2003 - 2005 Site Archive
 

 

 

Graduate Bulletin

Health Studies/Public Health, Ph.D.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:

Fall: January 15                           [December 1 for international applicants]

All application materials, including transcripts, GRE scores, recommendations, and written materials, must be received by the deadline to be reviewed by the Ph.D. Admissions Committee.  Admission is highly competitive and students are admitted only once each year. Applications completed after the deadline are held for review the following year.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators who can provide insight into the applicant's academic abilities and talents, as well as comment on the applicant's aptitude for graduate study. Recommendations from college/university faculty members are preferred and must be provided on the official university recommendation form.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

Applicants are expected to have completed coursework in the natural and social sciences related to health.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

Although a master's degree in Public Health is not required, preference is given to applicants who have a background in the health professions, such as health communication or a public health discipline.

 

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

Although a baccalaureate degree in Public Health is not required, preference is given to applicants who have a background in the health professions, such as health communication or a public health discipline.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be approximately 500-1,000 words in length and should specify your current research interests and how these interests link to your long-term career goals. It should further describe how the Ph.D. in Health Studies—and the cognate concentration you expect to pursue—will help you meet specific career goals.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. Admitted applicants typically score 500 or higher on both the verbal and quantitative sections and above the 50th percentile on the analytical writing test.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Writing Sample:

Scholarly articles, technical reports, or academic professional papers are preferred. Unless it is a published work, the sample should be no more than 10 pages.

Advanced Standing:

 

After admission, students may apply to the Ph.D. Program Director for advanced standing credits for graduate coursework graded "B" or better from an accredited institution. Credits for courses taken as part of a master's degree will be considered; credits for theses, fieldwork, clinical practice, or directed projects/readings cannot be useful for advanced standing credit. The maximum number of advanced standing credits awarded is 30.

Program Requirements

 

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the 30-s.h. Master's: 42

Required Courses:

Core Courses (3 s.h. each):

PH 510: Epidemiology

PH 520: History and Bioethics

PH 534: Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior

One of the following courses:

PH 526: Models of Teaching

PH 550: Program Planning

PH 688: Health Communication

TR 561: Seminar on Behavioral Change

Research and Statistics (15 s.h.):

HRP 952: Doctoral Research Seminar

PH 951: Research Design

and 9 s.h. of doctoral-level statistics and research by advisement

Cognate Specialization and Electives (45 s.h. by advisement, including up to 30 s.h. Advanced Standing credits)

Cognates and Electives by Advisement:

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH:

PH 506, 507, 509, 513, 517, 525, 529, 593, 594, 958

EPIDEMIOLOGY:

PH 670, 675, 677, 679, 680, 971

HEALTH COMMUNICATION:

PH 526, 561, 601, 688, 958, 959

JPRA 421

MM&C 400, 624, 646, 744

HEALTH EDUCATION:

PH 508, 524, 526, 527, 529, 530, 552, 560, 561, 562, 601, 651, 688, 958, 959

Preliminary Examinations:

HRP 799 (1 s.h.)

HRP 899: Pre-dissertation Research (3 s.h. each semester until proposal is approved)

HRP 999: Doctoral Dissertation in Health Studies (6 s.h. minimum after approval of proposal; 3 s.h. each until dissertation is defended and filed with the Graduate School)

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Preliminary Examinations:

The preliminary examinations should be taken within one semester of completing all coursework. A student must register for HRP 799 in the semester in which the examinations are taken. Students work with the Ph.D. Program Preliminary Examination Coordinator to prepare. Preparation sessions cover expectations related to content, process, and format and such details as date, time, and room. To register for HRP 799, the student must have completed all coursework or be enrolled in final courses in the semester in which the examination is taken. The examinations cannot be taken until all Incomplete and/or "NR" grades are removed. To enroll, students are required to meet with their advisor and the Ph.D. Program Director before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to take the examinations to establish eligibility. A special authorization card is required to register.

The preliminary examinations include three subject areas: history and bioethics, scientific foundations, and research and statistics. They test the student's breadth and depth of knowledge in the multidisciplinary field of health studies. The examinations evaluate the student's ability to apply theory, concepts, and research methods effectively to the cognate in which they have concentrated.

The preliminary examinations are prepared by the Preliminary Examination Coordinator, in consultation with the Ph.D. committee. Graduate faculty administer and grade all examinations. Preliminary examinations are scheduled in November and March or April. Two days are needed to complete the examinations in addition to the take-home sections.

