Curriculum (Total 63 credit hours)

Prerequisite Coursework

Students who graduated with an MPH or MSPH degree from a CEPH accredited program or school are assumed to have met the required prerequisite foundation courses. Students entering with a master’s degree in a field other than public health must complete the Required Prerequisite Foundation courses in Public Health in the first year of starting the program in consultation with the Ph.D. Director and/or Advisor. These prerequisite foundation course credits do not count toward the 63 credit hours required for the Ph.D.

Required Prerequisite Foundation Courses in Public Health (9 credit hours)

• HLTH 6200 – Case Studies in Public Health (3)
• HLTH 6211 – Evidence-Based Methods in Public Health (3)
• HLTH 6271 – Public Health Data Analysis (3)

Degree Requirements

This degree program requires 63 post-master’s credit hours.  All coursework must be taken at the 6000-level or above.  The majority of the courses are at the 8000-level.

Core Methods Courses (15 credit hours)

• HLTH 8201 – Introduction to Quantitative Research Design (3)
• HLTH 8270 – Applied Biostatistics: Regression (3)
• HLTH 8271 – Applied Biostatistics: Multivariate Methods (3)
• HLTH 8281 – Measurement and Scale Development (3)
• HLTH 8282 – Health Survey Design and Research (3)

Professional Seminar Courses (9 credit hours)

• HLTH 8601 – Ethics and Integrity in Health Research and Practice (3)
• HLTH 8602 – Communicating and Disseminating Research (1)
• HLTH 8603 – Teaching Portfolio (3)
• HSRD 8604 – Seminar in Health Outcomes (1)
• HSRD 8605 – Seminar in Grant Proposal Writing (1)

Concentration in Behavioral Sciences Courses (12 credit hours)

• HLTH 8220 – Theories and Interventions in Behavioral Science (3)
• HLTH 8221 – Qualitative Research in Behavioral Sciences (3)
• HLTH 8223 – Social Determinants of Health (3)
• HSRD 8261 – Healthcare Program Evaluation, Outcomes, and Quality (3)

Specialty Content Courses (9 credit hours)

Specialty content areas are developed in consultation with the doctoral student’s advisor and make use of expertise and course offerings on the UNC Charlotte campus. Specialty content areas can focus on a specific population (e.g., older adults/gerontology or maternal and child health (MCH)), a health issue (e.g., AIDS), or approach (e.g., psychology).  A specialty content area should cover literature related to: health and social policy issues, epidemiology of a health condition/population, relevant theories or approaches related to the condition/population, and/or current topics in the area. Coursework must be at the 6000-8000 level.

Students may define an area of interest not listed pending approval of the Program Director, Dissertation Committee Chair/faculty advisor, and other faculty as needed. A student may also select another relevant area of interest, provided it can be fulfilled with existing graduate courses or through independent study courses with Public Health Sciences PhD faculty.

Dissertation Courses (18 credit hours)

HLTH 8901 – Dissertation Research (3, 6, or 9)

Contact​

Ahmed A. Arif, PhD
Professor, Director of PhD Programs in Health Services Research and Public Health Sciences
Department of Public Health Sciences
College of Health and Human Services
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
Phone: 704-687-8719