phd on global health

About the Program

The Doctoral Program in Global Health and Development (GHD) is a new and distinctive training program anchored in the Hubert Department of Global Health, and affiliated with the Public Health Sciences cluster of doctoral programs within the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies .

The goal of this program is to train leaders and scholars who use science to improve public health policy and practice for underserved populations globally. Graduates will acquire a solid understanding of the theoretical frameworks of implementation science and relevant methodological skills required to guide programs and policies that are designed to improve health outcomes in a variety of settings across the globe.

Training will provide students with deep and broad expertise in the field of global health and development, creativity to cross discipline boundaries, courage to challenge convention, and confidence to ask unexpected questions and articulate bold new perspectives.

Training faculty include 47 core faculty members and 10 affiliated faculty members who are based at several partner institutions such as the Carter Center and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The core faculty have primary appointments in the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory School of Medicine, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta School of Business, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing and Emory Law School and represent a wide variety of disciplines.  The GHD PhD Program collaborates closely with the Emory Master’s in Development Practice program , a two-year professional degree that prepares students for careers in development and humanitarian fields.

What You’ll Learn

This new PhD offering is one of the only programs globally that specifically offers a doctoral degree in Global Heath and Development. Distinct program advantages include:

• a specific focus on interrelationships between global health and other components of development (e.g. education, urban growth),
• deep learning in ethics and leadership,
• rigorous training in implementation science and interventions, and
• an explicit recognition that field training can be local or global. Moreover, Emory’s strong collaborative ties and engagement of experts based in non-academic settings, such as CARE, The Carter Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer our students unparalleled opportunities for training with experts who are engaged in designing and implementing programs and policies that influence global health and development. These are innovations in training that leverage the expertise of our faculty and our partnerships that are not explicitly emphasized at other institutions in the US or abroad.

Specific skills that the graduates of this program will acquire include a solid understanding of the theoretical frameworks and practical aspects of using implementation science to guide programs and policies that are designed to improve health outcomes in a variety of settings across the globe combined with an understanding of the importance of development theory and practice and ethical challenges.

They will also gain the relevant methodological skills and underlying theory based on their area of interest and career goals (for e.g. policy and advocacy, improving health systems and/or designing and evaluating strategies that include behavioral and/or biomedical interventions in varying areas such as maternal and child health, infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases and mental health).

The trainees in this unique program will be challenged to study and think about issues such as scalability, i.e. exploring the processes and transition through which stakeholders become increasingly skillful and committed to using an intervention and assimilating these interventions into societal structures and functioning within a given context.

They will have core courses that cover the range of content and skills-based knowledge that they need and will have access to a vast variety of elective courses across Emory based on their project needs and/or personal interests.

Emory University’s PhD in Global Health and Development seeks to fill that capacity gap by training leaders in the field with strong methodological foundations to design, manage, implement, and evaluate programs and policies in diverse settings.

The application for the Fall 2021 admissions cycle will open in September 2020. The application deadline is December 1 st . You can submit your application before your letter writers have submitted their letters of recommendation. Make sure you upload the correct version of your statement of purpose, resume and transcripts, as our office is unable to remove or add any document in your application once it has been submitted. View the full list of Admissions Requirements.

Degree Requirements

A full-time course load, considered 9 credit hours or more per semester, is required for all GHD doctoral students. All students must pass the Qualifying Exam before taking the General Doctoral Exam. A Master’s degree will not be granted without a thesis. Independent of admission status, ALL STUDENTS in the GHD Doctoral Program are required to take and pass the Qualifying Exam.

Training Program

The GHD program provides students and program faculty several opportunities for providing feedback. For students, these will include, but are not restricted to, regular meetings with the DGS, participation in the Executive Committee (EC) meetings (two student representatives will be elected by the graduate student body), and meetings with the DGS who will be available by email and during structured office hours.

The DGS will also routinely obtain feedback and obtain student evaluations of the core courses and performance of teaching assistants and other guest lecturer faculty. In these reviews, students will have the opportunity to report on how the curriculum fosters the development of critical thinking skills and make recommendations for additional new courses and/or training opportunities that will be pursued actively.

The EC will also solicit annually from program faculty feedback about the program for discussion at EC meetings in their consideration and application of program changes.

This event includes an overview of the GHD program, the application process, and admission process as well as an introduction to the Hubert Department of Global Health by the Department Chair, Dr. Usha Ramakrishnan, and a panel discussion by current students in the GHD program, followed by a Q&A session.

Virtual Tours of the Campus

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For More Information, Contact:

Please contact Joan Lynfatt to learn more about this new program.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 404-727-5552

Ready to Apply?

Public Health, Global Health Leadership, Dr.P.H.

Become an innovative leader who can address complex public health problems with IU Online’s Doctor of Public Health in Global Health Leadership. With its global curriculum, global faculty, and global network, this program will heighten your ability to impact the health of populations anywhere in the world.

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Course Delivery : 80-99% Online

Total Credits : 45

In-State Tuition Per Credit : $690.00

Out-of-State Tuition Per Credit : $1500.00

Cost of attendance may vary by campus. View the total cost calculator

Degree Overview

The IU Online Doctor of Public Health in Global Health Leadership is a three-year, cohort-based distance education program. It leverages relationships with international schools and programs and includes opportunities to collaborate with faculty and scholars around the world.

As a student in the program, you'll take classes via real-time video, meet your classmates face to face three times a year in years 1 and 2, and complete your dissertation or a field-based project in year 3. You’ll cultivate leadership skills through diverse experiences and exposure to a wide range of perspectives. You’ll learn experientially through highly interactive debates and discussions.

You’ll graduate with an Indiana University degree respected by employers worldwide—and you can work on yours anytime and anywhere. Plus, you’ll enjoy personalized support services throughout your academic journey.

And the benefits start long before graduation. More than half of IU Online students advance in their careers before they complete their degree.

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

• Master's degree or doctorate
• 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale

To apply to this program:

Complete an online application that includes:

• Transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose and objectives
• Resume 

All finalists for admission to the Dr.P.H. will be interviewed at a distance by representatives of the admissions committee. 

Career Outcomes

The IU Online Doctor Program in Global Health Leadership prepares you for top positions in government agencies, foundations, non-governmental organizations, not-for-profit or for-profit organizations, and health ministries, including positions such as:

• Chief executive officer 
• Agency commissioner/secretary
• Executive director

Degree Requirements

To graduate with the Dr.P.H. in Global Health Leadership, you must complete 45 credit hours.

Requirements are broken down as follows:

• Leadership courses (15 credit hours) 
• Public health courses (7 credit hours) 
• Research courses (14 credit hours)
• Dissertation or a field-based, culminating project (9 credit hours)

Find course descriptions with our Search Schedule of Classes/Courses tool .

Find the answers you need or start your application. We’re here to help!

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SDSU School of Public Health

San Diego, California

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PhD – Global Health

Global health relates to health issues and concerns that transcend national borders, class, race, ethnicity and culture.  Studies in global health stress the commonality of health issues for the United States and international partners, and involve collective, science-based interventions to resolve these issues.  Thus, knowledge about how national governments, multi-national organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector must work together is essential to the success of global health programs. Accordingly, emphasis is on preparing graduates with the fundamental scientific knowledge, ethical understanding, and specific skills necessary to become public health researchers and professional leaders in multiple settings.

Proximity to the U.S./Mexico border and the expertise of many current faculty members at both SDSU and UCSD support and encourage a focus on transborder problems including infectious diseases (e.g., HIV, TB, STDs), non-communicable diseases (diabetes, CVD), and migrant health.  Students may develop other areas of specialization such as environmental health, health policy, geographic information systems, and maternal/child health.

Required and elective courses include global health practice and theory, program planning and evaluation, emerging infectious diseases, advanced epidemiology and biostatistics, research methods, environmental health, and global maternal/child health. In addition to didactic classes at both partner institutions, students will be expected to complete an international field practicum involving research, policy work, or cultural training. Graduates of the program are competitive for a variety of research, teaching and service positions in academic institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and businesses with global health interests both within and outside of the United States.

Joint Program with University of California – San Diego

The PhD in Public Health, Global Health, is offered through the Joint Doctoral Program (JDP).  This is a collaborative effort between two academic institutions, San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).  The doctoral program is research-intensive, where students work closely with faculty members from both SDSU and UCSD in developing research skills necessary to be future leaders in research and teaching of epidemiology.

The JDP is jointly administered by the School of Public Health (SPH) at SDSU and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (FPM) in the School of Medicine, via the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) at UCSD. As a student in this program, you will complete course work and conduct research at both institutions. Faculty from each institution will serve on your advisory and dissertation committees, providing you with extensive exposure to experts with varied interests and proficiencies. This program is co-directed by Dr. Kimberly Brouwer at UCSD and Dr. Elizabeth Reed at SDSU, who has a joint appointment with UCSD.

Admissions and Full Program Information

• See the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health site.

SDSU School of Public Health Hardy Tower room 119 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-4162 ( see map )

tel: (619) 594-1254

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• Academic Programs
• PhD in Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science

The Department of Global Health and the Department of Health Metrics Sciences  offer an interdisciplinary PhD program in Global Health that is the first of its kind, building on the expertise of our faculty in the areas of metrics and implementation science. The PhD program provides students with the latest and most innovative tools to advance global health solutions that are critical for decision-making and priority setting.

PhD candidates will have the opportunity to study in Seattle, one of the true global health capitals, where innovators in research, funding, and delivery work side by side to improve population health. Our doctoral program offers amazing opportunities to those who choose to pursue a career in academia, international organizations, ministries of health, foundations, or the private sector.

At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.

Choosing An Area of Emphasis

• Implementation Science

Select from the following:

Implementation science focuses on developing and applying diverse, state-of-the-art methodologies to understand and improve complex health systems to close the gap between incomplete evidence on interventions into effective programs. The interdisciplinary implementation science framework includes systems analysis and improvement techniques; innovative designs to measure impact; economic analysis; and policy research to inform the formulation, implementation, and scale-up of improved delivery approaches.

Because of the applied nature of this area of emphasis, it is expected that implementation science doctoral projects will involve primary data collection.  

Examples of dissertation topics:

• Development, application, and evaluation of simulation and optimization models for provincial and district human resource allocation systems
• Systems analysis and improvement for malaria case management in primary health care settings
• Stepped wedge trial of alternative delivery strategies for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV
• Cost effectiveness of partner services for HIV
• Impact of the introduction of point of care diagnostics for TB care system performance

Prospective students will find more information about applying here , and should select “Global Health Metrics and Implementation Science (PhD)” in the dropdown when beginning their application.

Metrics students translate evidence into useful knowledge by learning and applying advanced quantitative methods, impact evaluation techniques, and analytic tools. Students in the metrics area of emphasis organize their research around answering three critical questions that are essential to understanding the current state of population health and strategies necessary to improve it.

• What are the world’s major health problems
• How well is society addressing these problems?
• How do we best dedicate resources to maximize health improvement?

Examples of projects that doctoral students in metrics engage in:

• Estimating the Global Burden of Disease for diabetes
• Improving the cost effectiveness of antiretroviral delivery systems in sub-Saharan Africa
• Improving the methods to measure mortality by cause in a comparable way across countries
• Evaluating the effect of malaria control policies on reducing child mortality
• The contribution of development assistance for health on health outcomes

Prospective students will find more information about applying here , and should select “Health Metrics Sciences (PhD)” in the dropdown when beginning their application.

What is implementation science? What is metrics? This short video features our students discussing the PhD program in Global Health, including the definitions of metrics and implementation science, their dissertation, research, and what makes this program unique.

In this unique interdisciplinary program, students develop skills through a combination of didactic courses, seminars, and research activities including primary data collection and analysis. The PhD program is comprised of a core curriculum in advanced quantitative methods, epidemiology, population health measurement, impact evaluations, and implementation science methods.

The PhD program specializes in two areas of emphasis, metrics and implementation science. Metrics is dedicated to providing students with advanced training in independent, rigorous, and timely scientific measurements to accelerate progress on global health by identifying the world’s major health problems, assessing how well society addresses these problems, and guiding resource allocation to maximize health improvements. Implementation science focuses on the systematic application of scientific approaches to ask and answer questions regarding evidence of intervention efficacy to implementation. This science addresses how interventions can be scaled-up with greater speed, fidelity, efficiency, quality, and coverage.

Upon graduation, students will have acquired the knowledge and skills required to make meaningful and innovative contributions to the field of global health.

The applications for each area of emphasis in the PhD program are separate, and prospective students must apply using the application for the area of emphasis they wish to pursue. Prospective metrics students can learn more about the program, and the application here .

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Systems

Offered By: Department of International Health

Onsite | Full-Time | 4 years

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About the PhD in Health Systems Program

The PhD program is designed to equip students with the technical skills for carrying out cutting-edge health policy and systems research and preparing them to take leadership positions in global health settings.

Through a combination of coursework and research mentoring, graduates will have a robust understanding of diverse methods (both qualitative and quantitative) for health systems research.

