Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. degree requires completion of a minimum of sixty-two (62) credit hours of coursework and a declared concentration in a public health core area. Students are also required to complete a dissertation.

• PHPH 8721: Epidemiologic Methods II (3)
• PHPB 9120: Theory and Practice in Health and Prevention (3)
• PHPB 9140: Advanced Research Methods (3)
• PHPB 9150: Public Health Ethics (3)
• PHPH 9810: Biostatistical Methods I (3)
• PHPH 9820: Biostatistical Methods II (3)

Twenty seven (27) hours of required coursework and electives have been established to ensure that students achieve proficiency in the competencies and skills related to each Ph.D. program of study: Epidemiology (EPID), Health Promotion and Behavior (HPMP), Health Services and Policy Research (HSRP) or Environmental Health. Each student selects a program concentration upon application to the Ph.D. degree. To meet the individualized, in-depth training needs of doctoral students, many concentration research methods and/or elective areas have multiple course options that doctoral students may choose from to satisfy their unique learning needs and future career paths. All choices should be made in consultation with the student’s Faculty Advisor, and Faculty Advisor agreement with the course choices is implied on the Faculty Advisor and Doctoral Advisory Committee approved Doctoral Program of Study form. Students are encouraged to seek Faculty Advisor consultation well before concentration research methods and/or elective course registration.

• Epidemiology Concentration (Ph.D.)
• Health Services & Policy Research (Ph.D.)
• Health Promotion & Behavior (Ph.D.)
• Environmental Health Concentration (Ph.D.)

• PHPB 9180 or PHPH 9180: Doctoral Research Seminar I (3)
• PHPB 9181 or PHPH 9181: Doctoral Research Seminar II (2)

• PHPB 9960 or PHPH 9960: Public Health Doctoral Practice Experience (3)
• PHPB 9990 or PHPH 9990: Dissertation (9)

Students will be expected to pass a doctoral comprehensive exam where they student demonstrates mastery of the doctoral program body of knowledge and proficiency in the program competencies.

Students will have two opportunities to pass this exam, which is graded Pass/Fail by two faculty in the School of Public Health.

The dissertation will provide the student with an educational experience that enables the student to make a significant contribution to the field of public health and to apply the doctoral program knowledge and skills that allow him or her to contribute to the theoretical, conceptual, empirical, or practice base in the field of public health. Enrollment for dissertation credit is permitted only after successful completion of the comprehensive examination. Students must register for a minimum of nine (9) credit hours of PHPB/PHPH 9990.

The Ph.D. application is processed through SOPHAS. Click HERE for more information about Ph.D. admissions requirements.

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

The following list is a summary of application requirements. All documents should be submitted through SOPHAS.

•  One copy of an official transcript from all colleges and/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.
•  Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Applicants with an earned doctorate (including an M.D. or J.D.) from an accredited institution in the U.S. do not need to take either examination.
•  Additional requirements for international students are found HERE.

We only accept scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Scores must not be more than 5 years old. MCAT and LSAT scores will not be accepted as substitutes for the GRE/GMAT. Visit the following sites for more details:

GRE Registration: http://www.ets.org/

GMAT Registration: http://www.gmac.com

Applicants with an earned doctorate (including an M.D. or J.D.) from an accredited institution in the U.S. do not need to take either examination.

Official GRE scores should be sent directly to SOPHAS from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) by using the code 3750. There is not currently a SOPHAS code for the GMAT, so GMAT scores should be sent directly to Georgia State University from ETS using the code 5251. Score reports from third parties will not be accepted.

Competitive GRE test scores (Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing) should range in the 60th – 70th percentile for all sections. The School of Public Health does not have a minimum score requirement, but applicants with scores below 300 are unlikely to be admitted.

While no minimum GPAs are required, applicants with a cumulative undergraduate and graduate GPA of 3.2, respectively, are considered more competitive. The Admissions Committee will also take into account the rigor of the academic program and degree.

For international applicants from countries/education programs in which 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 University’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), 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 Masters in 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 on a case-by-case basis.

Acceptance to the Ph.D. program is highly competitive. On average, 8-10 new students are accepted each year.

Yes. Once a pool of competitive applicants is selected and notified, individual in-person or phone interviews will be scheduled. Final selection decisions will be made subsequent to the completion of all interviews.

Please e-mail your questions to publichealthadvising@gsu.edu.

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. Additionally, competitive applicants will interview with SPH faculty in order to further determine research interests and academic potential.

