School of Public Health
DOCTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH (DrPH) ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
The entering DrPH student must have completed an MPH degree or equivalent degree that includes coursework in the five core disciplines of public health: epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health sciences, social and behavioral health sciences, and health policy and management. Previous experience in public health is desirable. Completion of the DrPH Program requires a total of 45 credits: 30 credits of required course work, a 3 credit field experience and 12 credits of dissertation, which would include public health research and/or practice. The DrPH Program maintains the MPH Program focus on urban and immigrant health while greatly expanding the opportunities of students to develop broad and deep competence as public health practitioners.
DRPH Trajectory
- Graduates will complete thirty (30) credits of course work, a 3 credit field experience, plus twelve (12) credits for the dissertation, for a total of 45 credits.
- The required course work is:
- Twelve (12) credits of DrPH core courses completed by the end of the second semester.
- Twelve (12) credits of the track core courses taken early in the course of the program.
- Six (6) credits of electives.
- Three (3) credits of a field experience.
- Twelve (12) credits of dissertation.
The specific requirements for the course work are delineated below.
Academic Advising.
Each DrPH student will be assigned a faculty advisor who will be available to the student throughout the program. The advisor and student will meet at least once a semester to discuss the student's course work, status, and plans throughout the degree completion. This faculty advisor will have expertise in the Track chosen by the student: Epidemiology, Environmental Health, or Community Health. That faculty advisor will also work with the student in considering doctoral dissertation topics and guiding the student to select other appropriate faculty to serve on the committee.
- DrPH Core Courses:
- 4 courses at 3 credits each for a total of 12 credits
- Quantitative Research Methods for Public Health Practice
- Observational Study Design in Public Health Practice
- Public Health Management and Ethics
- Interdisciplinary Leadership Seminar in Public Health
- Track Core Courses:
- 4 courses at 3 credits each in one of the following disciplines for a total of 12 credits:
- Community Health Sciences
- Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
- Epidemiology
- Health Policy and Management
- DrPH Elective Courses, by Track:
- 2 elective courses, at 3 credits each, for a total of 6 credits
- While electives are usually taken within the selected discipline, the student may, with faculty approval, take at least one elective outside of his/her discipline. Students will also have the option of developing individualized courses of independent study to enhance competencies for their intended career.
- Field Experience in one of the Track Core
- 3 credits of field experience.
- Dissertation
- 12 credits of dissertation.
Advancement to Candidacy/Dissertation
Several steps are required to complete the DrPH degree:
1) the qualifying examination,
2) the dissertation proposal and defense,
3) completion of the dissertation, and
4) the dissertation defense. These items and associated tasks are delineated below.
QUALIFYING EXAMINATION (QE) including written and oral sections:
Purpose: The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the student has the ability and knowledge to undertake significant public health problem-solving and analytic research in his/her general area of content. Specifically, the examiners will be concerned with the student’s:
- capacity for critical and logical thinking;
- breadth and depth of knowledge in public health and evaluative methodologies; and
- ability to undertake a project aimed at addressing a significant public health problem leading to a completed dissertation.
Timeline: The timeline for completing the Qualifying Examination is as follows:
- Students take the qualifying exam after completion of all required school-wide and department courses.
- Students must take the exam within 6 months of the completion of all courses for the DrPH.
QE Committee: The QE Committee will consist of 3 full time faculty members in the GPPH. The Chair of the Committee will not be the dissertation advisor except under special circumstances that will require approval of the Dean. At least one person on the QE Committee must be from a department other than the one in which the student is enrolled.
Oral Examination: The process for the examination is as follows:
- The QE Committee will prepare a list of 5 general questions drawn from different public health areas and 5 questions drawn from the student’s major department.
- The student will be required to answer 3 of the 5 general questions and 3 of the 5 specific questions for a total of 6.
- The student will have one month to prepare the answers that will require a bibliography of sources used. The Chair of the QE Committee will discuss with the student the appropriate length and detail of answers.
If the QE Committee finds the answers to be acceptable, the chair will select one of the questions and ask the student to present it at an oral exam the next week. The Oral exam will last for up to two hours. The student will be expected to make a professional presentation on the selected question and its answer that will include a review of the relevant literature and how the student arrived at the answer.
In addition, the oral exam will test that the candidate has broad knowledge of the issues and debates within the overall field of Public Health.
