Advanced practical training for transformative health leaders.
The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program produces leaders in public health to take on emergent and increasing threats to local, national, and global health. Guided by our experienced faculty and utilizing our unique resources, partnerships, and opportunities, you will receive rigorous practical training, preparing you to take on vital leadership roles in government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Graduates of this program will be equipped to implement population- and evidenced-based public health strategies that are responsive to the dynamic, interdependent nature of human systems and the environment.
Program Benefits
The DrPH program equips students with competencies in data analysis, leadership, management, governance, policy development, program implementation, education, and workforce development. You will learn to synthesize, translate, and generate evidence-based practice, all aimed at advancing programs, policies, services, and systems that address population health. Crucially, you will gain knowledge and skills that will enable you to guide the public health field in various contexts toward the successful realization of overarching strategy and transformative change.
Program Highlights
- Flexible Format: Experience a professional doctoral program designed to accommodate your busy schedule. Online courses utilize the latest technology to enrich the learning experience and enhance your presentation skills. This includes multimedia lectures and interactive demonstrations.
- Real-World: The DrPH program provides opportunities to gain experience in real-world practice through the Applied Practice Experience. The program then culminates with the Integrative Learning Experience, where you will develop and execute a dissertation project to produce transformative change in programs, policies, or systems.
- Location: Proximity to local health departments in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties provides many employment and educational opportunities for students.
- Network: The SCGH Student Association provides opportunities for leadership and impact through intellectual, social, and cultural contributions that meet the needs of public health students through community service, dialogue, and special events.
Who Should Apply
The DrPH program is designed for aspiring public health leaders seeking to enhance global public health through improved research, practice, policymaking, and system response. As an ideal candidate, you:
- Have a Master’s in Public Health (MPH)* and a strong desire to make significant contributions to the field of public health, the SCGH, and the DrPH program.
- Possess qualities like integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, and the ability to engage with diverse communities and collaborate across disciplines.
- Demonstrate responsibility, dedication, persistence, and a lifelong commitment to personal and professional growth.
*If you show exceptional potential for success in the DrPH program and in contributing to the public health field, you may be admitted without an MPH. You will need to satisfactorily complete five prerequisite courses (as presented in the core course requirements for the MPH degree). Completion of the courses (totaling 20 units) entitles you to receive a formal certificate in Foundations of Public Health.
Additional Requirements:
- Applicants must have completed a Research Methods course or an equivalent.
- Applicants who have not completed a Research Methods course but demonstrate exceptional potential may be admitted conditionally. You will need to complete CGH 313: Research Methods (4 units) or an equivalent course.
- All admitted students must complete a validation method determined by the SCGH to ensure grounding in foundational public health knowledge.
