The purpose of the PhD program in the Institute of Public Health is to educate the next generation of prevention scientists conducting public health research in academia, governmental public health, health care organizations and the private sector. A graduate with the Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health will contribute to new knowledge, to a better understanding of health disparities, to the amelioration of critical health problems, and to the development of new interventions to promote health.
In 2007 - just three years after accepting its first students - the Institute was accredited as a graduate program in community health and preventive medicine by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the accrediting body for both schools and graduate programs in public health particularly in urban settings.
Reflecting this continuing growth, the Institute attained approval from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in March, 2011 to establish a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health degree program.
