PHS PhD Program

PhD - Population Health Science

Main Content

Plan of Study

General Track

Year 1 - Fall 
PHS 700Essentials of Population Health Science3
PHS 702Statistical Methods in Research3
PHS 703Epidemiology I3
PHS 750Population Health Research Methods I3
Total12
Year 1 - Spring
PHS 704Epidemiology II3
PHS 717Principles of Classic, Modern, and Emerging Health Behavior Theory*3
PHS 731Social Determinants of Health*3
PHS 742Multivariate Regression*3
Total12
Year 2 - Summer
PHS 740Writing and Reviewing Scientific Papers2
PHS 747Qualitative Methods and Analysis3
Total5
Year 2 - Fall
PHS 701Applied Demography3
PHS 714U.S. Healthcare Organizations and Delivery*3
PHS 743Program Evaluation for Population-Level Interventions3
PHS 749Longitudinal and Multilevel Models3
Total12
Year 2 - Spring
PHS 712Science Communication and Dissemination I*3
PHS 713Implementation Science3
PHS 718Proseminar*1
PHS 753Systems Science and Population Health*3
Total10
Year 3 - Summer
PHS 744Bioethics and Society1
Total1
Year 3 - Fall
PHS 739Science Communication and Dissemination II3
ElectiveElective(s)*6
Total9
Year 3 - Spring
PHS 799Doctoral Proposal Development3
ElectiveElective(s)*6
Total9
Year 4 - Summer
PHS 798Doctoral Dissertation Research1+
Total1+
Year 4 - Fall
PHS 798Doctoral Dissertation Research1+
Total1+
Year 4 - Spring +
PHS 798Doctoral Dissertation Research1+
Total1+

*May be offered every other year

**Electives: With the approval of the advisor and program director, students can choose from the following elective options:

  • PHS 746 Systemic Review, Meta-analysis, and Evidence Synthesis (3 credit hours)
  • PHS 745 Community Engagement and Community-based Participatory Research (3 credit hours)
  • PHS 722 Health Information Visualization (3 credit hours)
  • PHS 748 Spatial Analysis and Geographic Information Systems for Population Health (3 credit hours)
  • PHS 760 Health Economics (3 credit hours)
  • PHS 761 Health care Finance (3 credit hours)
  • PHS 762 Methods for Economic Evaluations of Health Programs (3 credit hours)
  • Other departmental/school and university-wide electives, including PHS 791 Independent Study, may be taken with the approval of the faculty advisor and program director.

 MD/PhD Program Track

M0 or M1 - Summer
PHS 740Writing and Reviewing Scientific Papers2
PHS 747Qualitative Methods and Analysis3
Total5
P 1 - Fall
PHS 700Essentials of Population Health Science3
PHS 702Statistical Methods in Research3
PHS 703Epidemiology I3
PHS 750Population Health Research Methods I3
Total12
P1 - Spring
PHS 704Epidemiology II3
PHS 717Principles of Classic, Modern, and Emerging Health Behavior Theory3
PHS 731Social Determinants of Health3
PHS 742Multivariate Regression3
Total12
P2 - Summer
PHS 744Bioethics and Society1
Total1
P2 - Fall
PHS 701Applied Demography3
PHS 714U.S. Healthcare Organizations and Delivery3
PHS 743Program Evaluation for Population-Level Interventions3
PHS 749Longitudinal and Multilevel Models3
Total12
P2 - Spring
PHS 712Science Communication and Dissemination I3
PHS 713Implementation Science3
PHS 753Systems Science and Population Health3
PHS 799Doctoral Proposal Development3
Total12
P3 - Summer
PHS 798Doctoral Dissertation Research1+
Total1+
P3 - Fall
PHS 798Doctoral Dissertation Research1+
Total1+
P3 - Spring
PHS 718Proseminar1
PHS 798Doctoral Dissertation Research1+
Total2+

*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.