If the QE Committee finds the presentation and responses to questions to be of acceptable quality, the student will be considered to have successfully completed the Qualifying Exam and be allowed to move on to the Dissertation proposal.
If the Committee finds either the written portion or the oral defense to be unacceptable, the student will be given up to 6 months to prepare for another written and oral exam. If the second exam is not successfully completed, the student will be withdrawn from the doctoral program.
DrPH Dissertation: 12 credits
DISSERTATION
Purpose: The purpose of the DrPH dissertation is to demonstrate that the student:
- understands the diverse aspects of the field of study and his or her particular area of focus (study) within that field;
- is able to appropriately frame his or her study question(s) and related tasks to answer the question(s);
- demonstrates that he or she can carry out the tasks necessary to complete the study;
- produces a final paper that is worthy of publication.
The DrPH dissertation must be (1) based on an original public health project, (2) worthy of publication, and (3) acceptable to the sponsoring Department and to a committee of dissertation readers.
The dissertation process consists of two (2) major stages:
- The dissertation proposal and oral examination, and
- The dissertation and dissertation defense.
Dissertation Proposal: The dissertation proposal should contain a literature review and a conceptual/methodological framework and follow the format of a grant proposal in the Department of interest. The proposal will include:
- a literature review, statement of the research question and research objectives,
- methodological approach to be utilized,
- anticipated results and limitations,
- the overall significance of the proposed research and,
- a timeline for completion of the dissertation.
Oral Defense: If the student’s advisor (the Chair of the Dissertation Proposal Committee) and the other members of the Committee find the proposal to be acceptable, an oral defense of the proposal will be scheduled. If the student successfully completes the oral defense, he or she will proceed to the actual research and writing of the dissertation.
Dissertation Proposal Committee: The dissertation proposal committee will consist of a minimum of 3 people—2 from the full time faculty in the student’s department at GPPH and 1 from outside GPPH. Outside members must hold a doctoral degree in a relevant subject. The Chair of the Dissertation proposal committee will not be a member of the QE Committee.
Dissertation: Once the Dissertation Proposal Committee has found the dissertation proposal to be acceptable, the student will then proceed to the research and dissertation writing utilizing committee and advisor guidance appropriately. It will be incumbent on the student to ensure that the dissertation format meets the standards and requirements of SUNY Downstate Medical Center. When the student and advisors believe that the process has been completed, the student will submit the draft dissertation to the Committee.
Dissertation Defense: The draft dissertation will be submitted to the Committee at least one month prior to the scheduled date of defense. The defense of the dissertation will be announced and open to the public.
Dissertation Committee: The same people will be on the Dissertation Committee as on the Dissertation Proposal Committee. Changes to the committee are allowed only with the approval of the Dean.
Time Limits:
The student will have a total of 7 years in which to defend his or her dissertation measured from the date of entry into the doctoral program. Students who take longer than that amount of time will be required to prepare an explanation of the delay to their Chair and the Dean who will decide, on an individual basis if the student may be allowed to remain in the program or have to retake courses and demonstrate competency.
DrPH Core Requirements
All DrPH students must complete 12 credits of core requirements, which provide the basic knowledge in major areas of public health.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| BIOS 7200 |
Quantitative Research Methods for Public Health Practice |
3
|
| EPID 7200 |
Observational Study Design in Public Health Practice |
3 |
| HPMG 7200 |
Public Health Management and Ethics |
3 |
| HPMG 7205 |
Interdisciplinary Leadership Seminar in Public Health |
3 |
|
|
Total
12 |
DrPH in Community Health Sciences
This program prepares students to be leaders in the area of health promotion and risk reduction by developing the knowledge, values, and skills needed to effectively plan, design, implement, and evaluate social and behavior change programs. Graduates will be prepared to serve in a leadership capacity in health promotion organizations, will be able to effectively conduct program planning and evaluation, and will be able to teach and conduct health promotion research in academic and practice settings.
