Doctor
of Public Health
PROGRAM OF STUDY • DrPH PROGRAM REQUIRMENTS • QUALIFICTIONS FOR ADMISSIONS • APPLICATION PROCESS
Thank you for your interest in the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree offered by the School of Public Health at UIC.
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.
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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.
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DrPH Program Requirements
Students admitted into the DrPH program will develop a program of study with the assistance of a faculty advisor that totals a minimum of 96 semester credit hours. Please note that students with a master’s degree in public health or related area may receive up to 32 SH of credit towards the 96 SH total.
The DrPH program consists of four components (Minimum of 96 total semester hours):
- Core Program Requirements – (19 SH)
- BSTT 401 Biostatistics II (4 SH)
- EPID 403 Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods (3 SH)
- IPHS 501 Public Health Leadership Seminar 1 (4 SH)
- IPHS 502 Public Health Leadership Seminar 2 (4 SH)
- IPHS 503 DrPH Integrative Seminar (4 SH)
- Electives – (17 SH); A minimum of 17 SH to include 9 SH of courses at the 500 level in an area of emphasis and at least one analysis/methods course relevant to area of emphasis.
- Culminating Experience – (minimum 28 SH)
- DrPH Thesis Project - The thesis can take a variety of forms, including:
- Research project
- Intervention program
- Program evaluation
- Policy Analysis
- Required Non-Credit Training
- HIPAA Research 101
- Investigator Training 101
NOTE: Students entering without the requisite work experience must complete a field practicum experience of 5 semester hours (IPHS 661 Field Practicum Experience (5 SH).
Please visit the Doctor of Public Health Handbook in the Student Handbook for more detailed information on curriculum.
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Qualifications for Admission
To qualify for the DrPH program, the following are required:
- A master’s degree from an accredited school of public health or public health training program
- 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.
Application Process
If you are ready to apply for the DrPH program at the UIC School of Public Health, please see our Admissions page for application instructions. We look forward to receiving your application!
For additional information, contact Patrick Lenihan, DrPH Program Director, at 312-996-6342, email: dlenih1@uic.edu; or Babette J. Neuberger, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, at 312-996-5381, email: bjn@uic.edu.
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