Christine Bozlak speaking at the YMCA.

Doctor of Public Health in
Public Health

Program of Study

programofstudy

The Doctor of Public Health program is completed through full or part-time study on campus and includes the following coursework and experiences:

MPH Courses (15 credits)

You will be able to transfer in the appropriate credits if you have a previous MPH degree from an accredited school or program.

  • Principles and Methods of Epidemiology I 
  • Principles of Public Health
  • Principles of Statistical Inference I
  • Health Care Organization, Delivery and Financing 
  • Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health 


Core Courses (30 credits)

  • Advanced Topics in Public Health Research and Practice I & II
  • Translating Research Into Public Health Policy & Program Implementation
  • Principles of Statistical Inference II
  • Health Policy Analysis
  • Public Health Leadership
  • Principles of Health Organization Management
  • Program Development in Health Promotion
  • Strategy & Leadership Applications in Health Management
  • Protocol Development and Grant Writing OR or Grant Writing in Public Health

Additional Course Requirements (9-12 credits)

  • Computer Programming for Data Management and Analysis in Public Health (3 credits) 
  • Professional Development Seminar (0 credits)
  • Elective Courses: Two or three courses chosen in consultation with your advisor (6-9 credits)

 

Professional Practicum Requirements (9-12 credits) 

Gain leadership experience working with senior public health practitioners in public health agencies and through a mentored teaching experience.

  • DrPH Practicum (9 credits)
  • DrPH Teaching Practicum (0 or 3 credits)

 

Doctor Project and Dissertation

Carry out and present original empirical research in a public health discipline.


Additional Information

See the Graduate Bulletin for details.

Tuition Assistance for Public Health Employees

If you work in a county health department in New York State or for the NYS Department of Health, you may be eligible to receive tuition assistance through the Public Health Leaders of Tomorrow program at UAlbany.

Career Development

The doctoral public health program at UAlbany includes renowned practica experiences and leadership training that prepares you to succeed as a public health leader or academic researcher.

Choose from ample opportunities to work on significant public health projects in state and county health departments, hospitals, community clinics, nonprofits, and non-governmental organizations in the Capital Region.

careers
Public Health Research

Professors in the The College of Integrated Health Sciences conduct research in community settings and scientific labs. More than 75% of the faculty hold appointments with the NYS Department of Health, which makes it easy to obtain public health internships in labs of the internationally recognized Wadsworth Center.

As a graduate student, you learn in advanced labs on UAlbany’s Health Sciences Campus where you can easily participate in research projects in the Cancer Research Center, Prevention Research Center, Public Health Preparedness Center, Cardiac Quality Improvement Initiative, and Center for Health Workforce Studies.

Beth Feingold speaking to a colleague outside of the Stepping Stones Center
ph-research

Admission Requirements

admissions
Deadlines

Priority: December 15

Applicants who wish to be considered for a doctoral graduate assistantship or scholarship must submit their application by the priority deadline. Some scholarships require that applications be received earlier than the published priority deadline. Students who wish to be considered for one of the early submission scholarships should consult our Financing Your Degree page and must submit the degree application and any additional required documents by the stated date for that scholarship.

Fee waivers are available for the first program you apply to in SOPHAS to cover the initial $145 application fee. There are three types of fee waivers: financial-based, service-based, and international-based. You may only apply for one type of fee waiver, and the waiver request must be submitted before you submit your SOPHAS application. Fee waivers are granted on a first come, first served basis, so applicants are strongly encouraged to apply before the priority deadline when requesting a waiver.  For more information, visit SOPHAS Fees and Fee Waivers.

Contact the department directly at [email protected] with questions about submitting your application after the priority deadline.

DrPH Degree Application

The application and all supporting materials for the DrPH must be submitted through SOPHAS.

Visit the SOPHAS Applicant Help Center for help with starting your SOPHAS application.

Application Requirements

  • Must hold an MPH degree or other master's degree in health, social science, or related field, from an accredited American college or university or a well-regarded foreign college or university.
  • Grade point average of 3.00 or better
  • At least two years work experience in public health or related field, preferably for an uninterrupted period of time, typically, but not always, following completion of a master's degree program.*

*Applicants without a master's degree who are interested in the DrPH program should first apply to the MPH program. Qualified students in the MPH program may apply to the DrPH program during their last year of MPH study.
**Students with a master's degree other than an MPH will be required to take all MPH core courses not previously taken.

*GRE and/or MCAT are not required. However, if the applicant has taken the GRE or MCAT, a copy of the test results should be included in the application.

For application specific questions, contact us at [email protected].

