Doctoral Degree
Doctoral training has been part of Yale’s mission since early in its history. The University awarded the first Ph.D. in North America in 1861, and the doctoral program in public health began with the establishment of the department in 1915. Six years later, in 1922, Yale conferred the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Health on two candidates.
Public health spans disciplines that use tools available in the laboratory, field research, social sciences, the public policy arena, and mathematics. Students engage in a highly focused area of research reflecting scholarship at the doctoral level but are exposed to a broad view of public health as seen in the diverse research interests of the department’s faculty.
The primary mission of the doctoral program in Public Health (PH) is to provide scholars with the disciplinary background and skills required to contribute to the development of our understanding of better ways of measuring, maintaining, and improving the public’s health. The core of such training includes the mastery of research tools in the specialty discipline chosen by the candidate.
Within the Yale academic community, the Ph.D. is the highest degree awarded by the University. The School of Public Health offers studies toward the Ph.D. degree through its affiliation with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Graduate School makes the final decision on accepting students into the program, admission to candidacy, and the awarding of the degree.
Competencies for the Ph.D. in Public Health
Upon receiving a Ph.D. in Public Health, the student will be able to:
- • Describe basic public health principles.
- • Critically evaluate public health and related literature.
- • Discuss and critically evaluate the broad literature of the student’s discipline.
- • Review in depth the background and research advances in the student’s specific research area.
- • Apply at an advanced level the research methodology of the student’s broader discipline and, in particular, the student’s specific research area.
- • Present research to colleagues and professionals on a national and international level at professional meetings.
- • Design a course in the student’s broad discipline.
- • Explain the principles of research ethics and apply these principles to specific research projects.
- • Design and conduct an advanced, original research project in the student’s discipline.
- • Generate data to create publishable manuscripts that represent important contributions to the literature.
It should be noted that the Ph.D. and M.S. programs are governed by the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and not by the Yale School of Public Health. The Graduate School is the final arbiter in decisions that affect all Ph.D. and M.S. students and their academic program.
Academic Advising
Each student is assigned to an academic adviser at the time of matriculation. The academic adviser is available for help with general academic questions, course selections, choosing a dissertation project, and preparation for the qualifying examinations. A student must address a request for a change of his/her academic adviser in writing to the director of graduate studies (DGS). The request must be co-signed by both the previous and new academic advisers.
Teaching Fellowships
Teaching experience is regarded as an integral part of the graduate training program. Doctoral students are required to complete four terms satisfactorily as a Teaching Fellow (10 hours per week). These teaching experiences are typically completed during the second and third years of study. First-year students are encouraged to focus their efforts on course work and in most instances are not permitted to serve as Teaching Fellows. However, first-year students may be allowed to serve as Teaching Fellows if they have been awarded advanced standing. Advanced standing is only available to students who have completed previous graduate study at Yale (e.g., M.S. or M.P.H. programs). If a student has been awarded one year of advanced standing, he/she will be allowed to teach in both the fall and spring terms of the first year. If a student has been awarded one term of advanced standing, he/she will only be allowed to teach during the spring term of the first year.
All doctoral students are required to complete 40 hours (four Level 2 assignments at 10 hours/week or an equivalent combination) as a Teaching Fellow. Graduate research assistantship opportunities may take the place of teaching in the third year of study. Furthermore, a waiver of 10 hours is possible if the student is working as a Project Assistant (generally no more than 10 hours per week and with prior approval of the DGS). By year four, all students are expected to be engaged in full-time research activities.
Degree Requirements
There are five departments in PH in which doctoral students may choose a specialty. Requirements for each department vary and are outlined below under Departmental Requirements. In addition, all candidates for the Ph.D. degree must conform to the requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Required Course Work
The normal requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is typically four to five years of graduate study. Generally, the first two years are devoted primarily to course work. Each student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of ten courses or their equivalent and must satisfy the individual departmental requirements (see below for course requirements in each department). Courses such as Research Ethics and Responsibility, Dissertation Research, preparing for Qualifying Examinations, or Seminar do not count toward the course requirements. All PH doctoral students are required to participate in a course covering both practical and theoretical issues in research ethics. This ethics course is in addition to the minimum required courses. The Graduate School requires that Ph.D. students achieve a grade of Honors in at least two doctoral-level courses. PH doctoral students are expected to maintain a High Pass average.
