Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Health Curriculum - Social and Behavioral Health Sciences
(72 Credits)
Students seeking the Ph.D. in public health - social and behavioral health sciences degree must complete a
minimum
of 72 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of at least 3.2 overall and 3.2 in the set of required courses specified by the concentration; earn no more than 9 credit bearing grades less than B; and complete the degree requirements within seven years. Courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites do not count toward the minimum 72-credit Ph.D. curriculum. M.P.H. from a CEPH-accredited school or program meets prerequisite requirements. PHCO 0502 and PHCO 0504
must be completed before Year 1, fall semester (e.g., online summer
before) if student does not have graduate-level coursework in these two
areas.
- PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
- PHCO 0504 - Introduction to Biostatistics [Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment] (or equivalent)
- PHCO 0505 - Social and Behavioral Health Sciences in Public Health (or equivalent)
P.H.D. IN PUBLIC HEALTH CORE COURSES (9 credits)
- PHCO 0512 - Public Health Foundations. If a student holds an M.P.H. from a CEPH-accredited school or program of public health, course is waived, but not the credits
- ENOH 0701 - Public Health Research Ethics
- HBSP 0700 - Advances in Public Health Theories
REQUIRED CONCENTRATION COURSES (27 credits)
Note: Students should review the Course Descriptions in the School Catalog for specific information about prerequisites required for required courses and recommended electives.
- HBSP 0654 - Health Communication/Risk Communication
- HBSP 0701 - Grant Writing for Public Health, Behavioral, and Biomedical Research
- HBSP 0703 - Evaluation and Research Design for Public Health Interventions
- HBSP 0724 - Population Health and Public Policy
- HBSP 0726 - Intermediate Survey Research Methods
- BIST 0535 - Biostatistical Computing
- BIST 0551 - Applied Regression Analysis for Public Health Studies1
- BIST 0615 - Categorical Data Analysis
- EPID 0656 - Intermediate Epidemiologic Methods
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (12 credits)
- Behavioral Science Electives (6 credits): Selected with advisor approval
-
Analytical Electives (6 credits): Selected with advisor approval
REQUIRED RESEARCH (24 credits)
-
RESH 0701 - Doctoral Colloquium I
(0 credits) Taken in fall and spring in Year 1
-
RESH 0702 - Doctoral Colloquium
II (0 credits) Taken in fall and spring in Year 2
-
RESH 0760 - Doctoral Research (20
credits)
-
RESH 0761 - Doctoral Research:
Dissertation Proposal Seminar (3 credits) Taken in Year 2
-
1611-5556 - Ethical Scientific
Conduct (1 credit) [Offered through School of Graduate Studies] Taken in
spring in Year 1
OTHER REQUIREMENTS (0 credits)
-
Pass Qualifying Exam (written and
oral) Typically completed at the end of Year 2
- RESH 0730 - Ph.D. Seminar (0
credits) Attend Ph.D. seminar once per month for fall and spring
semesters, every year
- Earn a Teaching Certificate from
Rutgers Teaching Assistant Program (TAP) (0 credits) or complete HBSP 0725
- Effectively Teaching and Training Adults (3 credits)
-
Complete Ethical Scientific
Conduct Refresher (0 credit) Taken in Year 5
- Complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training on Human Subject Research Protections (For Students Enrolled Fall 2024 and After)
All PhD students are expected to engage in research activities with their Faculty Advisor.
Notes: 1With Advisor approval, may substitute with BIST 0610 - Advanced Regression
Methods for Public Health Studies.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Programs 
