Pursuing higher positions in public health can prove to be beneficial for individuals with leadership characteristics. Those in public health that seek the most out of their degree should consider enrolling into Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health or Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) in Public Health programs across the country.
The Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) and the PhD in Public Health are advanced terminal degrees for public health, meant for experienced public health professionals that already have their Masters in Public Health (MPH) or similar degree. Specific degree nomenclature varies based on university and specific public health school. Some offer DPH degrees, while other universities name the terminal degree PhD in Public Health, Doctorate in Public Health, or Doctoral Public Health.
These terminal degree programs in public health can prepare learners for careers in research, education, or even management within the public health sector. Graduate level public health specialists are in great need across the country to assist with nationwide epidemic research as well as the implementation of vital government programs.
PhD in Public Health vs. Doctor of Public Health
A PhD in Public Health will be focused on developing the skills needed to become an advanced researcher. The understanding of research theories and methodologies is an important part of this degree. Even though a PhD in Public Health is more narrowly focused, it lends itself to careers in various health sectors, such as academia, governmental agencies, and pharmaceutical companies.
A DrPH is an advanced graduate-level degree that focuses on the professional and practical elements of the field, rather than the academic. It is designed for public health practitioners and is geared towards practice and fieldwork. It is multidisciplinary and will cover everything from communications and marketing to advocacy and economics. It was developed to train students and practitioners for careers in public health leadership.
Both the DrPH and PhD have career options in academia available to them. These two degrees are suited for individuals who have received an MPH or another graduate-level degree and have worked in their field for a number of years. The DrPH is ideal for the public health practitioner looking to advance their career to positions needing additional education. The PhD may suit an individual earlier on in their career who is looking to embed themselves in a career of research.
What are the Typical Pre-Requisites of a DrPH/PhD Degree?
As mentioned above, the prerequisites for advanced degrees require a master’s degree and post-graduate work experience. For some programs, if an individual applying does not have their master’s in public health they will require master’s level classes in public health up to a certain amount of credit hours. A recent Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score is often required along with academic transcripts. An additional requirement for admittance into a Doctorate program is a personal statement or statement or purpose.
Concentration Options for a DrPH/PhD
The degree options for a DrPH or a PhD become more specialized within those concentrations. Those receiving their PhD in public health will have to pick a program by the department they wish to specialize and conduct research in. This could be Health Policy and Administration, Health Economics, Health Systems, etc. A DrPH will also specialize by department, but will often pick from the core public health concentrations (Epidemiology, Environmental Health, etc.) along with a few additional departments (i.e. International Health and Social and Behavioral Sciences).
Online Doctor of Public Health Options
Entering the right educational program is important to the success of a career. Students that are interested in obtaining their degree online should research their chosen school’s accreditation status prior to applying. Since this program is highly research-oriented, learners are expected to take part in a lot of independent learning in an online environment.
Online Doctorate programs will have the same requirements and courses as a traditional degree. Online programs allow for greater flexibility with work and family life but also require self-discipline and accountability. Some online programs will require site visits to the campus or alternate sites for orientations, leadership development, adviser meetings, etc. Classes will be taught online either through live streams or recorded video. Online discussion forums and group work are also the main parts of the online curriculum. A dissertation is still a requirement for online doctorate programs and it may be required that it is presented in person.
Typical Curriculum & Classes
DrPH
In general, the DrPH degree curriculum will consist of core courses, research courses, and a culminating project such as a capstone course, dissertation, or thesis. The core courses, much like the MPH, will cover the main concentrations in Public Health (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Health Policy, etc.) and will also include statistics and data management. Each of these classes are taught with a focus on Leadership and Organization. Additional classes may include:
- Advocacy
- Marketing and Public Relations
- Community and Cultural Understanding
- Ethics
These will guide the focus of the degree. A Dissertation or thesis is often required at the end of each semester, year or at the end of the program.
PhD in Public Health
The PhD in Public Health is much less straightforward and will vary significantly from program to program and within degrees. A PhD in Public Health is much more research-based and will cover topics ranging from disease and injury prevention to health informatics and communication. Many schools do not offer a PhD in Public Health per se, but in Health Policy, Bioethics, Environmental Health Sciences, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, etc. Each of these is rooted in public health but are much more focused in their scope. Because of this, classes and curriculum will be much more focused and centered around research.
