Economics | 3 |
PHS 763 | Econometrics for Population Health | 3 |
Elective* | Elective | 3 |
Total | | 9 |
Year 3 - Spring |
PHS 762 | Economic Evaluation of Health Programs | 3 |
PHS 799 | Doctoral Proposal Development | 3 |
Elective* | Elective | 3 |
Total | | 9 |
Year 4 - Summer |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
Year 4 - Fall |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
Year 4 - Spring + |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
*Electives: With the approval of their advisor and program director, students can fulfill elective requirements from courses in other tracks or other departmental/school and university-wide electives, including PHS 791 – Independent Study. Additionally, from year 3 onwards, students in all tracks may take additional elective and independent study courses with the approval of their advisor and program director. |
Science Communication and Dissemination Track
The Science Communication and Dissemination track trains doctoral students in the methods of knowledge translation. Knowledge Translation has been defined as an iterative process that includes the synthesis, dissemination, exchange, and application of knowledge to improve health and health service delivery. There is a wide gap between evidence and practice in many aspects of health care delivery, health policymaking, and community health practice. There is also an increasing challenge with communicating proper health information to the public in this era of internet and social media-driven consumer health information. Students in this track will be trained to conduct research that increases the dissemination and uptake of sound information to improve health and health care in various settings.
Year 1 - Fall |
PHS 700 | Essentials of Population Health Science | 3 |
PHS 702 | Statistical Methods in Research | 3 |
PHS 703 | Epidemiology I | 3 |
PHS 750 | Population Health Research Methods I | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 1 - Spring |
PHS 704 | Epidemiology II | 3 |
PHS 717 | Principles of Classic, Modern, and Emerging Health Behavior Theory | 3 |
PHS 731 | Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
PHS 742 | Multivariate Regression | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 2 - Summer |
PHS 740 | Writing and Reviewing Scientific Papers | 2 |
PHS 747 | Qualitative Methods and Analysis | 3 |
Total | | 5 |
Year 2 - Fall |
PHS 701 | Applied Demography | 3 |
PHS 714 | U.S. Healthcare Organizations and Delivery | 3 |
PHS 743 | Program Evaluation for Population-Level Interventions | 3 |
PHS 749 | Longitudinal and Multilevel Models | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 2 - Spring |
PHS 712 | Science Communication and Dissemination I | 3 |
PHS 713 | Implementation Science | 3 |
PHS 718 | Proseminar | 1 |
PHS 753 | Systems Science and Population Health | 3 |
Total | | 10 |
Year 3 - Summer |
PHS 744 | Bioethics and Society | 1 |
Total | | 1 |
Year 3 - Fall |
PHS 739 | Science Communication and Dissemination II | 3 |
PHS 746 | Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Evidence Synthesis | 3 |
Elective* | Elective | 3 |
Total | | 9 |
Year 3 - Spring |
PHS 722 | Health Information Visualization | 3 |
PHS 799 | Doctoral Proposal Development | 3 |
Elective* | Elective | 3 |
Total | | 9 |
Year 4 - Summer |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
Year 4 - Fall |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
Year 4 - Spring + |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
*Electives: With the approval of their advisor and program director, students can fulfill elective requirements from courses in other tracks or other departmental/school and university-wide electives, including PHS 791 – Independent Study. Additionally, from year 3 onwards, students in all tracks may take additional elective and independent study courses with the approval of their advisor and program director. |
Vulnerable Populations Track
The track in Vulnerable Populations prepares doctoral students to conduct independent research to identify and address health disparities and their root causes in order to improve the health of vulnerable populations and health equity. Vulnerable populations include racial/ethnic minorities and other minority groups: the economically disadvantaged, the uninsured, the elderly, people with certain diseases such as HIV/AIDs, debilitating chronic health conditions, and severe mental illness, and rural residents who often encounter barriers to accessing health care services. As population health scientists and practitioners, graduates of this track will play a critical role in identifying and eliminating health disparities and advancing the health of vulnerable populations through research, advocacy, and programs.