This is a  STEM designated program . Eligible F-1 visa students can receive an additional 24 months of work authorization, beyond the initial 12 months of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).

PhD in Health Systems Program Highlights

Through a combination of coursework and research mentoring, graduates will have a firm understanding of the wide array of methods for health systems research.

GLOBAL NETWORK

Field sites around the world

HEALTH EQUITY

Study how to expand access and improve equity in low- and middle-income countries

HEALTH POLICY

Examine institutional capacity, sustainability, and systems governance

STEM DESIGNATED

Eligibility for a 24-month STEM OPT extension

Meet our PhD alumni

Seema parmar, phd '12.

Current employer:  McKinsey & Company

Job title:   Sr Expert & Associate Partner

Job description : Serve a range of payer and provider clients in the US and globally on issues related to payment reform, innovative care delivery models, and social determinants of health

Academic advice to prospective PhD students : Getting through your PhD requires more self-discipline than almost anything else you will do, so make sure your dissertation is linked to what motivates you (e.g., passion, people, skills) and then don’t give up.

Dissertation : An assessment of maternal health service needs of immigrant women living in east Calgary, Canada

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Health Systems?

Health Systems graduates enjoy careers in academia, government and nongovernment sectors, and industry. Alumni hold faculty appointments at leading universities and ministries of health and positions at major global health organizations, including WHO, CDC, and the World Bank, among others.

3MDG Fund Head of Health Systems

Abt Associates, Inc, Principal Associate

Catholic Relief Services Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, & Learning

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer Epidemiologist

Centre for Health Economics, University of York Research Fellow

Chulalongkorn University Faculty, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine

GAVI Alliance Head of Monitoring & Evaluation

The World Bank Director, Global Practice, Health, Nutrition & Population

World Health Organization Executive Director, The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research Manager, The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research

Curriculum for the PhD in Health Systems

Students will develop the professional skills necessary to work effectively in academic, research, programmatic and policy settings around the world.

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue , explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory , and find many more details in the program's  Academic Guides .

• Recent dissertations
• Student timeline

Courses Available in the Following Areas:

• Digital health
• Implementation science
• Health economics and financing
• Health outcomes and burden of disease 
• Health policy analysis
• Health systems research and systems thinking
• Injury prevention and control
• Maternal, neonatal and child health
• Non-communicable diseases
• Primary health care
• Public health ethics
• Refugee and humanitarian health
• Systems science

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the  How to Apply  page. This specific program also requires:

Prior Graduate Degree

Master's degree in related field

Prior Work Experience

Not required but highly desirable

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores (GRE) are  optional  for this program. The admissions committee will make no assumptions if a standardized test score is omitted from an application, but will require evidence of quantitative/analytical ability through other application components such as academic transcripts and/or supplemental questions.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

Program Faculty Spotlight

Abdulgafoor M. Bachani

Abdulgafoor M. Bachani, PhD '11, MHS '08, studies how to address burden of and preventing injury and disabilities, and to expand access to rehabilitation services.

Shannon Doocy

Shannon Doocy, PhD ’04, studies the health impact of natural disasters and conflict, including refugees and displaced populations, and how to improve humanitarian responses.

Sara Bennett

Sara Bennett, PhD, MPhil, examines health policy and systems in low- and middle-income countries with a focus on institutional capacity, sustainability, and systems governance.

Krishna Dipankar Rao

Krishna D. Rao, PhD '04, MSc, finds ways to improve access to quality health services and financing of health care in low and middle-income countries.

All full-time PhD students will receive the following support for the first four years of the program either through endowments, grants, or research projects: full tuition, individual health insurance, University Health Services clinic fee, vision insurance, and dental insurance.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU  starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

Elisabeth Simmons, MEd Academic Program Administrator [email protected]

Abdulgafoor Bachani, PhD Associate Professor PhD in Health Systems Concentration Director [email protected] 

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

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PhD Global Health

"The PhD in Global Health brings early-stage researchers from a range of disciplines and nationalities together to discuss, debate, and collaborate on pressing issues in global health. While working towards their independent research projects, our PhD students have the opportunity to work, socialise, and learn alongside other doctoral candidates in the Centre."

Dr Frédérique Vallieres Course Director P: +353 1 896 2130 E: [email protected]

Programme Supervisors

Dr Felicity Daly - PhD Public Health and Primary Care Global Health| P: +353 1 896 4177 E: [email protected]

Dr Kristin Hadfield - PhD Psychology Global Mental Health | Child & Adolescent Mental Health & Wellbeing P: +353 1 896 4178 E: [email protected]

Dr Frédérique Vallieres - PhD Psychology Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings | Psychological Trauma | Health Systems Strengthening | Human Resources for Global Mental Health P: +353 1 896 2130 E: [email protected]

Dr Meg Ryan - PhD Public Health and Primary Care or PhD Psychology Global Mental Health | Reproductive Justice | Gender-Based Violence |Psychotraumatology |Counselling Psychology & Psychotherapy P: +353 1 896 2764 E: [email protected]

Programme Aims & Structure

The PhD in Global Health (formerly INDIGO) programme aims to provide promising early career researchers with a world-class experience and scholarship. A four-year, full-time programme with a flexible structure, the PhD Global Health aims to produce leaders in global health research, policy, and practice. Typical for our doctoral candidates is to spend a considerable portion of their doctoral degree conducting research as part of ongoing global health and global mental health projects, in collaboration with one of our many national and international partners . Students who successfully complete their PhD will receive either a PhD Psychology or PhD Public Health and Primary Care, dependent on their supervisor.

The following outlines the major milestones of the PhD process, the timing of which may vary depending on the individual candidate and their respective research requirements:

In addition to their own research obligations, doctoral researchers are expected to attend and participate in the TCGH's weekly research seminars, held every Tuesday during lunch time.

By the end of their doctoral training, students gain first-hand knowledge and experience of conducting practical research in one or more of the following principal research areas : (1) Global Mental Health; (2) Health Systems Strengthening; (3) Human Resources for Health, and (4) Equitable Access to Inclusive Health.

By working closely with their supervisors, mentor panels, TCGH partners, and fellow doctoral researchers, our PhD students emerge from the programme confident in their ability to independently design and conduct global health research. Students also have the opportunity to avail of career development opportunities by getting involved with the following TCGH activities:

• Research grant writing and submission to funding bodies
• Academic writing and publication
• Critical thinking and conceptual framing of international development work
• Conducting research in resource-constrained settings and/or with vulnerable populations
• Post-graduate teaching and co-supervision through engagement with BA or MSc programmes

We are currently reviewing applications for doctoral theses that are related to the following research topics:

• Global Health ( Supervisor: Dr Felicity Daly ) - Supervisor for PhD Public Health and Primary Care
• Child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing; resilience; randomised controlled trials; parent-child relations; refugee youth and families; climate change ( Supervisor: Dr Kristin Hadfield ) - Supervisor for PhD Psychology
• Global mental health; social determinants of mental health; sexual reproductive health and rights, LGBTQIA+ health and mental health, gender-based violence, ( Supervisor  Dr Meg Ryan ) -  Supervisor for PhDs in Psychology or Public Health and Primary Care
• Global mental health; global health and international development; psychological responses to trauma; human resources for health and task-sharing models of health service delivery; health system strengthening, ( Supervisor:   Dr Frédérique Vallières ) - Supervisor for PhD Psychology

Please note that, unless otherwise indicated, there is currently no funding available for PhD posts, so candidates must be self-funded or have secured their own bursaries. That said, the opportunity to apply for a Trinity Postgraduate Research Award is available to those who have secured a place on the programme. When reaching out to potential supervisors, please provide information on whether you have secured funding for your tuition fees and stipend and, if not, what funding you would intend to apply for in order to support yourself while conducting the PhD. Note also that proposed PhD projects should be consistent with the funding available; if you have not already secured funding to support conducting the research itself, your research proposal should be for a research project which could be conducted at no or relatively low cost.

Admission to the PhD Global Health programme at Trinity College Dublin is highly competitive. Applicants must possess a strong academic record, international research experience, and a keen interest in global health research. Admission to the programme takes place in three stages. 

Stage 1: To be considered for a position on the course, candidates must submit ALL of the following documents to relevant supervisor via email at least 3 months before September 1st or March 1st registration deadlines:

• Personal statement
• Updated curriculum vitae
• Research concept cote outlining the candidate’s proposed research
• Copy of the candidate’s academic record(s)

Stage 2: If the above documents are in order, and where there is capacity to provide supervision to the applicant, the candidate may be asked to take part in an informal interview.

Stage 3:   Should the candidate succeed beyond this first two phases of the selection process, they will then be asked to put through a formal application through the TCD online application system. As this point, Academic Registry will vet the candidate's application to ensure that the programme requirements are met.

Requirements

The PhD in the Trinity Centre for Global Health is intended for individuals with a keen interest in global health research. This includes more academic, theory-based research as well as operational, systems, and services-orientated research with organisations involved in ongoing global health activities. Given the cross-disciplinary nature of the programme, applications are invited from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who wish to advance their research skills and to answer questions that further our understanding of how to best address important challenges for global health.

Trinity College Dublin has high academic entry requirements for post-graduate courses. Applicants must* have:

• A relevant master’s degree from an Irish University or an equivalent degree from a university in another country
• A fluent command of the English language (see below for English language requirements)
• A strong understanding of research principles and methodologies (as assessed by the applicant’s research concept note)
• Previous experience conducting research in resource-constrained settings is preferable, but not mandatory.

*In exceptional cases, individuals who demonstrate that they have exceeded the above standards through other professional and academic routes may also be considered for the PhD Global Health programme.

English Language Requirements:

All applicants whose first language is not English, must provide supporting documentary evidence of their competence in English. The following test results are recognised by Trinity College Dublin:

• IELTS: Grade 6.5 with no individual band below 6
• TOEFL: 88 – internet based, 230 computer-based, 570 paper-based
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English: Grade C
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: Grade C

Additional information for international students is available from the Graduate Studies Office .

Fees are payable on an annual basis and vary depending on which School the PhD student is registered to.

We understand that pursuing doctoral studies implies a significant financial commitment and we strongly encourage students to seek out bursaries and scholarships that might be available to them. Listed below are current opportunities for funding as well as some of the scholarships past PhD Students have avail of:

• Health Research Board Fellowship Grants  ( www.hrb.ie )
• Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme  ( www.research.ie )
• Trinity Postgradate Research Funding (Trinity College Dublin): Funds students on a full-time basis wtih a stipend for four years and covers applicable university fees in addition to a stipend of EUR 6,500.00 per annum. Candidates can apply during the formal online application process. Please tick the appropriate box when asked whether you would like to be considered for this scholarship.  ( Graduate Studies )
• Tempere Tuberculosis Foundation, Finland
• Robert S. McNamara Fellowship : Every year, the RSM programme provides grants of up to $25,000 to PhD candidates from developing countries to conduct innovative, development-related, PhD research under the supervision of a research advisor at a host institution abroad. The online application form is available on the World Bank website  http://www.worldbank.org/scholarships . For further application details please consult the Application Guidelines:  http://worldbank.org

Current PhD Researchers

TCGH doctoral researchers are considered integral members of the TCGH team and are often part of one of more of the various ongoing research projects in the Centre.

