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Doctor of Philosophy – Population Health Sciences (PHS)

Summary

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Population Health Sciences (PHS) is a cohort-based, multidisciplinary degree that provides students with the research and analytical tools needed to tackle a wide range of complex, large-scale public health issues.

This degree is offered at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health under the aegis of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Visit the Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

About

The PhD in Population Health Sciences (PHS) integrates multiple disciplinary perspectives spanning the biological, physical, and social sciences—along with a variety of scientific methods and analyses—toward the study and understanding of a common endpoint: the health of populations.

In addition to building depth and unique expertise in each of these five fields of study, we also recognize the commonalities and synergies that exist across them:

Environmental Health (EH)
Epidemiology (EPI)
Global Health & Population (GHP)
Nutrition (NUT)
Social & Behavioral Sciences (SBS)

We are committed to facilitating collaboration of our 180+ students and faculty across all of our fields of study and between the Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Chan through this unprecedented interdisciplinary research approach.

On Campus (Fall & Spring) • Full-time (4 years)

Curriculum

Learning Objectives

Required Courses

PHS 2000 A & B + Lab: Quantitative Research Methods in Population Health Sciences
EPI 201: Introduction to Epidemiology – Methods 1 + Lab
EPI 202: Elements of Epidemiologic Research – Methods 2 + Lab
SBS 506: An Introduction to History, Politics, & Public Health: Theories of Disease Distribution & Health Inequities
HPM 548 (or Faculty of Arts & Sciences-offered course): Responsible Conduct of Research
Additional courses required within each field of study

Core Curriculum (18.75 credits)

EPI201 (2.5 credits)

Introduction to Epidemiology: Methods I
Provides a foundation for understanding and critically evaluating epidemiologic studies:

Measures of disease frequency and association, assumptions underlying causal inference in various study designs
Sources and types of bias (confounding, selection bias, and information bias), and effect measure modification
Study designs

EPI202 (2.5 credits)

Methods II: Elements of Epidemiologic Research

Analysis and interpretation of results
Statistical inference
- Crude analysis
- Stratified analysis
- Effect measure modification analysis
Standardization and weighting
Linear and logistic regression
Matched analysis
Magnitude of bias due to confounding and impact of misclassification and measurement error

PHS2000A (5 credits)

Quantitative Research Methods in Population Health Sciences I
Covers the fundamentals of commonly used quantitative methods, including terminology, underlying assumptions, interpretation, and application to data.
In particular, students are encouraged to develop a deeper intuition around regression modeling than is covered at the master’s level.

Sampling
Maximum likelihood estimation
Regression modeling (linear regression, generalized linear models), including model specification, estimation, inference, interpretation, and model evaluation
Introduction to measurement, survival analysis, longitudinal analysis, and multilevel modeling

PHS2000B (5 credits)

Quantitative Research Methods in Population Health Sciences II
Provides a survey of quantitative research methods from across the population health sciences, with an emphasis on understanding underlying assumptions and interpretation. Students are empowered to critically evaluate and critique the methodologies employed in the population health sciences literature.

Causal inference and sources of bias
Introduction to marginal structural models and time-varying confounding
Interaction and mediation econometric and quasi-experimental methods
Missing data
Factor analysis
Replication, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis

SBS506 (2.5 credits)

An Introduction to History, Politics & Public Health: Theories of Disease Distribution and Health Inequities

Explores the history and critical perspectives underlying current theories of disease distribution, with implications for public health research and practice
Students learn to delineate fundamental features of scientific theories, hypotheses, and empirical facts, and discern their relevance within the realm of theories of disease distribution

HPM548 (1.25 credits) or Similar Harvard course

Responsible Conduct of Research
Introduces basic ethical and regulatory requirements for conducting bench, animal, clinical, and public health research.

Fields of Study

Yearly Milestones

Year 1

Courses:
PHS2000A (Fall) + PHS2000B (Spring)
PHS2506 (Fall 1)
EPI201 (Fall 1) + EPI202 (Fall 2)
RCR – Responsible Conduct of Research (multiple options)
Field of Study Required Coursework

Other Milestones:
Prospective Program Form submitted (end of Spring semester)

Examinations:
WQE I Examination (GHP students)
Field of Study PQEI (some continuing Chan master’s students)

Year 2

Courses and Requirements:
Field of Study Required Coursework (continued)
TF/RA Requirement (if applicable)

Examinations:
Field of Study PQEI
WQE II Paper (GHP students)
[PHS2000A (Fall) + PHS2000B (Spring) for the few students who needed additional Biostatistics coursework in Year 1]

Year 3

Milestones:
Final Program of Study Submitted (End of Fall semester)
PQEII Committee Chosen
Dissertation Proposal Submitted (2–3 weeks prior to PQEII)
PQEII: Preliminary Qualifying Examination (ideally by the end of Fall semester)
Formation of DAC – Dissertation Advisory Committee
TF/RA Requirement (if applicable)

Year 4

Milestones:
DAC Committee Meetings (required every three to six months)
TF/RA Requirement (if applicable)
Application for Fifth Year Extension (if applicable, March)

Dissertation Defense:
Dissertation submitted to FAS with Dissertation Acceptance Certificate Sign-Off
Harvard Chan Convocation, GSAS Diploma Awarding Ceremony, and Harvard Commencement

Year 5

Milestones (if applicable):
Fifth Year extension available with approval of PHS Director
TF/RA Requirement (if applicable)

Dissertation Defense:
Dissertation submitted to FAS with Dissertation Acceptance Certificate Sign-Off
Harvard Chan Convocation, GSAS Diploma Awarding Ceremony, and Harvard Commencement

Competencies

View a comprehensive list of program competencies

Our Community

PHS Snapshot

Average applicant pool: 608
Typical cohort size: 42 students
Students and alumni from 35+ countries
~40% international students
Prior degrees: 10% bachelor’s, 85% master’s, 5% MD
Matriculant age range: 22 to 45 years old
180+ PHS students in years one through five
Fifth-largest of 57 Harvard PhD programs

Age Distribution of Matriculated Students by Year

Citizenship of Matriculated Students by Year

Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) Composition by Field of Study

Dissertation Listings

Our PHS Team

Career Outcomes

As a population health sciences graduate, you will be prepared for a career in research, academics, or practice, tackling complex diseases and health problems that affect entire populations. Those interested in pursuing research may go on to work at a government agency or international organization, or in the private sector at a consulting, biotech, or pharmaceutical firm. Others may choose to pursue practice or on-the-ground interventions. Those interested in academics may become a faculty member in a college, university, medical school, research institute, or school of public health.

Placements for PHS Graduates

Eligibility Criteria

Anyone with a distinguished undergraduate record and a demonstrated enthusiasm for the rigorous pursuit of scientific public health knowledge through research is encouraged to apply. Although a previous graduate degree is not required, applicants should have successfully completed coursework in introductory statistics or quantitative methods. Preference will be given to applicants who have either some relevant work experience or graduate-level work in their desired primary field of study.

Applicants may only apply for full-time status. Applications are reviewed in their entirety and decisions are released via e-mail in mid-February. Decisions are not released until all application components are received.

Application Requirements

Application and application fee
Transcripts
Three letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose
Personal statement
Demonstration of English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS)
Writing samples
GRE scores

Yearly Application Deadline: December 1

For more information on applying, visit the Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website.

Recruitment / Admissions Events

Info Sessions

Recorded Info Sessions

FAQs