Doctoral Degree in Community Health
Curriculum
Candidates for the PhD degree must complete seventy-two (72) hours of academic credit for graduation. Up to 12 credit hours of dissertation guidance/graduate research is applicable to the 72 hours required for graduation. A maximum of 27 credit hours acquired in master's degree training may be applied to the doctoral program. All Ph.D. students must also fulfill a minimum residency requirement of at least two consecutive semesters where full-time registration is maintained (not including the summer semester). Full-time registration is defined as 12 credit hours per semester (or 9 credit hours for those students who are supported by a research grant or graduate assistantship). (See the Graduate Student Handbook for more information.)
For a complete listing of courses in Social and Preventive Medicine, use the Courses link. Students may also select from courses offerred through Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Cancer Pathology and Prevention. See their course listing.
The core requirements for the doctorate include the following courses
(all courses are 3 credits unless otherwise specified):
Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
- SPM 501 Principles of Epidemiology (4 credits)
- SPM 502 Advanced Methods
- SPM 519 Principles of Measurement in Public Health
Statistical Methods
- STA 527 Introduction to Medical Statistics (4 credits)
- STA 506 Introduction to Statistical Computing
- SPM 506 Application of Statistics to Epidemiology
- PTR 502 Analysis of Health Related Data
Advanced Epidemiology
Students are required to take at least one of the following advanced courses:
- SPM 515 Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease
- RPN 525 Cancer Epidemiology
- SPM 614 Introduction to Molecular Epidemiology
Seminar
- SPM 590 Graduate Seminar (0 credits) - All Ph.D. students are required to present at a Graduate Seminar before scheduling their dissertation defense.
Highly Recommended Elective Courses:
- SPM 507 Introduction to Health Care Organization
- SPM 523 Introduction to Program Planning and Evaluation
- HB 527 Study of Health Behaviors
- HB 528 Public Health Practice of Tobacco Control
- SPM 529 Field Experience in Program Planning and Evaluation
- SPM 533 Principles of Public Health
- SPM 535 Biological Basis of Public Health (waived for students with a health professions background) or PTR 536 Pathophysiology
- SPM 542 Health Policy in the US
- SPM 549 Environmental Health
The remaining courses to be taken are tailored to the trainee's particular interests and needs, and are planned in consultation with the faculty advisor. Please see the complete Graduate Courses/Seminars listing which will facilitate making your selections. All courses are 3 credit hours unless otherwise indicated. Courses taken outside the Departments of SPM, Biostatistics, RPCI Natural Sciences, or RPCI Cancer Pathology and Prevention Programs must first be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
A written in-class comprehensive exam is required for all M.S. and Ph.D. students. The exam must be taken immediately following successful completion (B or better) of the four required courses or their equivalent: SPM 501, SPM 502, STA 527, STA 506. (See the Graduate Student Handbook for more information.)
When 60 credit hours toward the doctorate are completed, and before developing a doctoral thesis proposal, students must successfully complete a written and oral preliminary examination in general epidemiology, epidemiologic methods and a specialty area of their choice. Degree candidates then design and undertake significant original research that will be reported in a doctoral dissertation. In accordance with the rules of the Graduate School, the dissertation proposal and the completed research must be defended before a committee of program Faculty selected by the candidate.
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