School of Medicine
Address: 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Phone: 801-587-2100
Website: medicine.utah.edu/population-health-sciences

Department Chair: Angela Fagerlin, PhD
Director of Graduate Studies:  Maureen Murtaugh, PhD

The mission of the Population Health Sciences (PHS) PhD program is to produce academic leaders who are committed to improving patient and population-oriented care within increasingly complex healthcare delivery systems.  Leveraging the combined strength of health systems research, epidemiology, and biostatistics, students graduate from the PHS PhD program with the ability to shape and inform data-driven quality health care. Population health is at the heart of a shifting healthcare landscape and PhDs in population health sciences are at the leading edge of a new interdisciplinary approach to health care.

The program was designed to mirror the interdisciplinary nature of population health sciences and the shift in medicine towards multi- and trans-disciplinary collaboration.  Students have the opportunity to interface with a variety of other programs across campus, while also working closely with PHS Faculty.  The collaboration between health systems researchers, translational epidemiologists, and biostatisticians throughout the program exemplify team-based and collaborative research from inception.  With training in such a collaborative environment, students are able to transition from professionals in the field to leaders in healthcare transformation.

During the application process, students elect to complete the program within one of the emphases offered: Biostatistics, Clinical & Translational Epidemiology, and Health Systems Research.  While students may tailor their coursework with electives in their chosen emphasis, all students are expected to complete the PHS core curriculum, which provides a foundation across all emphases.