Different Career Opportunities
After completing a DrPH or Ph.D. in Public Health, graduates may seek out positions in government agencies, healthcare facilities, or even community organizations. Professionals at this level have the capacity to become instructors of public health at universities, researchers for public health associations, and directors of nonprofit agencies.
Having a doctorate degree in this discipline gives learners the most education available for this field. With a Ph.D. in Public Health, professionals in the field may have access to careers working with government organizations in the planning, implementation, and training of important public health procedures. Organizations, such as American Public Health Association, accept members that are in public health careers that desire to communicate their studies and policies on different platforms. Getting involved with a society such as this one can allow professionals to spread their work to educational and professional settings across the country.
Explore DrPH Programs
Boston, MA · Traditional Format
Claremont, CA · Traditional Format
New York, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; Population and Family Health; Sociomedical Sciences
Philadelphia, PA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Health Management and Policy
Greenville, NC · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental and Occupational Health; Health Policy, Administration, and Leadership
Johnson City, TN · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Community Health; Epidemiology; and Health Management and Policy
Tallahassee, FL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral Science and Health Education; Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Washington, DC · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental and Occupational Health; Health Behavior; Global Health; and Health Policy
Savannah, GA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community Health; Epidemiology; Health Policy and Management; and Public Health Leadership
Atlanta, GA · Traditional Format
Boston, MA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Public Health
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Global Health Leadership
Loma Linda, CA · Traditional and Online Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Health Education (Online Format); Health Policy and Leadership; and Preventative Care
Baltimore, MD · Traditional Format
Valhalla, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Health Policy and Management
Hershey, PA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Community and Behavioral Health; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Health Systems Organization and Policy
SUNY – Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Community Health Sciences; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences; and Epidemiology
Texas A&M Health Science Center
College Station, TX · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epi and Environmental Health; Health Promotion and Community Health Services
New Orleans, LA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences
Albany, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental Health Science; Epidemiology; Health Policy and Management; Social Behavior and Community Health
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Health Care Organization and Policy; Maternal Child Health Policy; and Outcomes Research
Tuscon, AZ · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Maternal and Child Health; Public Health Policy and Management
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Public Health Leadership
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Public Health
Athens, GA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Health Policy and Management
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Leadership
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Traditional and Online Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Health Leadership (Online)
Chapel Hill, NC · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology
Tampa, FL · Traditional and Online Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health; Public Health & Clinical Laboratory Science & Practice
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, TX · Traditional and Online Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Community Health Practice; Health Promotion and Health Education;
Explore PhD in Public Health Degree Programs
Boston, MA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health; Epidemiology; and Health Services Research
Providence, RI · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral and Social Health Sciences; Biostatistics; Epidemiology; and Health Services Research
New York, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Community Health and Health Policy; Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences; and Epidemiology
Colorado School of Public Health
Denver, CO · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; and Health Services Research
New York, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Environmental Health Sciences; and Social Medical Sciences;
Philadelphia, PA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Community Health and Prevention; Environmental and Occupational Health; and Health Services Research and Policy
Atlanta, GA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral Sciences and Health; Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; and Health Services Research and Health Policy
Washington, DC · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Health Policy; and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Atlanta, GA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Health Promotion and Behavior; and Health Services and Policy Research
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; and Health Policy and Management
Indiana University at Bloomington
Bloomington, IN · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental Health; Epidemiology; and Health Behavior
Baltimore, MD · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Bioethics & Health Policy; Biostatistics; Cancer Epidemiology; Cardiovascular Disease & Clinical Epidemiology; Clinical Investigation; Clinical Trials & Evidence Synthesis; Epidemiology of Aging; Environmental Epidemiology; Exposure Sciences & Environmental Epidemiology; General Epidemiology & Methodology; Genetic Epidemiology; Global Disease Epidemiology & Control; Health & Public Policy; Health Economics & Policy; Health Services Research & Policy; Human Nutrition; Health Systems; Infectious Disease Epidemiology; Molecular Microbiology & Immunology; Mental Health; Population, Family & Reproductive Health; Social & Behavioral Interventions; Social & Behavioral Sciences; and Toxicology, Physiology & Molecular Mechanisms
Kent, OH · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Health Policy and Management; and Prevention Science
Loma Linda, CA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Nutrition; and Biostatistics
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, LA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community Health Sciences; and Epidemiology
