Curriculum
Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) Program
The DrPH program is built around a set of foundational competencies that all students entering the program will be expected to achieve. These competencies focus in particular on leadership, analytical skills and communication, and also cover policy, management, ethics, program design and evaluation. The DrPH Program is CEPH accredited.
Many of these foundational competencies are taught through an integrated sequence of problem-solving seminars that address pressing public health challenges and provide students with opportunities to apply skills in a close to real life setting.
In addition to these foundational competencies, students will address additional competencies that relate either to a specific concentration or track within the program, or a customized program of study discussed and agreed upon between the student and the advisor.
The program requires successful completion of a minimum of 57 term credits of course work, plus a minimum of 7 term credits for the proposal and dissertation, for a minimum total of 64 term credits to graduate.
Students will take a comprehensive written examination at the conclusion of their required course work, complete a practicum, take preliminary oral examinations before they conduct their dissertation work, and a take a final oral examination. Students may complete the degree over a minimum of 4 years up to a maximum of 9 years.
Foundational Program Competencies
By the end of the program, DrPH students should have achieved the foundational competencies listed below. The DrPH Program is CEPH accredited.
| 1 | 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. |
| 2 | Design a qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, policy analysis, or evaluation project to address a public health issue. |
| 3 | 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. |
| 4 | Propose strategies for health improvement and elimination of health inequities by organizing stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, community leaders, and other partners. |
| 5 | Communicate public health science to diverse stakeholders, including individuals at all levels of health literacy, for purposes of influencing behavior and policies. |
| 6 | Integrate knowledge, approaches, methods, values, and potential contributions from multiple professions and systems in addressing public health problems. |
| 7 | Create a strategic plan. |
| 8 | Facilitate shared decision making through negotiation and consensus-building methods. |
| 9 | Create organizational change strategies. |
| 10 | Propose strategies to promote inclusion and equity within public health programs, policies, and systems. |
| 11 | Assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses in leadership capacities, including cultural proficiency. |
| 12 | Propose human, fiscal, and other resources to achieve a strategic goal. |
| 13 | Cultivate new resources and revenue streams to achieve a strategic goal. |
| 14 | Design a system-level intervention to address a public health issue. |
| 15 | Integrate knowledge of cultural values and practices in the design of public health policies and programs. |
| 16 | Integrate scientific information, legal and regulatory approaches, ethical frameworks and varied stakeholder interests in policy development and analysis. |
| 17 | Propose interprofessional team approaches to improving public health. |
| 18 | Assess an audience’s knowledge and learning needs. |
| 19 | Deliver training or educational experiences that promote learning in academic, organizational or community settings. |
| 20 | Use best practice modalities in pedagogical practices. |
DrPH Course Requirements
The DrPH program includes a foundational curriculum for all students, and distinct curricula for specific concentrations and tracks. The program requires successful completion of a minimum of 64 credits, including 57 from coursework and 7 from dissertation research. Students earn 30 credits from foundational courses and 27 from concentration/track courses. A required DrPH Practicum serves as a complement to coursework and enables students to develop skills in leadership and practice in their area of specialization. Students will take a comprehensive written examination at the conclusion of their required coursework, and then work on the DrPH dissertation. The DrPH Program is CEPH accredited. Students may complete the degree over a minimum of 4 years up to a maximum of 9 years.
The Foundational Curriculum offers the opportunity to achieve competencies established by the Council on Education for Public Health. Students are required to complete courses in professional skills (10 credits), data analysis (6 credits), and problem-solving (12 credits). There is a non-credited monthly seminar that helps first-year students orient to the program (DrPH First-Year Seminar), and a 1-credit, three-term monthly seminar supports students in developing project proposals (DrPH Proposal Planning Seminar).
Professional skill courses cover: leadership, strategic planning, teaching and learning, and communication. For data analysis, students can select to complete a series on quantitative methods, qualitative methods, or mixed methods. A series of problem-solving seminars affords the opportunity for students to learn about today’s most pressing health challenges while achieving foundational competencies. Problem-solving seminars provide students with opportunities to apply practical skills; they cover issues such as suicide prevention, climate change, obesity, and gun violence.
DrPH course requirements can also be found on the University E-Catalogue.
Current students can view the 2024-25 DrPH Handbook for more details.
Concentrations and Tracks
The DrPH offers the following concentrations and tracks:
- Custom Track
- Environmental Health Concentration (2 tracks available)
- Environmental Health Track
- Health Security Track
- Global Health: Policy and Evaluation
- Health Equity and Social Justice Concentration
- Health Policy and Management Concentration (4 tracks available)
- Health Policy Track
- Healthcare Management & Leadership Track
- Public Health Informatics
- Quality & Patient Safety
- Implementation Science Concentration
- Women's and Reproductive Health Concentration
Applicants must select ONE concentration (and track where relevant) when applying and may not switch concentrations/tracks after matriculating.
The Custom Track allows students the flexibility to tailor their program to their academic and professional goals. Students in the Custom Track may choose to specialize in a public health field such as mental health, surveillance, nutrition, or another applied area not reflected in the listed concentrations/tracks. Applicants who wish to pursue the Custom Track need to state this in their applications to the program and also indicate a possible course of study. Upon admission, they will need to work with their advisers to articulate the competencies which they are pursuing.
Custom Concentration requirements can also be found on the University E-Catalogue.
The Bloomberg School continues to support students already accepted into the legacy DrPH Programs.