Preliminary examinations are each read by two or more graduate faculty members assigned by the Director of the Ph.D. Program. Each reader provides a written score on a 10-point scale that establishes the minimum passing score. To pass, the student must meet the minimum score. If the two readers are more than one point apart, or one grades the examination pass and the other fail, they confer with the Ph.D. Program Director who appoints a third independent reader. No single faculty member makes the decision on whether a student passes or fails. If the student fails one or more examination questions, a member of the faculty provides oral and written feedback to the student, identifying areas of failure and providing suggestions for remediation. A student who fails one part of the examination may retake that part; if two or more parts are failed, the entire examination must be retaken. A student may attempt the preliminary examinations no more than twice. To take the examination in whole or part, the student must be enrolled in HRP 799 in the semester in which the examination is taken.

Dissertation:

The doctoral dissertation should be an original, theory-based, empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field. It should expand existing knowledge and demonstrate the student's mastery of theory and research methods, particularly within her/his area of cognate specialization. The research should be rigorous, while upholding the ethics and standards of the field. It is expected that the study will result in publication and presentation to professional audiences.

The Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) oversees the student's doctoral research. Committee membership is approved by the Ph.D. Program Director.  The Committee is composed of at least three graduate faculty members: two members, including the Chair, must be from the Ph.D. Program Faculty of the Department of Public Health or Department of Therapeutic Recreation.  The Chair must be approved by the Dean and the Graduate School as Doctoral Graduate Faculty (DGF). The Chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the Committee members, and informing the student and the Ph.D. Program Director annually of the student's academic progress.

Dissertation proposals include the content required for the first three chapters of the dissertation. Proposals must include: a statement of purpose, detailing the need for the study; research questions and/or hypotheses; a critical review of relevant literature, placing the proposed study in a theoretical context; a detailed presentation of the methods to be used; and a proposed timeline for completing study phases. In the preparation of the proposal, the most common practice is for the student, under the direction of the dissertation chair, to develop an initial draft of the proposal. This draft is circulated among the members of the DAC for discussion. The DAC officially meets for an oral defense of the proposal. Approved proposals are signed and filed with the Graduate School with a copy of the IRB request to approve the research using Human Subjects or exempting the research.

The Dissertation Examining Committee (DEC) evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This final defense committee consists of the final DAC and at least one additional graduate faculty member from outside the Departments of Public Health and Therapeutic Recreation. The outside examiner must be a member of the Graduate Faculty or must be approved to serve in advance by the Dean of the Graduate School. The outside examiner should possess expertise in the study area and be identified no later than the beginning of the semester in which the student will defend the dissertation.

The DEC evaluates the student's ability to describe and defend her/his research approach, specific questions/hypotheses, methodologies, primary findings, and implications. The Committee votes to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation. Students who pass receive written instructions on any changes that are required or recommended before filing the final copy with the Graduate School within 30 days of the final defense. If a student does not pass the final defense, or is unable to make required changed within 30 dyas, an additional oral defense must be scheduled.

If a student needs to change a member of a Committee, the new member must be approved by the Ph.D. Program Director and registered with the graduate administrative assistant and the Graduate School.

Candidates preparing to defend their dissertations should confirm a date and time with each member of the Final Defense Committee and register with the graduate administrative assistant at least 15 days before the defense is to be held. The graduate administrative assistant will arrange the date, time, and room within two working days, post public notice of the meeting, and forward the appropriate forms to the student.

After the graduate administrative assistant has arranged the date, time, and room for the defense, the student must send a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form to the Graduate School at least 10 business days before the defense . The graduate administrative assistant will post official notices announcing the defense.

Contacts
Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/publichealth/

Department Information:

Ph.D. Program in Health Studies

College of Health Professions
1700 N. Broad Street, Room 304
Philadelphia, PA 19122
publichealth@temple.edu
215-204-8726

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Joyce Hankins
joyce.hankins@temple.edu
215-204-7213

Ph.D. Program Director:

Dr. Sheryl Ruzek

sheryl.ruzek@temple.edu

215-204-3718

Department Chairperson:

Dr. Alice Hausman
alice.hausman@temple.edu

215-204-5112

About the Program

The mission of the Ph.D. program in Health Studies is to provide research training in Public Health and Therapeutic Recreation. The program prepares graduates to be independent researchers in the multidisciplinary applied social-behavioral health sciences and epidemiology. The academic focus of the degree prepares students to integrate social and behavioral health sciences or epidemiology with substantive knowledge of particular populations (e.g., children, youth, elderly) and specific intervention modalities (e.g., health communications, community or patient education, therapeutic recreation). The integration of knowledge and skills is achieved through specialized cognate areas that emphasize multidisciplinary approaches to social, behavioral, epidemiological, and educational research with applications in a wide variety of settings with diverse populations. The program offers students the opportunity to work with outstanding researchers within the Departments of Public Health and Therapeutic Recreation, and in related departments on Main Campus, at the Medical School, at the College of Health Professions, and in affiliated institutions (e.g., The Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Children's Hospital) in the Philadelphia area. Required courses for the degree in the College of Health Professions are listed in the Schedule of Classes under Health Related Professions (HRP), Public Health (PH), and Therapeutic Recreation (TR).

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location:

Main Campus

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are required to complete the degree program through classes offered before and after 4:30 p.m. Full-time enrollment is strongly recommended.

Department Information:

Ph.D. Program in Health Studies

Department of Public Health
1700 N. Broad Street, Room 304
Philadelphia, PA 19122
publichealth@temple.edu
215-204-8726

Interdisciplinary Study:

Students are encouraged to develop programs of study that are interdisciplinary in nature, involving coursework across departments, schools, and colleges. Research in affiliated units is encouraged.

Affiliation(s):

Research affiliations of the graduate faculty of the Ph.D. in Health Studies include, at Temple University, the Center for Asian Tobacco Control; the Department of Nursing; the Fox School of Business and Management's Risk, Insurance and Healthcare Department; the Institute on Aging; the Institute on Disabilities; the School of Communications and Theater; the School of Medicine and Children's Medical Center; and the School of Podiatric Medicine. Graduate faculty are also affiliated with the the Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Additional research opportunities at Temple University include the Institute for Survey Research, the Social Science Data Library, and the Testing and Measurement Center.

Study Abroad:

The Department of Public Health offers a summer program in Costa Rica that includes enrollment in PH 562: Seminar in International Health.

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

Two primary areas of specialization are offered within the Ph.D. program: Public Health and Therapeutic Recreation. Each student, in consultation with a Cognate/Research Advisor, develops a curriculum plan, called a "contract," during the first semester following matriculation. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 82 semester hours of graduate credit. Most courses are 3 credits. Upon admission, students may apply for advanced standing credits for graduate coursework that was taken as part of a master's degree in a closely related field. Cognate courses are used to develop expertise in research in Public Health (Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Communication, or Health Education) or Therapeutic Recreation. A minimum of 5 cognate courses (15 s.h.) with an interdisciplinary focus must be taken by advisement. Cognates include supervised independent study or research with faculty. The learning experiences are strongly recommended and arranged by advisement.

Job Placement:

Graduates of the Health Studies Ph.D. Program are typically faculty members or researchers in colleges and universities or hold research-related positions in a wide range of organizations. Graduates are employed in health systems, hospitals and clinics, public health departments, and public health and other healthcare and human service agencies. Some graduates are employed by schools, pharmaceutical companies, non-profit and for-profit corporations, foundations, and consulting firms.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Students are permitted to take up to 9 s.h. of coursework before matriculation. If accepted to the program, those courses may be applied toward the degree requirements. Course selection should be made in consultation with an advisor, and students should be aware that completion of coursework does not ensure admission into the program.

Financing Opportunities

Full-time Ph.D. students receive financial support through fellowships and assistantships. Teaching Assistants may be assigned to assist in the teaching of courses, including grading examinations and papers or teaching laboratory sections. Some TAs independently teach undergraduate courses. Research Assistants perform supervised research activities. TAs and RAs provide 20 hours of service per week. Both assistantships carry a stipend and full tuition remission for up to 9 credits per semester. Applications for assistantships are available from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Therapeutic Recreation and must be submitted by January 15 for the following fall semester. The application requires a statement of previous teaching and/or research experience, areas of interest, and future goals; unofficial copies of transcripts; and a curriculum vitae. The departments make offers of assistantships following admission to the program. Applications should be addressed to Dr. Alice Hausman, Chair of the Department of Public Health, 1700 N. Broad Street, Room 304, Temple University, P.O. Box 2843, Philadelphia, PA 19122-0843.

Updated 3.1.06