New York, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Public Health Policy and Management; and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Columbus, OH · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Public Health; Epidemiology; Health Behavior and Health Promotion; and Health Services Management and Policy
Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University
Portland, OR · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology and Health Systems and Policy
Corvallis, OR · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Environmental and Occupational Health; Epidemiology; Global Health; Health Management and Policy; and Health Promotion and Health Behavior
Newark, NJ · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental and Occupational Health; Epidemiology; Health Systems and Policy; and Social and Behavioral Health Sciences
St. Louis, MO · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral Science and Health Education; Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Health Management and Policy; Health Outcomes Research
San Diego, CA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Global Health; and Health Behavior
Philadelphia, PA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Social and Behavioral Sciences; Health Policy and Health Services Research; and Epidemiology
New Orleans, LA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences; Environmental Health Sciences; Health Policy and Management; International Health and Development; and Tropical Medicine
Buffalo, NY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community Health and Health Behavior; and Epidemiology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; and Health Education and Health Promotion
Tuscon, AZ · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; and Health Education and Health Promotion
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Health Promotion and Prevention Research; and Health Systems and Services Research
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; Health Services and Policy Analysis; Infectious Diseases and Immunity
University of California at Irvine
Irvine, CA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Disease Prevention and Global Health
University of California at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community Health Sciences; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; Health Policy and Management; and Molecular Toxicology
Gainesville, FL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; One Health; Public Health/Health Services Research; and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Honolulu, HI · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Community Based and Translational Research; Epidemiology
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community Health Sciences; Community Health Sciences and Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology
Iowa City, IA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community and Behavioral Health; Epidemiology; Health Services and Policy; and Occupational and Environmental Health
Louisville, KY · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Health Management and Policy; and Health Promotion
College Park, MD · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral and Community Health; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; Family Science; Health Services Research; and Maternal and Child Health
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community Health Education; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; and Health Policy and Management
Memphis, TN · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Social and Behavioral Sciences
Miami, FL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Epidemiology; and Prevention Science and Community Health
Ann Arbor, MI · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Environmental Health Sciences: Toxicology; Epidemiology: Epidemiological Sciences; Health Behavior and Health Education; Health Services Organization and Policy; Molecular and Biochemical Nutrition; Nutritional Epidemiology; Nutritional Interventions; and Nutritional Sciences
Minneapolis, MN · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Environmental Health; and Health Services Research, Policy, and Administration
Missoula, MT · Traditional Format
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health, Occupational Health, and Toxicology; Epidemiology; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research; and Health Services Research, Administration and Policy
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Global and Environmental Health; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Social and Behavioral Health; and Health Service Management and Policy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Sciences & Engineering; Epidemiology; Health Behavior; Health Policy and Management; Maternal and Child Health; Nutrition; Behavioral Sciences; and Health Services Research
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Fort Worth, TX · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Health Behavior Research
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, OK · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Health Promotion Sciences; Occupational and Environmental Health
Pittsburgh, PA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral and Community Health Sciences; Biostatistics; Environmental and Occupational Health; Epidemiology; Health Services Research and Policy; Human Genetics; Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
Columbia, SC · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology; Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior; Health Services Policy and Management
Tampa, FL · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community and Family Health; Environmental and Occupational Health; Epidemiology; Global Communicable Disease; and Health Services Research
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, TX · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Behavioral Sciences and Heath Promotion; Biostatistics; Environmental Sciences; Environmental Sciences: Environmental Disease Prevention; Environmental Sciences: Total Worker Health; Epidemiology; Healthcare Management and Health Policy; and Management & Policy Sciences (Health Economics/Health Services Research)
University of Texa Medical Branch at Galveston
Galveston, TX · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Population Health Sciences; Rehabilitation Services
Salt Lake City, UT · Traditional Format
Seattle, WA · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Public Health Genetics
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Community and Behavioral Health Promotion; and Environmental Health Sciences
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO · Traditional Format
Morgantown, WV · Traditional Format
New Haven, CT · Traditional Format
Concentration(s) Offered: Biostatistics; Chronic Disease Epidemiology; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases; Health Policy and Management; Social and Behavioral Sciences
Information updated as of April 2020