Population Health, PhD
Analytics, Community, Data Science, Environmental Health Science, Epidemiology, Equity, Health Administration, Health Care, Healthcare, Policy, Public Health, Research, Social Determinants of Health, ethics, healthcare administration
Embark on a research career that makes a lasting impact on community and population health. Tailor your academic experience to engage in research that collaborates closely with the communities you aim to serve.
The Doctor of Philosophy program in population health brings together multiple disciplines, illustrating the complex underlying factors that affect the health and well-being of populations.
The program addresses the interaction between public health and health care systems and other sectors of society --- including the private sector, government, nonprofit and academia --- to affect the health outcomes of entire populations.
Students personalize their program of study by completing courses from one of five tracks:
Complex adaptive systems
Students learn to apply systems thinking and methodological approaches to better address the inherent complexity of population health challenges. They gain experience using key systems science methods and learn to identify structural root causes and leverage optimal points for interventions with more robust improvements in population health outcomes.
Dissemination and implementation science
Students train to identify, translate, disseminate and implement research findings into the real-world settings to help bridge the gap between research and practice. They develop theoretical knowledge and methodological expertise to promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based interventions into health care and public health settings to improve the impacts on population health.
Health equity
Students learn to conduct impactful, community-embedded and theory-driven research to analyze multi-dimensional influences that produce health disparities. They collaborate with the local communities and key stakeholder groups to identify and develop strategies and interventions to address social determinants of health and increase health equity.
Health services research and policy
Students develop a robust knowledge base and methodological skills to analyze access to and use of health care services and their associated costs, as well as quality and safety of care. They will focus on methodologies and tools to analyze policy impacts on health care delivery, organization, financing and associated health care outcomes.
Urban environments for health
Students focus on analyzing and addressing health challenges facing city-dwelling populations, including new and re-emerging infectious diseases, chronic illnesses and behavioral health conditions. Students are prepared to analyze and develop strategies to address those challenges through the focus on the broader environmental conditions, along with the integration of transdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies.
Required courses reinforce a strong repertoire of systems science, quantitative and qualitative research methods, ethics, epidemiology and biostatistics. The program offers applied experience through a practicum as well as opportunities to engage in novel research on population health through a dissertation.
- College/school:
College of Health Solutions
- Location: Downtown Phoenix
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation - Complex Adaptive Systems Track, or
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation - Dissemination and Implementation Science Track, or
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation - Health Equity Track, or
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation - Health Services Research and Policy Track, or
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation - Urban Environments for Health Track
Required Core (15 credit hours) Track (15 credit hours) Electives (30 credit hours) Research (6 credit hours) Other Requirement (6 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree in a related discipline may count up to 30 credit hours from the master's degree toward the total credit hours, with program approval.
BST 515 Applied Biostatistics in Medicine and Informatics (3)
EXW 645 Advanced Applied Methods and Data Analysis (3)
POP 605 Population Health Systems Science and Theory (3)
POP 633 Population Health Ethics (3)
POP 641 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
EXW 700 Research Methods (3)
EXW 701 Scientific Grant Writing (3)
POP 591 Seminar: Evaluating the Population Health Literature (3)
POP 780 Practicum (3)
POP 799 Dissertation (12)
Students select from tracks in complex adaptive systems, dissemination and implementation science, health equity, health services research and policy or urban environments for health.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S.
applicants | International
applicants | English
proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the College of Health Solutions.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or a master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. Preference is given to applicants who completed a data-based research thesis during their master's degree program.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- personal statement
- resume or curriculum vitae
- three references (academic or professional)
- writing sample (six to ten pages)
- oral interview (via videoconference)
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
All applicants must have completed an undergraduate or graduate-level course in epidemiology (e.g., EXW 642, HEP 444 or NTR 557) and a graduate-level research statistics course (e.g., EXW 501 or NTR 502).
It is expected that students admitted to the program have documented academic training and a strong interest in public health, health care or population health. Thus, depending on the student's academic training, background, scholarly interests and focus area, they may be asked to take additional courses prior to or concurrently with graduate course enrollment.
The personal statement should indicate research or scholarly interest, primary program area, statement of career goals and the name of one or more potential faculty mentors from within the program. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact one or more possible mentors to discuss their research interests prior to submitting their application.
Contact information for three references is required. References are contacted via email to submit a letter of recommendation and respond to a series of questions about the applicant. References must be academic or professional sources who are familiar with the applicant's potential to be successful in the field of population health.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 12/01 | Priority |
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:
- Conduct an in-depth analysis and evaluation of complex systems that impact population health outcomes.
- Employ diverse analytical approaches to evaluate research and data relevant to population health.
- Conduct an in-depth evaluation of determinants of health that impact population health outcomes.
- Evaluate factors, structures, and functions in communities that can affect population health.
Students are strongly encouraged to pursue postdoctoral research opportunities upon graduation.
Graduates of this interdisciplinary program are prepared to become:
- executives or analysts in private industry, such as health IT startups or medical device, biotechnology, health insurance or health care delivery organizations
- faculty at research-intensive universities in schools of population health, public health, medicine or health sciences
- leaders and directors of health in local, state and federal government agencies
- program directors and officers for global health organizations, such as the World Health Organization or the World Bank
- program directors and officers of local and national nongovernmental foundations such as the American Cancer Society or the American Diabetes Association
- research or policy analysts at federal health agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Career examples include:
- entrepreneur
- epidemiologist
- global health professional
- health information manager or director
- health scientist
- population health analyst or manager
- postsecondary public health teacher
- professor
- public health consultant or policy advisor
- research scientist
College of Health Solutions
|
HLTHN 401
CHSGrad@asu.edu
602-496-3300
Program term definitions
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