Prof Mac MacLachlan (Maynooth)

Dr David Hevey

Dr Fintan Sheerin

Dr Vivienne Brady

Dr Meg Ryan

Dr Kristin Hadfield

Dr Tania Bosqui

Publications

Recent publications arising from the PhD Global Health:

• Warraitch, A. , Lee, M., Bruce, D., Curran, P., Khraisha, Q ., Wacker, C., & Hadfield, K . (2024). An umbrella review of reviews on challenges to meaningful adolescent involvement in health research. Health Expectations, 27(1), e13980.
• Warraitch, A. , Bruce, D., Lee, M., Curran, P., Khraisha, Q ., & Hadfield, K. (2023). Involving adolescents in the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of health research: an umbrella review protocol. BMJ open, 13(6), e069695.
• Warraitch, A. (2022). Challenges to meaningful involvement of youth in health research. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(9), 493-493.
• Khraisha, Q. , Sawalha, L., Hadfield, K. , Al-Soleiti, M., Dajani, R., & Panter-Brick, C. (2024). Coparenting, mental health, and the pursuit of dignity: A systems-level analysis of refugee father-mother narratives. Social Science & Medicine, 340, 116452.
• Maiorano, N. , Travers, Á., & Vallières, F. , (2023). The relationship between rape myths, revictimization by law enforcement, and well-being for victims of sexual assault. Violence against women, 29(14), 2873-2890.
• Perera, Camila, Aldamman, Kinan , Hansen, Maj, Haahr-Pedersen, Ida , Caballero-Bernal, Joyce, Caldas-Castañeda, Olga N., Chaparro-Plata, Yosbelly, Dinesen, Cecilie, Wiedemann, Nana, Vallières, Frédérique, A brief psychological intervention for improving the mental health of Venezuelan migrants and refugees: A mixed-methods study, SSM - Mental Health, 2, 2022, p100109 , Journal Article.
• Haahr-Pedersen I, , Hyland P, Hansen M, Perera C , Spitz P, Bramsen RH, Vallières F ., Patterns of childhood adversity and their associations with internalizing and externalizing problems among at-risk boys and girls., Child abuse & neglect, 121, 2021, p105272 , Journal Article.
• Perera C , McBride KA, Travers Á, Tingsted Blum P, Wiedemann N, Dinesen C, Bitanihirwe B, Vallières F., Towards an integrated model for supervision for mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian emergencies: A qualitative study.,  PloS one , 16, (10), 2021, pe0256077 , Journal Article
• Murphy, D. , Vallières, F., Murphy, J., McElroy, E. and Hyland, P. (2020). Risk factors associated with general and specific dimensions of psychosis in a nationally representative sample of adults from the United States. Psychosis: Psychological, Social, and Integrative Approaches. https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2020.1791238
• Perera, C. , Salamanca-Sanabria, A., Caballero-Bernal, J., Feldman, L., Hansen, M., Bird, M., Hansen, P., Dinesen, C., Wiedemann, N. and Vallières, F. (2020). No implementation without cultural adaptation: A process for culturally adapting low-intensity psychological interventions in humanitarian settings. Conflict and Health, 14, 46 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00290-0
• Haahr- Pedersen, I. , Ershadi, A., Hyland, P., Hansen, M., Perera, C. , Sheaf, G., Holm Bramsen, R., Spitz, P. and Vallières, F. (2020). Polyvictimization and psychopathology among children and adolescents: A systematic review of studies using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Child Abuse and Neglect, 107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104589
• Haahr-Pedersen, I., Perera, C. , Hyland, P., Vallières, F., Murphy, D. , Hansen, M., Spitz, P., Hansen, P., & Cloitre, M. (2020). Females have more complex patterns of childhood adversity: Implications for mental, social, and emotional outcomes in adulthood. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11 :1. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1708618
• Aldamman, K., Tamrakar, T., Dinesen, C., Wiedemann, N., Murphy, J., Hansen, M., Badr, E.E., Reid, T., & Vallières, F. (2019). Caring for the mental health of humanitarian volunteers in traumatic contexts: the importance of organisational support. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10 :1. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1694811
• Sherwood, L. , Hegarty, S., Vallières, F., Hyland, P., Murphy, J., Fitzgerld, G., & Reid, T. (2019). Identifying the Key Risk Factors for Adverse Psychological Outcomes Among Police Populations: A Systematic Literature Review . Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32, 688-700. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.224311 .

Do I get to select my supervisor, or will I be assigned one? Potential students are encouraged to apply todo a PhD in the Trinity Centre for Global Health having identified a member of staff within Trinity College Dublin that has agreed to supervise their work. Supervisors should have expertise in the area of research of interest to the candidate, as well as the availability to take on additional PhD students. You will not be assigned a supervisor.

Do I have to teach or supervise other students while enrolled in the PhD Global Health? There are a number of opportunities for doctoral researchers to both teach and co-supervise students enrolled in the BA Psychology, MSc Global Health, or MSc Glbal Mental Health programmes. This allows researchers to gain valuable teaching and supervision skills as part of their doctoral training. Supervision of master's theses is generally shared with a full-time academic staff member.

How many courses must I take for credit in order to fulfil the requirements of a PhD? The number of compulsory modules varies across Schools. Therefore, the number of ECTS credits required to fulfil the requirements of a PhD is entirely dependent on the School in which you are enrolled. Should you be invited to submit a formal application, you would enrol in the School where your primary supervisor is based. Attending and presenting at the weekly TCGH Seminars each term is mandatory for all PhD candidates in the Trinity Centre for Global Health.

What are the deadlines for submitting an application to the PhD in the Trinity Centre for Global Health? Trinity has two enrolment periods: September and March intakes. If candidates wish to be considered for the March intake, it is strongly advised that they submit their application by December 1st. For a September start, it is strongly advised that candidates submit their application by June 1st.

Am I permitted to have a co-supervisor from another institution? A second, or even third, co-supervisor may be beneficial. Typically, co-supervisors are located within organisations in the country where the student’s research is taking place. In 2014, TCD introduced an internal PhD advisory system whereby all PhD students are assigned two advisors in addition to their appointed supervisor. These mentors will be chosen by you and your supervisor and approved by the Director of Postgraduate Teaching and Learning. You will be expected to arrange a meeting with your supervisor and your two mentors at least once a year to review your progress and the annual report on your work, which you will be expected to write ahead of this meeting. Students are responsible for preparing an annual report based on the research they have been undertaking.

Will I have the opportunity to study or work in other institutions outside of Trinity College Dublin during the course of my PhD? Many of our PhD students spend time with one of our numerous international collaborating partners . This includes, but is not limited to, spending time in partner academic institutions in both low and middle-income countries, UN agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations. As many of our students’ research takes places in resource-poor contexts, it follows that many of our students spend a considerable amount of their time outside of the Trinity Centre for Global Health.

What funding options are available to PhD students? Unfortunately, there is very little funding available for PhD students. For current openings for funded PhD positions as well as relevant PhD funding bodies please see Fees and Bursaries.

What if I do not have a background in Global Health, can I still apply? As an interdisciplinary Centre, applications are welcome from individuals with diverse educational and academic backgrounds as long as the research conducted as part of their PhD is clearly related to the area of Global Health. Preference is given to applicants whose research falls under one of the Centre’s principal research themes. Individuals should also clearly demonstrate a deep understanding of the principles and theories of Global Health research.

For further information about past graduates and their research projects please click on the link below.

The rigorous Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Health program at GPH allows you to balance the theoretical with the practical; the innovation with the application. You’ll work side-by-side with and under the guidance of esteemed faculty from NYU’s global and interdisciplinary network on vanguard research and solutions to universal public health issues.

You’ll further tailor your studies by selecting one of four areas of study – Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Social & Behavioral Sciences, or Public Health Policy & Management – to gain the innovative approach and aptitude you need to prepare for a successful future in academia and/or research.

Explore our Doctoral Program

Concentrations

Candidacy & Dissertation

Program FAQs

Forms & Handbook

Diversity and Inclusion

Administration

Meet Our Doctoral Students

Meet our doctoral alumni.

Although the maximum allotted time you have to complete the degree is seven years, we expect most GPH doctoral students to complete their degree in four or five years. The sample timeline below assumes that you have completed the prerequisite courses  prior to entering into the doctoral program; if you have not, another year of coursework would be added to this timeline. 

• Epidemiology
• Social & Behavioral Sciences
• Public Health Policy & Management
• Biostatistics

The Epidemiology concentration will deepen your understanding and application of advanced data analytic techniques and research methodology, taking at least three courses in these disciplines. You’ll also identify a specialization area (e.g. chronic disease epidemiology, mental health epidemiology, etc.) and take a minimum of two courses in this specialization area.

Learn more about the courses you’ll take in the Epidemiology concentration.  

The Social and Behavioral concentration prepares individuals to use social science and behavioral theory and an array of methodological approaches to understand and address the social and behavioral determinants of health and illness on the population level. The curriculum provides students with rigorous training in foundational social and behavioral theory, quantitative and qualitative research methods and intervention and implementation science. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be equipped to conduct independent scholarly research in academic and research settings and translate that knowledge to solve pressing contemporary public health challenges.

Learn more about the courses you’ll take in the Social & Behavioral Sciences concentration.

The Public Health Policy and Management concentration prepares students to: (1) apply appropriate research methods to analyze health policy and management issues and questions, (2) synthesize evidence to guide policymaking and assess public policies and programs that promote population health and health equity, and (3) assess different theoretical perspectives in management and apply these ideas to the identification, analysis and understanding of critical themes and issues in health care and public health. The PHPM PhD concentration builds on doctoral-level methods, policy and management courses offered at Wagner and Stern, combined with PhD-level public health policy and management as well as health services and policy research courses offered at the School of Global Public Health.

Learn more about the courses you’ll take in the Public Health Policy & Management concentration.

The Biostatistics concentration prepares students for careers in which they will develop and apply statistical methods to advance research in public health and biomedical sciences. The program is designed to train students to be independent scholars in the theory, methodology, and application of biostatistics. The program includes classroom learning, training in consulting and scientific collaboration, and mentored independent research. Dissertation research will typically be motivated by important problems in public health that require novel statistical methods for design or analysis. Upon completion students will have gained a broad foundation in statistical computing, public health sciences, and learned to communicate effectively with biostatisticians and scientists from other disciplines.

Learn more about the courses you’ll take in the Biostatistics concentration.

View the PhD Program Handbook

Are you ready to start creating pioneering solutions to some of global health’s most demanding issues with venerated faculty from around the world apply to the phd in public health today.

Doctoral Program

PhD in Global Infectious Disease (GLID) candidates will receive a unique combination of training that brings together science, health, technology, modeling, social sciences, economics and governance.  While Global Infectious Disease PhD candidates will specialize in particular areas, they will also learn about the multitude of ways to approach different aspects of infection prevention and control, including life science research, one health, mathematical modeling of outbreaks, economic impacts of pandemics, and diplomacy to advance health outcomes. 

Who should apply to the PhD in Global Infectious Disease?

Individuals dedicated to finding solutions to how the world can better approach infectious diseases are perfect candidates. We are looking for students committed to understanding global infectious disease problems and to approaching them in an interdisciplinary fashion. Students will have an interest in topics ranging from global health security governance, to health delivery economics, to epidemiology, and mathematical modeling. PhD candidates will become an expert in their research area of interest while gaining broad knowledge that can be applied to global infectious disease problems.

This program will prepare successful students to join a growing workforce and find employment in a variety of areas depending on their speciality. These may include federal, state or local health departments, multilateral organizations, advocacy organizations, global health implementers, pharmaceutical companies, and academia, among others. 

Admissions Requirements

    academic background & experience.

Applicants should have a background in basic science: admission requirements include at least one semester of undergraduate biology, and significant course experience in math and advanced statistics, as well as experience in computer programming for those interested in pursuing data modeling or related fields of research. Students interested in policy-oriented research should have coursework in political science and economics.

PhD candidates should be able to demonstrate a clear study path or intellectual journey towards their PhD area of interest and demonstrate a history of success, such as through relevant employment positions or publications. There will be a strong preference for applicants that hold an advanced degree or significant experience in the field.

GRE test scores are not required and will not be evaluated; applicants who would like GRE scores evaluated as part of their application should contact the program before submitting scores to explain why they feel they are more reflective than other application materials.

    Identifying Faculty Mentorship

Applicants should review the GLID participating faculty page (or elsewhere at the university if desired) and identify 2-3 faculty members that could potentially serve as mentors for research rotations and, eventually, their dissertation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out directly to these faculty and discuss potential dissertation topics. Be aware that not all participating faculty accept new students.

    3 Letters of Recommendation

Three official recommendations are required by the Graduate School. These recommendations must be from persons in positions to appraise the applicant’s potential for graduate study.

The Graduate School requires use of the online recommendation system, which utilizes a secure online recommendation system that will: – email your recommendation providers with instructions for online submission of the recommendation allow applicants to track recommendations received or not received and follow up with recommenders who still need to submit their appraisals – expedite the processing of the recommendations, which will be included in the online application once submitted

    Statement of Purpose

Some elements to consider for the Statement of Purpose include highlighting the ways in which you can prove to the Admissions Committee that you are ready for a PhD; explaining why an interdisciplinary PhD is important to you and necessary for your research goals; demonstrating what research questions you are interested in pursuing for your doctorate; and identifying which faculty at Georgetown would be appropriate as a primary advisor to you for this research, including any relevant summary of conversations with such faculty.

    Interview

Before acceptance, all strong applicant candidates will be required to have an interview with two or three members of the Admissions Committee. This can be completed either on site or via video-teleconference.

Students will spend their first year taking core courses that will immerse them in the Global Infectious Disease curriculum. In general, PhD students will take the following Global Infectious Disease core courses in Year 1:

In addition, most students will take either GLID 5011: Policy Analysis or GLID 5522: Modeling of Biological Systems. PhD students will choose additional courses toward the 30-credit requirement based on discussions with their advisor. Some courses may be waived depending on the student’s background.

Students will have the option of doing research rotations with potential mentors during the first 8 months of the program. These rotations would start in September of the first year, but are not required. Students not electing to rotate can begin dissertation research in Year 1.

Students can take electives to provide more specific background related to dissertation research. The remainder of the 30-credit requirement will be determined in partnership with the candidate’s Advisory Committee and Thesis Adviser, based on the candidate’s background and research interests. Most of Year 2 is spent performing research and developing a base of knowledge to write and defend the dissertation proposal, aka the comprehensive exam taken in year 3.

Candidates will sit for a Qualifying Exam at the end of Year 1. Candidates will take their Comprehensive Exam by December of Year 3; this is a written dissertation proposal with oral presentation and defense to ensure research plan is sound and to assess the proposal for the level of effort and timeline proposed.