Qualifying Examinations
The required qualifying examinations are usually taken at the end of the second year of study. In order to meet the different departmental needs, each department has developed a qualifying examination format; details are provided in each departmental program description below. The qualifying examinations serve to demonstrate that the candidate has mastered the background and the research tools required for dissertation research. The qualifying examinations are usually scheduled in June, and all examinations are usually scheduled within a three-week period. Students who have not completed the qualifying examinations with an average grade of High Pass by the end of their second year will not be permitted to register for the third year.
Prospectus Guidelines
Before the end of the spring term of the third year, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences requires each student to submit a Dissertation Prospectus, i.e., a written summary of the planned nature and scope of the dissertation research, together with a provisional title for the dissertation. It is strongly recommended that students begin working with their adviser on this process early in the third year. Ideally students should submit the names of Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) members during the fall term of the third year and then submit the prospectus during the spring term of the third year. Students must have both the committee members and the prospectus approved by the end of the third year (May).
Students first submit to the Graduate Studies Executive Committee the names of their proposed DAC members. The DAC consists of at least three members, including the thesis adviser, who will chair the committee. Two members are expected to be Yale School of Public Health faculty with a Graduate School appointment. PH encourages participation of faculty members from other departments. An additional committee member may be selected from outside the University if he/she is a recognized authority in the area of the dissertation. A curriculum vitae must be provided in support of this additional member. The student should also submit a brief (one-page) proposal/description of the research plan and rationale for each committee member. The proposed DAC members must sign the one-page proposal/description stating that they have agreed to serve on the committee. Once the Graduate Studies Executive Committee approves the student’s DAC, the student works with his/her committee to develop the prospectus.
The purpose of the prospectus is to formalize an understanding between the student, the DAC, and the Graduate Studies Executive Committee regarding the scholarship of a proposed dissertation project. The prospectus should:
- • Provide a detailed description of the research plan as outlined below, including title, topic, background, significance, study questions, analytic plan, and methods;
- • Establish a consensus between the student, the DAC, and the Graduate Studies Executive Committee that the research plan meets the requisite standards of originality, scope, significance, and virtuosity;
- • Formalize the DAC’s willingness to work with the student to see the proposed research plan to successful completion.
The prospectus should be written in clear, plain English with minimal jargon, abbreviations, or colloquialisms and is limited to a maximum of twenty pages (double-spaced). All tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts must be included within the twenty-page limit. References are not part of the page limit. Be succinct and remember that there is no requirement to use all twenty pages. A prospectus found not to comply with these requirements will be returned without review.
The following format should be used (similar to NIH guidelines):
- 1. Title of proposed dissertation (can be a working title).
- 2. Specific aims (one page): A self-contained description of the project, which should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields. State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved.
- 3. Research strategy: Use the following subsections:
- a. Significance: This section should place the research project in context and describe the proposed research in a manner intelligible to a nonspecialist. This should include a brief but critical evaluation of the relevant literature and a description of how the proposed research project will advance scientific knowledge and/or technical capability in one or more broad fields.
- b. Innovation: Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research paradigm(s). Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage(s) over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.
- c. Approach: Outline the research project envisioned at this time and sketch out the plan to attain the overall goals of the project. Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used. Include preliminary data, if available. Acknowledge pitfalls and limitations of the research, and if possible suggest alternative strategies.
- 4. References: Should be included at the end (not counted in the page limit).
The prospectus submitted to the Graduate Studies Executive Committee should be the version approved by the student’s DAC. The prospectus must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Executive Committee together with the Submission of Dissertation Prospectus form.
The Graduate Studies Executive Committee will review the prospectus and may request changes to either the prospectus or the DAC. Once the Graduate Studies Executive Committee has approved the prospectus, it will be submitted to the Graduate School registrar.
Regular face-to-face meetings of the DAC will be invaluable and are expected throughout the student’s research toward the thesis. The DAC is expected to meet as a group at least twice each year, and more frequently if necessary. Since dissertation progress reports are due at the close of the spring term, it is advised that one of the meetings be scheduled in March or April. In doing so, the thesis adviser, student, and DGS will have current information on the student’s progress for use in completing the Dissertation Progress Report online. The student schedules the meetings of the DAC. The chairperson of the DAC, i.e., the thesis adviser, produces a summary report outlining progress and plans for the coming year. The document is to be distributed to the other committee members for comments. The student and the DGS are to receive a copy of the document from the DAC chairperson.
Because the prospectus is required fairly early in the dissertation research, the content of a thesis may change over time, and thus the student should not feel bound by what is submitted. However, major changes to the direction of research described in the prospectus should be discussed with the DAC and approved by the Graduate Studies Executive Committee.
