Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
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Overview
The Rollins DrPH
The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is a fully online program designed for professionals who seek to expand their knowledge of evidence-based public health and aspire to excel in leadership roles that impact the complex public health challenges we face, both today and in the future.
Who is the DrPH Program For?
The DrPH program is designed for professionals who are ready for an advanced degree and higher levels of public health leadership.
Applicants typically have:
- An MPH/MSPH or equivalent master’s degree, although it is not required. Students who have not earned an MPH or MSPH from an accredited institution will be required to complete specific coursework in addition to the regular DrPH curriculum.
- Three years of professional work experience at the time of matriculation. Students may begin the application process once they have acquired two years of full-time work experience.
Is a DrPH or PhD Right for Me?
While both a DrPH and a PhD provide rigorous, doctoral-level training in public health, there are important differences to keep in mind as you decide which degree to pursue. Learn more about the differences between a DrPH and PhD below.
DrPH
- Public health work experience required for admission
- Often completed on a part-time basis to accommodate working professionals; tuition is typically self-funded
- Curricular focus on applied public health: leadership, policy, advocacy, communication, in addition to concentration area
- Applied practice experience required
- Integrative learning experience required: dissertation, applied project, case study, program, or policy development
PhD
- Public health work experience not required for admission; prior research experience preferred
- Typically completed on a full-time basis; tuition supported by institutional funding sources
- Curricular focus on research methods, data analysis
- No practice experience required
- Independent dissertation required
Our DrPH Programs
DrPH Concentrations
Obtain a refined skill set and an intricate understanding of the methodologies crucial for becoming a public health leader through one of our four DrPH concentrations.
Applied AI and Data Translation
Interpret and communicate complex data to advance health.
Implementation and Evaluation Science
Bridge gaps between what we know and what we do to improve population health.
Leadership for Public Health Policy
Lead transformative change and advance health equity through policy.
Public Health Preparedness and Response
Prepare to lead in times of crisis and respond to local, regional, national, or global public health threats.
DrPH Curriculum
Curriculum
The DrPH program requires 60 credit hours of coursework, a 200-hour applied practice experience in the field, and an integrative learning experience that lets you apply your knowledge to a culminating project on a topic you’re passionate about.
The online, asynchronous format of the DrPH program offers convenience and flexibility for professionals to complete their studies while working full time. Students may complete the program full time (taking 8 to 11 credit hours per semester) or part time (taking 5 to 7 credit hours per semester) in three to seven years, consisting of:
- Foundational courses – 25 credits
- Concentration courses – 21 credits
- Applied practice experience – 3 credits
- Integrative learning experience – 11 credits
- Comprehensive Exam
The foundational curriculum consists of 25 credit hours of coursework which all students, regardless of their selected concentration, must complete. This includes courses on:
- Mixed methods research and evaluation
- Public health surveillance
- Health equity through action on the social determinants of health
- Integrated communication strategies
- Negotiation and conflict management
- Strategic management
- Public health leadership and professional practice
- Program planning
- Integrating law, ethics, and politics into public health policy
- Curriculum development for the public health workforce
The applied practice experience (APE) is a unique opportunity that enables students to apply their knowledge learned through coursework and leadership skills to a professional setting that complements the student’s interests and career goals. The APE can be completed in the student’s workplace when appropriate; however, the project and associated deliverables must be distinct from the student’s daily work responsibilities.
All DrPH students must complete a 200-hour APE, regardless of their number of years in the workforce or other relevant experience.
The DrPH dissertation research or project is the student’s final comprehensive written product that demonstrates mastery of DrPH foundational and concentration competencies.
Students will register for a total of 11 integrative learning experience credits, including:
- Dissertation Research/Project Seminar (first year)
- Dissertation Proposal Planning Seminar (fall of second year)
- Dissertation Proposal Development (spring of second year)
- Dissertation (final year)
The dissertation topic will be selected by the student with guidance from their faculty advisor. Consistent with the nature of the DrPH as an applied degree, we expect that dissertations will apply doctoral-level research and practice skills to address higher-level leadership, policy, and critical public health problems in an evidence-based, methodologically rigorous manner.
The final written product format includes a minimum of two thematically related reports or manuscripts. Reports are expected to be 10 to 20 pages each with the components of the analytical project that it is addressing. Dissertation submission must include an introductory and concluding chapter synthesizing the work across manuscripts.
- Chapter 1: Introduction, including dissertation objectives and literature review. This section should orient the readers to the health topic, focal organization(s), and relevant current policy and community environments. The literature review should answer questions related to the objectives of the dissertation and present previous work related to this context to identify the gap in practice and knowledge that this project addresses.
- Chapter 2: First report or formatted publishable manuscript for analytical project
- Chapter 3: Second report or formatted publishable manuscript for analytical project
- Chapter 4: Conclusion with a discussion of the implications of both analytical projects. This section discusses implications for policy, programs, or organizations and addresses the role that leadership and policies played or could have played regarding the projects and/or outcomes observed.
All students are required to complete a comprehensive exam, which is intended to assess achievement of foundational and concentration-specific competencies. The exam tests students’ ability to integrate and synthesize across competencies.
Once students have completed the three-part dissertation course sequence (Dissertation Research/Project Seminar, Dissertation Proposal Planning Seminar, and Dissertation Proposal Development) and their concentration courses, they will be eligible for the comprehensive exam in the following semester.
The comprehensive exam will consist of two parts:
- A culminating written document
- An oral defense of their dissertation research/project with the approval of the dissertation chair
Students must pass both written and oral components of the comprehensive exam to advance to candidacy.