We anticipate students being able to complete the PhD program in 5 years.

Teaching Requirement

Teaching will be a requirement of the Global Infectious Disease PhD program, to reflect this core skill. There are several different options to complete this requirement, including:

• Serving as a teaching assistant for one semester.
• For senior PhD candidates, teaching an undergraduate class.
• Designing and teaching a short course. For example: designing and teaching a module of the Global Infectious Disease Core Course. 

Internships

Internships are encouraged for Infectious Disease PhD candidates without work experience, but are not a requirement of the program. Internships can be conducted for credit (up to 3 credits maximum), equivalent to at least 150 hours, with a written summary of the work. 

Financial Support

Candidates admitted to the program are offered five years of financial support covering tuition, stipend, and health insurance.

Ph.D Student Handbook for the GLID Program

For a representative PhD student handbook, click to view the GLID PhD Handbook . Note that the handbook is updated for each incoming class.

Post-Graduation Outlook

The Global Infectious Disease curriculum is ideal for intellectually curious individuals dedicated to interdisciplinary approaches to global infectious disease problems. It offers both fundamental and advanced teaching on topics that include microbiology, epidemiology, data science, and domestic and global policy and governance. It can prepare you to join a growing workforce and find employment in federal, state or local health departments, emergency management departments, pharmaceutical companies, advocacy organizations, or global health implementers. Some students may wish to pursue an internship during their course of study. Georgetown faculty can help connect students with contacts at organizations such as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Talus Analytics, New York City Health and Hospitals Special Pathogens Unit, USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats program, and the National Academies of Science.

Georgetown University offers its students an array of options related to infectious disease, health security, and global health career paths. Learn more about many of Georgetown’s global health-related degree programs on the Global Health Initiative web page.

Global Health, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Global Health

The PhD in global health draws on the premise that sustainable and satisfying solutions to the most pressing global health challenges require a sophisticated understanding of how cultural context, social and ecological processes and disease are really related.

This transdisciplinary graduate program trains students broadly in cutting-edge health social science research theory and methods. The program leverages the strength of ASU's medical anthropology programming and 15 medical anthropologists, and it has the advantage of accessing an exceptionally wide set of skills offered by those in such fields as medical sociology, demography, human geography and epidemiology.

Some particular thematic foci of the program are biocultural approaches to human coping, computer-based complexity modeling, culture and health, health in the Americas, and Indigenous and minority health, as well as mathematical epidemiology, nutritional anthropology, social justice and vulnerable populations, social networks, and urban and environmental health.

The program draws some 80 faculty members from throughout the university to consider how cutting-edge social science can be applied to understand and substantively improve the health of populations. The program favors community-based research in communities of all sizes and types, from hunter-gatherer communities to large U.S. cities, and runs collaborative projects in which students are encouraged to gain experience and conduct research.

Students generally enter the program with a master's degree in a relevant field.

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 credit hours) ASB 510 Health: Social and Biocultural Theories (3)

Electives (39 credit hours)

Other Requirements (18 credit hours) ASB 500 Research Methods (3) ASB 501 Professionalism (3) ASM 579 Proposal Writing (3) SSH 591 Topic: Principles of Epidemiology for Global Health (3) systematic methods courses (6)

Research (12 credit hours) ASB 792 Research (12)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) ASB 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information For electives, students should see the academic unit for a course list approved by the chair.

Other requirement coursework may be substituted with the approval of the academic unit. At least two systematic methods courses in an area other than epidemiology or biostatistics and ethnography should be selected, such as nutrition, survey, archival analysis, demography or geographic information systems.

When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program may allow up to 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this program. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, the remaining coursework is made up of electives.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• personal statement outlining educational and professional goals
• current curriculum vitae or resume
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Suitable backgrounds for admission include a master's degree in the social sciences (e.g., anthropology or sociology), public health, human biology or related fields. Students who enter directly from a bachelor's degree program should have completed at least 15 credit hours of social science and six credit hours of human biology or equivalent at the senior level and should have some background in statistics or epidemiology.

Applicants may submit with their application materials an optional scholarly writing sample, not to exceed 30 double-spaced pages.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, career opportunities.

Nationally and internationally, the health field provides enormous and varied career opportunities, and demand is high and growing for graduates with specific skills. The program supports the goals of those pursuing careers in academic research teaching and health services. Sample employment venues include:

• health departments
• government agencies
• international agencies (World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Health Council, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank)
• nongovernmental organizations
• private sector
• universities

The degree program also provides a broad intellectual base for those who plan advanced specialist health training in fields such as:

In Arizona and elsewhere, there is a pressing need for professionals with appropriate skills to work in cross-cultural settings or with underserved populations, such as migrants, minorities and those living in poverty, and many of these jobs are directly or indirectly related to health.

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

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If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

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• Degrees Offered

PhD in Global Health Metrics & Implementation Science

Description.

The PhD program in Global Health builds on the expertise of our faculty in the areas of Metrics and Implementation Science. This unique, interdisciplinary program is comprised of a core curriculum in advanced quantitative methods, epidemiology, population health measurement, impact evaluations and implementation science methods. Students develop skills through a combination of didactic courses, seminars and research activities including primary data collection and analysis. This program trains global health researchers for careers in academic institutions, international organizations, Ministries of Health, foundations, and the private sector.

Likely Careers

Upon graduation, students will have acquired the knowledge and skills required to make meaningful and innovative contributions to the field of global health. This program trains global health researchers for careers in academic institutions, international organizations, Ministries of Health, foundations, and the private sector.

The Department of Global Health attracts national and international students who wish to pursue a long-term career in global health. Applicants may enter the program with a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum two years of experience within the field of health or quantitative disciplines. It is highly desirable that applicants have prior Master-level training or have significant experience working in the global health field, ideally in a low resource setting. The degree is also appropriate for individuals who possess an MD, RN, DVM, DDS, PhD, or JD degree who seek a career in public health practice or academia. 

Concurrent Option:    PhD/MD

Application Deadline:   Dec. 1 for Autumn Quarter entry

Competencies

Upon satisfactory completion of the PhD in Global Health, graduates will be able to: 

• Discuss and evaluate the major issues confronting global health, including their levels and trends, their determinants, and their effect on individual and populations;
• Describe, evaluate and apply the methods and metrics used in the Global Burden of Disease Study and alternative summary measures of population health;
• Develop in-depth skills to design, implement, monitor and/or evaluate health programs and health systems, including their inputs, outputs, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and financial management;
• Describe the biology of major global health diseases, and differentiate among the pathogenesis of diseases, infectious disease transmission modes, genetic susceptibility, nutritional concepts and the biological basis of major biomedical public health interventions;
• Explain and assess the functions, operations, processes and performance of health systems, including critical decision-making and priority-setting mechanisms;
• Analyze, explain and assess the role of global institutions, international non-governmental organizations and major funders and review their impact on global health;
• Identify and differentiate the principles of financing in global health and health systems at the macro-level and the micro-level;
• Critically appraise the current literature, evaluate the evidence, synthesize findings, draw inferences, and apply theoretical and conceptual models from a range of relevant disciplines to global health;
• Effectively collect, collate, synthesize, analyze and assess the quality of global health data, including primary and secondary data from health information systems and a variety of other sources;
• Acquire qualitative, quantitative, operations research and modeling skills and apply them to developing new innovative solutions for global health problems; 
• Ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research in the design, implementation and dissemination of global health research;
• Develop culturally-relevant professional leadership skills to work collaboratively, and to motivate and inspire others to help solve global health problems; 
• Conduct independent research that is of publishable quality and is characterized by conceptual and methodological rigor, as well as practical value, and which demonstrates expertise in global health research;
• Critically appraise grants and participate in the grant writing and review process; 
• Effectively communicate research findings and their implications to appropriate academic, professional, policy, and lay audiences; and
• Demonstrate skills critical to teaching and mentoring.

THE ENGERHARDT SCHOOL OF GLOBAL HEALTH AND BIOETHICS AT EUCLID AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL UNIVERSITY UNDER UNITED NATIONS TS 49006/7

Online PhD in Global Health and Health Systems

Program type, school / institute.

Online (Asynchonous)

USD 145 per credit hour

Scholarships

Full (officials of PS); 15% off (ECOWAS and IGOs)

EUCLID, an intergovernmental  treaty-based institution with a university mandate, offers to select students from the general public an online PhD in global health and health systems with a focus on Global South issues .

It is, to date, the only PhD program in this field offered by an international intergovernmental organization. Its purpose is to prepare highly qualified public health professionals able to serve in civil service,  international organizations , health care institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations globally.

This program is considered a sandwich program, which means that several courses are taken at People's Uni (The People's Open Access Education Initiative), an approved and specialized EUCLID partner institution.

Prof Dr Ernst von Schwarz, one of the world’s most published cardiologists, is also also a member of our distinguished faculty group.

Academic Presentation of the Program

Public Health is often studied from a national-central perspective. Few programs are truly international in scope so as to fully prepare graduates for global civil service careers that will engage a wide variety of global health challenges, including malaria, HIV, drug-resistance, diet-related diseases, etc.

To answer this challenge, EUCLID has designed a world-class doctoral curriculum, which is presented here with full documentation of syllabus and faculty resources, as well as total tuition. This documentation will enable potential students to determine if this program is suitable and aligned with their career objectives.

AUDIENCE | INTEREST GROUPS

This unique PhD program focuses on the  practical and policy aspects of global public health rather than the advancement of purely theoretical knowledge.

This doctoral program was primarily designed to serve civil servants of EUCLID’s Participating States, but it is also open to the general public as an excellent route to pursue a career within inter-governmental bodies, NGOs and the public sector.

Thanks to its low tuition and institutional relationships, and because it covers such topics as health systems strengthening, malaria and tropical diseases in-depth, it is expected to be of special interest to Global South/African students.

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Requirements

Featured video, program outline.

Note: to consult the current and official curriculum/list of courses from the EUCLID CMS database, please visit: EUCLID Available Degree Programs and follow the program link.

Employment Outlook

Why Study @ EUCLID?

EUCLID is the only intergovernmental, treaty-based university with a UN registered charter and recognized expertise in diplomacy. Join the alma mater of ambassadors and senior officials globally.

Note: if the PDF brochure is unavailable (or outdated by 2 years), please contact [email protected]

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• School of Global Health

PhD in Global Health

University of Copenhagen have several graduate programmes and six graduate schools where you can undertake a PhD.

Many graduates doing a global health related PhD project are enrolled in the Graduate Programme in Public Health and Epidemiology , which is a part of the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences .

Many other relevant global health graduate programmes can be found across the University's departments and faculties, and we encourage prospective PhD applicants to seek out more information at the university's PhD Programmes website .

School of Global Health cannot answer PhD inquiries.

The Graduate programme in Public Health and Epidemiology

Graduate school of health and medical sciences, ucph phd programmes, phds in global health related topics at university of copenhagen.

Below you will find a list of PhDs in global health related topics at University of Copenhagen.

Department of Public Health - Global Health Section:

The partoma project - analysing birth attendants and health students with an upscaled, context modified partoma intervention.

PhD Student : Rashid Saleh Khamis

Contact information : [email protected]/ [email protected]

Department and Faculty.

• Department: Public health
• Faculty: Health and Medical Science.

Principal Supervisor: Dan Wolf Meyrowitsch, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor in Epidemiology, Principal Investigator (PI) in the PartoMa Research Project. Based at the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Co-supervisors

• Thomas van den Akker , MD, PhD, MMed OBGYN, Professor in Global Maternal Health, Department of Obstetrics and gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden; Athena Institute, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Natasha Housseine , MD, MSc, PhD. postdoctoral researcher at Aga Khan University Dar es Salaam.
• Tarek Meguid , MD, MPhil in Maternal and Child Health, DTM&H, LL.B., MSt in International Human Rights Law, O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University, the United States.
• Salma Abdi Mahmoud , MD, MMed ObGyn, PhD, State university of Zanzibar (SUZA), Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Project Abstract: 

Overall objective:  To analyze the perceptions and reactions, in terms of attendance and return rates, and knowledge/skills change among health students and skilled birth attendants of an upscaled, context-modified PartoMa intervention of clinical guidelines and repeated training at mega maternity units in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.

Intervention:  PartoMa clinical guidelines and low-dose, high-frequency training

Design:  A pre-post intervention design in Zanzibar and a stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial in Dar es Salaam with self-administered anonymized questionnaires for evaluation.

Setting:  State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), maternity units in Zanzibar and five large maternity units in Dar es Salaam: Amana Hospital, Temeke Hospital, Mwananyamala Hospital, Sinza Health Center, and Mbagala R. Health Center

Population:  Final year health students at SUZA, skilled birth attendants, labouring women and their offspring at the selected facilities in Zanzibar and in Dar es Salaam

Sample size:  All final year medical students and skilled birth attendants at the facilities.

Outcomes:  The primary outcomes are perceptions of the intervention, attendance, and return rates to repeated seminars, knowledge, and skills score tests.