Admission to Candidacy
After all predissertation requirements are successfully completed (course requirements, Honors requirement, overall High Pass average, qualifying examinations, dissertation prospectus), the student will be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. These requirements are typically met in three years. Customarily, students who have not been admitted to candidacy will not be permitted to register for the fourth year. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the DGS and the Graduate School associate dean. In the term following admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, the student will automatically receive the M.Phil. degree.
The Thesis/Dissertation
The Ph.D. thesis in PH should be of publishable quality and represent a substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge in a field. The Graduate School policy in regard to the dissertation is as follows:
The dissertation should demonstrate the student’s mastery of relevant resources and methods and should make an original contribution to knowledge in the field. The originality of a dissertation may consist of the discovery of significant new information or principles of organization, the achievement of a new synthesis, the development of new methods or theories, or the application of established methods to new materials. Normally, it is expected that a dissertation will have a single topic, however broadly defined, and that all parts of the dissertation will be interrelated. This does not mean that sections of the dissertation cannot constitute essentially discrete units. Dissertations in the physical and biological sciences, for example, often present the results of several independent but related experiments. Given the diverse nature of the fields in which dissertations are written and the wide variety of topics that are explored, it is impossible to designate an ideal length for the dissertation. Clearly, however, a long dissertation is not necessarily a better one. The value of a dissertation ultimately depends on the quality of its thought and the clarity of its exposition. In consultation with their faculty advisers and the director of graduate studies, students should give serious thought to the scale of proposed dissertation topics. There should be a reasonable expectation that the project can be completed in two to three years.
The dissertation may be presented as a single monograph as a major publication, or as (typically) a minimum of three first-authored scientific papers. One or more of the papers should be published, accepted for publication, or be in submission. The collected paper option does not imply that any combination of papers would be acceptable. For example, three papers related to background material (review papers), or three papers that reported associations of three unrelated exposures, or three papers of the same exposure but reporting different outcomes would not be acceptable. Rather, it is expected that the papers represent a cohesive, coherent, and integrated body of work. For example, one paper might be a systematic review of the topic, another might develop a new methodological approach, and the third might apply those new methods to an area of current public health interest. In the collected paper option, the final thesis should include introductory and discussion chapters to summarize and integrate the published papers.
The student’s DAC will determine whether the standards for a Ph.D. thesis have been met and the thesis is ready for submission to the readers. Students should submit the entire dissertation to the DAC at least four weeks prior to the submission deadline (October 1 for December graduation and March 15 for May graduation). This allows ample time for the DAC to review the dissertation and either approve it for submission or recommend revisions prior to submission. It is imperative that all members of the DAC approve the dissertation prior to submission; therefore it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the committee has enough time to review it. Students should plan to have a committee meeting approximately two to three months prior to the submission deadline to inform the committee of their expected timeline and receive input from the committee regarding the feasibility of meeting this deadline.
There will be a minimum of three readers, one of whom is from PH, two with Graduate School appointments, and one who is typically an authority in the dissertation research from outside the University. The selection of Yale faculty readers should include at least one senior faculty member. All readers must be recognized authorities in the area of the dissertation. The outside reader must submit a curriculum vitae for review by the Graduate Studies Executive Committee. The outside reader should be an individual who has not collaborated previously with members of the student’s dissertation committee and/or the student. Members of the DAC are not eligible to serve as readers. The Graduate School sends a copy of the dissertation and a reader’s report form to each reader.
When the completed readers’ reports are received by the Graduate School and the department, they are reviewed by the DGS and the Graduate Studies Executive Committee prior to making a departmental recommendation to the Graduate School that the degree be awarded. The DAC may be asked to comment on the readers’ reports before recommendations are made to the Graduate School.
Oral Presentation of the Doctoral Dissertation
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) dissertations in PH must be presented in a public seminar. This presentation is scheduled after the submission of the dissertation to the readers and preferably prior to the receipt and consideration of the readers’ reports. At least one member of the DAC and at least one member of the Graduate Studies Executive Committee are expected to attend the presentation. It is expected to be presented during the academic term in which the dissertation was submitted and must be widely advertised within YSPH.
Departmental Requirements
The specific requirements with regard to courses, qualifying examinations, and admission to candidacy set by PH departments are described below.
