The PhD program in Public Health Sciences prepares professionals for research, teaching, and service with the overall objective of improving the health of populations. To meet this objective, all students in the program pursue excellence in conducting research and disseminating knowledge. The primary focus is on research that advances knowledge and facilitates discovery regarding etiology, interventions, and policies that promote health at the individual, population, societal, and/or global levels. The concentration in epidemiology prepares students contemplating a career as scientists employed in academia, research institutions, or in research units within industry or other agencies and organizations. The program is comprehensive with a strong emphasis on epidemiologic methodology, theory, and practice. This broad and rigorous training will fully equip students with skills they need to be engaged in conducting cutting-edge epidemiologic research within the many areas of public health.
Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree with a concentration in Epidemiology, the student will have demonstrated proficiency in the following competencies:
- Synthesize findings from epidemiologic studies in order to effectively communicate information that addresses public health issues.
- Demonstrate an ability to design an appropriate study to address a given public health issue.
- Formulate study hypotheses based on evidence to generate original research initiatives.