Although the selection of applicants is based on a variety of criteria, a successful Ph.D. applicant will exhibit a solid academic and professional background, with evidence of meaningful experience in the field of public health or a closely related field. This experience should be reflected in a personal statement that demonstrates a significant motivation for conducting and sharing public health research. Additionally, letters of recommendation should provide clear 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 Masters in 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, many MPH students are able to gain research experience through research assistantships or other work opportunities. These experiences offer students the opportunity to determine a preferred focus for their Ph.D. studies. For those prospective students without a MPH degree, previous 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 skills as a researcher 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 be able to 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 individual student’s research interests and will be determined by the student, his/her Major Professor, and his/her Doctoral Advisory Committee.

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

In order 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.

At this time, 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 is able to take each semester and the amount of time he/she needs to complete and defend a dissertation. On average, however, a full-time student who enters the program with all the necessary prerequisite courses can complete the required coursework in 2 years and complete and defend a dissertation in an additional 12-18 months. It is reasonable to expect to take 3-5 years to complete the Ph.D. program. The Institute requires that students complete all degree requirements within 9 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 complete list of requirements for admission to candidacy:

•  All 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 all graduate courses taken and for all completed courses in the program of study.
• The Doctoral Advisory Committee, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Institute have approved the final program of study.
• Written and oral comprehensive examinations have been passed and reported to the Graduate School.
• The Doctoral Advisory Committee is confirmed and all members have been notified of their appointment.

Information about graduate tuition and fees can be found HERE.

To determine eligibility for financial aid, please visit the University’s Financial Aid Office website at http://www.gsu.edu/financialaid/.

All admitted, doctoral students who plan to study full-time will be considered for Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) and/or Teaching Assistantships (TAs). Assistantships cover the cost of tuition and provide a monthly stipend. Students are still responsible for university student fees. The School of Public Health cannot guarantee this funding for all students.

To determine eligibility for financial aid, please visit the University’s Financial Aid Office website HERE.

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. Students in this situation should request approval for hire through the head of the academic unit and director of the doctoral program.

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.

Lynette Ametewee wants to develop her research expertise so she can play a role in raising the standard of health for global communities. “The common thread throughout my career has been developing, implementing and evaluating strategies and policies to improve systems to ensure equal access for underserved communities in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean,” she said. Ametewee has worked as a health policy lecturer, consultant and researcher in the United Kingdom and Ghana. She holds an MBA from Aston University and a Master of Laws in Corporate Finance from the University of Westminster in England.

Sarah Anderson has been working for the last decade at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a chemist and public health analyst. “Working in the field solidified my passion for researching health effects of environmental pollutants,” she said. “My goal is to study environmental epidemiology and the mechanisms in which persistent organic pollutants influence susceptibility of disease and population based health issues.” Anderson earned her MPH from Georgia State University in 2011.

Srimoyee Bose, whose background is in economics and spatial econometrics, is pursuing her Ph.D. in health services and policy research to find a balance between increasing healthcare costs in the United States and the quality of services available to the public. “I want to see how efficiently we can allocate the available resources across the population through well-constructed health policies that will be beneficial to everyone,” she said. Bose already has a Ph.D. in economics from West Virginia University, as well as a master’s degree in the subject from the same institution.

 

Melissa Cowart Osborne first became interested in public health as a child, when her mother worked on a project educating pregnant women about the importance of folic acid in the prevention of birth defects. “Later, I took an interest in violence prevention—especially child maltreatment prevention—and taking a public health approach to this problem,” she said. “Using research to make an impact on this issue is exciting to me.” Osborne earned an MPH from Georgia State in 2012 and worked as a research coordinator for the National SafeCare Training & Research Center, housed within the School of Public Health.

 

Rachel Culbreth worked as a respiratory therapist for several years in the emergency room, cardiac intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit of an Atlanta hospital. “I began observing health disparities in all settings, and I wanted to pursue a research career examining health disparities with the intent to ultimately eliminate them,” she said. She’s particularly interested in studying and addressing disparities related to HIV/AIDS, adolescent health and global health. Culbreth earned her MPH from the School of Public Health in 2015 and is a member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.

Linh Dinh’s research interests lie in disease transmission dynamics and effectiveness of interventions. She earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2013 from the Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam and an MPH in 2015 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She sees public health as “similar to clinical medicine but targeting broader populations.” Dinh is pursuing a Ph.D. in public health to blend her quantitative skills and clinical background with research to improve population health.

Dina Jones is a graduate research assistant in the School of Public Health’s Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science. “From an early age, I recognized my desire to help others and, after learning of public health, I realized epidemiology would by my way of helping,” she said. Jones, who is focusing her Ph.D. studies on epidemiology, said her goal is to be a tobacco researcher, studying what drives people to use novel tobacco products and working toward reducing it. She has an MPH from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Jamal Jones became interested in public health after taking an undergraduate class that looked at how different minority communities are affected by health care policies. “I soon wanted to learn more about various determinants of health and the epidemiological methods used to identify these determinants,” he said. His research is focused on gaining insights into what young, black men think of HIV prevention and testing campaigns, as well as how social media can be used to deliver effective HIV prevention messages.