Upon graduation, students will be able to:
- Identify key public health issues within a community and assess the social ecological context in which these issues take place;
- Utilize major concepts, methods, and theories in the social and behavioral sciences to improve understanding of public health issues and to design behavioral interventions to ameliorate public health problems;
- Lead efforts to design, implement, and manage an intervention aimed at an identified public health problem/issue;
- Design a program evaluation, analyze the results, and synthesize the findings;
- Effectively communicate to diverse audiences issues related to program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Community Health Sciences Core Courses
All students enrolled in the Community Health Sciences track must complete the track core requirements listed below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| CHSC 7201 |
Qualitative Methods in Health Promotion |
3
|
| CHSC 7202 |
Methods of Community Intervention & Research |
3 |
| CHSC 7203 |
Program Evaluation: Theory, Practice, and Research |
3 |
| CHSC 7204 |
Health Promotion Seminar |
3 |
|
|
Total
12 |
Community Health Sciences Field Experience
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 6500 |
Community Health Sciences Field Experience
Examples of potential sites are:
- New York State Department of Health Division of Family Health
- New York City Departmental of Health Bureau of Maternity, Infant, and Reproductive Health
- The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health
- Local foundations focusing on health
- Local community-based health organizations
|
3
|
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 8001 |
DrPH Dissertation |
12
|
Community Health Sciences Elective Requirements
Students must complete 6 elective credits to satisfy the requirements for a DrPH degree. Two courses may be chosen from the list below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| CHSC 7300 |
Theories of Health Behavior |
3
|
| CHSC 7301 |
Psychosocial and Behavioral Epidemiology |
3 |
| CHSC 7302 |
Health Communication Theory and Practice |
3 |
| CHSC 7303 |
Survey Research Methods |
3 |
| CHSC 7304 |
Culture, Class, and Ethnicity in Health Promotion |
3 |
| CHSC 7320 |
Independent Study |
1-3 |
DrPH in Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Overview. Environmental health science is concerned with the study of the adverse impacts of physical, chemical, and biological agents in the environment on human health. To characterize the interface between human health and the environment, it is necessary to utilize a set of tools and methods to quantify or categorize exposure.
The DrPH, with a specialization in Environmental Health Sciences, prepares a practitioner with scientific knowledge and managerial skills to assess and resolve environmental issues through applied research, program management, policy guidance, and broad communication.
Track Objectives:
- Achieve proficiency in the broad public health foundations as well as specifically in the environmental health sciences to understand how agents in the environment affect health.
- Integrate public health skills and environmental health knowledge in the analysis, policy assessment, and management of environmental health issues to improve public health and welfare.
- Communicate with a broad array of audiences and stakeholders and implement participatory research methods to identify and solve these environmental health problems.
Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Core Courses
All students enrolled in the Environmental Health Sciences track must complete the track core requirements listed below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| EOHS 7201 |
Molecular Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Toxicology |
3
|
| EOHS 7202 |
Advanced Topics in Risk Assessment and Management |
3 |
| EOHS 7203 |
Environmental Health Policy and Management Systems |
3 |
| EOHS 7204 |
Organization of Work, Occupational Stress, and Health |
3 |
|
|
Total
12 |
Environmental Health Sciences Core Courses
The field experience provides depth to the DrPH by reinforcing the didactic coursework, and it also acts as a bridge to the dissertation research.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 6500 |
Community Health Sciences Field Experience
Examples of potential sites are:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, NY Regional Office, Estuary Program
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Air Quality Surveillance
- New York City Department of Emergency Management
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection
- Major industrial employers
|
3
|
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 8001 |
DrPH Dissertation |
12
|
Environmental & Occupational Health Elective Requirements
Students must complete 6 elective credits to satisfy the requirements for a DrPH degree. Two courses may be chosen from the list below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| EOHS 7300 |
Advanced Topics in Occupational Health |
3
|
| EOHS 7301 |
Emerging Issues in Local, National and Global Environmental Health |
3 |
| EOHS 7302 |
Disaster Preparedness and Response |
3 |
| EOHS 7303 |
Environmental Health Law |
3 |
| EOHS 7320 |
Independent Study |
1-3 |
DrPH in Epidemiology
Overview. The DrPH in Epidemiology is intended to prepare students for advanced leadership positions as epidemiologists. Students will gain the skills and knowledge essential to plan and conduct applied epidemiologic research as independent investigators.
