Population Health, PhD (Boston)

This program seeks to train students to become public health researchers and leaders through simultaneous examination of multiple determinations of health, including social, environmental, nutritional, and behavioral risk factors. Our students investigate the underlying causes of adverse health, including disease, disparities, and disability, through training in core population health disciplines—biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services—together with individual-specific and specialized training in topics related to student research. Importantly, our students are mentored by Northeastern’s distinguished faculty, who individually and together conduct innovative, solution-focused research in critical population health topics.

Our population health doctoral students have an opportunity to learn to conduct research that addresses five key health determinants:

1.      Social and community contexts

2.      Environment and neighborhoods

3.      Health and healthcare delivery

4.      Education

5.      Economic stability

Our diverse faculty has expertise in numerous population health disciplines, including health services research, health disparities, environmental and social epidemiology, biostatistics, exercise science, medical sociology, public policy, personal health technologies, and mental health. Students have the opportunity to work side by side with faculty in conducting cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research in these fields.

Course Requirements

All population health PhD candidates by completing core research courses, selecting a concentration and taking courses for that concentration, and taking additional electives and directed study courses as needed and in consultation with their faculty advisors. They must complete a dissertation in order to earn their degree. Core courses must be taken by all students, in addition to a mandatory, non-credit-bearing seminar speaker series. All students must fulfill the requirements of their specific population health concentration: social and environmental determinants of health or health services and policy.  There may be some flexibility in course selection based on a student’s relevant experience and dissertation topic. Students must consult with their advisor before selecting elective courses. Electives should be used to either help the student develop skills needed for research or to help the student develop new research ideas.

Advanced Entry

This program is strictly for students who already have a master’s degree in public health or a closely related area. Completion of the PhD program requires coursework, including a yearlong research methods seminar and other advanced research courses. All students must fulfill the course requirements of their specific population health option: social and environmental determinants of health or health services and policy. There may be some flexibility in course selection based on a student’s relevant experience and dissertation topic. Students must consult with their advisor before selecting elective courses. Electives can be used to either help the student develop skills needed for research or to help the student develop new research ideas but are not required. 

Please visit Bouvé College Learning Outcomes for the specific student learning outcomes for this program.

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Students who do not qualify for the doctoral degree, but who have completed required coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or better, may be eligible to receive a terminal MS Population Health degree. Note that no students will be admitted directly into the Population Health program to pursue a master’s degree.

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Milestones

Foundations of Public Health Training
Qualifying examination
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
Oral defense of dissertation proposal
Candidacy status
Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Health Services
PHTH 5232	Evaluating Healthcare Quality	3
or PHTH 5234	Economic Perspectives on Health Policy
Population Health
PHTH 7400	Principles of Population Health 1	3
PHTH 7410	Principles of Population Health 2	3
Epidemiology
PHTH 5202	Introduction to Epidemiology	3
PHTH 6202	Intermediate Epidemiology	3
PHTH 7800	Causal Inference in Public Health Research	3
Research Ethics
BIOL 6381	Ethics in Biological Research	2
or PHSC 5212	Research Skills and Ethics
Research and Analysis
PHTH 5210	Biostatistics in Public Health	3
PHTH 6210	Applied Regression Analysis	3

Concentration

A concentration is required. Choose one of the following:

• Health Services and Policy 
• Social and Environmental Determinants of Health

Dissertation 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHTH 9990	Dissertation Term 1
PHTH 9991	Dissertation Term 2

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

Minimum of 35 total semester hours required for Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Concentration

Minimum of 36 total semester hours required for Health Services and Policy Concentration