Fiona Kelly, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been working in public health since she was in high school. She began her career with the CDC as a microbiologist in 2007. “I want to get my Ph.D. in epidemiology because I want to learn more advanced analytic techniques,” she said. Her research has focused on prevention and treatment of the bleeding disorder known as hemophilia. Kemp has an MPH and B.S. in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University.

Catherine Kemp’s public health goal is to be a leader in developing public policy and programs to improve population health. “I am particularly interested in psychological, social and behavioral health determinants affecting adolescent and young adult populations, as this is the period in life when habituating healthy behaviors and preventing harmful behaviors is most critical,” she said. Kemp has experience in nursing and health care management. She earned a master of health care administration from Worcester State University. Dr. Kemp works as a Social Scientist at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in Silver Spring, MD.

Krishna Kota’s public health interests lie in studying the underlying factors for high-risk behaviors among populations that are vulnerable to HIV/AIDs and other STDs. He joined the Ph.D. program to hone his research skills. “Studying public health, in particular health promotion and behavior, provides me with theoretical, epidemiological, and statistical methodologies, enabling me to conduct independent research,” he said. Kota currently is studying environmental stressors and health outcomes among transgender women in metro Atlanta. He has a master’s degree in biotechnology from Georgetown University.

Leah Moriarty has been interested in public health since volunteering in the pediatric ward of a tuberculosis hospital outside of Cape Town, South African, when she was an undergrad. “Since then, my experiences working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, researching influenza vaccines, and responding to Ebola with the CDC have led me to working on global health security,” she said. Moriarty is a public health analyst at the CDC and wants to research best practices in preparing for and responding to infectious disease threats around the world. She has an MPH from Emory University.

Desiree Mustaquim has worked as a surveillance epidemiologist for the CDC’s Influenza Division since 2008. She enjoys analyzing data and using creativity to solve problems. “Epidemiology is a fascinating field, crossing into many topics—from sociology to economics to biology,” she said. “Looking at the intersection of these to better understand causes of public health problems is one of the things I love most about the work that I do.” Mustaquim has an MPH from Emory University and a certificate in public health informatics from Johns Hopkins University.

Wellington C. Onyenwe is a health scientist and environmental toxicologist at the CDC. His work includes assisting in emergency response efforts involving exposure to environmental toxins and infectious diseases, such as the Ebola and Zika viruses. “As a first generation college graduate, I made a promise to use my opportunity and access to higher education toward eradicating complex issues related to environmental health both domestically and abroad,” he said. Onyenwe earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular toxicology from the University of California, Berkeley and his MPH from Emory University.

Jessica Rogers-Brown grew up in a small textile mill town in Appalachia and then moved to Los Angeles as a young adult. “While these two areas were vastly different in so many ways, they shared one common motivator—both areas had vast disparities in health and income,” she said. The desire to diminish those disparities inspired Rogers-Brown to earn her MPH and pursue a Ph.D. at Georgia State, where she now researches child maltreatment prevention and works at the Mark Chaffin Center for Health Development. “I believe that all children deserve a safe home, where they are loved and nurtured,” she said.

Rebecca Wells is a graduate research assistant in the Center for Leadership in Disability at the School of Public Health. “As a disability scholar and public health researcher, my primary interests are improving health and human services for individuals with disabilities, which can then impact their health and quality of life outcomes,” she said. Wells said she wants to improve public policy through a career in public health research. She has master’s degrees in social work and public health from the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Rebecca Wilson’s interest in public health began years ago when she worked as a behavioral health specialist in the children’s unit of a residential treatment facility. “This is where I discovered not only my passion for working with child victims, but for the first time, I began to see how my personal childhood experiences could be used to understand and help child victims obtain an improved quality of life,” she said. Wilson is now a public health advisor, overseeing how states are implementing a national surveillance system for violence involving families and children. She has an MPH from Georgia Southern University.

In addition to being a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Public Health, Heather Zesiger is director of the Office of Health Promotion at Emory University where she leads efforts to address sexual violence prevention; alcohol risk reduction and recovery support; promote sexual health; combat health disparities among students. “My setting as a practitioner leads me to study public health promotion in a higher education context,” she said. Zesiger’s research interests include the health impacts of microaggressions and opiate abuse in college and university settings. She has an MPH from Emory.