Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health in the research area of Epidemiology (thesis-based)

Program Requirements

Students must complete the following:

1. Required courses (12 units):

SPH 602 - Engaged Scholarship for Health (2 units)
SPH 603 - Scientific Communication in Public Health (2 units)
SPH 604 - Advanced Theory and Research Methods in Public Health (2 units)
SPH 719 - Biostatistics III (3 units)
SPH 766 - Advanced Epidemiology Methods (3 units)

2. Elective courses:

Additional courses as approved by the student’s Supervisor.

3. Candidacy Examination:

The Candidacy Examination occurs within three years of the start of the PhD program, once all course work is completed. The Candidacy Examination includes a written thesis proposal and oral examination, which is primarily intended to assess the student’s ability to conduct independent research.

4. Thesis:

Successfully complete and defend a thesis on a research topic in the program area defined in consultation with the student’s supervisory committee. The scope and quality of the thesis must represent an advance in knowledge of the candidate’s field of study and should be appropriate to form the basis for at least one refereed journal publication describing the methodology and results of the research.

Residence Requirement

The minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time registration.

Length of Program

The time required to complete the PhD will vary according to the previous training of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken. The maximum time permitted for completion of the program is six years (part- or full-time) from the date of first registration.