Secondary outcomes include Apgar score 1–6, unnecessary cesarean sections, assisted-vaginal deliveries, admission to neonatal intensive care unit; neonatal resuscitation; intra-facility neonatal deaths; maternal mortality and morbidity; process indicators of care during active labor; indicators of health providers’ knowledge, work satisfaction, and clinical performance; level of satisfaction among patients; and the cost of health adjusted life years gained. intrapartum stillbirths,

Study time:  Data collection from 2021 to April 2023. This requires ethical clearance and permission from National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania to be in place.

Mental health and psychosocial support intervention delivery and uptake at scale: The case of a guided self-help intervention (Self Help Plus)

PhD Student: Jacqueline Ndlovu

Contact Information: [email protected]

The burden of mental disorders continues to grow and exposure to adversity can result in increased vulnerability to develop diverse mental health problems. To address some of the challenges of current evidence-based interventions, scalable mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions have been developed and tested, e.g. Self Help Plus (SH+). SH+  is a low-intensity, guided self-help intervention that provides strategies for managing psychological distress and coping with adversity. The aim of this study is to explore delivery and uptake at scale of MHPSS interventions, identify commonalities and differences across implementing contexts, populations, and organisations, and build an evidence-base for multi-sectoral integration as a pathway to scale SH+ in Uganda.  

T o understand how MHPSS interventions to date have been integrated with other heath and non-health programs across different sectors, a systematic review will be conducted. This will provide a background that complements qualitative exploration of facilitators and barriers of SH+ delivery and uptake at scale within three humanitarian partner organisations in Uganda. In addition, a survey-based measure that enables competencies of SH+ facilitators to be defined and that supports capacity building of facilitators within each partner organisation will be developed through a mixed methods approach.   

Overall, multi-sectoral integration of SH+ with other health and non-health programs represents opportunities for improving reach of evidence-based interventions that offer positive outcomes.

Department and Faculty:   Global Health Section, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Supervisors:

• Professor  Wietse Anton Tol. Global Health Section, University of Copenhagen
• Professor  Flemming Konradsen.  Global Health Section, University of Copenhagen
• Assistant Professor  Jura Augustinavicius. School of Population and Global Health, McGill University

An ethnographic study of healthcare-associated infections in selected health facilities in Ghana

Ph.D. student:  Gifty Sunkwa-Mills

Contact information:  [email protected]

Project abstract:  Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) persist as a major problem in healthcare systems worldwide. The associated morbidity and mortality are often higher in developing countries. There is a dearth of reliable data on HCAIs in developing countries, and many cases go unrecorded. Strategies to reduce the burden of HCAIs are largely focused on the prevention of transmission through the promotion of standard infection prevention and control(IPC) practices.  IPC guidelines are however being utilised with varying degrees of success mainly because of physical, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Promotion of IPC practices requires an approach that considers personal factors, institutional culture and leadership, and the perceptions of health workers, patients, and caregivers on ’dirt’ and ’cleanliness’.

Ethnographic studies are crucial to identify socio-cultural contexts and priorities associated with HCAIs. This will contribute to raising awareness of HCAIs and increase the focus on patient safety in hospitals.

This study is part of a larger project on HCAIs in Ghana, comprising three phases:  a baseline phase to study existing behaviour patterns and intentions; an interventional phase where a multimodal IPC intervention will be implemented; a post interventional phase to assess the impact of the interventions.

The study will examine the perceptions of healthcare workers, patients and caregivers on IPC, hand hygiene and HCAIs and observe compliance and technique of IPC practices among healthcare workers before and after the implementation of a multimodal intervention program. Information from this research will serve as a guide to future interventions to reduce HCAIs.

Department and Faculty: Global Health Section, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Supervisors: 

• Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Head of Studies, MSc Global Health 
• Prof. Kodjo Senah, Department of Sociology,  of Ghana

Dengue: Spatio-temporal transmission patterns and entomology studies (larval stages)

PhD student:  Chia-Hsien Lin

Contact information :  [email protected]

Project abstract:  The overall objective of this project is to determine the spatio-temporal patterns of dengue cases and vectors, as well as the demographic and environmental risk factors for dengue transmission in the modern urban setting of Kaohsiung City (KH) and the low infrastructure rural setting of Pintung (PT), Taiwan.  The project consists of four sub-studies; i) a descriptive study of clinical symptoms and basic dengue epidemiology, based on active as well as passive surveillance data for all laboratory confirmed cases in KH, years 2003-09. ii) an entomological study focused on ecological risk parameters of   Aedes   breeding habitats in terms of a) macro factors (space-time and function) b) micro factors (chemical-physical and biological) and c) predictors (macro and micro).

Department and Faculty:  Department of Public Health, Global Health Section; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

Supervisors:  Assoc. Prof. Karin Linda Schiøler and Prof. Flemming Konradsen

Publications:

• Dengue outbreaks in high-income area, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, 2003-2009
• Updated Bionomics of Toxorhynchites aurifluus and Toxorhynchites manicatus in Taiwan
• Location, seasonal, and functional characteristics of water holding containers with juvenile and pupal Aedes aegypti in Southern Taiwan: A cross-sectional study using hurdle model analyses
• Location, seasonal and functional characteristics of water-holding containers with juvenile Aedes albopictus in urban southern Taiwan: a cross-sectional study.

Double burden of tuberculosis and diabetes in a high prevalence population

PhD student: Huma Aftab

Abstract:  Diabetes mellitus (DM) is due to economic growth, rapidly changing living conditions and lifestyle increasing in developing countries. In many of these countries, tuberculosis (TB) remains highly prevalent. Several studies suggest that patients with DM are more susceptible to TB, require more time to clear the mycobacteria and also more frequently die from the infection. However, time-relation between debut of DM and TB is less clear, and it is largely unknown if better control of DM may improve outcome of TB treatment, and vice versa.

Study design:  A hospital based study in Pakistan. Patients with TB and previously known or newly diagnosed DM will be randomized into two treatment groups: conventional or insulin treatment. To our knowledge this is the first study evaluating the reversibility of DM in TB and effect of DM treatment on TB outcomes and vice versa.

• Comparative study of HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose vs the oral glucose tolerance test for diagnosis of diabetes in people with tuberculosis
• High prevalence of diabetes and anthropometric heterogeneity among tuberculosis patients in Pakistan

An investigation into the role of alcohol in self-harm in rural Sri Lanka

PhD student:  Jane Brandt Sørensen

Department:  Global Health Section, IFSV, SUND

Project abstract:  Sri Lanka has one of the highest suicide and self-harm rates in the world and although alcohol has been found to be a risk factor for self-harm in Sri Lanka, we know little about the connection between

the two. This qualitative study explores alcohol consumption and self-harm in (i) families where self-harm occurred; (ii) at the community level, investigating perceptions of alcohol use, alcohol traditions, and how alcohol is understood to be connected to self-harm; and (iii) at a broader social level, investigating the environment in which the alcohol consumption and self-harm takes place. The research includes a year of field work in the Anuradhapura area in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka.

• Flemming Konradsen   (Global Health, IFSV)
• Thilde Rheinländer   (Global Health, IFSV)
• Birgitte Refslund Sørensen   (Department of Anthropology)

‘We lost because of his drunkenness’: the social processes linking alcohol use to self-harm in the context of daily life stress in marriages and intimate relationships in rural Sri Lanka

• An investigation into the role of alcohol in self-harm in rural Sri Lanka: a protocol for a multimethod, qualitative study

Self-Harm and Suicide Coverage in Sri Lankan Newspapers

• A qualitative exploration of rural and semi-urban Sri Lankan men’s alcohol consumption

Inferences on the mechanism of V. cholerae transmission in outbreak settings using mathematical models and historic empirical data

PhD student:  Matthew David Phelps

Project abstract:  Cholera remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In 2015 the WHO reported 172,454 cholera cases, but this is likely an underestimate with estimates of the global burden reaching 2 - 3 million. Despite the scope of the problem, important aspects of the disease dynamics that are needed to parameterize the models, such as the duration of the serial interval, duration of immunity, and the importance of human-to-human (short cycles) versus environmental transmission (long cycles) remain unresolved or contain a large amount of uncertainty. Mathematical modeling of the spread and health impact of cholera is used to provide key information for policy makers and intervention planners about the projected impact of interventions, such as vaccinations, but these models require parameterization using scarce empirical data.

To address these limitations I am using highly detailed epidemiological data from a 1853 cholera outbreak in Copenhagen to make inferences about the mechanism of transmission that would not be possible with currently available outbreak data from contemporary settings. The project is composed of three subsections that investigate transmission at both regional scales (sub-project 1 & 3) and neighborhood scales (sub-project 2):

An epidemiological description of cholera outbreaks in 19 th   century Denmark

An investigation of the role of waterborne transmission in Copenhagen 1853 using a time-series SIR model

Spatio-temporal analysis of the regional spread of cholera in Denmark 1853 and comparison to Ebola

The results of these analyses can be used to implement more efficient methods of cholera control and prevention in outbreak situations.

Department and Faculty:  Department of Global Health / COPE Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research / University of Copenhagen and school of Health Sciences

Supervisors:  Peter Kjær Mackie Jensen and Lone Simonsen

The PartoMa Project for saving lives at birth - An intervention based study to strengthen the quality of monitoring, action and triage during labour at an East African Referral Hospital

PhD student:  Nanna Maaløe

Department:  Global Health Section, IFSV, SUND

Abstract:  The PartoMa project is a collaboration between University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Tanzania, aiming at improving care during labour. Since October 2014, we have worked together on developing and implementing simple and locally achievable guidelines on labour care, the PartoMa guidelines, to assist the birth attendants in delivering best possible surveillance and treatment to the many women in labour. Please see our project homepage for more information.

Main supervisors:  Ib Christian Bygbjerg , MD, DMSc

Co-supervisors: 

• Tarek Meguid, MD, MPhil, DTM&H, LL.B., MSt
• Birgitte Bruun Nielsen , MD, PhD
• Jos van Roosmalen, MD, PhD, Professor of Safe motherhood and health systems, VU University, the Netherlands
• Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl , MA Anthropology, PhD

Cost-effectivness analyses of prevention and management strategies aimed at reducing the mortality of pesticide self-poisonings

PhD student:  Lizell Bustamante Madsen

Department and faculty: Department of Public Health, Global Health Section

• Flemming Konradsen
• Michael Eddleston
• Kristian Schultz Hansen

Challenging Predictability

PhD student : Rasmus Dahlberg

Contact information

• Peter Kjær Mackie Jensen
• Mads Ecklon

Abstract:  Perceptions of risk and attempts of prediction are closely interlinked, especially in emergency and disaster planning and response. But can risk be defined as simple as probability x consequence? And what is prediction other than the attempt to align expectations with future experiences?

This research project aims at mapping current perceptions of risk and attempts of prediction within emergency planning and management as well as challenging these through a discussion based on complexity theory and, finally, developing a set of tools for disseminating a novel mindset among emergency planners and practitioners.

The project is divided into three phases: Phase One delineates the current and formulates a new complex paradigm through a desk study. Phase Two investigates manifestations of complexity in emergency management case studies. Phase Three seeks to develop tools for organizational implementation of the new complex paradigm.

The overall goal is to strengthen the abilities of emergency and disaster managers to analyze, manage and act in unpredictable settings. It is hypothesized that the thinking of many actors within the emergency and disaster management professions are governed by a linear, mechanistic mindset based on the philosophical heritage of the Age of Enlightenment. This research project proposes that an alternative mindset anchored in non-linear, complex ontologies may benefit professionals planning for, managing and acting in emergency and disaster settings.

Co-funded by the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA).

Living with a family member with type 2 diabetes - Translating diabetes evidence into public health recommendations for interventions

PhD student:  Jannie Nielsen

Abstract: The aim of this PhD project is to study the family as an entity for management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in diagnosed individuals and for prevention of T2D in their healthy family members.

Through the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches this PhD project will provide new knowledge about motives and barriers for management and prevention of T2D in a family setting in a low-income country like Uganda. In Uganda the prevalence of T2D ranges from 0.4 % to 8.1 % and the number is expected to increase. Both genetics and lifestyle factors play an important factor in the development of T2D and changes in nutrition and physical activity can prevent T2D and optimise care for already individuals who already suffer from T2D. The Ugandan health system is already struggling with the burden of infectious diseases and people with T2D are facing a pronounced lack of treatment. Therefore, knowledge of self-management and prevention of T2D is required. The qualitative part will explore the underlying perceptions, attitudes and beliefs that form daily life and thereby health related practices. The quantitative data will provide quantifiable epidemiological measures of health, T2D and associated risk factors. The study will be carried out in Kasese district in the south-western part of Uganda.

Status:  Completed (01/10/2011-30/09/2014)

Department and Faculty:  Department of Public Health, Global Health Section, SUND

• Ib C. Bygbjerg
• Susan R. Whyte
• Dan W. Meyrowitsch

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Tamil Nadu, India

PhD student:  Karoline Beate Kragelund Nielsen

Status:  Completed (01/10/2012-30/09/2015)

Abstract: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy, and it greatly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future for both the woman and her infant, “diabetes begets diabetes” and GDM may therefore be fuelling the global diabetes epidemic.

