Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health Sciences

Students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalents) are required to do so: CHS 212; Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and 406. These courses do not count toward the minimum course requirements for the doctoral degree, and must be taken for a letter grade.

If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required. These courses do not count toward the minimum course requirements for the doctoral degree, and must be taken for a letter grade.

• School of Public Health core courses for the Masters in Public Health (MS):  Biostatistics 100A, B, and Epidemiology 100
• Community Health Sciences (CHS) core courses: CHS 210, 211A, and 211B

The program requires the completion of the following elements:

1. Course Requirements

• A minimum of 48 units in residence in the doctoral program. Only four units of individual studies (CHS 596) may be counted toward this requirement; the Doctoral Roundtable does not fulfill any of this requirement.
• The 2-quarter theory class, CHS 270 A&B: Foundations of Community Health Sciences
• As the PhD is a research degree, students are expected to take substantial course work in research methodology (i.e., data collection) and statistics (i.e., data analysis). The type of methods studied should be appropriate to the kind of research that will be conducted for the dissertation and thereafter.
• Doctoral Roundtable (CHS 286) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study.
• Students minor in a PhD-granting department outside the School of Public Health in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. The minor should provide a theoretical foundation and, therefore, may not be in methodology or statistics. Four graduate-level courses (16 units) are required, and must not include a 596 course.

The CHS Doctoral Handbook courses document outlines recommended courses in methodology and statistics.

2. Additional Requirements

• Minor area exam
• Departmental Exam - a standardized examination administered by the CHS Doctoral Committee
• Oral Exam – the defense of the dissertation proposal
• Dissertation
• Dissertation Defense

The typical time to degree for the PhD in Community Health Sciences is six years. The maximum amount of time permitted to obtain the degree is eight years.

The typical sequence for the doctoral degree is two years of coursework, followed by preparation and completion of two written qualifying exams, preparation of a research proposal, oral qualifying exam (proposal defense), completion of a dissertation, and oral dissertation defense. Doctoral students are advanced to candidacy after they have passed their oral qualifying exam. 

View a list of faculty in the Department of Community Health Sciences.

Graduates of the program generally assume teaching, research, and managerial positions in universities, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, international health agencies, and research centers.

Graduates often enter careers in the following areas:

• Direct application of information, research, and technology to health problems
• Promoting public and policy maker awareness of health problems, devising and advocating public policies to address those problems, and monitoring the implementation of policies
• Community organizing and community development to address health problems
• The design, implementation, and evaluation of community-based public health interventions
• Teaching and research at research and other academic institutions
• Research in government and independent agencies and research centers
• Overseeing research and demonstration grants in private foundations and government

For the most up to date fees and more information on fee breakdown, visit the registrar's office.

Please see the cost and aid section of our website for information on awards, scholarships, training opportunities, employment, summer internship funding, and need-based aid. Please note that opportunities listed under 'Summer Internship Funding' are only applicable to MPH students.

Desired Qualifications

In addition to meeting the University’s minimum requirements, the department requires:

• A masters degree in public health or other appropriate degree in a related field with a grade-point average of at least 3.5 for graduate studies
• Acceptance by an initial doctoral advisor in the department
• Although not required for admission, work experience in the field is viewed favorably when competing applications are judged

Admissions Process

Visit the application guide to learn about our admissions process.