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Summary

The Doctor of Public Health degree prepares students to hold high-level leadership positions and make a difference in public health and health care.

This first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary degree provides advanced education in public health along with mastery of skills in management, leadership, communications, and innovative thinking.

About

The DrPH program is a three-year program that has the option of being completed in four years.  

During this time, students work in a highly collaborative, small-group environment and learn how to address complex problems of public health policy and use advanced analytical and managerial tools to lead organizational and societal change.  

Students learn the scholarship of translation, assembling scientific evidence, and using it to achieve real results in the field. They gain hands-on experience working to achieve a specific public health objective under the guidance of our world-renowned faculty. 

The program blends traditional academic training with experiential learning and competency development to enable systematic change.  

Through the completion of their capstone project, also known as the Doctoral Project, degree candidates practice and develop personal leadership skills while engaging in a project that contributes to the advancement of public health or health care.  

The DrPH program is designed for mid-career professionals with a master’s degree and at least six years of public health or public service experience in a relevant discipline. 

On Campus (Summer start) • Full-time (3+ years)

Curriculum

Competencies

Our Community

The Doctor of Public Health program helps a small cohort of highly qualified public health leaders expand their skills and impact. The program works extensively to highlight the impressive work being done by its students, including presentations, opinion articles, and participation in panels.   

The Harvard Chan School is committed to supporting our students both in and out of the classroom. The school offers a wide variety of academic support services, including research support through the Countway Library of Medicine and academic coaching and tutoring. 

Beyond academics, the school is home to more than 40 official student organizations focusing on public health issues, cultural affinities, and extra-curricular interests. These groups and other offices throughout the school plan events on campus and around Boston so students are able to enjoy all that Harvard and the greater Boston community have to offer!  

Career Outcomes

Harvard DrPH graduates are ready to lead and are equipped with experience gained through real-world fieldwork. Graduates have the skills to start new organizations or work from within to change existing ones and know how to translate public health research into effective policies, programs, and initiatives that dramatically improve individual and population health.  

Graduates of the DrPH program are trained to pursue careers in a variety of industries: 

  • Government 
  • Health ministry 
  • Hospital/Health care delivery 
  • Non-profit/NGO 
  • Private sector  

Eligibility Criteria

  • A master’s or doctoral degree in the health sciences or in another related field or non-US equivalent.
  • At least six years of full-time public health and/or public service experience in a relevant discipline. Advanced degrees will not be considered in lieu of work experience, as coursework will build directly on professional skills and experiences. Volunteering, internships, part-time employment, and work experience used to satisfy a degree requirement do not fulfill the full-time work experience requirement. 
  • Prior coursework in public health-related methods and in specific technical areas of public health is also beneficial. 

Candidate applications should display a history of energy, creativity, and passion for public health as well as an appetite and vision to effect change. The DrPH Admissions Committee seeks to admit students with interest and experience across a broad cross-section of public and private areas of public health and health care locally, nationally, and internationally. 

Application Requirements

All applications must be submitted through SOPHAS – the centralized application for schools and programs of public health. In addition to the application, applicants must submit:

  • Statement of purpose and objectives
  • Official test scores (optional)
  • Three letters of reference
  • Resumé/curriculum vitae
  • Post-secondary transcripts or mark sheets (World Education Services credential evaluation for applicants with degrees from outside of the United States.)
  • English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test), if applicable

Application Deadline: December 1

Applications are reviewed holistically and decisions are released via email in late February/early March. Decisions are not released until all application components are received.