Doctoral Program
The Department reviews doctoral applications once annually beginning on January 1st. In order to meet that deadline applications should be completed in SOPHAS by December 1st (for those applicants with US university credentials) and November 15th (for those applicants with overseas university credentials).
The doctoral programs in International Health and Development (IHD) prepare students for research, leadership, managerial and technical advisory positions in international settings. Our philosophy stresses acquisition of rigorous analytical skills combined with substantive knowledge of international development problems, and strategic options for their solutions. Two degrees are offered: the doctor of public health (DrPH) and the doctor of philosophy (PhD). The full set of guidelines for doctoral students in the department can be found at Doctoral Policies - IHD. The regulations for doctoral students in the SPHTM can be found at Doctoral Policies - SPHTM. For answers to a series of FAQ on the dissertation and prospectus prepared by the dean's office click here.
Funding for doctoral students: All successful applicants for our doctoral programs will be considered for merit based scholarships. There are no special application processes. Funding is for full tuition remission. The purpose of the DrPH program is to produce graduates who can identify economic, demographic, epidemiological, and cultural data needed to identify and analyze health-related problems for the design of effective projects/programs; elaborate and execute applied research studies to gather necessary information; analyze applied research studies, synthesize results and identify promising policies and programs; and utilize state-of-the-art communications technologies, to present concise executive presentations of synthesized applied research conclusions.
The PhD program trains graduates to apply theoretical perspectives to research questions related to population, health and nutrition issues; analyze research studies, synthesize results and identify promising policies and programs; utilize advanced research methods from biostatistics, sociology, anthropology, economics, demography, epidemiology or psychology to execute the analysis of a research problem; and develop presentations of results of research findings for national and international meetings and for peer-reviewed publications. See matrix distinguishing PhD and DrPH.
As is the case with the master's (MPH) program, students may elect to specialize their training in areas such as emergencies/disasters management, nutrition/food security, infectious diseases/HIV/AIDS, reproductive health/population, policies/programs/management, monitoring/evaluation. However, they are responsible for developing quantitative, analytical and computational skills necessary for research. In addition, all students will demonstrate competence in a language other than English. Competence will be evaluated by designated faculty and/or staff.
The doctoral program of study will be determined by the department doctoral committee, approved by the department chair and the school's doctoral committee. Doctoral candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination upon completion of the course requirements.
Competence in analytic methods will be demonstrated on the general section of the written comprehensive examination. The student must complete and successfully defend a prospectus and a dissertation which reflect advanced analytical skills applied to an international health problem.
Deadlines: Applications for the doctoral programs will be reviewed once yearly for candidates who will begin their programs in the fall semester. Applications must be complete by January 15th. In exceptional cases applicants may begin the program in spring or summer semesters with permission of the department doctoral committee.
What is the difference between the DrPH and the PHD?
| DrPH | PhD | Applicant profile | Practitioner
Career Path:
Management and program implementation and evaluation | Researcher
Career Path:
Academic position or a monitoring and evaluation position | Focus | Program management (DrPH); mid-career professionals who seek public health leadership positions in international health can develop analytical skills for policy formation, program management and evaluation. | Applied research and program evaluation (PhD): students develop strong analytical skills for program evaluation and applied research as well as a substantive background in one or more health or development problem areas. | Total credit hours | 60 credits total (24 hours beyond the MPH at Tulane or 30 hours beyond other masters degrees) | 60 credits total (24 hours beyond the MPH at Tulane or 30 hours beyond other masters degrees) | SPHTM core | Required | Biostatistics and epidemiology required. | Required courses | BIOS 604
One advanced BIOS course
INHL 645 Survey Measurement
INHL 624 or
alternative INHL M&E course
INHL 705 Doctoral Seminar
INHL 720 Development Theory
INHL core courses | BIOS 604
BIOS 706
BIOS 715
INHL 705 Doctoral Seminar
INHL 725 or EPID 712
INHL 720 Development Theory
INHL 645 Survey Measurement
One advanced research methods course
Theoretical grounding in specialty area
INHL core not required | Comprehensive exams | Based on pragmatic knowledge of content area and understanding of the quantitative material in required courses. At least one monitoring and evaluation question and one survey measurement question. | Designed to test overall knowledge of the field(s) and the theory behind the concepts. Includes questions on advanced biostatistics and advanced research methods, including monitoring and evaluation and survey measurement. | Dissertation | Required | Required |
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