Public Health

Website: https://medicine.utah.edu/dfpm/public-health/education/degrees/phd

375 Chipeta Way, ste A
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Phone: 801-587-3315

A PhD in public health will allow the public health practitioner to be a primary investigator on population-based studies and thus enable the researcher to compete for NIH and other funded studies. It will also enable the student to teach and conduct research as faculty at schools of medicine, schools of public health and other academic settings, as well as cancer centers, HMO's and other health organizations. Because the depth of knowledge required for a successful doctoral degree, the successful PhD student must complete additional coursework, as well as pass a general examination, a qualifying examination, write and submit an original research proposal, complete the dissertation project, and pass a written and oral defense of the project. Consequently, most students require four to six years to successfully complete a doctoral degree. The university allows seven years to complete the doctoral degree.

Earned a masters degree from an accredited college or university with at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Applicants entering the doctoral program without an accredited Master of Public Health or Master of Science in Public Health degree will be required to complete, with the minimum grade of B-, the course work covering the five core areas identified by CEPH (Epidemiology I, Biostatistics I, Social Context of Medicine and Public Health, Environmental Public Health, and Public Health Policy and/or Public Health Administration).

General Record Examination (GRE)

Application Requirements

• Submit an application through Apply Yourself (AY) https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/fl_ApplicantLogin.asp?id=utahgrad

• All unofficial transcripts must be uploaded (even the University of Utah already has them and even if you attended the U) Send official transcripts to the University of Utah Admission office directly

• Three (3) letters of recommendation - There is no specific format for recommendation letters

• Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement - not to exceed 1000 words

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• GRE - Department Code 0616, School Code 4853

  • The GRE is required for all candidates and can be up to ten years old

• International applicants: The TOFEL is also required. It expires after two years from the date test is taken.

• Please note an in-person interview may be required

• Faculty Mentor - Please describe your research interests and identify public health faculty as potential research project mentors in your statement of purpose/personal statement.