Biostatistics
Biostatistics involves the development and application of sound statistical and mathematical principles to research in the health sciences. Because original theoretical research in biostatistics flows from medical research, it is essential that the foundations of methodological development be firmly grounded in sound principles of statistical inference and a thorough knowledge of the substantive area that provides the source of the medical questions being addressed. Thus, the department of Biostatistics encourages excellent methodological work that is motivated by sound science that includes but is not limited to active collaborations with other investigators.
Research collaborations for biostatisticians take place both within and across departments in YSPH, as well as with other departments in the School of Medicine and the University at large. Areas of current research include development of general methods that have wide applicability across different areas of health research, as well as more specific techniques for dealing with the underlying processes that give rise to the data of interest. A broad range of health topics addressed by students in this department include chronic diseases such as cancer, genetic epidemiology, clinical research, and mathematical models for infectious diseases.
Graduates of the doctoral program in Biostatistics are employed in universities throughout the country, as well as in such dedicated research institutions as the National Institutes of Health. In addition, graduates have pursued careers in the pharmaceutical industry, in which they are actively involved in the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies.
Required Course Work
Students in the department of Biostatistics prepare for their qualifying examination by taking the courses listed below. Course waivers must be recommended by the academic adviser and approved by the department chair and DGS.
Course number Course title Course units 0.5
Under the guidance of the academic adviser, students choose three courses in their applied area. The applied area consists of an intended area of methodological research applied to such areas as epidemiology, genetics, microbiology, or health policy. For example, the courses suggested for students taking an epidemiology examination are: CDE 508a, Principles of Epidemiology I; CDE 516b, Principles of Epidemiology II; and CDE 619a, Advanced Epidemiologic Research Methods.
Qualifying Examination
The examination includes both an in-class and a take-home portion on biostatistics, an in-class portion on statistical theory, and a third exam in a specialty area. One faculty member is responsible for coordinating this examination, and the examination content is developed by the overall faculty. The specialty area examination is usually developed by an expert in the field following discussions with the candidate and the BIS faculty adviser.
Research Experience
In a number of courses, students gain actual experience with various aspects of research including preparation of a research grant, questionnaire design, preparation of a database for analysis, and analysis and interpretation of real data. In addition, doctoral students can gain research experience by working with faculty members on ongoing research studies prior to initiating dissertation research, which includes but is not limited to BIS 695c. During the summer following each year of course work, candidates are required to take a research rotation that is approved by the department and communicated to the DGS.
The Dissertation
The department of Biostatistics strives for doctoral dissertations that have a strong methodological component motivated by an important health question. Hence, the dissertation should include a methodological advance or a substantial modification of an existing method motivated by a set of data collected to address an important health question. The dissertation must also include the application of the proposed methodology to real data. A fairly routine application of widely available statistical methodology is not acceptable as a dissertation topic. Candidates are expected not only to show a thorough knowledge of the posed health question, but also to demonstrate quantitative skills necessary for the creation and application of novel statistical tools.
Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of disease in populations. Such populations may be groups of people in certain geographic areas, people with a common disease, or people with some suspected risk factor. The department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology (CDE) has traditionally focused on either chronic or noninfectious diseases, although in recent years the artificiality of this distinction has become obvious and the view has been broadened. A recent thesis, for example concerned the perinatal transmission of HIV/AIDS, and others have examined the viral etiology of cancer.
The department is perhaps best known for its doctoral programs in the epidemiology of aging, cancer, perinatal diseases, genomics, HIV/AIDS, and psychosocial disorders. However, students in the department often work on projects with other departments within YSPH, other departments in the School of Medicine, and other schools within the University. Thus there are numerous opportunities for creating an experientially rich doctoral program.
Graduates from the department’s doctoral program are found on the faculties of universities throughout the world, at the highest levels of federal and international research programs, and in leadership positions in numerous private and public foundations and institutions.
Required Course Work
Students in this department are expected to complete the following courses or their equivalents:
Course number Course title Course units 0.5 Topic areas In order to ensure that students gain a broad knowledge regarding epidemiology, students take a minimum of four topic area courses in addition to those in their specialty area such as:
Students supported by training grants may be subject to additional requirements. Students supported by a training grant should discuss with the Principal Investigator of that grant to find out whether there are grant-specific requirements.
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examinations in CDE entail a three-part system emphasizing biostatistics, epidemiologic methods, and the student’s chosen specialty area.
The examination covering epidemiological methods includes both an in-class and a take-home portion. One faculty member is responsible for coordinating this examination, and the examination content is developed by the overall faculty. The specialty area examination is usually prepared in a tutorial with one or more faculty members.
