Degree Requirements
A minimum of 96 semester hours is required to earn the Doctor of Public Health in Leadership degree.
DrPH Student Handbook
Required Courses (28 semester hours) Heading link
- EPID 403 – Introduction to Epidemiology Principles & Methods (3 semester hours) Introduction to descriptive and analytic epidemiology, and determinants of health and disease in populations. Measures of occurrence, association, and statistical testing will be addressed, along with study designs, bias, and confounding.
- IPHS 501 – Public Health Leadership Seminar 1 (3 semester hours) Intended to build organizational and systems leadership skills for public health professionals who are expected to be in leadership positions at the highest levels within the public health system.
- IPHS 502 – Public Health Leadership Seminar 2 (3 semester hours) Application of strategic management as a leadership tool to drive change and foster innovation within public health organizations and public health systems.
- IPHS 503 – DrPH Integrative Methods Seminar I (3 semester hours) Explores principles of research study design which integrate analytic methods for public health analysis to solve problems and conduct practice based research. Methods include epidemiology, needs assessment, and evaluation.
- IPHS 505 – DrPH Integrative Methods Seminar II (3 semester hours) Alternative research designs featuring case study methods, action research, and systems analysis, for problem-solving and to support evidence-based public health practice research.
- IPHS 510 – Leadership in Public Health Policy Development (3 semester hours) Policy development or policy planning is a leadership activity and part of the DrPH competency framework. This course covers the policy process and role of policy analysis in policy development from a leadership perspective.
- IPHS 511 – Personal Leadership Development (3 semester hours) Examines the personal dimensions of leadership and is intended to give students a basis for understanding their leadership styles, those of others, and to further professional leadership development.
- IPHS 512 – Public Health Leadership Tools (3 semester hours) Covers some of the most commonly used and practical leadership process management tools from both a theoretical and applied perspective.
- Required for students without an MPH: IPHS 520 – Foundations of Public Health (3 semester hours)
Choose one of the following courses:
- BSTT 401 – Biostatistics II (4 semester hours) Simple and multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, multifactor analysis of variance and covariance, non-parametric methods, logistic regression, analysis of categorical data; extensive use of computer software.
- IPHS 514 – Quantitative Methods for Leadership in Public Health Practice (3 semester hours) Covers the application of quantitative methods useful in leadership
situations to address adaptive challenges, foster change, drive policy and contribute to the evidence base of public health practice. - Or an equivalent course
Electives Heading link
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About Elective Courses
Chosen from special topics courses, independent study and other course offerings, these credit hours allow students to build skills towards completing the dissertation. Courses are selected with the approval of student’s Program Advisor.
Most UIC SPH 400-level courses may not be counted to fulfill this requirement. Some courses will be accepted if faculty agrees to add in assignments that cover the leadership relevance of the course. 400 level courses that are more technical in nature may be acceptable without the leadership component but may require additional assignments to raise the student’s performance to the doctoral level. To meet these requirements, a DrPH student should first obtain permission of the course instructor along with permission of the student’s Program Advisor or DrPH Program Director or his designee.
To be counted toward the elective hours, relevance must be demonstrated in the Portfolio (described below). If the course is acceptable with additional work, the course instructor must agree to consider the additional work in giving the course grade. If requested by the course instructor, the student’s advisor (or DrPH Program Director or his designee) may assist in reviewing the supplemental paper. Review criteria for the additional work must be determined and agreed to by the course instructor and the DrPH Program Director or his designee at the beginning of the semester. Approval to count these courses toward the degree is part of the Program Proposal review and approval process.
DrPH Dissertation (minimum 28 semester hours) Heading link
- IPHS 699 – DrPH Dissertation Project: The dissertation is intended to prepare students to contribute to the evidence base of public health practice. It can take a variety of forms, such as a traditional research study; an extensive intervention design involving organizational, system, or environmental change; an evaluation of a complex program or policy; or policy formulation and analysis. Most students require more than 28 hours of research to complete the dissertation.
Prior Master's Degree Credits Heading link
Credit for up to 32 semester hours given for previous masters of public health (MPH) or related degree. Incoming students without an MPH may be required to take additional foundational, core MPH courses. Although required for completion of the degree, any credits earned to complete MPH core course deficiencies and/ or the field practicum will not count toward the 96 semester hour minimum requirement for the DrPH degree. It is the student’s responsibility to take and complete MPH-level courses at an accredited school of public health and request transfer of those credits to the UIC School of Public Health.
Required Non-Credit Training Heading link
Trainings are provided through the Online Collaborative Initial Training Initiative (CITI) and the University of Illinois Chicago.
Information Privacy & Security/Health Privacy Training – IPS
Select IPS for Researchers –(Information Privacy and Security (IPS) Stage 1 – Basic Course “Information Security”
Human Subjects Research – HSR
Select Group 2 Human Subjects Research (HSP): Social – Behavioral – Educational Research Investigators and Key Personnel Stage 1 – Basic Course