PhD in Population Health Science

College

College of Population Health

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Format

Hybrid (Online and On Campus)

Credits

62

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Contact Information

Program

Name: Richard W. Hass, PhD
Positions:
  • Associate Professor
  • Program Director

Contact Admissions

Contact Number(s):
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Information Sessions

Curriculum

Courses

There are three trimesters per year. This flexibility allows students to complete coursework at their own pace. All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted.

The following graduate level courses are required with a grade of "B" or better for all specializations prior to matriculation:

  • Basic Biostatistics
  • Research Methods 

The following courses are required for AHEOR Specialization:

  • PHS 605: Advanced Statistical Methods for Data Analysis
  • PHS 615: Advanced Statistics for Population Health Science: Multi-Level Modeling
  • AHE 509: Epidemiology & Evidence for Outcomes Research
  • AHE 510: Advanced Research Methods for Applied Observational Studies

The following courses are required for the other specializations:

  • PHS 605: Advanced Statistical Methods for Data Analysis
  • PHS 615: Advanced Statistics for Population Health Science: Multi-Level Modeling
  • PBH 606: Advanced Epidemiology or 
    AHE 509: Epidemiology & Evidence for Outcomes Research
  • PHS 650: Evaluative & Outcomes Research & Design

The following courses are required for all Specializations:

  • PBH 500: Foundations of the US Healthcare System
  • POP 500: Essentials of Population Health
  • AHE 501: Economics of Health Insurance 
  • PBH 502: Society, Behavior, & Environment
  • PHS 602: Bioethics (1 credit)
  • PHS 620: Teaching & Learning Seminar

The following courses are required for all Specializations:

  • PHS 700: Integrative Research Seminar (1 credit, need 4 credits)
  • PHS 660: Mentored Research Experience (1 credit, need 3 credits)

Applied Health Economics & Outcomes Research

The following courses are options for the AHEOR Specialization. Students must select five courses for a total of 15 credits. 

  • AHE 502: Statistics I
  • AHE 505: Statistics II
  • AHE 504: Economic Modeling I
  • AHE 512: Economic Modeling II 
  • AHE 506: Subjective Outcomes in Health Evaluation
  • AHE 507: Claims-Based AHEOR
  • AHE 508: International Health Technolocy Assessment: Evaluations & Evidence Generation/Synthesis
  • PHS 650: Evaluative & Outcomes & Research Design
  • HDS 500 Fundamentals of Data Wrangling
  • HDS 502 Exploratory Data Analysis & Unsupervised Learning

Health Behavior Science

The following courses are required for the HBS Specialization.

  • PBH 602: Advanced Social & Behavioral Theories & Interventions (prerequisite of PBH 502)
  • PBH 512: Qualitative Research Methods
  • PBH 515: Cultural Humility & Competence
  • PHS 710: Advanced Health Behavior Methods & Measurement
  • PHS 680: Advanced Analytic Topics for Health Behavior Science

Health Data Science

The following courses are options for the PHI Specialization. Students must select five courses for a total of 15 credits.

  • AHE 502 Statistics I
  • AHE 505 Statistics II
  • HDS 500 Fundamentals of Data Wrangling
  • HDS 502 Exploratory Data Analysis & Unsupervised Learning
  • HDS 532: Data Visualization
  • HDS 518 Supervised Learning & Unsupervised Learning: Prediction & Classification
  • HDS 519 Deep Learning and AI Systems

Healthcare Quality & Safety

The following courses are options for the HQS Specialization. Students must select five courses for a total of 15 credits.

  • HQS 500: Introduction to Healthcare Quality and Safety
  • HQS 509: Applied Principles of Healthcare Quality
  • HQS 512 Business Case for Quality
  • HQS 515: Applied Principles of Patient Safety
  • HQS 505: Advanced Tools & Methods for Healthcare Quality & Safety
  • HQS 507: Advanced Applications of HQS in Clinical Settings
  • OPX 520: Change Management 

The following courses are required for all specializations:

  • PHS 800: Comprehensive Exam Prep (1 credit)
  • PHS 801: Comprehensive Exam (1 credit)
  • PHS 805: Dissertation Proposal Seminar
  • PHS 807: Dissertation Proposal Defense (1 credit)
  • PHS 810: Dissertation Progress
  • PHS 811: Final Dissertation Defense

For course descriptions, please view the Jefferson College of Population Health Course Descriptions page.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the PhD program are able to:

  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge and application of population health frameworks and concepts
  • Apply knowledge of the structures, performance, quality, policy, and environmental context of health care to the formulation of solutions to, and prevention of, population health problems
  • Formulate population health research questions that are informed by relevant theoretical and conceptual models; systematic reviews of the literature; valid, reliable, and generalizable data; and stakeholder needs
  • Select appropriate study designs to address specific population health research questions
  • Collect, analyze, and/or interpret data obtained either prospectively (by survey, surveillance, qualitative, or mixed methods) or retrospectively through existing public and private sources to identify determinants of health
  • Conduct ethical and responsible research in the design, implementation, and dissemination of population health research through implementation of research protocols with standardized procedures
  • Apply appropriate design and analytic methods to clarify associations between variables and to identify causal inferences
  • Communicate findings and implications of population health science research through multiple modalities to academic, professional, and lay audiences