DrPH Graduation Requirements

DrPH level degree seeking students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to remain in good academic standing and to be eligible to graduate. In the event the cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation. Students have nine (9) credits to elevate the cumulative GPA to at least 3.0 or will be excluded from the program. Also, students earning grades of “D” or below will be excluded from the program.

The College of Graduate Studies Continuous Enrollment policy states that: “All thesis or dissertation students who have registered at least once for courses titled thesis or dissertation must be continuously enrolled every semester thereafter, including the semester of graduation. Summer registration is not required unless summer is the graduation semester.”

There is no foreign language requirement.

Students may request that up to, but no more than, nine (9) graduate credits be applied toward the 60 credits required for the DrPH Transfer credit must also satisfy the same requirements as courses taught for doctoral training within the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (e.g., minimum grade of “B”), be consistent with the student’s approved program of study, and have been received from a regionally accredited college or university. Thesis and dissertation credit cannot be transferred. The student must provide documentation in support of equivalence, such as a course syllabus, transcript, term paper, and/or instructor testimony. Equivalence is determined by the JPHCOPH faculty responsible for teaching the specific class. Credit reductions do not influence the residency and enrollment requirements or comprehensive examination procedures.

All requirements for the DrPH must be completed within seven academic years from the date of the first enrollment for study following admission to the doctoral program. For transfer students, the seven-year time limit commences with the semester during which transfer credit was earned.

Every DrPH student is required to have an approved Program of Study on file in the College of Graduate Studies or have completed the program under DegreeWorks.

DrPH students will work with the Faculty Center and the Office of the Provost to successfully complete training and teach at least one course (this does not apply to students that are hired as a teaching assistant).

All DrPH students are required to complete and pass a concentration-specific candidacy examination. Students failing the concentration exam are allowed only one retake.  In the event any DrPH student fails the concentration retake exam, the student will be immediately excluded from the program and all registered courses for the upcoming semester will be administratively cancelled.

The preceptorship is an important applied practical experience in a public health-related setting. DrPH students will complete a 300-hour preceptorship under the joint direction of a qualified public health professional and a public health faculty member.

All doctoral candidates are required to prepare, complete and successfully defend an integrated learning experience/dissertation.

Once a student becomes eligible for candidacy, they will be allowed to register for integrated learning experience (ILE)/dissertation credits. To register for ILE/dissertation credit hours, the student will need to complete the Dissertation Course Override Form. The form must be completed every semester the student registers for ILE/dissertation credits.

The role of the Student Services Coordinator is to assist the student in developing a Program of Study for the degree and that assures sufficient flexibility to satisfy individual goals. The coordinator is responsible for reviewing and discussing the requirements of both the College of Public Health and the College of Graduate Studies with the student to ensure that the student is fully informed of the requirements necessary for completing the DrPH degree.

The faculty mentor develops a relationship with the student based on open communication. The mentor is responsible for the overall guidance and professional development of the student. It is often through this relationship that students acquire the doctoral-level training in sophisticated analytical thinking, identification of significant questions and literature in the field, and understanding of the experimental and disciplinary concepts and design of approaches to productively address problems in public health. In many cases, the mentor will also be the student’s dissertation committee chair and thus will play an active role in proposing appropriate professional and/or research opportunities, as well as monitoring the student’s progress.