In addition to the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, women with GDM are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as maternal- and perinatal mortality, obstructed labour and macrosomia, is elevated compared to the risk in non-GDM affected pregnancies.

India has become known as the ‘diabetes capital of the world’ and the prevalence is expected to further increase. In the South-Indian state of Tamil Nadu Prof. Seshiah et al have – with financial support from the World Diabetes Foundation– carried out studies showing a GDM prevalence of 9.9% among pregnant women in rural areas of the state and 17.8% among pregnant women in urban areas. Consequently, the Government of Tamil Nadu made screening and treatment for GDM part of routine antenatal care services.

The overall goal of this PhD is to explore how GDM screening and care can be implemented or improved in a low resource setting to improve prevention of diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In particular the PhD project will seek to answer the essential questions in relation to GDM: why do some women develop GDM, when should pregnant women be tested, and what is currently hindering detection, treatment and postpartum follow-up.

To answer this, the PhD will focus on key determinants and risk factors for developing GDM; and optimal timing of screening women for GDM, as well as main barriers for pregnant women to access screening and care services for GDM and postpartum follow up.

The ultimate aim is to identify a pragmatic approach that is feasible to implement in low resource settings in the sense that the recommended approach should be the best in the context and under the usual conditions in which it will be applied and will not necessarily be the approach that would be recommended in a setting with ideal circumstances.

Supervisors and Collaborators:

• Prof. Ib Bygbjerg , MD, DSci. Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark and World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), Gentofte, Denmark
• Dr. Anil Kapur,   MD, Managing Director. World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), Gentofte, Denmark
• Prof. Peter Damm , MD, DMSc. Center for Pregnant Women with Diabetes, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Prof. V. Seshiah , MD. Dr. Seshiah Diabetes Research Institute and Dr. Balaji Diabetes Care Centre, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of Public Health - Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health:

Health aspects of return migration – characteristics, motives and access to health care.

PhD student:  Line Neerup Handlos

Period:  1 July 2013 - 30 September 2016

Department and Faculty:  Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health, Department of Public Health, SUND

Abstract:  The current large influx of migrants into Europe has increased the focus on voluntary return of migrants. In order to understand the phenomenon of return migration better and to inform the interventions and strategies that may be implemented to encourage migrants to return, this thesis has explored aspects of how health and return migration interact.

Mixed methods and a multi-sited design were used. Hence, a prospective register-based cohort study and 28 semi-structured interviews with elderly, chronically ill Bosnian migrants were conducted.

My findings show that the tendency to return-migrate increased with age, and return migrants were generally less ill than non-returnees. As a consequence of corruption acting as a barrier to access to health care, it was expected that returnees were not prioritizing their health as a factor for returning. However, despite being fully aware of the resulting deterioration in the status of their disease their return would bring about, the elderly and chronically ill did in fact prioritize their health when they returned. Thus, returning increased their physical, social and mental wellbeing, as it among other things brought them close to their children, friends and other family members and made them fulfil their sense of belonging.

• Marie Nørredam
• Karen Fog Olwig
• Ib Christian Bygbjerg

Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences:

Effectiveness and efficacy of specific control and prevention measures for pig disease with emphasis on taenia solium/ cysticercosis (tsc), other parasitic diseases and african swine fever.

PhD student:  Abel Gonçalo Chilundoana

Status:  May 2014 – December 2017

Project abstract:  In Mozambique smallholder pig production systems are generally severely constrained by poor management and pig diseases such as Taenia solium cysticercosis and African swine fever, as well as gastrointestinal helminths and ectoparasites. As a consequence pig performance; health and welfare are often compromised just as public health is threatened due to TSC affected pork.

Despite the constraints, there are opportunities to develop sustainable pig farming systems at smallholder level. Within all constraints emerged the initiative called “Securing rural Livelihoods improved smallholder pig production in Mozambique and Tanzania (SLIPP)” with the many goals to reduce the poverty among pig smallholder. Farmers’ education was identified as a valuable strategy to improve smallholder pig farmers. The contribution of the thesis lies in assessing the effects of providing technical education to farmers on the performance of their livestock. Thus, three specific objectives were pursued in this study; (i) determination of the prevalence and risk factors of endo- and ectoparasitic infections in smallholder pig, (ii) to assess the effect of pig farming education on smallholder farmer’s knowledge and practices regarding pig welfare and production and (iii) to assess the effectiveness of a combined intervention (health education and treatment of pigs with oxfendazole) on pig diseases

Department and Faculty:  Department of Veterinary Disease Biology/University of Copenhagen and School of Life Science/University of KwaZulu-Natal

• Professor Samson Mukaratirwa
• Professor Maria Vang Johansen
• Dr. Alberto Pondja

Zoonotic parasites in Danish fish populations

PhD student:  Foojan Mehrdanaa

Status:  September 2015 - August 2018

Project abstract:  Anisakid parasites, including nematodes from the genera Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, and Contracaecum, represent both economical and public health challenges due to potential infection risks and consumer attitudes. The consumption of raw or undercooked fish products containing larvae of these parasites may cause anisakidosis often associated with gastrointestinal symptoms. These parasites may also cause hypersensitivity reactions or allergies in sensitized consumers due to their released antigens, which may even cross-react with other allergens. The occurrence of zoonotic anisakids, in particular Contracaecum spp., has increased drastically in the Baltic cod stock during the latest years which could be attributed to the increased population of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), the final hosts of these worms, in the same period and in the same area. Unlike Anisakis spp., the antigens and potential allergens of Contracaecum spp. are not described. Therefore, this study aims to characterize the antigens from excretory/secretory (E/S) products of Contracaecum third stage larvae, collected from cod liver caught in Southern Baltic Sea, and evaluate immunoregulatory properties of these proteins

Department and Faculty:  Department of Veterinary Disease Biology (IVS), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND)

Principal supervisor: Professor Kurt Buchmann

Co-supervisor : Associate professor Per Walter Kania

The effectiveness of an integrated intervention strategy for Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis

PhD student : Uffe Christian Braae

Department and Faculty:  Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, SUND

Supervisors:  Maria Vang Johansen and Pascal Magnussen

Abstract:  The aim is to assess the effectiveness of an integrated intervention strategy for Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis in Tanzania. Transmitted between humans and pigs, the zoonotic tapeworm infection has emerged as a serious public health and agricultural problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Humans infected with the tapeworm (taeniosis) shed eggs in the faeces and pigs become infected with the larval stage when ingesting these eggs (porcine cysticercosis).

Mass drug administration (MDA) control programmes with praziquantel against schistosomiasis are in place in schistosomiasis endemic areas of Mbeya Region, Tanzania. Praziquantel is also effective against taeniosis. Therefore the possibility exist for an integrate approach measuring the effect on taeniosis. The international strategic project: ‘Integrated control of taeniosis/cysticercosis in sub-Saharan Africa (ICTC)’ was in 2012 initiated in Mbeya Region and aims to assess the effect of the MDA on taeniosis and porcine cysticercosis. Monitoring pilot intervention programmes in Africa is crucial to determine the impact and cost-effectiveness.

This project will provide an assessment of the effectiveness of the schistosomiasis intervention programme on taeniosis/porcine cysticercosis implemented in an endemic area of Tanzania. Data collection will be carried out as repeated cross-sectional surveys in 22 villages from two districts of Mbeya Region, an intervention area and an adjacent control area. Porcine cysticercosis prevalence will be measures based on antigen ELISA on serum. Human faecal samples will be analysed using copro-antigen ELISA to determine taeniosis prevalence. The cost-effectiveness of the intervention will be estimated by the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

Data obtained will be used to validate and expand the existing theoretical transmission model for T. solium, making it more accurate and give a better theoretical determination of the future consequence of the MDA. The project should provide evidence-based data for control of T. solium as an integrated approach and provide support for policy change and implementation of the integrated approach in other co-endemic areas.

Department of Immunology and Microbiology:

Predictive value of the appetite test and an assessment of aetiology and resistance in infections in severely malnourished children.

PhD student:  Mike Zangenberg

Status:  1 January 2015 - 23 November 2018

Department:  Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM).

Abstract:  Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is caused by lack of essential nutrients and energy. It affects millions of children in low- and middle-income countries and is a major cause of childhood mortality. In Ethiopia a significant number of children still suffer from SAM and it continues to contribute to deaths among children.

In children with SAM, infections may increase the risk of dying and an assessment of a child's appetite is currently used to determine the need for hospitalization and to decide what treatment the child need. However, the validity of specific assessments and simple tests, such as a test of the appetite, to identify children at greatest risk of death is uncertain.

This study will provide evidence of the potential value of the appetite test and other algorithms to identify children with SAM and severe infections to improve the diagnosis and treatment of complications. The study will determine the type of bacteria and their resistance patterns in order to target future antibiotic treatment and lastly, the study will assess the microbiological cause and describe the course of diarrhoea and dehydration in children with SAM to assess the most effective treatment.

• Lektor Professor   Jørgen Anders Lindholm Kurtzhals , Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Rigshospitalet
• Professor   Henrik Friis , Nexs, Science

Centre for Medical Parasitology:

A surveillance system for p. falciparum malaria: exploring the potential of malaria rapid diagnostic tests and next generation sequencing.

PhD student:  Sidsel Nag

Status:  Ongoing (01.01.2014 - 31.12.16)

Abstract:  Successful disease control requires successful disease surveillance. In this regard, we propose an application of malaria rapid diagnostics tests (RDTs) provided for sub-Saharan Africa in numbers larger than 70 million in 2011 alone, for surveillance of molecular epidemiology of P. falciparum malaria.

We are attempting to setup regular RDT-collection in collaboration with local health centers in Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau.

We wish to investigate whether used RDTs can be applied for PCR-based methods to detect the presence of antimalarial resistance markers represented by single-nucleotide polymorphisms in P. falciparum genes. Regular high-throughput analysis of the prevalence of these resistance markers would provide evidence for a basis for molecular surveillance of resistance to antimalarial drugs. Furthermore, we wish to investigate to which extent used RDTs collected at local health centers can be applied for serological analysis, and lastly whether it is feasible to acquire DNA suitable for whole genome sequencing (WGS).

WGS is a major player in pathogen surveillance, applied for the purpose of keeping up to date with the spread of different genotypes and identification of evolutionary events with potential effect on pathogenesis or treatment. We wish to investigate the differences in intra-regional and inter-regional parasite diversity in Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau, as well as differences in putative selection of parasites due to differences in transmission intensity and fluctuations. Elucidating these differences is key to providing policy guidance of containment of e.g. artemisinin resistant parasites and focusing surveillance in high risk-areas.

Experimental and clinical studies of the interaction between iron supplementation and malaria

Phd student: Filip Christian Castberg

Status:  Completed (01/09/2013-31/08/2016)

Department and faculty:   Centre for Medical Parasitology, The Department of Immunology and Microbiology , SUND

• Jørgen Anders Lindholm Kurtzhals (CMP)
• Lars Hviid (CMP)
• Kwaswo Koram (NMIMR, Ghana)

Identifying parasite proteins responsible for severe malaria infections

PhD student: Jakob Schmidt Jespersen

Status:  Completed (1 February 2013 - 1 February 2016)

Abstract:  I’m studying the lethal malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and specifically its ‘var’ virulence genes which have been linked to disease severity.

The var genes encode large multi-domain hyper-variable proteins called Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1), of which each parasite has ~60 and which enables it to adhere to the inside of blood vessels, thereby avoiding destruction in the spleen.

The study aims at identifying coding elements associated with disease severity, as well as elucidating the nature of known elements such as domain cassettes 8 and 13. Of special focus are the PfEMP1 domains which enable the parasite to adhere to Endothelial Protein C Receptor (EPCR), a recently identified interaction shown to be associated with severe malaria.

The study relies on bioinformatics, transcriptional analysis of field samples, recombinant protein production and parasite binding assays.

• Thor Theander (CMP)
• Thomas Lavstsen (CMP)

New insights to pathogenesis of severe malaria

PhD student:  Jens Emil Vang Petersen

Status:  Completed (01/06/2013-31/05/2016)

Department and faculty:   Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Centre for Medical Parasitology, SUND

• Thor Grundtvig Theander (CMP)

Abstract:  Severe malaria syndromes, causing an estimated annual 1 million deaths, are precipitated by P. falciparum parasites that bind to endothelial receptors on the vascular lining. The binding is mediated by the highly variant P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesion antigen family.

Severe malaria in children is linked to expression of a subset of PfEMP1s. We recently identified this subset of PfEMP1s along with their interaction partner, endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR), a hitherto unknown ligand for the severe malaria PfEMP1 variants.

The EPCR::APC interaction is implicated in pathways awry in severe malaria, as PfEMP1blocks EPCRs interaction with activated protein C. The discovery opens for unraveling the pathogenesis of severe malaria and new avenues for development of malaria vaccines and adjunct therapies.