International Requirements

  • International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 98, IELTS score of 7.0, or Duolingo score of 125. We will only accept official scores sent by the testing institution.
  • UAlbany SOPHAS TOEFL code is 5688. We do not use department codes.
  • Official Duolingo scores must be sent to the University at Albany (SOPHAS does not accept Duolingo scores). Students may include unofficial scores in their SOPHAS application, but official scores must be received by the University at Albany. 
  • The TOEFL or IELTS is not required for international students who have completed at least four semesters of full-time study within a four-year time frame from time of application, and maintained at least a B average at a college or university in the United States or a country from an approved list.  For questions regarding English Language Proficiency waivers, please email Soha Acosta at [email protected].
  • International students must request a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (WES). The WES evaluation must be sent directly to the University at Albany.

Required Application Materials

Official transcripts 

  • Official transcripts from EVERY post-secondary academic institution attended, including college coursework completed during high school, must be sent directly from the institution to SOPHAS. You must report all colleges and universities attended and submit official transcripts, even if your transfer credits are listed on your primary transcript. See Sending Official Transcripts for more guidelines.
  • UAlbany students must have an official UAlbany transcript sent directly to SOPHAS.
  • Applicants who use the transcript entry service provided by SOPHAS should note that the entry process adds TWO FULL WEEKS to the time it takes for an application to be verified and considered complete by the admissions committee.

Three letters of recommendation

  • A minimum of two letters must be from academic faculty 
  • At least one letter must be from a university faculty member in the major field of study
  • Applicants who have been out of school more than five years may submit professional references
  • Letters must be signed and on institutional/organizational letterhead

Personal Statement

  • Describe previous professional experience, specific educational interests and career goals in public health. The student must demonstrate commitment to the practice of public health.
  • 2-3 page limit
  • At least one page discussing applicable public health or related work experience

Writing Sample

The student must demonstrate writing and communication skills through the submission of a 3-5 page writing sample with applicant as the sole author.

Interviews

The DrPH Admissions Committee will evaluate each application based on the applicant's demonstrated ability to excel at graduate work and evidence contained in the application, that the applicant has clearly defined career goals that can be advanced by completing the DrPH program. Applicants who pass an initial review of their completed application will be invited to be interviewed by the Dr PH Admissions Committee. These interviews are required.

CV/Resume

Application Submission

Applicants should submit their application as soon as the items you have control over are complete (personal statement, resume/CV, institutions attended, coursework entry, and all other required sections of the online application). Test scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation will be added as they are received, after which SOPHAS will begin verifying your application.

Applications will not be reviewed until all required items, including official transcripts, official test scores, and required letters of recommendation, have been received and your application has been verified.  Please note that once SOPHAS has received all of your application materials, it may take up to 4 full weeks to be verified by SOPHAS.  Be sure to request all transcripts, recommendations, and standardized test scores in advance so that your application can be completed and verified by the specified application deadline.

For application specific questions, contact us at [email protected] or 518-402-0361.

Special Notes

Please note: This program requires an internship, field experience, study abroad component, or clinical experience requirement. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions.  If applicants have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s Office of the intended academic program.

Student Learning Objectives


Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Foundational Competencies

Data & Analysis

  • Explain qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and policy analysis research and evaluation methods to address health issues at multiple (individual, group, organization, community and population) levels
  • Design a qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, policy analysis or evaluation project to address a public health issue
  • Explain the use and limitations of surveillance systems and national surveys in assessing, monitoring and evaluating policies and programs and to address a population’s health


Leadership, Management & Governance

  • Propose strategies for health improvement and elimination of health inequities by organizing stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, community leaders and other partners
  • Communicate public health science to diverse stakeholders, including individuals at all levels of health literacy , for purposes of influencing behavior and policies
  • Integrate knowledge, approaches, methods, values and potential contributions from multiple professions and systems in addressing public health problems
  • Create a strategic plan
  • Facilitate shared decision making through negotiation and consensus-building methods
  • Create organizational change strategies
  • Propose strategies to promote inclusion and equity within public health programs, policies and systems
  • Assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses in leadership capacities, including cultural proficiency
  • Propose human, fiscal and other resources to achieve a strategic goal
  • Cultivate new resources and revenue streams to achieve a strategic goal


Policy & Programs

  • Design a system-level intervention to address a public health issue
  • Integrate knowledge of cultural values and practices in the design of public health policies and programs
  • Integrate scientific information, legal and regulatory approaches, ethical frameworks and varied stakeholder interests in policy development and analysis
  • Propose interprofessional team approaches to improving public health


Education & Workforce Development

  • Assess an audience’s knowledge and learning needs
  • Deliver training or educational experiences that promote learning in academic, organizational or community settings
  • Use best practice modalities in pedagogical practices.


Additional DrPH Competencies

  • Use an implementation science framework to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for a public health program or policy
  • Apply a health equity framework to analyze how health equity has been incorporated or not incorporated in the implementation of a public health program or policy
  • Analyze how a specific decision analytic method has been used or not used in implementing a public health or policy intervention
  • Propose appropriate evaluation strategies and measures for assessing an implementation plan
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the use of computer software for data entry, database management, data analysis and displaying and reporting results
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