Track Objectives: In addition to satisfying the objectives of the MPH degree, graduates with a DrPH in Epidemiology will be able to:
- Design and conduct independent epidemiologic research on problems that are relevant to public health and to train others to do so
- Provide epidemiologic consultation to other public health professionals conducting research
- Plan and evaluate public health programs using epidemiologic methods
- Communicate effectively to members of the general public, the media and political groups
Epidemiology Core Courses
All students enrolled in the Epidemiology track must complete the track core requirements listed below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
Prerequisites |
| EPID 7201 |
Advanced Epidemiological Research Methods I |
3
|
|
| EPID 7202 |
Advanced Epidemiological Research Methods II |
3 |
|
| EPID 7203 |
Principles of Surveillance and Disease Control |
3 |
EPID 5200, BIOS 5200, EPID 7202 |
| EPID 7204 |
Reading Seminar in Epidemiology |
3 |
|
|
|
Total
12 |
|
Epidemiology Field Experience
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 6500 |
Epidemiology Field Experience
Examples of potential sites are:
- Hospital Department of Infection Control
- Hospital Tumor Registry
- New York State Department of Health Zoonoses Program
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene HIV Epidemiology Program
|
3
|
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 8001 |
DrPH Dissertation |
12
|
Epidemiology Elective Requirements
Students must complete 6 elective credits to satisfy the requirements for a DrPH degree. Two courses may be chosen from the list below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
Prerequisites |
| EPID 7300 |
Epidemiology of Communicable Disease |
3
|
BIOS 5200, EPID 5200, EPID 7204 |
| EPID 7301 |
Molecular Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Toxicology |
3 |
EPID 7201, EPID 7202 |
| EPID 7302 |
Cancer Epidemiology |
3 |
|
| EPID 7303 |
Chronic Disease Epidemiology |
3 |
|
| EPID 7320 |
Independent Study |
1-3 |
|
DrPH in Health Policy and Management
Overview. The goal of this track is to prepare students to be leaders in the areas of health policy and management. It is expected that graduates of this program will be prepared for jobs in public health and medical academic fields; in government health agency leadership positions; in domestic and international non-profit health organizations; and in the for-profit health care sector. Graduates of the program will be distinguished by their methodological and research capabilities and their deep understanding of domestic and international health systems.
Track Objectives:
- Understand how the U.S. and other health care systems function in terms of access to care, finance and administration, availability of services and quality of care.
- Understand the sources of health care disparities between different racial and ethnic groups and how to minimize and reduce them.
- Understand how the health care system in the United States developed and how it may be changing in the future.
- Utilize major quantitative, qualitative, and historical methodologies to produce primary research on health system structure and function and improve the workings of health care systems at local, state, regional, national, and international levels.
- Effectively communicate research results to important constituencies such as government leaders, legislators, trustees and directors, media sources, and the larger health policy and management community.
Health Policy and Management Core Courses
All students enrolled in the Health Policy and Management track must complete the track core requirements listed below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| HPMG 7201 |
Advanced Health Care Organization and Finance |
3
|
| HPMG 7202 |
Strategic Management and Planning |
3 |
| HPMG 7203 |
Health Care Reimbursement |
3 |
| HPMG 7204 |
Health Care Workforce |
3 |
|
|
Total
12 |
Health Policy and Management Field Experience
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 6500 |
Health Policy and Management Field Experience |
3
|
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| PUBH 8001 |
DrPH Dissertation |
12
|
Health Policy and Management Elective Requirements
Students must complete 6 elective credits to satisfy the requirements for a DrPH degree. Two courses may be chosen from the list below.
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Credits
|
| HPMG 7300 |
Health Care Law and Ethics |
3
|
| HPMG 7301 |
Health Care Quality |
3 |
| HPMG 7302 |
Program Evaluation |
3 |
| HPMG 7303 |
Inequalities in Health and Health Care |
3 |
| HPMG 7304 |
Outcomes Research Methods |
3 |
| HPMG 7305 |
Pharmaceuticals and the Health Care System |
3 |
| HPMG 7306 |
Issues in Global Health and Health Care |
3 |
| HPMG 7307 |
International Health/Comparative Health Systems |
3 |
| HPMG 7308 |
Health Care Disparities |
3 |
| HPMG 7309 |
Topics in Healthcare Organization and Management |
3 |
| HPMG 7310 |
Health Information Technology and Electronic Medical Records |
3 |
| HPMG 7311 |
Health Care Regulation |
3 |
| HPMG 7312 |
Planning for Health Services |
3 |
| HPMG 7313 |
Long Term Care |
3 |
| HPMG 7314 |
Mental Health Care and Services |
3 |
| HPMG 7315 |
Health Care Capital |
3 |
| HPMG 7320 |
Independent Study |
1-3 |
