Now Approved!
On January 21, the Florida Board of Governors approved our PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental and Global Health!
PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental and Global Health
Program Information
The new PhD in Public Health, offered by the College of Public Health and Health Professions, will require a minimum of 90 post-baccalaureate credit hours. These credits will include core public health coursework (15 credits); quantitative methods and statistics (12 credits); professional issues (7 credits); concentration area (35 credits); supervised research (3 credits); supervised teaching (3 credits); and dissertation research (15 credits). Initial areas of concentration include environmental and global health and social and behavioral sciences. However, it is expected concentrations will be added over time and that students will also be able to specialize within each concentration. Upon successful completion of all program components, culminating in the dissertation defense, program graduates will be awarded the PhD in public health. Examples of places of employment include universities, federal and state government agencies (e.g. Centers for Disease Control, public health departments), health and environmental research firms, and non-profit local, national, and international agencies.
Application Process and Checklist
You must apply to and be accepted by BOTH the Graduate School at the University of Florida and the PhD Program in Environmental and Global Health. The application to the Graduate School at University of Florida can be found here. The mailing address of the Graduate School is:
Office of Graduate Admissions
University of Florida
P.O. Box 2946
Gainesville, Fl 32602-2946
1. Submit application form for admission to Graduate School, along with $30US nonrefundable application fee. Or, you may complete the application form online at http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/forms.html, but you still must send the $30US application fee and the other required materials to the address listed above. (Current and former University of Florida students are no longer exempt from this application fee; the $30US application fee is required from all students applying to a graduate program.)
2. Under College/School, specify Environmental and Global Health PhD Public Health.
3. Arrange to have official transcripts from each previous institution attended (other than University of Florida) sent to the address above.
4. Arrange to have official GRE test scores sent directly to University of Florida.
5. Arrange to have official TOEFL scores sent to address above (International students only).
Application to the PhD Program in Environmental and Global Health
Send the items below to:
PhD Program Environmental and Global Health
University of Florida
101 S. Newell Drive, Room 2150
P.O. Box 100188
Gainesville, FL 32610
1. Departmental portion of application form sent to Graduate School
2. Copies of transcripts from each previous institution attended (other than University of Florida)
3. Copies of GRE
4. Three letters of reference that attest to your accomplishments and management potential
5. Current Curriculum Vitae
6. Statement of Purpose (1-2 page explanation of your career goals and why you wish to earn the PhD degree at the University of Florida)
7. Copy of TOEFL scores (international students only)
8. Assistant/Fellowship Application
9. E-Mail buckelew@phhp.ufl.edu to notify the program that you are applying and to ascertain what other documents may be required
Application deadlines for students are: Fall – April 1, Spring – October 1, Summer – January 2.
Process and Curriculum for Phd Students
Full time students must work with their primary mentor to compose a doctoral committee by the end of their second full-time semester of the PhD program. Committees typically will be composed of four members: three faculty internal to the PhD Program, and one external, as required by the Graduate School.
Students must take all required courses for the Environmental and Global Health PhD prior to taking the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination. This includes the 2nd Environmental and Global Health PhD Seminar. These exams will generally take place at the end of year two for students without an existing master’s degree in Envrionmental and Global Health or related degree.
Students may then sign up to take the comprehensive qualifying examination. This will be a two day written test.
The comprehensive qualifying examination will be designed and approved by the qualifying examination committee. At least two faculty members will grade each item and the qualifying committee will then discuss the outcomes and determine the final grade. Students may pass components or the whole exam. The exam committee will recommend one of three outcomes: pass; fail (with description); or qualified pass with special recommendations. If the exam committee has a split decision; it will be referred to the executive committee. If not approved (fail), students can retake sections of the exam only once more. Failure of any part of the comprehensive qualifying examination twice will result in a student being dropped from the program.
Once the above exam is passed, the student will present a prospectus (a written proposal and oral presentation) to their supervisory committee members. The full committee must meet and make recommendations about the proposal prior to the presentation.
Once the prospectus is approved, the candidate may proceed with the dissertation.
When ready, the candidate will give a final public presentation and defense. The full committee must meet prior the public defense.
Find the proposed 90 credit curriculum below.
Public Health Core Courses: 15 credits | |||
PHC 6050 | Statistical Methods for Health Sciences | Required | 3 |
PHC 6001 | Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health | Required | 3 |
HSA 6114 | U.S Health Care Systems | Required | 3 |
PHC 6410 | Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues in Public Health | Required | 3 |
PHC 6313 | Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health | Required | 3 |
Quantitative Methods and Statistics: 12 credits | |||
STA 6166 | Statistical Methods Research I | Required | 3 |
PHC 6053 or EDF 7412 | Regression Methods for the Life Sciences Or | Required | 3 |
Structural Equation Models | |||
PHC 6000 or PHC 6700 | Epidemiology Methods Or | Required | 3 |
Social and Behavioral Research Methods Applied to Public Health | |||
Additional course approved by supervisory committee based on research focus of the student | Required | 3 | |
Professional Issues: 7 credits | |||
PHC 6937 | Public Health Journal Club | Required | 1 |
PHC 6937 | Public Health and Biomedical Ethics | Required | 2 |
PHC 6162 | Public Health Grant Writing | Required | 3 |
PHC XXXX | Seminar in Public Health Teaching | Required | 1 |
Concentration Area: 35 credits; students choose a concentration | |||
Environmental and Global Health | |||
VME 6602 | General Toxicology | Required | 3 |
PHC 6702 | Exposure Assessment | Required | 3 |
PHC 6937 | Heatlh Risk and Crisis Communication | Required | 2 |
PHC 6937 | Health and Development 1 | Elective | 3 |
PHC 6937 | Health and Development 2 | Elective | 3 |
VME 6607 | Human Health Risk Assessment | Required | 4 |
PHC 6762 or | International or Global Health | Required | 3 |
PHC XXXX | |||
Students choose an area of specialization within EGH in consultation with their supervisory committee | Required but courses not dictated | 12 | |
PHC XXXX | Laboratory Rotation Setting is selected based on academic focus of student | Required | 4 |
VME 6767 | Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Research | Required | 1 |
General elective from different specialization area to round out education in environmental and global health | Elective | 3 | |
Social and Behavioral Science | |||
PHC 6112 | Assessment and Surveillance for Public Health | Required | 3 |
PHC XXXX | Instrument Development for Health Behavior | Required | 2 |
PHC XXXX | Public Health Qualitative Methods | Required | 3 |
PHC 6937 | Theory Development and Testing for Public Health Social and Behavioral Science | Required | 2 |
PHC 6937 | Perspectives in Public Health: Social and Behavioral Science | Required | 1 |
Behavioral and social science theory courses representing different behavioral and social theories (e.g. Psychological, anthropological, social) approved by supervisory committee | Required but courses not dictated | 12 | |
Students choose an area of specialization within SBS in consultation with their supervisory committee | Required but courses not dictated | 12 | |
Supervised Research: 3 credits | |||
PHC 7979 | Supervised Research | Required | 3 |
Supervised Teaching: 3 credits | |||
PHC 6940 | Supervised Teaching in Public Health | Required | 3 |
Dissertation Hours: 15 credits | |||
PHC 7980 | Research for Doctoral Dissertation | Required | 15 |
TOTAL | 90 |