Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
Online and Onsite | Part-Time | 4–9 Years
About the Doctor of Public Health Program
As the most advanced, professional qualification in public health, the DrPH prepares early- to mid-career domestic and international public health professionals to assume leadership roles in public health policy and practice positions as well as in health services delivery settings.
The Schoolwide DrPH program is a flexible, part-time program delivered through online and intensive, week-long on-site courses in summer and winter institutes (in June and January respectively). Students are expected to remain in relevant public health employment throughout their studies.
The DrPH program is built around foundational competencies that focus on leadership, analytical skills, communication, policy, management, and program design and evaluation. Instruction is delivered through an integrated sequence of problem-based learning classes that address current public health challenges and provide students with opportunities to apply skills in a close to real-life setting.
The DrPH allows professionals to continue improving health and saving lives while pursuing their studies wherever they are in the world.
Doctor of Public Health Program Highlights
400+
students in the program
220+
faculty advising students
8
departments offering courses in the program
90-110
students in a cohort
What Can You Do With a DrPH?
Sample Careers
- Tenure Track Faculty
- Environmental Health Engineer
- Public Health Flight Commander
- Emergency Preparedness Specialist
- Senior Bio-surveillance Specialist
- Senior Policy Advisor & Staff Director
- President & CEO, Medical System
- Federal Data Strategy Analyst
- Chief Data Scientist
- VP Organizational Excellence & Quality
- Nurse Manager
- Chief Impact & Equity Officer
- City Police Chief
- Senior Counsel for Elder Justice
- COO & Deputy Health Commissioner
- Lead, Population Health Informatics
- Director of Patient Safety
- Assistant VP Care Transformation, Medical System
- Consultant
- Director, Epidemiology Intelligence Unit, Ministry of Health
- Humanitarian Director
- Deputy Country Director
Where Can You Work With a DrPH?
Sample Organizations
- Seattle & King County Public Health
- Southern Nevada Health District
- Nebraska Dept. of HHS
- Texas Department of State Health Health Services
- Philadelphia Department of Public Health
- NYC Department of Mental Health & Mental Hygiene
- National Academy of Sciences
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Children's National Hospital
- St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
- Brigham & Women's Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Hospital
- MedStar Health
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Universities: Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Case Western Reserve, Georgia State, Wisconsin, New Mexico
- Merck
- IBM
- Kaiser Permanente
- EPA, CDC, NIH, FDA, HHS
- Indian Health Service
- Cheyenne Regional Health System
- Pew Charitable Trusts
- United Way of Rhode Island
- Durham VA Health Care Center
- Army Research Laboratory
- Dover Air Force Base
- USAID, WHO, World Bank, UN
- Medicins Sans Frontiers
- Ministry of Health: Kuwait, Thailand
- International Planned Parenthood Federation
Curriculum for the Doctor of Public Health
Students in the DrPH Program complete a minimum of 29 credits of foundational course work taken by all DrPH students to meet the CEPH foundational DrPH competencies, which include a minimum of 6 credits of data analysis course work. Students also take an additional 28 credits of course work related to their concentration or track, and a minimum of 7 proposal and thesis credits. Overall, the DrPH requires a minimum total of 64 credits for graduation.
11
concentrations & tracks
57
min. credits of course work
7
min. credits for proposal & thesis
1
practicum & dissertation
Concentrations & Tracks
Environmental Health Concentration (2 tracks available)
- Environmental Health Track
- Health Security Track
Global Health: Policy & Evaluation Concentration
Health Equity & Social Justice Concentration
Health Policy & Management Concentration (4 tracks available)
- Healthcare Management & Leadership
- Health Policy
- Public Health Informatics
- Quality & Patient Safety
Implementation Science Concentration
Women's & Reproductive Health Concentration
Admissions Requirements
For the general admissions requirements see our How to Apply page. The specific program also requires:
Prior Graduate Degree
MPH or other health-related master's degree; students who have not completed an MPH may need to take additional core coursework concurrent with the 57 didactic credits required for the DrPH.
Prior Work Experience
Minimum 3 years of professional, full-time public health experience in the applicant's area of interest by the Dec. 1st application deadline.
Standardized Test Scores
Standardized test scores are not required and not reviewed for this program. If you have taken a standardized test such as the GRE, GMAT, or MCAT and want to submit your scores, please note that they will not be used as a metric during the application review. Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all required application components.
Student Sponsorship
This program does not qualify for F-1 or J-1 student sponsorship. Legal Permanent Residents and non-immigrants who are otherwise physically present in the U.S. and in a status that allows for full or part-time study, may pursue this program.
Mark J. Bittle, DrPH, MBA
Mark Bittle is the Chair of the schoolwide Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program and a senior scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management. He currently serves as director for the School's Master of Health Administration and the Master of Applied Science in Population Health Management. His work focuses on the organizational and management factors that influence physician alignment and managing change in complex organizations.
Renee M. Johnson, PhD, MPH
Renee M. Johnson is Deputy Chair of the schoolwide Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. She is also Associate Professor & Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Mental Health. She co-directs NIH-funded Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training Program and previously served on the MPH Executive Board. Her work addresses substance use, injury and violence, overdose prevention, and adolescent health.
Tuition and Funding
Part-time DrPH students pay by the credit and finance their graduate studies through a variety of funding options ranging from paying out of pocket, to utilizing employer tuition remission benefits, financial aid, external scholarships, and military funding.
Bloomberg American Health Initiative DrPH Fellowships
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative offers 8-10 highly competitive fellowships for incoming DrPH students currently working with U.S. organizations on the front lines of one of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative’s five focus areas: addiction and overdose, environmental challenges, obesity and the food system, risks to adolescent health, and violence. A separate application process is required for consideration. Please note that only about 12% of fellowship applicants receive an award. It is important that applicants consider additional funding means prior to applying for the DrPH Program.
For further details regarding eligibility and the application process, please visit the Bloomberg American Health Initiative website.
Contact Us
Questions about the program? We're happy to help.
Brenda K. Hedrick, PhD, MA
Academic Program Manager
Sheryl Flythe, BS
Senior Academic Adviser
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