8.1 PhD degree requirements

An overview of the purpose of the Doctor of Philosophy degree and the available specializations.

The PhD degree requires a significant program of study and research that qualifies the recipient to work independently and contribute to advancing the field of knowledge. Thus, emphasis is on mastery of the field and the acquisition of research skills as a basis for original work. The PhD in public health can be pursued in three specializations offered solely via the CPH (epidemiology, health behavior and health promotion and health services management and policy). In addition to these PhD specializations, two interdisciplinary specializations are offered. The PhD in biostatistics is an interdisciplinary program that is offered by the Division of Biostatistics and the Department of Statistics. The PhD degree with a specialization in environmental public health is an interdisciplinary program that is jointly offered by the Division of Environmental Health Sciences via the University Environmental Science Graduate Program (ESGP). Students should review the specialization information and Handbook for ESGP.