Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) - School of Health Sciences

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The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree prepares public health practitioners to assume positions of leadership and influence in practice-based settings. In this professional doctoral degree program, students explore public health challenges from both a domestic and global standpoint and how evidence-based research can be applied to advance public health goals. Through their coursework, students examine topics such as ethics, budgeting, critical analysis, and supervision, with an overarching emphasis on enhancing practical skills. Students in this multidisciplinary program have the opportunity to collaborate on assignments with students from other Walden College of Health Sciences programs.

Learning Outcomes

As a graduate of this program, students will be prepared to:

Critically evaluate the interdisciplinary role of stakeholders in the application and evaluation of population-based public health strategies.
Evaluate approaches to inform and influence public health interventions and strategies.
Apply research methods in the investigation of public health problems.
Critically evaluate evidence-based research, theories, and models used in public health.
Apply systems-thinking skills and strategies for the promotion of public health policy and advocacy.
Apply evidence-based research and practices to promote positive social change.
Examine the application of economic theories in relation to public health systems across diverse community settings.
Apply community health assessment techniques to identify, prioritize, and formulate solutions to community public health problems.
Apply ethical principles in public health practice.

Degree Requirements—Track I

Track I

For students who hold a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree; Track I allows the student to forgo foundational public health courses and complete the program in a shorter amount of time.

Track I: 65 total quarter credit hours

Foundations Course (2 cr.)
Core courses (45 cr.)
Research courses (8 cr.)
Research Forum (20 cr.)

If students do not complete their doctoral study in four terms, they will have the opportunity to continue registration in PUBH 9100 until its completion.

Course Sequence—Track I

Quarter	Course	Credits
1	PUBH 8003 - Building a Multidisciplinary Approach to Health♦	2 cr.
1	PUBH 8050 - Global Health and Issues in Disease Prevention♦	5 cr.
2	PUBH 8130 - Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations for Public Health Leaders♦	5 cr.
2	RSCH 8101 - Research Theory, Design, and Methods	4 cr.
3	PUBH 8240 - Public Health Policy and Advocacy♦	5 cr.
3	RSCH 8201 - Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis	4 cr.
4	PUBH 8400 - Public Health Leadership and Systems Thinking♦	5 cr.
4	PUBH 8246 - Advanced Application of Practice-Based Research in Public Health♦	5 cr.
5	PUBH 8315 - Economics and Financing of Public Health Systems♦	5 cr.
5	PUBH 8545 - Advanced Analysis of Community Health Data and Surveillance in Public Health♦	5 cr.
6	PUBH 8440 - Application of Public Health and Behavior Change Theories♦	5 cr.
6	PUBH 8475 - Advanced Program Implementation and Evaluation♦	5 cr.
7	PUBH 8900 - Research Forum	0 cr.
7	PUBH 9100 - Public Health Capstone	5 cr.
8	PUBH 9100 - Public Health Capstone	5 cr.
9	PUBH 9100 - Public Health Capstone	5 cr.
10	PUBH 9100 - Public Health Capstone	5 cr.

Track II

For students who have a master’s degree in an academic discipline other than public health.

Degree Requirements—Track II

Track II: 91 total quarter credit hours

Foundations Course (2 cr.)
MPH Foundational Courses (26 cr.)
Core courses (45 cr.)
Research courses (8 cr.)
Research Forum (20 cr.)

If students do not complete their doctoral study in four terms, they will have the opportunity to continue registration in PUBH 9100 until its completion.