Ph.D. FAQS

Any applicant whose country of birth is English-speaking (as listed here) is not subject to the English Proficiency requirement. For applicants whose country of birth is not English-speaking, proof of English proficiency can be demonstrated through one of the following means:

• Proof of baccalaureate or graduate degree completion inside the U.S. (from an accredited institution) or outside the U.S., where English is the official language of academic instruction from an approved country (view this link for the list of approved countries)
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores of 80 or above (internet-based test)
• International Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 or above
• Completion of a University System of Georgia approved ESL program

One application is required for this program:

• SOPHAS Application

The SOPHAS application and all supporting documents must be in by the deadline. Please note that SOPHAS verification does not mean your application is complete and ready for review for Georgia State University. Your application must be SOPHAS verified before the review process can begin

Review the Ph.D. application process for information about admissions requirements.

For your Ph.D. application to be considered complete and ready for review, the required documents listed in the question above must be received by SOPHAS and verified. During the SOPHAS application process, you will receive emails from our Office of Academic Assistance (OAA) containing follow-up questions or confirming receipt of your application. It is important for you to regularly check your email inbox and respond to emails from our OAA staff.

No. Applicants will only be admitted in the fall. The application and credentials deadline is December 1st.

The following list is a summary of application requirements.

Documents should be submitted through SOPHAS.

• One copy of an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended.
• Three references from individuals knowledgeable of the applicant’s academic, professional and intellectual abilities. One of the letters must be an academic reference.
• A Statement of Interest and Professional Intent.
• Additional requirements for international students are found HERE.

Yes. The GRE/GMAT are not required for admission to School of Public Health graduate programs.

For international applicants from countries/education programs where English is not the official language, scores from the TOEFL exam are required. Click here for requirements for international applicants. For information on Georgia State's International Student and Scholar Services, click HERE.

The TOEFL is not required of international applicants who have received a degree from an accredited U.S. institution.

Admission preference will be given to students who have already acquired a Master of Public Health (MPH) or equivalent degree. You must possess at least a Masters-level graduate degree to be admitted into the Ph.D. program. Students who hold a master's degree in a discipline other than public health will be considered case-by-case.

Acceptance to the Ph.D. program is highly competitive. On average, eight to 10 new students are accepted each year.

Yes. Once a pool of competitive applicants is selected and notified, zoom interviews will be scheduled. Final selection decisions will be made after the completion of all interviews.

Please e-mail your questions to [email protected] .

Once your application and materials have arrived in our office, they become the property of Georgia State University. For this reason, no materials will be returned or released to an applicant or to any other party, such as another school or external agencies, for example. Moreover, your application fee is nonrefundable and will not be returned if your application is withdrawn or denied.

The admissions committee will consider a variety of criteria in the selection of doctoral students, including official GRE/GMAT scores, academic performance in previous degree programs, academic and professional background and experiences, recommendation letters and the applicant’s personal statement. Competitive applicants will interview with SPH faculty to further determine research interests and academic potential.

Although the selection of applicants is based on various criteria, a successful Ph.D. applicant will exhibit a solid academic and professional background, with evidence of meaningful experience in public health or a closely related field. This experience should be reflected in a personal statement demonstrating significant motivation for conducting and sharing public health research. Letters of recommendation should provide evidence of the applicant’s potential as an independent researcher. Successful applicants will also show above-average performance on the GRE/GMAT.

Although not required, a Master of Public Health (MPH) or an equivalent degree is highly recommended for students pursuing a Ph.D. in public health. Not only does an MPH provide students with a solid foundation of public health competencies, but many MPH students are also able to gain research experience through research assistantships or other work opportunities. These experiences allow students to determine a preferred focus for their Ph.D. studies. For those prospective students without an MPH degree, research experience in rigorous academic or professional opportunities in the public health field is highly recommended.

A Ph.D. in public health prepares students with specific interests for a career in research or academia. Depending on the interest area, graduates of the Ph.D. program often teach in universities, lead research laboratories or direct research projects at the federal, state, or local level. The Ph.D. program requires a substantial time commitment and a significant interest in advancing one’s research skills in a particular field.

A research background is not required for success in the program, but some experience in research is recommended. Potential applicants without a research background should demonstrate a capacity to perform independent research through evidence of previous academic success, strong recommendation letters and satisfactory GRE/GMAT scores.

Ph.D. students will choose one of four concentrations: Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Promotion and Behavior, or Health Services and Policy Research. The specialized coursework will depend on the student’s research interests and will be determined by the student, his or her major professor, and his or her Doctoral Advisory Committee.

Visit the program page for the Doctor of Philosophy and click on “Core Curriculum” for more information.

To fulfill the significant commitment required of doctoral students, it is highly recommended that students maintain full-time student status for the duration of the Ph.D. program. Part-time will be considered for admission, especially for those working in a public health setting.

Applicants who can commit to full-time study will receive preference in the selection process. However, part-time applicants with especially strong academic or professional backgrounds may be considered.

