Explore Doctor of Public Health Programs (PhD & DPH)

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

University	Location	Study Length	Test Requirement	Number of Credits	Accrediting organization	Format
Boston University	Boston, Massachusetts	4+ years	No GRE Required	48	CEPH	On-Campus
Claremont Graduate University	Claremont, California	4+ years	No GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus	Aurora, Colorado	3+ years	No GRE Required	55	CEPH	On-Campus
Colorado School of Public Health	Aurora, Colorado	3+ years	No GRE Required	55	CEPH	N/A
Columbia University	New York, New York	4+ years	No GRE Required	30	CEPH	On-Campus
Drexel University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	4+ years	No GRE Required	60	CEPH	On-Campus
East Carolina University	Greenville, North Carolina	4+ years	GRE Required	50	CEPH	On-Campus
East Tennessee State University	Johnson City, Tennessee	3+ years	GRE Required	58	CEPH	On-Campus
Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, Florida	3+ years	GRE Required	60-78	CEPH	On-Campus
George Washington University	Washington, D.C.	3+ years	No GRE Required	48	CEPH	On-Campus
Georgia State University	Atlanta, Georgia	2+ years	No GRE Required	33	CEPH	On-Campus
Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, Georgia	3+ years	GRE Required	60	CEPH	On-Campus
Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, Georgia	3+ years	GRE Required	60	CEPH	Online
Harvard University	Boston, Massachusetts	3+ years	No GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
Indiana University – Purdue University at Indianapolis	Indianapolis, Indiana	3 years	No GRE Required	45	CEPH	Online
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda, California	3+ years	No GRE Required	62-65	CEPH	Online
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda, California	3+ years	No GRE Required	62-65	CEPH	On-Campus
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, Maryland	4+ years	No GRE Required	64	CEPH	On-Campus
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, Maryland	4+ years	No GRE Required	64	CEPH	Online
Medical College of Wisconsin	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	3 years	No GRE Required	46	CEPH	Online
Mercer University	Atlanta, Georgia	2 years	No GRE Required	57	CEPH	On-Campus
Morgan State University	Baltimore, Maryland	3+ years	No GRE Required	60	CEPH	Online
New York Medical College	Valhalla, New York	3+ years	GRE Required	54	CEPH	On-Campus
New York University	New York, New York	4+ years	No GRE Required	42	CEPH	On-Campus
Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	4+ years	No GRE Required	60	CEPH	On-Campus
Ponce Health Sciences University	Ponce, Puerto Rico	3 years	GRE Required	63	CEPH	On-Campus
Rutgers University	Piscataway, New Jersey	2+ years	No GRE Required	48	CEPH	Hybrid
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University	Brooklyn, New York	2+ years	No GRE Required	45	CEPH	On-Campus
Texas A&M University	College Station, Texas	3+ years	No GRE Required	66	CEPH	On-Campus
Tulane University	New Orleans, Louisiana	2+ years	No GRE Required	39	CEPH	On-Campus
The University of Alabama at Birmingham	Birmingham, Alabama	2+ years	GRE Required	42-80	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	3+ years	No GRE Required	64	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	Little Rock, Arkansas	4+ years	GRE Required	61	CEPH	On-Campus
University of California at Berkeley	Berkeley, California	3+ years	GRE Required	60	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Georgia	Athens, Georgia	4 years	No GRE Required	57	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Illinois at Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	4+ years	No GRE Required	96	CEPH	Hybrid
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	3 years	GRE Required	45+	CEPH	Hybrid
University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	3+ years	No GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
University of South Florida	Tampa, Florida	3+ years	No GRE Required	43	CEPH	Hybrid
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston	Glaveston, Texas	4 years	N/A	42	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Utah	Salt Lake City, Utah	4 years	GRE Required	62+	CEPH	On-Campus

Explore PhD in Public Health Degree Programs

University	Location	Study Length	Test Requirement	Number of Credits	Accrediting organization	Format
Brown University	Providence, Rhode Island	2+ years	No GRE Required	24+	CEPH	On-Campus
Cuny School of Public Health	New York, New York	2+ years	GRE Required	42	CEPH	On-Campus
Emory University	Atlanta, Georgia	2+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	22+	CEPH	On-Campus
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis	Indianapolis, Indiana	4 years	No GRE Required	90	CEPH	On-Campus
Indiana University at Bloomington	Bloomington, Indiana	4 years	No GRE Required	90	CEPH	On-Campus
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, Maryland	4+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	57	CEPH	On-Campus
Kent State University	Kent, Ohio	3+ years	GRE Required	36+	CEPH	On-Campus
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center	New Orleans, Louisiana	3+ years	GRE Required	60	CEPH	On-Campus
New York University	New York, New York	4+ years	No GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
Ohio State University	Columbus, Ohio	3+ years	No GRE Required	24	CEPH	On-Campus
Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University	Portland, Oregon	3.5+ years	No GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
Oregon State University	Corvallis, Oregon	3+ years	No GRE Required	109	CEPH	On-Campus
Rutgers University	Piscataway, New Jersey	3+ years	GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
Saint Louis University	St. Louis, Missouri	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
San Diego State University	La Jolla, California	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	64	CEPH	On-Campus
Temple University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	2+ years	GRE Required	45	CEPH	Online
University of Buffalo – SUNY	Buffalo, New York	3+ years	N/A	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Alabama at Birmingham	Birmingham, Alabama	4+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	Little Rock, Arkansas	3+ years	N/A	61	CEPH	Online
University of California at Berkeley	Berkeley, California	2 years	GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
University of California at irvine	Irvine, California	3+ years	GRE Required	84	CEPH	On-Campus
University of California Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	3+ years	GRE Required	70	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Florida	Gainesville, Florida	3.5+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	90	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Hawaii	Honolulu, Hawaii	3+ years	GRE Required	35+	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Illinois at Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	118	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	77	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Maryland	College Park, Maryland	3.5+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	82	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst, Massachusetts	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Memphis	Memphis, Tennessee	3+ years	GRE Required	62	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Miami	Miami, Florida	4+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	46	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, Michigan	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	34+	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minnesota	3 years	No GMAT/GRE Required	72+	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Montana	Missoula, Montana	4+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	30	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Nebraska Medical Center	Omaha, Nebraska	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	30	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Nevada at Las Vegas	Las Vegas, Nevada	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	54	CEPH	On-Campus
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	47	CEPH	On-Campus
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth	Fort Worth, Texas	3+ years	GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	3+ years	GRE Required	60+	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	3+ years	No GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
University of South Carolina	Columbia, South Carolina	3+ years	No GRE Required	54	CEPH	On-Campus
University of South Florida	Tampa, Florida	3+ years	No GRE Required	55	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston	Houston, Texas	3+ years	No GRE Required	45+	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston	Galveston, Texas	3+ years	GRE Required	N/A	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Utah	Salt Lake City, Utah	3+ years	GRE Required	62	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Washington	Seattle, Washington	3+ years	No GRE Required	90	CEPH	On-Campus
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	3+ years	GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
Washington University in St. Louis	St. Louis, Missouri	3+ years	No GRE Required	72	CEPH	On-Campus
West Virginia University	West Virginia, Morgantown	3+ years	No GMAT/GRE Required	75	CEPH	On-Campus
Yale University	New Haven, Connecticut	3+ years	GRE Required	13+	CEPH	On-Campus

Information updated as of April 2020