Research Experience
In a number of courses, students gain actual experience with various aspects of research including preparation of a research grant, questionnaire design, preparation of a database for analysis, and analysis and interpretation of real data. In addition, doctoral students can gain research experience by working with faculty members on ongoing research studies prior to initiating dissertation research.
The Dissertation
For the doctoral dissertation, some candidates will design and develop their own research protocol, collect the data, and conduct appropriate analyses. However, epidemiologic studies are often large, time-consuming, and expensive enterprises that often cannot be realistically completed within the time frame expected for a doctoral dissertation. Consequently, some dissertations often result from “piggy-backing” the dissertation research onto a larger study being conducted by a faculty member. If a student has previously documented experience with data collection, the doctoral dissertation may emphasize the statistical analysis of a data set in such a way as to address a new hypothesis. However the thesis is constructed, the department requires that the research makes a significant contribution to new knowledge in the field of epidemiology. Many dissertations are presented as three or more completed or published manuscripts based on the dissertation research.
Environmental Health Sciences
The Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) doctoral program focuses on how environmental agents—physical, chemical, and biological—affect human health, considered within the general framework of epidemiology and public health. Students are skilled in research, assessment, and evaluation of the impact of environmental stressors; they identify potentially adverse environmental agents, assess their exposures, determine their impact on health, and estimate the consequent risk. The Ph.D. emphasizes the preparation of students for scholarly careers in research and teaching.
Required Course Work
The student’s academic adviser determines which core background requirements have been satisfied by previous course work, and which courses the student has to complete successfully. Subsequently, the student and his/her academic adviser form a plan for the student’s course work.
Students typically complete the following course requirements:
Course number Course title Course units
In addition to the above required courses, students elect courses from the more specialized areas of environmental health (occupational health, risk assessment, etc.). Students supported by training grants may be subject to additional requirements. Students supported by a training grant should discuss with the Principal Investigator of that grant to find out whether there are grant-specific requirements.
The courses listed below are strongly encouraged for students who select Environmental Epidemiology as their area of specialization. In consultation with the student’s adviser, alternate courses may be selected.
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Students who select specialization in an area other than Environmental Epidemiology, together with the academic adviser, will identify the specialization area and determine the selection of courses required. These courses may come from other graduate programs in the department, as well as from programs in other parts of the University. Students are particularly encouraged to seek additional courses in such subjects as chemistry, cellular and molecular physiology, engineering, forestry, medicine, pharmacology, and physics.
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination in this department tests the student’s knowledge in three areas—a specialty and two other areas based upon the student’s specialty. The majority of students select Environmental Epidemiology as their area of specialization, and then have Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Biostatistics as the additional areas covered in the comprehensive examinations. Specialization in other basic biomedical sciences or departments of the University is also possible.
Research Requirements
During the second term of the first year and the first term of the second year, students work with their academic adviser to participate in ongoing research activities, thereby gaining an opportunity to learn hands-on techniques in subject areas within environmental health sciences.
The Dissertation
The dissertation for the Ph.D. degree must make an original contribution to the field.
Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
The goals for doctoral students in the department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) are to obtain a current theoretical and practical base of epidemiological and microbiological principles, to master research methods, and to apply these skills to investigations of the biology of infectious organisms of public health importance, their transmission, and the epidemiology of the diseases they cause. The approach is multidisciplinary. It includes in-depth ecological, pathogenic, clinical, cellular, immunological, and molecular aspects of infectious diseases, their causative agents, vertebrate hosts, and vectors.
Required Course Work
Courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, and microbiology are strongly recommended. The specific courses recommended depend on the background of individual students and their stated research interests. An individual program that includes courses, seminars, and laboratory rotations is developed by the student and his/her academic adviser. Student progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year.
The following courses are ones that are appropriate for Ph.D. students in EMD. However, other courses in YSPH or in other departments may also be appropriate.
Course number Course title Course units
All students are required to take EPH 600b, Research Ethics and Responsibility. This course is graded Sat/Unsat.
Qualifying Examination
EMD has adopted an oral and written qualifying examination format. Components of the examination include the following: (1) readings with committee members on selected topics; these readings may require review and integration of course work, laboratory rotations, research seminars, and published literature; and (2) research proposals in two areas, one on the proposed dissertation topic and the other in an area distinct from the proposed dissertation topic. The research topics are selected by the examining committee from the student’s suggestions, and submitted within a prescribed time frame in written form. The examination takes the form of questions from members of the committee based on readings and an oral defense of both research proposals.