The amount of time required to complete the Ph.D. program will largely depend upon the number of courses a student can take each semester and the amount of time he or she needs to complete and defend a dissertation. On average, however, a full-time student who enters the program with the necessary prerequisite courses can complete the required coursework in two years and complete and defend a dissertation in an additional 12-18 months. It is reasonable to expect three to five years to complete the Ph.D. program. The school requires that a student complete degree requirements within nine years of the student’s semester of matriculation.

Prior to enrolling in Dissertation Research, a student must be accepted into candidacy.

The following is a list of requirements for admission to candidacy:

• Prerequisites set as a condition to admission to the Ph.D. program have been satisfactorily completed.
• The residence requirement (30 hours of consecutive coursework) has been met.
• A GPA of 3.2 (B) has been maintained for graduate courses taken and for completed courses in the program of study.
• The Doctoral Advisory Committee, the graduate coordinator and the school have approved the final program of study.
• Written and oral comprehensive examinations have been passed and reported to the Graduate School.
• Your Doctoral Advisory Committee is confirmed and all members have been notified of their appointment.

To determine eligibility for financial aid, please visit the University’s Student Financial Services.

Information about graduate tuition and fees can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

To determine eligibility for financial aid, visit the University’s Student Financial Services website

Admitted doctoral students who plan to study full-time will be considered for Graduate Research Assistantships and/or Teaching Assistantships. Assistantships cover the cost of tuition and provide a monthly stipend. Students are still responsible for university student fees. The school cannot guarantee this funding for all students.

GRAs provide full-time students with an opportunity to work with a faculty member on research projects, gaining valuable experience in their chosen field.

• The following criteria must be met and maintained for a student to be a GRA or GTA.
• Students must have and maintain a 3.2 or higher cumulative grade point average.Students must be enrolled in the minimum hours deemed a full-time load (nine semester hours during the regular academic year and six semester hours in the summer).
• Concurrent with the assistantship appointment, doctoral students should not be engaged in other significant outside employment.

Assistantships are awarded competitively based on the applicant pool and their qualifications. A variety of factors are considered when evaluating an applicant’s qualifications: research or professional experience, academic record, and the correlation between the applicant’s specific experience and the particular assistantship positions that are available. Once selected, students normally retain the award through the duration of their degree, subject to performance. A select number of students will be nominated for University Doctoral Fellowships. Final selection of these appointments will be made by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Research and Economic Development, respectively.

Faculty at the Mark Chaffin Center for Health Development (MCCHD) within the School of Public Health are seeking one to two Ph.D. students for the Second Century Initiative (2CI) University Doctoral Fellowship.  Appropriate applicants are Ph.D. students interested in research focused on the intersection of public health and child maltreatment, maternal child health, and/or the impact of disability throughout the lifespan.  Students would have the opportunity to work with a variety of prestigious faculty at MCCHD, including Drs. Daniel Crimmins, Kathleen Baggett, Daniel Whitaker, or Shannon Self-Brown, based on the fit of the students research interests with faculty grants and lines of research.

Stipend: This award includes $22,000 annually or $1,833 monthly.

Renewable award: Your award may be renewed for up to a total of four years

Tuition Waiver: In addition to your stipend, you will receive a full tuition waiver. Thus, Georgia State University will cover approximately $14,000 (in state) or $45,000 (out of state) in annual tuition costs for you. You will be responsible for paying only $37.50 each semester toward your tuition.

Minimum Credit Hours: The School of Public Health requires that students receiving tuition waivers sign up for a minimum number of credit hours.

Drs. Laura Salazar and Katherine Masyn with the School of Public Health are seeking one to two Ph.D. students for the Second Century Initiative (2CI) University Doctoral Fellowship in Health Justice. Appropriate applicants are Ph.D. students interested in research focused on understanding and ameliorating significant health disparities experienced by racial, sexual and gender minority populations.  A strong interest in developing skills in advanced quantitative methods applied to health disparities research is not required but is encouraged. Depending on the student’s chosen concentration, students would have the opportunity to work with either Dr. Salazar in Health Promotion and Behavior or Dr. Masyn in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Stipend: This award includes $22,000 annually or $1,833 monthly.

Renewable award: Your award may be renewed for up to a total of four years

Tuition Waiver: In addition to your stipend, you will receive a full tuition waiver. Thus, Georgia State University will cover approximately $14,000 (in state) or $45,000 (out of state) in annual tuition costs for you. You will be responsible for paying only $37.50 each semester toward your tuition.

Minimum Credit Hours: The School of Public Health requires that students receiving tuition waivers sign up for a minimum number of credit hours.

Second Century Initiative (2CI) University Doctoral Fellowships focused at the interface of infectious disease dynamics and Big Data are available in the lab of Professor Gerardo Chowell in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Students selected as University Fellows receive the following:

Stipend: This award is made in the amount of $22,000 annually or $1,833 monthly.

Renewable award: Your award may be renewed for up to a total of four years

Tuition Waiver: In addition to your stipend, you will receive a full tuition waiver. Thus, Georgia State University will cover approximately $14,000 (in state) or $45,000 (out of state) in annual tuition costs for you. You will be responsible for paying only $37.50 each semester toward your tuition.

Minimum Credit Hours: The School of Public Health requires that students receiving tuition waivers sign up for a minimum number of credit hours.