Doctor
of Public Health
ADMISSION
REQUIREMENTS • APPLICATION
• PROGRAM
OF STUDY
The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
is the advanced professional degree offered by the School
of Public Health. Matriculation into the degree program
is through the School of Public Health with the participation
of the school’s four academic divisions.
The need for leaders in public health
has never been greater. Limited numbers of practitioners
in public health have doctoral-level degrees, and programs
for the development of leadership skills at the doctoral
level are rare. In response to this need, the University
of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health has designed
a new program tailored to meet the goals of mid-career
public health professionals who want to expand their
knowledge and practice of public health and attain the
leadership ability that will enable them to advance
the field.
The UIC School of Public Health is
committed to educating and training its students to
become effective leaders and responsible members of
the public health community at the local, national,
and international levels. This commitment is realized
in an urban environment that offers students broad scope
for involvement in the diverse communities and neighborhoods
that are one of Chicago’s foremost features.
The intellectual environment of the
doctoral degree program at the School of Public Health,
paired with the vitality of Chicago, provides an outstanding
educational setting for the preparation of future public
health leaders.
Admission Requirements
To qualify for the program, applicants
must have a master’s degree from an accredited
school of public health or public health training program
and three or more years of full-time, paid, professional
experience in public health in a leadership position,
or in mid- to senior-level management positions that
demonstrate progressive responsibility and evidence
of leadership potential. Applicants meeting the experience
requirements but with a master’s or higher degree
outside the field of public health will be considered
but will be required to make up deficiencies in content
equivalent to the MPH core courses. Academic transcripts,
letters of recommendation, and a personal statement
of career goals are also key elements assessed during
the admissions process.
Application Process
For application instructions and deadlines,
visit the admissions
website.
Applications must be submitted by
the deadline of February 1 for admission to the School
of Public Health for the following fall semester. (See
the calendar at Dates
& Deadlines for information which may have been
updated.) Applicants with international credentials
must submit their applications by January 1 for fullest
possible consideration.
International applicants should also
review the additional SPH
applications instructions. International applicants
must present evidence of English competency. Official
scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service,
Princeton, NJ 08540, must be sent to UIC. The test must
have been taken within the last two years. Minimum scores
required: paper-based TOEFL = 550, computer-based TOEFL
= 213. The USMLE and ECFMG will not be considered in
lieu of the TOEFL or as evidence of English competency.
For more complete information about the TOEFL requirements,
please refer to the Graduate
College website, Degree Admissions, Application
Procedures, International Applicants, Test of English
as a Foreign Language.
For additional information, contact
Babette J. Neuberger, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs,
at 312-996-5381 or email her at bjn@uic.edu.
Program of Study
Students will earn the title of Doctor
of Public Health, or DrPH, through matriculation into
a schoolwide program which offers opportunity for specialization
in the disciplines of community health sciences, environmental
and occupational health sciences, epidemiology and biostatistics,
and health policy and administration.
The DrPH program will build
students’ competency in these key areas:
- public health practice, research,
and theory;
- analysis of public health problems
using critical evaluation, applied research methodology,
and statistical methods;
- collection and synthesis of information
as the basis for devising strategies to address public
health problems;
- leadership in designing and implementing
interventions;
- effective communication; and development
of a vision and philosophy for professional leadership
in public health.
Through course work and a thesis project,
the degree candidate will acquire an extensive body
of theoretical and practical knowledge that will lay
the foundation for success in future public health initiatives.
An individualized course of study,
designed to address each student’s background,
interests, and future goals, will result in a performance
portfolio documenting each graduate’s experience,
growth, and demonstrated abilities.
Students will have the opportunity
to work closely with their peers on case-based public
health problems, while exploring their personal interests
with a culminating thesis project. The thesis product
may include a research project, an intervention program,
a program evaluation, or a policy analysis.
DrPH Curriculum
Course-work [36 sh minimum]
Two Analytic Courses (7 sh)
• BSTT 401 Biostatistics II (4 sh)
• EPID 403 Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles
and Methods (3 sh)
Two Leadership Courses (8 sh)
• IPHS 501 Public Health Leadership Seminar 1
• IPHS 502 Public Health Leadership Seminar 2
One Integrative Seminar (4
sh)
• IPHS 503 DrPH Integrative Seminar
Area of Emphasis (variable to meet 36sh minimum)
• A minimum of 17sh to include 9sh of formal 500-level courses and at least one analysis/methods course relevant to the area of emphasis
DrPH Thesis (28sh minimum)
The thesis can take a variety of forms,
including:
- Research project
- Intervention program
- Program evaluation
- Policy Analysis
Field
practicum for students without requisite experience
(up to 5sh)
Total 96sh*
*Includes
32sh of masters level work
Visit the Doctor of Public Health Handbook in the Student Handbook
for more detailed information on curriculum.
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