Doctor of Public Health, Dr.P.H.

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Objective

The Doctor of Public Health degree program provides its students with problem solving, analytical, program planning, communication, research, and cultural sensitivity skills as well as competencies in the development and implementation of health promotion and disease prevention programs for community health improvement. The program educates public health practitioners to address and solve contemporary health problems of urban and minority populations. It is also committed to increasing and validating the body of knowledge required for public health research and practice.

Admission to the Program

For admission, applicants must have earned a master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum academic grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above on previous baccalaureate or masters degree course work. Admission to the Doctor of Public Health Program occurs during the fall semester and includes the following minimum requirements:

Three letters of recommendation from public health professionals and/or other professionals or academicians.
A recent resume/curriculum vitae including previous academic achievement and professional accomplishments.
A Master’s Degree in a health or social science from an accredited College or University with a minimum academic grade point average of 3.0 or above.
A 1-2 page essay describing work/educational experience, area of interest, and career objectives of the applicant.
Official transcripts of all post secondary studies and documentation of previous academic achievement, and professional accomplishments.
Results obtained on the Graduate Record Examination (sent directly from Education Testing Service [ETS); test scores for those with a master’s degree may not be more than five (5) years old prior to date of application. If the applicant has a doctoral degree in the health or social sciences area, this criterion may be waived based on the assessment of his/her individual academic record.
At least one (1) year of work-related experience in public health/allied health field is preferred.
In person interview with the doctoral program admissions committee.

General Requirements for the Doctor of Public Health Degree

All students who seek to earn the Doctor of Public Health degree will be required to complete a minimum of sixty (60) graduate credit hours.
Complete a Public Health Practicum.
Students must also successfully pass the Program’s core competency exam in partial fulfillment of graduation, upon successful completion of all core course requirements.
Students must hold a Master’s degree in a health or social science from an accredited College or University with a minimum academic grade point average of 3.0 or above.
Submit an approved dissertation in partial fulfillment of the DrPH degree.

Note

Although Program length will vary for students who are part-time, the time allotted for completion of all requirements for the doctoral degrees by the School of Graduate Studies is seven (7) consecutive years.

Residency Requirements

All full-time students must complete a minimum of two consecutive semesters in residence - with at least nine (9) credit hours of course work per semester - to satisfy the residency requirement of the program and University. A full course load within the DrPH program consists of twelve (12) credit hours per semester. Upon completion of course requirements and successfully passing the core competency examination, the DrPH candidate must continue to register for PUBH 997 - Dissertation Guidance each semester until the dissertation is fully and successfully completed.

Transfer Students from Other Morgan State University Graduate Programs

The School of Community Health and Policy’s Public Health Program will accept MSU students from other graduate degree programs wishing to go into the field of public health. Such students will be assessed on an individual basis regarding their public health interest, relevance of prior undergraduate and graduate courses to the School, and academic performance in their respective fields, as well as their potential to cope with public health science-based courses. A maximum of twelve (12) graduate credits of course work may be transferred from other graduate programs (which were not counted towards the previous graduate degree).

Program of Study

Incoming DrPH students must complete the doctoral core which is designed to provide advanced level knowledge of major areas of public health. The core courses cover advanced areas of epidemiology, environmental health, biostatistics, research methods, health planning, and policy and administration as well as social and behavioral factors in public health. A total of twenty-four (24) credit hours of graduate courses are designated for the DrPH degree core area. Students not holding an MPH degree must complete the Master’s core (See MPH curriculum) prior to beginning the doctoral core courses.

Core Courses

PUBH 510 - Advanced Social and Behavioral Health 4 Credits
PUBH 805 - Advanced Health Policy and Management 4 Credits
PUBH 806 - Advanced Epidemiological Methods 4 Credits
PUBH 808 - Advanced Critical Health Issues 3 Credits (4)
PUBH 810 - Advanced Level Biostatistics 4 credits.
PUBH 812 - Advanced Level Critical Health Issues 4 credits.

Total: 24 Credit Hours

Required Course

PUBH 708 - Advanced Research Methods 3 credits.

Total: 3 Credit Hours

Practice Courses

PUBH 551 - Doctoral Internship I 3 Credits (Application of Public Health Principles)
PUBH 651 - Doctoral Internship II 3 Credits (Field Experience)
PUBH 751 - Doctoral Internship III 3 Credits (Integrating Experience – Synthesis)

Total: 9 Credit Hours

Summary for DrPH Degree Coursework

Degree Coursework		Credit Hours
	Program Core Courses	24
	Concentration Courses	12
	Dissertation Research	9
	Public Health Practicum	9
	Elective Course	3
	Fundamental Course	3
	Total Credits for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree	60

A Total of 60 Minimum Credits are required for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree with previous graduate degree.

Degree Offering

The Program offers a DrPH degree where students can select the generalist or departmental concentration track in behavioral health. Students will declare their track at the end of the first year of study. For each track, students must follow a prescribed set of courses as described in their approved plan of study. Additional requirements for concentrations can also be found in the approved student handbook.

Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and original research experience, and requires a minimum of twelve (12) hours of dissertation credits. The dissertation credits are completed after the successful completion of course-work and passing the core competency examination. The SCHP-PHP is committed to helping students successfully move through the Program in the allotted time.

Public Health Practicum

A minimum nine (9) credit hours of internship is required of all DrPH students. The internship provides the student an opportunity to engage in community practice experiences by working with ongoing community projects. Depending on the student’s interest, the internship may be carried out in governmental or non-governmental health agencies, health institutes, community organizations, and academic units and programs of public health.

Core Competency Examination

All DrPH students are required to sit for the Program-wide Core Competency Examination. At a minimum, this core competency based examination covers content from the core courses. Each doctoral student must pass the examination at a proficiency established by the Program.