Minimum 3.000 GPA required

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Health Services and Policy Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHTH 5234	Economic Perspectives on Health Policy	3
STRT 6440	Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations	4
Complete a minimum of 3 SH of Health Services and Policy electives from the restricted elective list below.		3
ECON 5110	Microeconomic Theory
ECON 5140	Applied Econometrics
ECON 7200	Topics in Applied Economics
HRMG 6420	Health Organization Management
PHTH 5212	Public Health Administration and Policy
PHTH 7101	Qualitative Research Design
PHTH 7102	Qualitative Data Analysis
PPUA 5263	Geographic Information Systems for Urban and Regional Policy
or ENVR 5260	Geographical Information Systems
PPUA 7237	Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems
or ENVR 5563	Advanced Spatial Analysis
SOCL 7243	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOCL 7287	Social Movements in Health

Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHTH 6224	Social Epidemiology	3
PHTH 7440	Advanced Methods in Biostatistics	3
Complete a minimum of 3 SH of Social and Environmental Determinants of Health electives from the restricted elective list below.		3
PHTH 5214	Environmental Health
PHTH 6200	Principles and History of Urban Health
PHTH 6204	Society, Behavior, and Health
PHTH 6208	Foundations of Community Health Assessment
PHTH 7101	Qualitative Research Design
PHTH 7102	Qualitative Data Analysis
PPUA 5263	Geographic Information Systems for Urban and Regional Policy
or ENVR 5260	Geographical Information Systems
PPUA 7237	Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems
or ENVR 5563	Advanced Spatial Analysis
SOCL 7243	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOCL 7267	Environment, Health, and Society
SOCL 7287	Social Movements in Health

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Milestones

Foundations of Public Health Training
Qualifying examination
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
Oral defense of dissertation proposal
Candidacy Status
Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

A grade of B or higher is required in all coursework. Students must complete all core requirements unless otherwise indicated:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Population Health
PHTH 7400	Principles of Population Health 1	3
PHTH 7410	Principles of Population Health 2	3
Epidemiology
PHTH 6202	Intermediate Epidemiology	3
PHTH 7800	Causal Inference in Public Health Research	3
Research Ethics
BIOL 6381	Ethics in Biological Research	2
or PHSC 5212	Research Skills and Ethics
Research and Analysis
PHTH 6210	Applied Regression Analysis	3

Concentration

A concentration is required. Choose one of the following:

• Health Services and Policy 
• Social and Environmental Determinants of Health 

Dissertation 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHTH 9990	Dissertation Term 1
PHTH 9991	Dissertation Term 2

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

Minimum of 26 total semester hours required for Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Concentration 

Minimum of 27 total semester hours required for Health Services and Policy Concentration

Minimum 3.000 GPA required

---

Health Services and Policy Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHTH 5234	Economic Perspectives on Health Policy	3
STRT 6440	Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations	4
Complete a minimum of 3 SH of Health Services and Policy electives from the restricted elective list below.		3
ECON 5110	Microeconomic Theory
ECON 5140	Applied Econometrics
ECON 7200	Topics in Applied Economics
HRMG 6420	Health Organization Management
PHTH 5212	Public Health Administration and Policy
PHTH 7101	Qualitative Research Design
PHTH 7102	Qualitative Data Analysis
PPUA 5263	Geographic Information Systems for Urban and Regional Policy
or ENVR 5260	Geographical Information Systems
PPUA 7237	Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems
or ENVR 5563	Advanced Spatial Analysis
SOCL 7243	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOCL 7287	Social Movements in Health

Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHTH 6224	Social Epidemiology	3
PHTH 7440	Advanced Methods in Biostatistics	3
Complete a minimum of 3 SH of Social and Environmental Determinants of Health electives from the restricted elective list below.		3
PHTH 5214	Environmental Health
PHTH 6200	Principles and History of Urban Health
PHTH 6204	Society, Behavior, and Health
PHTH 6208	Foundations of Community Health Assessment
PHTH 7101	Qualitative Research Design
PHTH 7102	Qualitative Data Analysis
PPUA 5263	Geographic Information Systems for Urban and Regional Policy
or ENVR 5260	Geographical Information Systems
PPUA 7237	Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems
or ENVR 5563	Advanced Spatial Analysis
SOCL 7243	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOCL 7287	Social Movements in Health
SOCL 7267	Environment, Health, and Society