I work on elucidating the link between PfEMP1::ECPR interaction and pathogenesis of severe malaria in children by establishing association between severe clinical manifestations of malaria patients and EPCR binding phenotype of their infecting parasites.

Additionally, I am studying signal transduction aberrations in endothelium caused by interactions with the malaria parasite, and their impact on enhanced parasite sequestration, and endothelium barrier integrity.

Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies:

Intensified data sourcing in pakistan.

PhD student: Zainab Afshan Sheikh

Department and Faculty:  Department of Public Health, Section for Health Services Research, Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies

Project abstract:  This PhD project is about the making of a research infrastructure for human genetics based on samples collected among Pakistani families with genetic diseases. Efforts to collect human biological tissue and clinical data on families with autosomal recessive disorders in Pakistan feed in to international attempts to get more data, of better quality, on more people in order to understand the general functions of the genome. At the same time these efforts interact with the desperate lives of many donor families and local interpretations of, and practices surrounding, genetic research, disease and treatment. My study will include both these dimensions, based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted at a genetic research institute in Pakistan. I will do participatory observation following samples from the collection points in different villages to its different uses, among other at a Danish laboratory. I will also conduct interviews with families donating their tissue and clinical data, the genetic researchers and the policymakers who create the regulatory framework for the research along with analyzing policies surrounding it. My objective is to arrive at an understanding of the drivers for, and implications of, intensified data sourcing in Pakistan.

• Klaus Høyer , Professor, Section for Health Services Research, Department of Public Health
• Ayo Wahlberg , Professor, Department of Anthropology
• Anja Marie Bornø , Associate Professor, Section for Health Services Research, Department of Public Health

Department of Anthropology:

Exportation of intellectual property from the health sector in denmark to china.

PhD student:   Signe Lindgård Andersen

Abstract: Many nations now recognize the emergence of a new knowledge-based economy. Also in Denmark, there is an increasing focus upon knowledge and technology embedded in services and manufactured products as keys to growth and job creation. This anthropological research project will shed light on how the knowledge economy works at a micro-level exploring the exportation of intellectual property from the health sector in Denmark to China. The Danish evidence-based concept of Fast Track Surgery (FTS) serves as an example of this. Through an ethnographic study of how such a concept travels, this PhD.-project will examine the processes and social dynamics related to the transfer of the FTS concept in a global encounter between Danish and Chinese health care providers.

The project integrates medical anthropology, regional ethnography on China and theoretical perspectives on knowledge transfer, technology and globalization/localization.

The project is financed by the Capital Region of Denmark, Laurits Andersen's Foundation and the Clinical Research Centre at Amager and Hvidovre Hospital.

Supervisor: Ayo Wahlberg, Associate Professor, Institute of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen

Co-supervisor: Ove Andersen, Research Director, Amager and Hvidovre Hospital

External supervisor: Torben Steen Mogensen, MD

Fractured by Categories. Exploring Disability and Ethnicity in the Danish Welfare State

PhD student: Thomas Scott Hughes.

Summary:  This dissertation presents and analyzes a particular case study of human experience - life as an ethnic other with physical disability in Denmark. Based on ethnographic fieldwork with ethnic minorities and refugees with physical disabilities in Denmark, this dissertation addresses the particular life conditions, strategies, and corresponding subjectivities of individuals and families facing multiple dimensions of social exclusion. Phenomenological approaches developed in medical anthropology are employed to allow a vantage point through these subjectivities to macro-structural political mechanisms, which frame these social dilemmas and processes. This investigation of life as an ethnic minority/migrant/refugee (or otherwise ethnic “other”) with disability in the Danish welfare state presents a poignant anthropological case study of a particular form of intersectional marginality: What does it mean to be a “multi-minority” in present-day Denmark? How do these agents navigate this social and psychological maze of marginalization? What modes of living and subjectivities are produced in these specific social conditions? This particular intersection provides a look into the mechanics of the social human’s fundamentally multiple nature - we are many things, but in this intersection involving disability and minority ethnicities certain selves are often socially problematic. Furthermore, looking at the lived experience of my interlocutors through the three lenses of “marginalization,” intersectionality, and categorization is useful in that it both connects the material to larger global trends/universal social dynamics, as well as allowing for an analysis that can account for the extreme variety of socio-cultural profiles and somatic conditions that are contained in the category 'ethnic minorities with disability'.

PhD defences

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• Student Success
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• Global health program faculty
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PhD Concentration in Global Health

Global health.

PhD in Public Health Concentration

Take on the world’s health challenges

    Request Info about OSU Grad School

Address health on a global scale with a PhD in global health

In the Oregon State University public health doctoral degree program with a concentration in global health, you will engage you in rigorous interactive learning and research using critical and innovative thinking and analytical skills.

Through a combination of coursework, practice opportunities and global health doctoral research, you will acquire the knowledge and skills to:

• Critically assess and understand global health issues and their underlying causes.
• Develop solutions that are collaborative, innovative, effective, equitable and sustainable in the spirit of community ownership and shared health agency.

Our global health doctoral graduates land careers in academic institutions, research agencies, local government, national supra-governmental agencies (such as United Nations and its affiliated agencies), international non-governmental organizations, multilateral organizations, non-profit and for-profit groups, and the private sector.

Global health research

In this doctoral program, you will collaborate with a world-class faculty member on interdisciplinary, community-engaged health disparities research spanning a variety of areas, including:

• Food insecurity and global nutrition
• Global health governance and leadership
• Global health security and humanitarian emergency
• Health systems strengthening and financing
• LGBTQ health
• Mental health disparities
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Social Isolation, connectedness and well-being

Meet global health faculty members .

Global health research in action

Thanks to funding by Bob and Sara Rothschild, students in the Botswana Global Health Initiative work toward developing sustainable solutions to the health challenges facing families and communities in Botswana and globally.

Learn more about Botswana Global Health Initiative work

Your experience in the PhD in global health program

See which courses you’ll take as a public health doctoral student.

Public health handbook

What you’ll learn in the global health doctoral program.

Learning competencies

Get information about assistantships, your investment and more.

Fellowships and awards . Tuition and funding .

Doctoral student research spotlight

Deeksha Vasanth Rao, MA Global Health PhD student

Deeksha's research interests focus on use of mental and reproductive health care infrastructure among internally displaced migrant women in India.

Meet global health doctoral students.

We’re here to help

For questions about the application process and requirements, contact College of Health graduate admissions .

For academic or professional information specific to the Oregon State PhD in global health, please contact Program Director Sunil Khanna, PhD

Jackie Leung, JD, MS Global Health Ph.D. Candidate

“Global health is a growing field that continues to change on a daily basis. With my background in prenatal care and health care access, a policymaker, and community organizing, a doctoral degree in global health from Oregon State University just made sense.”

Accreditation

In 2014, our college was accredited by the Council for Education in Public Health – the first in Oregon. This distinction provides our students with more resources, more opportunities to engage in research, and faculty experts who specialize in a variety of public health topics.

Doctoral Program

The department offers advanced doctoral research training for students who are likely to pursue careers in academic departments related to global health and population studies or in research-related positions outside of academia.  Most students in the program have a prior graduate degree in a related field and/or some relevant work experience in global health.  Recent graduates have assumed postdoctoral and teaching positions with universities in the United States and around the world or, have taken positions with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and many different non-governmental organizations.

There are currently 30 doctoral students in Global Health and Population of which, 14 are international students.

Student Profiles

News from the school.

Bethany Kotlar, PhD '24, studies how children fare when they're born to incarcerated mothers

Soccer, truffles, and exclamation points: Dean Baccarelli shares his story

Health care transformation in Africa highlighted at conference

COVID, four years in

• Schools & departments

Global Health PhD, MScR

Awards: PhD, MScR

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Global Health

Discovery Day

Join us online on 18th April to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh

View sessions and register

Research profile

Undertaking a PhD or MScR in Global Health at the Usher Institute offers you the opportunity to work in a multi- and interdisciplinary way, building on your knowledge, skills, interest and passion to carry out innovative global health research that makes a new contribution to the existing knowledge base.

Research priorities

Research priorities include such global health issues as:

• mapping and measuring the shifting burden of global disease
• neglected and emerging tropical diseases
• infectious diseases
• noncommunicable diseases
• global palliative care
• population health
• social inequalities in health
• sexual and reproductive health
• e-health and tele-medicine
• migration and minority ethnic health
• faith and health
• translation of leading scientific advances into effective interventions

Before applying

Before submitting an online application, prospective students should contact an academic members of staff who may act as first supervisors in order to align their research proposal with one of the Institute's main areas of research.

A list of contacts for PhD and MScR supervisors can be found at:

• Usher Institute research
• List of supervisors

The programme is also affiliated to the University's Global Health Academy.

• Global Health Academy

Training and support

Students will be integrated within the existing student-led approach at the Usher Institute, where structures are already in place to ensure a high-quality student experience.

The Centre for Global Health Research, which forms part of the Usher Institute, has a thriving PhD community with well-developed management and administrative structures.

University Quality Assurance monitoring and reporting processes will be adhered to. All supervisors will satisfy University requirements in terms of training and mentoring.

Expectations of students, including assessment guidelines, will be clearly communicated by multiple channels (e.g. at interview, during induction, in the Postgraduate Research Student and Supervisor Handbook, by supervisors, at annual review meetings and on relevant web pages). All students will have at least two supervisors who will also give pastoral care and career advice in addition to student services provision.

Students will attend appropriate training, including transferable skills, at appropriate courses (e.g. from the Institute of Academic Development) identified in consultation with the supervisors.

The Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences & Informatics, where Global Health PhD students are based, brings together researchers active in population health science research, including public health and primary care.

Within the school the Usher academic staff play a large role in research project supervision.

There are also links with the Institute of Genetics and Cancer and the Queen's Medical Research Institute.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree and a UK masters degree, or their international equivalents. We will also consider a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, and significant work experience in an area relevant to your research project.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding, featured funding.

• Usher Institute postgraduate funding and scholarships

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Administrator, Sarah Golightly
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5446
• Contact: [email protected]
• Prof Harish Nair
• Contact: [email protected]
• Usher Institute
• Teviot Place
• Central Campus
• Programme: Global Health
• School: Edinburgh Medical School: Molecular, Genetic & Population Health Sciences
• College: Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Global Health - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd global health - 6 years (part-time), msc by research global health - 1 year (full-time), msc by research global health - 2 years (part-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Before making your application, it is advisable to make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss your research proposal.

Further information on making a research degree application can be found on the College website:

• How to apply for a research degree

You will be formally interviewed (in person, by video-conferencing or Skype).

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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International Health Faculty Experts

Looking for prominent public health experts in the field of International Health? They’re here at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Judd L. Walson

Judd L. Walson, MD, MPH, is an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist who works to improve child survival, growth, and development in low- and middle-income settings.

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Melissa A. Marx, PhD ‘02, MPH ’98, evaluates maternal, child, and infectious disease programs, and has led response efforts for outbreaks including SARS, Ebola, and COVID-19.

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Managing the pandemic in bogota, vaccine day 2024, international health regulations and the pandemic treaty, allyship in action: edge x beyondparity seminar series- the art of practicing gender transformative leadership, project learning in the context of wicked problems: a 40-year case study of health systems strengthening in uttar pradesh, india, global health symposium: funding restructuring and resource distribution in global health, global health symposium day 2: student poster presentations.

UNC-Chapel Hill graduate programs ranked among best in nation

U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “Best Graduate Schools” list named multiple Carolina graduate degree programs in the top 10, including UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at No. 1.

Numerous UNC-Chapel Hill graduate programs received high rankings – 20 were among the top 10 in the nation in their respective categories – as part of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” list.

For the third time in a row (2016, 2020 and 2024), UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is the top pharmacy school in the U.S. The rankings are based on a survey of peers from accredited pharmacy schools across the country and are published every four years.

The Gillings School of Global Public Health was ranked second out of 213 schools and programs of public health in the U.S. for the seventh consecutive rankings period. The Gillings School has also maintained its position as the top public school of public health and has been ranked among the top schools and programs of public health by U.S. News since the magazine first ranked public health schools in 1987. U.S. News & World Report does not rank all graduate programs each year.

“Carolina’s graduate programs are exceptional, and it’s no surprise that our schools are ranked so highly among peer institutions by U.S. News and World Report, as well as other measures,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Interim Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “Carolina is always proud to be recognized for our dedication to a world-class education. Every one of our graduate programs contributes to making us the leading public research university.”

Altogether, 23 programs increased their rankings, including multiple programs in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, School of Nursing, School of Education, Kenan-Flagler Business School and UNC School of Law.

“These rankings represent the hard work of our faculty, staff and students who are dedicated to moving Carolina forward through their incredible efforts each day,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Provost Chris Clemens. “It is gratifying to see this public recognition of their commitment to the mission of our graduate programs in research, teaching and public service. Even more than in the rankings, the proof of their work is the quality of our students and our passionate alumni who lead in so many fields.”

