The Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.) program prepares individuals for leadership positions in public health practice in healthcare systems, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and community setting. The competency-based curriculum delivers advanced public health education with specific focus within disciplines, and applied practice and integrated learning experiences that address the doctoral foundational and discipline specific competencies. Students may enroll on a full- or part-time basis; however, consistent enrollment is recommended to support timely progression through the program within five years. Concentrations are available in:
Dr.P.H. degree concentrations offer preparation for careers in which advanced expertise in public health, leadership, and policy are required. Students’ doctoral projects (integrated learning experiences) and applied practice experiences are key components in the development of critical thinking and leadership skills.
A minimum of two years is generally required to complete all didactic coursework for full-time students. Program plans are described under individual majors. The number of units of coursework required to complete the program may be reduced but is not to be fewer than 48 units plus applied practice experience and integrated learning experience units at Loma Linda University.
The overall Dr.P.H. curriculum is designed using a faith-based lens to accurately reflect the mission and vision of Loma Linda University and the School of Public Health. Additionally, nine units of courses offered by the LLU School of Religion are included in the curriculum to allow the students to enhance personal spiritual development as well as application of faith-based values to professional practice.
The Dr.P.H. core curriculum is based on the doctoral foundational competencies from CEPH criteria. These include:
Data & Analysis: Ability to synthesize and apply evidence based research and theory from a broad range of public health disciplines and health related data sources to advance programs, policies, and systems promoting population health.
Leadership, Management and Governance: Ability to create, communicate and apply shared vision, inspire trust and motivate others, build capacity and strategies, and identify and analyze ethical issues in addressing public health problems.
Policy and Programs: Ability to design system-level interventions that influences population health outcomes in transdisciplinary team approaches that promote health equity and disease prevention across diverse communities and cultures.
Education and Workforce development: Ability to develop and apply pedagogical principles and skills to identify learning needs of a population and promote learning in academia, organizational and community settings.
All Dr.P.H. students will engage in an applied practice experience (AP) that results in a final product that is relevant to public health organizations. The culminating activity is an integrated learning experience (ILE) that includes a field-based project emphasizing advanced practice. Both AP and ILE will demonstrate integration of foundational and concentration-specific competencies.
Students must have an M.P.H. from an accredited institution or complete courses in EPDM 509 Principles of Epidemiology, STAT 521 Biostatistics I, or AHRM 514 Biostatistics (SPSS and R, SAS), or equivalent courses during the first year of studies.
Advancement to candidacy is granted by the Academic Dean. Students are advanced to candidacy when they successfully present their doctoral project proposals, which must clearly outline the rationale, approach, tools, and significance of the project to the field.
Each doctoral student is required to serve as a teaching assistant for a minimum of one quarter. Additional information is detailed in the SPH Dr.P.H. Handbook.
All doctoral students are required to submit their work (applied practice experience or integrated learning experience) at a scientific or professional conference either as a poster or as a short oral presentation.
Students must have an M.P.H. from an accredited institution or complete courses in
EPDM 509 Principles of Epidemiology
STAT 521 Biostatistics I or AHRM 514 Biostatistics (that covers SPSS and R, SAS)
or equivalent courses during the initial terms of the program.
| Dr.P.H. public health core | ||
| Critical analysis | ||
| PHCJ 600 | Overview of Research Methodologies | 3 |
| PHCJ 615 | Intermediate Biostatistics | 3 |
| Electives (choose from following) | 3 | |
| PHCJ 630 | Concepts and Practical Issues of Secondary Data | 3 |
| HADM 587 | Health Policy Analysis and Research | 3 |
| STAT 568 | Data Analysis | 3 |
| Leadership, management, and governance | ||
| PHCJ 617 | Building Healthy Systems | 3 |
| PHCJ 619 | Organizational Management & Leadership | 3 |
| Education and workforce development | ||
| PHCJ 614 | Pedagogy: The Art and Science of Teaching | 2 |
| PHCJ 618 | Transformative Communication | 2 |
| Policy, advocacy and programs | ||
| PHCJ 609 | Building Healthy Individuals | 3 |
| PHCJ 610 | Building Healthy Communities 1 | 3 |
| Doctoral seminar | ||
| PHCJ 608A | Doctoral Seminar for Public Health | 1 |
| PHCJ 608B | Doctoral Seminar for Public Health | 1 |
| Concentration | ||
| Choose from the list below | 15 | |
| Religion | ||
| RELE 5__ | Graduate-level ethics | 3 |
| RELR 5__ | Graduate-level relational | 3 |
| RELT 5__ | Graduate-level theological | 3 |
| Total Units | 60 | |
| Applied practice and integrated learning experience units are in addition to the minimum didactic units required for the degree | ||
| Practicum | ||
| PHCJ 795 | Applied Practice | 2 |
| Integrated learning experience | ||
| PHCJ 698 | Doctoral Project | 4-8 |
Fulfills service learning requirement
All Dr.P.H. students will engage in an applied practice experience that results in a product that is relevant to public health organizations. The culminating activity is an integrated learning experience that includes a field-based project emphasizing advanced practice. Both applied practice experience and integrated learning experience will demonstrate integration of foundational and concentration specific competencies.
Three (3) years — based on full-time enrollment; part time permitted
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