Examples of Possible Careers*
Epidemiologists
- 4.6% about as fast as the average
- 8,000 number of jobs
- $74,560 potential earnings
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- 20.5% much faster than the average
- 254,000 number of jobs
- $99,090 potential earnings
Medical and health services managers
- 31.5% much faster than the average
- 422,300 number of jobs
- $104,280 potential earnings
Political scientists
- 6.1% faster than the average
- 7,000 number of jobs
- $125,350 potential earnings
Contact Information
- Program Coordinator: Karen Baker | kbaker80@kent.edu | 330-672-2845
- Chat with an Admissions Counselor
Fully Offered
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus
Admission Terms
- Fall
*Note
Source of occupation titles and labor data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Description
The Ph.D. degree in Public Health bridges public safety and health career pathways to address a nationwide shortage of public health workers.
The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:
- The Epidemiology concentration prepares students to examine the distribution and determinants of diseases in populations. Graduates are able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to examine critical and/or emerging health issues, gain advanced ability to conduct large studies and analyze data sets in order to project health trends in populations of interest. Students in this concentration benefit from active faculty research agendas in biopreparedness, public health surveillance systems, chronic disease, cancer and infectious disease epidemiology.
- The Health Policy and Management concentration prepares students to design and implement studies and use advanced research methods to examine critical and emerging health issues. The heart of the concentration is a focus on interdisciplinary skills to meet the rapidly changing health needs of communities. Students benefit from active faculty research agendas in health systems research, occupational health and safety, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, access to health care, health literacy, substance abuse prevention and community-based programming.
- The Prevention Science concentration is an interdisciplinary program aimed at promoting healthy behaviors in populations across the life course. Graduates are prepared to design and evaluate public health interventions and have expertise in a variety of theoretical and substantive perspectives for conducting research within systems of the family, health and education, workplace and community. Active faculty research provide students the opportunity to work on community-based prevention research.
Accreditation
The Ph.D. degree in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education For Public Health (CEPH).
Admission Requirements
- Master's degree in a related discipline from an accredited college or university
- Minimum 3.000 graduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale
- Official transcript(s)
- GRE score or other standardized graduate admission exam with a quantitative component1
- Résumé
- Goal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- Interview with faculty
- English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
- Minimum 587 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
- Minimum 94 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
- Minimum 82 MELAB score
- Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
- Minimum 65 PTE score
- Minimum 120 Duolingo English Test score
For more information about graduate admissions, please visit the Graduate Studies admission website. For more information on international admission, visit the Office of Global Education’s admission website.
- 1
GRE scores may be waived as determined by graduate coordinator.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Explain public health history, philosophy and values
- Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services16
- Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health
- List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program
- Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
- Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge
- Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health
- Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health
- Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
- Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
- Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
- Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (eg, One Health)
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| BST 52019 | BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 4 |
| EHS 52018 | ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCEPTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| EPI 52017 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| HPM 52016 | PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| Major Requirements | ||
| BST 83014 | APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA | 3 |
| EPI 72028 | METHODS OF EVIDENCE BASED PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| EPI 73027 | BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| SBS 73020 | ADVANCED METHODS IN PREVENTION SCIENCE | 3 |
| Dissertation Requirement, choose from the following (based on concentration): 1 | 30 | |
| DISSERTATION I | ||
| DISSERTATION I | ||
| DISSERTATION I | ||
| Concentrations | ||
| Choose from the following: | 36 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 91 | |
- 1
Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for Dissertation I for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter Dissertation II, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.
Epidemiology Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| BST 83012 | SURVIVAL ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| BST 83013 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | 3 |
| EPI 73026 | DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH SURVEYS | 3 |
| EPI 73034 | LONGITUDINAL DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| EPI 83016 | PRINCIPLES OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH | 3 |
| Content-related Electives, choose from the following: 1 | 21 | |
| PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| DIRECTED RESEARCH IN EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 36 | |
- 1
Content-related elective courses should be selected by the student with a faculty advisor, depending upon the student's research interest. It may occur within the College of Public Health or in other disciplines outside the college.
Health Policy and Management Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| EPI 73026 | DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH SURVEYS | 3 |
| or EPI 83017 | EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS | |
| HPM 72015 | EMERGING ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HPM 72030 | GRANT WRITING IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| HPM 73021 | HEALTH CARE FINANCE | 3 |
| HPM 73022 | STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS | 3 |
| HPM 73031 | PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY ANALYSIS | 3 |
| HPM 80198 | DIRECTED RESEARCH IN HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HPM 81000 | PUBLIC HEALTH LAW AND REGULATION | 3 |
| Content Related Electives 1 | 12 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 36 | |
- 1
Content-related elective courses should be selected by the student with a faculty advisor, depending upon the student's research interest. It may occur within the College of Public Health or in other disciplines outside the college.
Prevention Science Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| SBS 73018 | THEORIES OF PREVENTION SCIENCE I | 3 |
| SBS 73019 | THEORY PREVENTION SCIENCE II | 3 |
| SBS 73020 | ADVANCED METHODS IN PREVENTION SCIENCE | 3 |
| SBS 80100 | EMERGING ISSUES IN PREVENTION SCIENCE | 3 |
| SBS 80198 | DIRECTED RESEARCH IN PREVENTION SCIENCE | 3 |
| SBS 83010 | QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | 3 |
| Concentration Electives, choose from the following: | 6 | |
| EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH | ||
| DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH SURVEYS | ||
| GRANT WRITING IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| Content-related Electives 1 | 12 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 36 | |
- 1
Content-related elective courses should be selected by the student with a faculty advisor, depending upon the student's research interest. It may occur within the College of Public Health or in other disciplines outside the college.