Public Health: Public and Community Health Ph.D. (PCHL)

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Abstract

The Department offers graduate study leading to the Master Public Health (MPH) in Community Health Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public and Community Health. The graduate programs are designed to prepare professional health educators with specific skills and the ability to implement theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.

The goal of the doctoral program is to develop health professionals competent in understanding the health needs of populations and qualified to participate in developing health education research, programs and policies. This program is very selective and admission is competitive. The program provides students with the opportunity to develop research skills essential in making significant contributions to the scientific and professional literature in health education.

Degree programs may be completed either full-time or part-time. Faculty support coursework, research and practice experiences in many areas, including: public health; health behavior; adolescent health; women's health; and minority health. Faculty hold doctoral degrees in public health, psychology, health education, sociology and epidemiology. The Department offers excellent research and laboratory facilities including the Laboratory for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention, the Public Health Informatics Laboratory, and The Center for Health Behavior Research, individualized attention and flexibility in program planning.

Admissions Information

For admission to the doctoral program, the Department requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (if a masters degree has not been obtained) and/or a graduate GPA of 3.5. In addition, the Department requires satisfactory GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose from all applicants. Completed admission applications (those that include all supporting materials) must be received by January 15th to be considered for Fall enrollment.

Application Deadlines

	Fall	Spring
Domestic Applicants: U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
Domestic Applicant Deadlines	Applications must be received by January 15 .	This program does not accept applications for this semester.
International Applicants: Applicants from Outside the U.S. or U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents with Non-U.S. Credentials IMPORTANT:   International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Non-U.S. Credentials must follow the domestic deadlines above if they are earlier than the deadlines listed below.
Applicants seeking admission under F (Student) or J (Exchange Visitor) visas	February 1 If Domestic Deadline is after Feb. 1	June 1 If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1
Applicants seeking admission under A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants	May 1 If Domestic Deadline is after May 1	October 1 If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials	May 15 If Domestic Deadline is after May 15	October 31 If Domestic Deadline is after Oct.31

Application Requirements

1. GRE General
2. 3 Letters of Recommendation
3. Statement of Purpose
4. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
5. Completed On-line Application

Applicants to the PhD in Public and Community Health should be sure to use "PCHL" as the 4-letter program/major code when selecting the program on the UMD Graduate School On-line Application.

Degree Requirements

Doctor of Philosophy in Public and Community Health (PCHL)
The PhD in Public and Community Health is a 48 to 75 credit program depending on the number of course requirements that can or cannot be waived. This research-intensive degree includes coursework, qualifying exams, and individual research that results in a dissertation.

Facilities and Special Resources

The Department has research specializations in a variety of areas including:

• Minority health/social inequalities in health
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Safety and health
• Sexual health
• Adolescent health and risk behavior
• Violence prevention/community violence
• Public health communication and media development
• Public Health Informatics
• Health literacy
• Treatment of nicotine dependence

Specialized laboratories operating within the Department include:

• The Public Health Informatics and Communications Research Laboratory
• The Laboratory for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention
• The Center for Health Behavior Research

The proximity of the nation's capital, the National Institutes of Health, the National Library of Medicine, and the Library of Congress render the University of Maryland unusually well suited for graduate work in public and community health education.

Financial Assistance

The Department offers a limited number of fellowships, and graduate teaching and research assistantships.

Contact Information

For additional information please contact:

Graduate Studies Director
2387 SPH Building, Valley Drive
College Park
MD  20742
Telephone: (301) 405-2464
Fax: (301)314-9167
ksharp1@umd.edu

http://www.sph.umd.edu/dpch/

Courses: HLTH

Related Programs and Campus Units

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Public Health: Health Services Ph.D.
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Community Health Education
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Environmental Health Sciences
Public Health: Epidemiology Ph.D.
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Epidemiology
Public Health: Maternal and Child Health Ph.D.
Public Health: Master of Health Administration
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