Year 1 - Fall |
PHS 700 | Essentials of Population Health Science | 3 |
PHS 702 | Statistical Methods in Research | 3 |
PHS 703 | Epidemiology I | 3 |
PHS 750 | Population Health Research Methods I | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 1 - Spring |
PHS 704 | Epidemiology II | 3 |
PHS 717 | Principles of Classic, Modern, and Emerging Health Behavior Theory | 3 |
PHS 731 | Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
PHS 742 | Multivariate Regression | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 2 - Summer |
PHS 740 | Writing and Reviewing Scientific Papers | 2 |
PHS 747 | Qualitative Methods and Analysis | 3 |
Total | | 5 |
Year 2 - Fall |
PHS 701 | Applied Demography | 3 |
PHS 714 | U.S. Healthcare Organizations and Delivery | 3 |
PHS 743 | Program Evaluation for Population-Level Interventions | 3 |
PHS 749 | Longitudinal and Multilevel Models | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
Year 2 - Spring |
PHS 712 | Science Communication and Dissemination I | 3 |
PHS 713 | Implementation Science | 3 |
PHS 718 | Proseminar | 1 |
PHS 753 | Systems Science and Population Health | 3 |
Total | | 10 |
Year 3 - Summer |
PHS 744 | Bioethics and Society | 1 |
Total | | 1 |
Year 3 - Fall |
PHS 745 | Community Engagement and Community-Based Participatory Research | 3 |
PHS 755 | Improving the Health of Vulnerable Populations | 3 |
Elective* | Elective | 3 |
Total | | 9 |
Year 3 - Spring |
PHS 748 | Spatial Analysis and Geographic Information Systems for Population Health | 3 |
PHS 799 | Doctoral Proposal Development | 3 |
Elective* | Elective | 3 |
Total | | 9 |
Year 4 - Summer |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
Year 4 - Fall |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
Year 4 - Spring + |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
*Electives: With the approval of their advisor and program director, students can fulfill elective requirements from courses in other tracks or other departmental/school and university-wide electives, including PHS 791 – Independent Study. Additionally, from year 3 onwards, students in all tracks may take additional elective and independent study courses with the approval of their advisor and program director. |
MD/PhD Program
M0 or M1 - Summer |
PHS 740 | Writing and Reviewing Scientific Papers | 2 |
PHS 747 | Qualitative Methods and Analysis | 3 |
Total | | 5 |
P 1 - Fall |
PHS 700 | Essentials of Population Health Science | 3 |
PHS 702 | Statistical Methods in Research | 3 |
PHS 703 | Epidemiology I | 3 |
PHS 750 | Population Health Research Methods I | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
P1 - Spring |
PHS 704 | Epidemiology II | 3 |
PHS 717 | Principles of Classic, Modern, and Emerging Health Behavior Theory | 3 |
PHS 731 | Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
PHS 742 | Multivariate Regression | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
P2 - Summer |
PHS 744 | Bioethics and Society | 1 |
Total | | 1 |
P2 - Fall |
PHS 701 | Applied Demography | 3 |
PHS 714 | U.S. Healthcare Organizations and Delivery | 3 |
PHS 743 | Program Evaluation for Population-Level Interventions | 3 |
PHS 749 | Longitudinal and Multilevel Models | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
P2 - Spring |
PHS 712 | Science Communication and Dissemination I | 3 |
PHS 713 | Implementation Science | 3 |
PHS 753 | Systems Science and Population Health | 3 |
PHS 799 | Doctoral Proposal Development | 3 |
Total | | 12 |
P3 - Summer |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
P3 - Fall |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 1+ |
P3 - Spring |
PHS 718 | Proseminar | 1 |
PHS 798 | Doctoral Dissertation Seminar | 1+ |
Total | | 2+ |
*MD/PhD students in their third year must take at least three elective hours from any of the courses offered by the Department of Population Health Science, with the approval of the graduate program director. |