Public Health (Doctoral)

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Doctoral Programs and Requirements

Degree
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
Public Health (DrPH) w/a Concentration in Health Management and Policy
Public Health (DrPH) w/a Concentration in Population Health Analytics and Decision-Making
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The Department of Public Health offers a doctor of public health degree (DrPH). This 45 credit online degree is an interdisciplinary program drawing from all departments within the School of Public Health. Students will also choose one of two concentrations: health management and policy or population health analytics and decision-making.

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

The doctor of public health (DrPH) is a practice degree. The primary career orientation of graduates is to provide leaders for the public health sector. While some graduates at some point in their career may enter academia, this is not the central goal of the program. The Samford DrPH degree is an interdisciplinary program drawing from strengths within each department in the School of Public Health. Students in the program receive an advanced education in the scholarship of knowledge translation, the development of a broad understanding of all aspects of public health, through integration of multiple disciplines, and the ability to rigorously apply scientific findings to address complex problems of public health policy and practice. The curriculum is designed to provide mastery of high-level competencies in management, innovation, and analytics. Students will complete a core as well as coursework in one of the concentrations (health management and policy or population health analytics and decision making). All coursework is offered online.

Admission Requirements

Possess a master of public health (M.P.H.), master of healthcare administration (M.H.A.), master of science in public health (M.S.P.H.), master of social work (M.S.W.), master of science in nursing (M.S.N.), master of science in nutrition (M.S.) or other relevant master’s degree from a college or university that holds institutional accreditation
Obtain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
Submit a GRE score taken within five years preceding the application. Results from the GMAT, MCAT, DAT, or PCAT are also accepted. This requirement can be waived if the student has a minimum of five years of public health experience. GRE waivers are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Complete all sections of the application.
Submit three letters of reference through the application system. The three required references should be from a) current or previous professor, b) work supervisor, and c) professional colleague.
International applicants or American citizens who learned English as a second language must score at least 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Must complete 24 credit hours as a full-time student in a U.S. college or university that holds institutional accreditation.
Upon acceptance, a non-refundable fee of $500 is required to secure admission into the program. This fee is applied to the first semester’s tuition.
Exceptions to any of the admission requirements may be considered on an individual basis.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 12 hours may apply towards this program, pending approval of the program director.

Progression Policies

Upon the recommendation of the faculty, students in good standing with the university, who have completed all requirements of the curriculum, are granted the DrPH degree.
Students may not receive any grades lower than B for the DrPH courses and must maintain a 3.00 GPA at all times. Courses with grades lower than B may be re-taken one time. When a course is re-taken, both grades remain on the transcript and both are used in calculating the student’s GPA.
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher and may not re-take more than two courses during their doctor of public health studies. Students whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation and will not be able to take more than three courses. Students who remain on academic probation for more than two semesters and students who receive a grade lower than B in more than two courses will be terminated from the doctor of public health program.

Time Limit

All courses required for the doctor of public health must be completed within a period of five years from the academic session of first admission.

Time-to-Degree Completion Plan

The program is designed to be completed in five terms, or approximately one-and-a-half to two years, if full-time.

Courses

Public Health - Doctoral

NOTE: See the Public Health (Graduate) section or the DrPH program tables for links to additional courses required for the doctor of public health.