Detailed information regarding the EMD program is available from the EMD representative to the Graduate Studies Executive Committee or the coordinator of graduate student affairs.
Research Requirements
Research rotations are required of all students during both the first and second terms of their first year and during the summer between their first and second years. Each term involves a different investigator. These are offered as formal courses, and there will be a brief presentation to the department at the end of each rotation. Each term is graded. Investigators act as tutors and monitor the progress of the work, although students are given a certain amount of independence in their work. Rotations are defined broadly, including experiments in the more traditional wet laboratory setting, as well as work in the field and on the computer.
Health Policy and Management
The doctoral program in health policy and management is designed to educate individuals to apply knowledge derived from public health and social sciences (biostatistics, epidemiology, and microeconomics) and to creatively extend such knowledge. Individuals with advanced preparation in health services research and health policy analysis prepare for research, teaching, or policy careers in both the public and the private sector. The program seeks to educate individuals to engage in activities on the forefront of (1) health services research, (2) organizational theory and management, (3) policy formulation and analysis, and (4) economic theory and its application to health programs.
Required Course Work
Students in the department of Health Policy and Management (HPM) become prepared for their qualifying examinations in the areas of biostatistics and health services research. Students will choose one area of depth within health services research and work directly with specific faculty to gain knowledge and expertise in this area of depth. The areas of depth students will choose from are Political and Policy Analysis; Economic Theory and Application; and Organizational Theory and Management. Students will complete the following course work or the equivalent of the topic areas covered in these courses. This course listing represents a suggested program of study. With the approval of the academic adviser and DGS, alternative courses that better suit the needs of the student may satisfy the course work requirement. The departmental representative to the Graduate Studies Executive Committee in conjunction with the student’s adviser is responsible for determining if core course requirements have been satisfied by previous course work or alternative courses. If so, the student should apply for a course waiver through the Graduate School.
Biostatistics/Statistics and Methods (minimum of 4 courses) Course number Course title Course units Health Policy and Management (minimum of 4 courses) Note: HPM 617 is required for all Ph.D. students Area of depth (minimum of 4 courses) Students will take courses relevant to the area of depth chosen. In Economic Theory and Application, students may count ECON 558a as either a statistics/methods class or as an area of depth class, but not both. All students supported by NIDA must take 1–2 courses in substance abuse, behavioral economics, or psychiatric/mental health issues; these may be classes already counted toward other Ph.D. requirements.
Qualifying Examination
The department of HPM requires four areas of qualifying examinations: biostatistics, health services research, an area of depth exam, and an individualized exam specific to the student’s specific area of depth/research and readings.
Research Requirements
All students are expected to develop their research skills through interaction with HPM faculty around ongoing faculty research.
M.D./Ph.D. Program Requirements
All M.D./Ph.D. students must meet with the director of graduate studies in Public Health if they are considering affiliating with PH. Students in this program are expected to meet the guidelines listed below in the time frame outlined. The DGS must approve any variations to these requirements.
Teaching
One term of teaching as a TA 2 (10 hours/week) will be required. If students teach beyond this requirement, they can be compensated. If a student has served as a teaching assistant elsewhere on campus, this experience may be counted toward the requirement.
Rotations/Internships
Students should do two four-week rotations/internships with potential advisers in YSPH. These short-term research projects can be either in a lab or working with a specific faculty member. The purpose of these rotations/internships is to learn lab technique and/or to allow the student time to determine if the faculty member’s research directions are compatible with his/her research interests. These rotations/internships are usually done during the summer between the first and second year of School of Medicine course work. In some cases students may need to defer this until the summer after the second year after taking certain courses and/or completing readings so that they possess the background necessary for a successful rotation/internship.
Required Course Work
M.D./Ph.D. students are generally expected to take the same courses as traditional Ph.D. students. Departmental requirements may vary; therefore, students should confer with the DGS and/or their Ph.D. adviser.
Timeline for Qualifying Exam
Students generally will take School of Medicine courses in years one and two, then PH doctoral course work in years three and four (all or part of year three). The qualifying exam is generally taken in the summer following the fourth year.
Prospectus Timeline
Students are encouraged to develop their prospectus during their third and fourth years of study, while taking courses in YSPH. Upon completion of the qualifying exam, students should focus entirely on completion of the prospectus, which should be submitted no later than six months after the completion of the qualifying exams.