The School of Social Work moved up three spots in the latest rankings to a tie for fourth overall and is tied for second among public universities.

This year marks the first time since U.S. News & World Report began ranking law schools in 1987 that UNC School of Law has reached No. 20 out of 196 law schools. The UNC School of Law is also the seventh-ranked public law school.

Additional UNC-Chapel Hill rankings for 2024 follow.

Please note: Not all graduate programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report every year. For a complete list of rankings for UNC-Chapel Hill, visit the U.S. News & World Report website .

UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Gillings school of global public health.

• First public, second overall

Specialty Areas

• Health Behavior, second
• Biostatistics, third
• Epidemiology, third
• Health Policy and Management, fourth
• Environmental Health Science, eighth

School of Social Work

• Tied for fourth

School of Nursing

• Nursing Schools, Master’s Programs, tied for eighth
• Nursing Schools – DNP Programs, tied for 17th
• Nursing Master’s, Administration/Management, fourth
• Nursing Master’s, Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric/Mental Health, fourth
• Nursing Master’s, Nurse Practitioner: Family, tied for sixth
• Nursing DNP, Psychiatric/Mental Health, third
• Nursing DNP, Family, tied for sixth

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

• Tied for 20th
• Real Estate, ninth
• Accounting, tied for 13th
• Executive MBA, 14th
• Management, 16th
• Production Operations, 16th
• Finance, 20th
• Marketing, tied for 25th

UNC School of Education

• Tied for 25th
• Special Education, tied for 13th
• Elementary Teacher Education, tied for 14th
• Educational Psychology, tied for 15th
• Education Policy, tied for 16th
• Secondary Teacher Education, tied for 17th
• Educational Administration, tied for 17th
• Curriculum and Instruction, tied for 22nd

College of Arts and Sciences

Computer science.

• Overall, 27th

Public Affairs

• Overall, 39th (Master of Public Policy)

As part of the public affairs category, U.S. News and World Report ranked Carolina programs and specialty areas based in the School of Government and the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of public policy.

School of Government

• Public Affairs, 23rd (Master of Public Administration)
• Local Government Management, second
• Leadership, 10th
• Public Finance, 18th

UNC School of Law

• Legal Writing, tied for 20th
• Criminal Law, tied for 20th
• Tax Law, tied for 20th
• Business/Corporate Law, tied for 22nd
• Clinical Training, tied for 23rd
• Contracts/Commercial Law, 23rd
• Health Care Law, tied for 28th
• Constitutional Law, tied for 29th
• Environmental Law, tied for 45th
• International Law, tied for 52nd
• Intellectual Property Law, tied for 53rd
• Trial Advocacy, tied for 118th

UNC School of Medicine (additional Rankings will be available at a later date)

• Audiology, tied for third
• Occupational Therapy, fifth
• Physical Therapy, 11th
• Speech Language Pathology, 12th

A UNC School of Social Work delegation saw how their research helped a nonprofit create jobs in rural areas.

A message from the interim chancellor: Celebrating our students

In a campus email, Lee H. Roberts wrote it's a privilege to interact with students and inspiring to learn about the diverse range of interests they're working on.

Career Treks event highlights public professions

School of Education students networked in Raleigh with representatives from 11 state agencies.

Global studies scholar aspires to diplomacy

After earning a master’s degree, Kat Goodpaster became assistant director of Carolina’s Russian Flagship Program.

Public Service Awards go to 7 people, 2 groups

The Carolina Center for Public Service honored work on health disparities, refugee aid and more.

Broadway writer brings new comedy to PlayMakers

Fresh off the debut of her musical adaptation of “The Notebook,” Bekah Brunstetter ’04 will debut “The Game” in Chapel Hill.

EFC steers NC breweries to sustainability

Improving water usage in the craft beer industry is the focus of a UNC Environmental Finance Center project.

Healthcare Sparks inspires interest in STEM

Medical resident Danae Smart created a program to encourage minority students to pursue health careers.

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Global One Health Fellow Jade Lyons Awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Congratulations to  Jade Lyons , Global One Health Fellow, for being awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) supports outstanding graduate students who have demonstrated the potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers. The purpose of this five-year fellowship is to ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States.

Jade is a second-year Genetics PhD student co-advised by Drs. Anna Stepanova and Jose Alonso . This fellowship will fund her work on translational gene regulation in plants and improving crop traits via genome-editing methods. 

“Being awarded the NSF GRFP signifies recognition of my potential to make an impact and contribute meaningfully to the genetics field. This honor enhances my capabilities through the support and opportunities provided by the fellowship.”

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Improving the Health of Asians Everywhere

Professor zhaoxiang bian, md, phd.

Professor Zhaoxiang Bian is a leading expert in Chinese medicine clinical studies, a respected research scientist in the field of gut dysbiosis, and a relentless advocate for incorporating Chinese medicine into a holistic healthcare system. Currently, Professor Bian holds these positions at the Hong Kong Baptist University: Associate Vice-President (Chinese Medicine Development); Director, Centre for Chinese Herbal Medicine Drug Development; Director, Chinese EQUATOR Centre; Director, Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Centre; and Director, Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute. His research focuses on digestive diseases, especially colorectal cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation (FC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and on related new drug discovery.

People: Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health

Our core faculty and staff, core faculty.

Suhana Chattopadhyay

Kristen K. Coleman

Jennifer German

Muhiuddin Haider

Stephanie Hernandez

Filbert Hong

Leena Malayil

Kathleen McPhaul

Donald Milton

Rianna Murray

Devon Payne-Sturges

Robin Puett

Rachel E. Rosenberg Goldstein

Amy R. Sapkota

Sheldon Tai

Paul Turner

Rhonda Washington-Lewis

Sacoby Wilson

Katie DeGennaro

Catherine Donohoe

Georgia Parolski

Maurice Rocque

Robert H. Feldman

Our Adjunct and Affiliate Faculty

Dr. Abdel Razak Kadry 

Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health University of Maryland, College Park

Rita R. Colwell, PhD

Distinguished University Professor, UMIACS University of Maryland, College Park

Michael Grantham, PhD

Assistant Professor Missouri State Western University 

Marccus Hendricks, PhD

Assistant Professor, Urban Studies & Planning Program University of Maryland, College Park

Shirley Micallef, PhD

Associate Professor, Plant Science & Landscape Architecture University of Maryland, College Park

Thurka Sangaramoorthy, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology University of Maryland, College Park

Our Students

Ibiyinka Amokeodo

• Advisor:  Dr. Amy Sapkota
• Ibiyinka is a third-year PhD Student at the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health at the University of Maryland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in food science and Technology from her home country, Nigeria. She also has a Master of Science degree in Public Health from Western Illinois University. Her research interests include the evaluation of the microbial quality of food and vegetables, water quality in food production, and infectious diseases.

Jan-Michael Archer

• Advisor: Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges
• Jan-Michael Archer (he/him) is an  Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellow , UMD Global STEWARDS National Science Foundation Research Trainee, and PhD candidate at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. His dissertation investigates how community-gathered air pollution data can be better utilized by environmental regulators for harm reduction and cumulative risk assessment. Having worked on environmental equity issues for nearly a decade, Jan is driven by a strong desire to hold institutions accountable to distributive justice, especially in oppressed communities. In addition to advocating for environmental justice in far off places--like his home state of Georgia--Jan works to secure safe, fair, and healthy working conditions here on campus by serving as an organizer in the newly formed UMD-UAW Graduate Labor Union (@UMD_GLU).

Kathryn Dixon

• Kathryn is a first-year PhD Student and Teaching Assistant with research interests in water quality, risk communication, and community engagement. She graduated with a Master of Science (ScM) degree in Environmental Health from the JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed certificate programs in Risk Sciences and Public Policy, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Climate and Health. She completed a BA in Environmental Biology and a minor in Chemistry from McDaniel College. In her free time she likes to play soccer, volleyball, and travel.

Blean Girma

• Blean Girma is a first-year PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences. She holds an MPH degree from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and BS in Biological Sciences from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. Ms. Girma has contributed to the pediatric environmental/climate health community for the past 5 years working as a research assistant at the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai and Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. Her research interests include extreme heat, urban heat islands, air quality, climate resilience, environmental justice, reproductive justice, health equity, and community-based participatory research.

Michele Morgado

• Advisor: Dr. Amy Sapkota

Rebecca Patterson

• Rebecca is a 2023 Tillman Scholar.  

Anna Pulley

• Anna is a first-year PhD Student in Environmental Health Sciences. She holds a MS in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University as well as a BS in Biomedical Sciences and BA in Psychology from the University of South Florida. She is a Graduate Assistant working in the Public Health and Aerobiology Lab with research interests in aerosol infectious disease transmission.

Nicole Sieck

• Advisor: Dr. Amir Sapkota
• Nicole is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Environmental Health Sciences. She received her undergraduate  in Speech and Hearing Science from Arizona State University and her Doctor of Audiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She is interested in climate change, air pollution, and chemical exposures. Her dissertation is on the impact of extreme heat on the risk of hospitalization and mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis treatment. She is a fellow of the UMD Global STEWARDS NSF National Research Traineeship program and holds the  Wylie Dissertation Fellowship  for 2023. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her 2 kids, being in nature, and reading.

Cameron Smith

• Cameron Smith is a first-year PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences. She received her BS in Environmental Science and Technology: Ecosystem Health, certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, and MS in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Maryland. Her research interests include agriculture, water quality and contaminants found in drinking water, and access to clean drinking water. She is a Graduate Assistant working in the Water Quality, Outreach and Wellness Lab. In her free time she enjoys dancing, running, and reading.

Hyeonjin Song

Wesley Wiggins

• Wesley is a PhD student and Graduate Assistant interested in climate change and environmental justice. His research interests are climate adaptation, climate justice, and community resilience. He graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in Geosciences and a minor in Environmental Studies. Wesley spent the last two years as an ORISE Fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency working on strengthening climate resilience at drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities.

Nana Ama Ohene Kumi

• Nana Ama  is a first year MPH student. She focused on Plant and Environmental Biology for her undergraduate studies. She held a research assistantship position at CSIR-Water Research Institute for a year. She also enjoys baking and reading mystery novels.

Caroline Morton

• Caroline is a first year graduate student pursuing a dual master's degree in Environmental Health Sciences and Community Planning. She attended Towson University for her undergrad and received a bachelor degree in Geography and Environmental Planning with a minor in Health Sciences. Outside of school she enjoys playing sports and traveling.

Aziz Hurtado Olson 

• Aziz is a first year MPH Environmental Health Sciences student. His research interests are in water quality and preventing waterborne parasitic infections. He received his B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Towson University and is particularly concerned about the social determinants of health among low-income communities preventing them access to safe drinking water.

Fatou Touray

• Fatou is a first year MPH student with a passion for environmental wellbeing. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University in Public Health. During her free time, she enjoys cooking, organizing, and spending quality time with family.

Jasmine Wilkins                                                                      

• Jasmine is a first year MPH student and graduate assistant with an interest in water, soil, and air quality. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences.  During her free time she enjoys hiking with her dog and reading.

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SPPS welcomes Anna Schwendeman, PhD, as 2024 David Chu Lecturer

Published April 15, 2024

The University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (UB SPPS) welcomed Anna Schwendeman, PhD, H.W. Vahlteich Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan as our 2024 David Chu Lecturer on April 11.

Related Link

• View photos from the 2024 David Chu Lecture

The David Chu lectureship was established in 2011 by C. K. David Chu, PhD, and his wife, Jane Chu. Chu is a distinguished research professor emeritus of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences at the College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia. He earned a PhD in medicinal chemistry from UB in 1975. Throughout his 40-year career he trained more than 130 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and has maintained an active research program in drug design and synthesis since retiring in 2008.

For our 2024 David Chu Lectureship, Schwendeman presented on "Synthetic High‐Density Lipoproteins – Nano Medicine and Drug Delivery Carriers." Her visit also included meetings with pharmaceutical sciences faculty, post docs and students.

Schwendeman earned her PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry from The Ohio State University in 2000. Prior to starting her academic career in 2012, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Cerenis Therapeutics, Pfizer and Esperion Therapeutics where she was involved in discovery and translation of high density lipoprotein (HDL) drugs to Phase II clinical trials. She is a co‐director of the FDA funded Center for Research on Complex Generics and is currently the Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Pharmacy and a member of Biointerfaces Institute at the University of Michigan.

Her research focuses on optimization high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles for treatment of atherosclerosis, sepsis and drug delivery purposes. Schwendeman’s laboratory has several ongoing translational collaborative projects focused on assessing sHDL utility for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, sepsis, acute lung injury, lupus and diabetic nephropathy and her research is currently supported by grants from the American Heart Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In 2023 she was recognized as a Fellow of the Controlled Release Society and as a Fellow of the American Heart Association and in 2015 won the Biomedical Innovation Shark Tank from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

For over 135 years, the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has continually been a leader in the education of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, renowned for innovation in clinical practice and research. The school is accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education and is the No. 1 ranked school of pharmacy in New York State and No. 19 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.