Department of Health Behavior
Research. Lifestyle. Community.

Doctoral Degree in Community Health and Health Behavior

Curriculum

A total of 72 credit hours of coursework are required for the Ph.D. in Community Health and Health Behavior. Three types of course credits make up this 72 credit hour total: didactic courses, directed research, and dissertation credits. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and must earn a minimum grade of B in all coursework for the coursework to count towards the Ph.D. degree (note that a grade of B- will not meet this minimum B requirement).

Didactic Courses

Core curriculum

These required core courses provide students with an introduction to core knowledge and key research techniques relevant to community health and health behavior.  These core course requirements are as follows: 

  1. Community Health and Health Behavior Core Courses (9 Credit Hours):  These three courses provide an overview of core principles and research methods in Community Health and Health Behavior.
    1. HB 601: Principles of Community Health and Health Behavior I (3 credits)
    2. HB 602: Principles of Community Health and Health Behavior II (3 credits)
    3. HB 605: Basic Research Methods for Community Health and Health Behavior (3 credits)
  2. Public Health Core Courses (7 Credit Hours):  These courses provide students with knowledge of the broader field of public health and an understanding of how community health and health behavior issues are situated in a broader public health context.
    1. SPM 501: Epidemiology Principles (4 credits)
    2. One additional public health course from the following list:
      1. SPM 533: Principles of Public Health (3 credits)
      2. SPM 543: Public Health Practice (3 credits)
      3. SPM 507: Introduction to Health Care Organization (3 credits)
      4. LAW 618: Public Health Law (3 credits)
      5. SPM 534: Global Health (3 credits)
      6. SPM 538: Community Health Assessment and Surveillance (3 credits)
  3. Statistics and Research Methods Core Courses (13 Credit Hours): A core knowledge of statistical principles and techniques and of research methodology is a foundation for research work in community health and health behavior.  In addition to the Basic Research Methods course (HB605, see Health Behavior Core Courses above), students will take the following:
    1. STA 527: Introduction to Medical Statistics (4 credits)
    2. Three additional graduate-level statistics/research methods courses (e.g., structural equation modeling, questionnaire design), chosen in consultation with research advisor (typically 3 credits each, for a total of 9 credits)

Individualized Program of Studies (Minimum 9 Credit Hours)

Beyond the core curriculum, students design, in consultation with an advisor and supervisory committee, a program of studies drawing on courses both from Community Health and Health Behavior and other disciplines.  Students will take at least 3 additional graduate-level courses (total of at least 9 credit hours) chosen in consultation with their advisor and (if applicable) supervisory committee, providing a depth of knowledge in the student’s substantive area of interest. 

Directed Research (Typically 16 Credit Hours)

Beyond formal coursework, the Ph.D. program in Community Health and Health Behavior is explicitly based on a mentor-mentee, apprenticeship model in which students are involved in a faculty member’s research throughout their time in the program.  During this directed research experience, students also will complete training in journal article and grant writing and in research ethics, including completion of the CITI training modules for behavioral and biomedical sciences and other required research ethics training.  While completing didactic coursework, students register for either directed research credits (HB 695: Independent Research, 1-6 Credits/semester) or community-based experience credits (HB  696: Community Field Experience, 1-6 Credits/semester) to reflect the instruction and learning emerging from this mentored research experience.  At least 3 credits MUST be from a community-based project under HB 696.  Most students will therefore complete 23 directed research/community-based experience credits during their Ph.D. program.  To satisfy the research experience requirements for the Ph.D. program, students must complete a minimum of 12 directed research/community-based experience credits.

Dissertation Supervision Credits

Students register for dissertation supervision credits (HB 598: Dissertation Guidance, 1-6 credits/semester) after passing the comprehensive exam and while working on the dissertation. Students earn 12 dissertation credits during the process of working on the dissertation.

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