Summary of DrPH Degree Coursework

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Degree Coursework		Credit Hours
	Program Core Courses	15
	Program Required Courses	15
	Public Health Practice Courses	9
	Elective Course	6
	Total Credits for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree	45

A minimum of 45 credits are required for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree with previous graduate degree.

Program Faculty

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Program Director

Anita Hawkins, PhD

Associate Professor

 

Student Affairs Coordinator

Carol-Ann Hendricks

Graduate Student Affairs Coordinator

Portage Building, Room 302C

Tel: (443)885-4014; Fax: (443)885-8309

E-Mail: Carolann.Hendricks@morgan.edu

 

Program Faculty

Sharon Barrett, DrPH 

Assistant Professor

 

Yvonne L. Bronner, ScD

Professor

 

Lorece Edwards, DrPH

Professor

 

Lenwood Hayman, Jr.,  PhD

Associate Professor

 

Mian Bazle Hossain, PhD

Professor

 

Ian Lindong, MD, MPH

Associate Professor

 

Kesha Baptiste-Roberts, PhD

Associate Professor

Program Description

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The Doctor of Public Health degree program provides students with problem solving, analytical, program planning, policy development, 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 behavioral change. The program, which educates public health practitioners to address and solve contemporary health problems of urban populations, is also committed to increasing and validating the body of knowledge required for public health research and practice

Program Objectives

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To obtain the DrPH degree, students must complete a doctoral curriculum designed to provide advanced-level knowledge of the domains of public health plus other foundational courses. Combined, these courses cover advanced areas of quantitative analytic methods, environmental justice, community engagement,  research methods, health planning, and policy administration as well as social and behavioral factors in public health. In addition to satisfactorily completing the core courses in each of the domains of public health, doctoral students must pass a core competency exam, satisfy 6 credits in electives, complete a practicum, and satisfy all dissertation requirements for the degree.

General Requirements for the Doctor of Public Health Degree

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Candidates for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree must complete a minimum of forty-five (45) academic credit hours, complete a public health practicum for nine (9) credit hours, and pass the core competency examination upon completion of all core courses. Students must also submit an approved dissertation in partial fulfillment of the DrPH degree.

Demonstration of the required competency in core courses requires that any grades of C in core courses must be retaken. A student therefore must retake any core course in which a grade of C has been earned, even if the student has not accumulated 20% of the curriculum in C grades. However, some exceptions can be made to this policy on a case by case basis. 

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.

Admission

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To be eligible for admission to the DrPH Program, an applicant must:  

• Have earned a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in public health or a health related field of study. 

• Possess a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on previous master’s degree course work.

• Submit an application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies.  All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate Studies prior to program review and admission decision.  

• Provide official transcripts of all post-secondary studies and documentation of previous academic achievement, and professional accomplishments. 

• Use the application system to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be placed with the application.  These letters must be from practicing public health professionals or faculty members of institutions previously attended who are acquainted with the applicant’s ability for graduate study or from employment supervisors where applicable. 

• Submit a professional updated resume or CV.

• Submit a typed 1-2 page exposition describing work/educational experience, area of interest, career objectives, personal academic and professional plans, and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University. 

• Have at least two (2) years of work-related experience (public health/ allied health field is preferred). 

• Complete an interview with the program Admissions Committee.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant.  The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review.

Residency Requirements

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All full-time students must complete a minimum of two consecutive semesters in residence - with nine (9) credit hours of coursework 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

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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 six (6) graduate credits of coursework may be transferred from other graduate programs (which were not counted towards the previous graduate degree).

Degree Offerings

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The Program offers a DrPH degree where students can select the generalist, departmental concentration track in behavioral health, online leadership concentration. 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

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The doctoral dissertation is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and original research experience, and requires a minimum of nine (9) 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

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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

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All DrPH students are required to sit for the Program-wide Core Competency Examination. At a minimum, this core competency based examination assesses the evidence of foundation public health knowledge gained either from foundational courses at the masters level or advanced courses at the doctoral level. Each doctoral student must pass the examination at a proficiency established by the Program.

Additional Requirements

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Academic Dishonesty

All students are responsible for upholding the provisions of the Policy on Academic Dishonesty, as published in the School of Graduate Studies Graduate Catalog. This policy assures that all students are treated fairly by prohibiting plagiarism and cheating, misrepresentation/ falsification of academic work, abuse of academic materials, disrespectful or reckless behavior towards faculty and other students, stealing, and lying. The School utilizes the online Canvas Turnitin platform to evaluate students’ original work. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University, which include an initial review within the Public Health Program by an Ad Hoc Committee comprised of faculty, current student and alumni with recommendation for action to the Dean of the SCHP. Consequences of any such misconduct may result in a grade adjustment and reprimand letter, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion from the University.

Appeals

Appeals concerning academic progress such as academic dismissal must be addressed in writing to the Chairperson of the department of the degree program who, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator, will review the appeal and prepare a report and written recommendation for review by the College/School Dean. The College/School Dean shall submit a written recommendation along with the report and recommendation of the Chairperson to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies who shall make the final decision regarding a student’s appeal.

Program of Study

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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 fifteen (15) 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.