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Earn your Ph.D. in a global hub of public health expertise.
What does it cost?

Check out the graduate cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

How long will it take?

62 credit hours of coursework plus completion of a dissertation, approximately four years for full-time students

Where will I take classes?
Atlanta Campus

Some classes will be online or hybrid—meaning some days you would meet in the classroom, some days online—but the entire program will not be online.

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

  • Fall: December 1
  • Spring: Does not admit
  • Summer: Does not admit

Health Services and Policy Research Concentration, Ph.D. in Public Health

Located in the heart of Atlanta, a global hub of public health expertise, the Ph.D. program at Georgia State University educates the next generation of public health leaders capable of conducting independent research in academia, governmental public health, health care organizations, and the private sector.

The Health Services and Policy Research Concentration prepares doctoral scholars to research public health and health care policy. Areas include the distribution of and access to health care services, the finance and reimbursement of health care services, and the quality and outcomes of health care services and programs. To prepare doctoral scholars for interdisciplinary research aimed at making broad impacts to public health, the health services and policy research concentration draws from disciplines beyond public health, including health administration, health policy, public administration, business, public health law, health ethics and economics.

About the School of Public Health

Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia State’s School of Public Health provides a practice-based education in a thriving global city, creating leaders who are prepared to advance health equity and address urgent challenges.

Public Health students engage in practicum opportunities throughout greater Atlanta’s vibrant public health community in places such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local government agencies and international non-governmental organizations.

Learn more about the School of Public Health

Program Highlights

Georgia State is among the elite institutions classified as a doctoral university with very high research activity. The School of Public Health comprises two departments—Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences and Population Health Sciences—and houses several cross disciplinary centers and initiatives.

Health equity is an overriding theme of our research activity, and our areas of faculty research expertise include:

  • Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiologic Methodology
  • Cancer, Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Social Determinants
  • Environmental Health Science
  • Health Policy, Economics and Implementation Science
  • Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • Maternal and Child Health, and Aging
  • Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Substance Use
  • Urban and Global Health
  • Violence Prevention, Mental Health and Well-Being

In the past year alone, faculty research and outreach at Georgia State has been supported by $21 million in competitive funding from external grants.

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Career Outlook

Black Male presenting

Career paths for holders of the Ph.D. in Public Health with a concentration in Health Services and Policy Research include:

  • Behavioral Scientist
  • Director of Clinical Research
  • Health Scientist
  • Professor
  • Research Scientist
  • Senior Epidemiologist

Program Details

Admission preference will be given to students who have already earned a Master of Public Health or equivalent degree. All other students will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that two applications are required for this program:

  • SOPHAS Application
  • SOPHAS Supplemental Admissions Application: Georgia State/CAS-Liaison Programs

Both applications and all supporting documents must be in by the deadline.

Visit the SOPHAS website for application details, SOPHAS Georgia State/CAS-Liaison Programs supplemental application instructions and FAQs.

Application materials include:

  • SOPHAS application and fee
  • Georgia State/CAS Liaison Program application and fee
  • A resume or curriculum vitae
  • Official transcripts from each college and/or university attended
  • Three professional references
  • A statement of purpose and objectives
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for international applicants

The GRE is no longer a requirement for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Use the HOW TO APPLY button below for a complete list of instructions for the Georgia State application and to get started.

Our curriculum prepares students to contribute new public health knowledge and develop interventions to promote health, reduce health disparities and ameliorate critical health problems at the population, societal and global level.

For complete degree requirements, visit the catalog.

Check out the graduate cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

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.

Contacts

Office of Academic Assistance
404-413-1452
[email protected]

School of Public Health LogoUrban Life Building
140 Decatur St.
Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30303