Visit the Milken Institute School of Public Health website for additional information about academic programs and information about GWSPH. Graduate admissions information, including application requirements and deadlines, can be found on the GWSPH Graduate Admissions website.
The following requirements must be fulfilled: a minimum of 72 credits, including 11 credits in core courses, 1 credit in research leadership, 27 credits in concentration-specific courses, at least 12 credits in elective courses, and at least 12 but no more than 24 credits in dissertation research. In addition, students must complete 1 credit in UNIV 0250 Foundational Pedagogy for Graduate Assistants
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Core courses | ||
| PUBH 6080 | Pathways to Public Health | |
| PUBH 6850 | Introduction to SAS for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 6851 | Introduction to R for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 6852 | Introduction to Python for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 6860 | Principles of Bioinformatics | |
| PUBH 6886 | Statistical and Machine Learning for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 8001 | Doctor of Philosophy Seminar on Cross-Cutting Concepts in Public Health | |
| PUBH 8475 | Research Ethics and Integrity in Domestic and International Research | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research leadership | ||
| PUBH 8413 | Research Leadership | |
| Biostatistics concentration-specific courses | ||
| PUBH 6864 | Applied Survival Analysis for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 6866 | Principles of Clinical Trials | |
| PUBH 6887 | Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 8870 | Statistical Inference for Public Health Research I | |
| PUBH 8871 | Statistical Inference for Public Health Research II | |
| PUBH 8875 | Linear Models in Biostatistics | |
| PUBH 8877 | Generalized Linear Models in Biostatistics | |
| PUBH 8879 | An Introduction to Causal Inference for Public Health Research | |
| PUBH 8880 | Statistical Computing for Public Health Research | |
| Electives | ||
| At least 12 credits in elective courses, which must include at least 3 credits in bioinformatics courses, at least 3 credits in biostatistics courses, and at least 3 credits in cognate area courses. | ||
| Dissertation research | ||
| PUBH 8999 | Dissertation Research (taken for at least 12 but no more than 24 credits) | |
| Additional requirements | ||
| Additional program requirements include, but are not limited to, completion of the University's Graduate Teaching Assistant Certification, which includes enrollment in UNIV 0250. The 1 credit earned in UNIV 2050 does not count toward the total number of credits required for the degree. | ||
SPH PhD Graduation Requirements
For program-specific information about graduation requirements, students should refer to their program guide and the PhD Handbook Supplement available from SPH.
- Credits: Successful completion of at least 48 credits (at least 72 credits for PhD in health data science students).
- Curriculum: Successful completion of required courses.
- Comprehensive Examination: Students take a comprehensive examination based on core courses. Upon successful completion of coursework and the examination, students officially enter the doctoral candidacy phase of the program.
- Proposal Defense: Doctoral candidates prepare a written dissertation research proposal with guidance from their dissertation advisor and committee. Each doctoral candidate gives an oral presentation and defense to the committee who determines the student's readiness to commence the dissertation.
- Dissertation: Doctoral candidates are required to conduct original research on a contemporary problem or issue. The dissertation includes at least one written manuscript and an oral presentation and defense.
- Grade-point average: A minimum program grade-point average of B (3.0).
- Time limit: The degree must be completed within seven years.
- Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) training requirement: All students must complete training regarding human subject protection regulation and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). To fulfill this requirement, students must complete the CITI course in The Protection of Human Research Subjects.
- Integrity quiz and plagiarism requirement: All students are required to review the George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity and take the SPH Academic Integrity Quiz within their first semester of study.
- Professional enhancement requirement: Students must participate in eight hours of public health-related lectures, seminars, and symposia, related to their field of study.
- PUBH 6080 Pathways to Public Health is a zero-credit, free-of-charge online course. Students may waive this requirement if they have earned a prior degree from a CEPH-accredited program or school. More information is available here.
Graduate Teaching Assistantship Program (GTAP) is required of all students before they act as graduate teaching assistants. Students should review their PhD program guides and speak with their advisor to see if the GTAP is required for their program.
Additional information regarding School of Public Health doctoral programs is available on the SPH website.