Related Certificate
The Community and Behavioral Health Promotion (CBHP) doctoral program is designed to train students in social and behavioral science aspects of public health research and intervention with a particular emphasis on the development of community-level interventions. Faculty interest areas include: maternal, infant, and child health; health disparities; obesity; nutrition; food security; HIV and STD prevention; adolescent health; violence prevention; substance abuse prevention; creating healthy environments; and promoting mental health. Students will prepare for public health leadership through their own original research.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
Applicants to the PhD program in Public Health with a concentration in Biostatistics should have completed academic programs that facilitated development of solid analytical skills. Applicable baccalaureate programs include mathematics, statistics, computer science, and engineering. Baccalaureate degrees in related fields will be considered. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 (A=4.00) is required. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Each application will be evaluated individually primarily on the basis of academic achievement, although relevant work experience will also be considered.
Applicants to the PhD program in Public Health with a concentration in Community and Behavioral Health Promotion should have completed academic programs that facilitated development of solid analytical and communication skills. Applicable baccalaureate programs include those in the social and behavioral sciences, health and health-related sciences, and biological sciences. Baccalaureate degrees in related fields will be considered. At least one statistics course is preferred for admission. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 (A=4.00) is preferred. While a completed master's degree in public health or the social and behavioral sciences is encouraged, a master's degree is not a prerequisite for admission. For those applicants without a master's degree in a relevant field, most successful candidates will have work, research and/or volunteer experiences that contribute to career development in community health and health promotion. Demonstrated communication and analytic skills are required. Applicants from diverse backgrounds with a strong interest in community health and health promotion are encouraged to apply. Each application will be evaluated individually on the basis of four key areas:
- Academic record/achievement.
- Work, research, and/or community experience.
- Commitment/interest/awareness of public health and community health promotion.
- Matching interest with current Community and Behavioral Promotion Health faculty.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from the general test (verbal, quantitative, analytical writing) are required of all applicants. Submitted test scores must be from a test taken within 5 years of the date of application. While there is not a minimum GRE score requirement, strong quantitative, verbal and writing skills are critical to successfully completing the program.
Students must meet UWM Graduate School admission requirements. For international applicants whose native language is not English, the UW-Milwaukee Center for International Education Website provides English Language Proficiency Requirements including required TOEFL or IELTS scores. Students who attended an international university must also pay an additional fee for evaluation of international transcripts.
In addition, a personal statement, and at least three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant's scholarship, research achievements, and/or academic potential are required for the application. The letters of recommendation should address the candidate’s potential for achievement in a graduate program from an academic as well as personal (e.g., commitment, integrity, ethical) standpoint. At least one letter must be from a university faculty member.
A select group of the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an interview process. In-person or internet-facilitated interviews (Skype, etc.) will be required for finalist candidates prior to admission.
Applicants may be admitted with course deficiencies at the discretion of the Zilber College of Public Health Graduate Program Committee. The student is expected to rectify these course deficiencies with a grade of B or better within three enrolled semesters. The academic program unit will monitor deficiencies. No course credits earned in making up deficiencies may be counted as program credits required for the degree. For students entering with an advanced degree, the Admissions Committee can grant credit for relevant coursework at its discretion, but at least half of the graduate credits required for the PhD must be completed at UW-Milwaukee in doctoral status in accordance with Graduate School policy. Thesis, dissertation, and research credits must be completed at UW-Milwaukee.
Reapplication
A student who receives the Master of Public Heath degree must formally reapply to the Zilber College of Public Health to gain admission to the PhD program in Public Health before continuing studies toward the PhD.
Credits and Courses
Community and Behavioral Health Promotion Concentration
A minimum of 72 credits of coursework beyond the bachelor’s level must be completed to earn the degree, at least 35 of which must be earned in residence at UW-Milwaukee. The course list consists of required common Ph.D. core courses, CBHP core courses, research and methods courses, and elective courses. Also, students will be required to complete three credits of supervised research under the tutelage of the primary advisor prior to the required dissertation research requirement. This is to ensure that all students obtain hands-on, supervised research training. After achieving dissertation status, students will enroll in three research credits per semester for at least two semesters.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core PhD Courses | ||
| PH 704 | Principles and Methods of Epidemiology | 3 |
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Intermediate Biostatistics 1 | ||
| Intro to Regression for Understanding the SDOH | ||
| Applied Multiple Regression Analysis | ||
| PH 801 | Seminar in Public Health Research | 3 |
| PH 819 | Social and Environmental Justice in Public Health | 3 |
| or PH 859 | Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities in the United States | |
| CBHP PhD Required Courses | ||
| PH 702 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 |
| PH 725 | Theories and Models of Health Behavior | 3 |
| PH 727 | Program Planning & Implementation in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 728 | Program Evaluation in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 729 | Survey Research Methods in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 776 | Qualitative Approaches in Public Health Policy 2 | 3 |
| PH 820 | Maternal and Child Health Foundations, Policy and Practice | 3 |
| PH 823 | Applied Analysis of Binary Outcomes in Public Health Research | 3 |
| PH 826 | Principles of Community Intervention Research | 3 |
| PH 827 | Research Design in Community and Behavioral Health Promotion | 3 |
| PH 831 | Community Engagement and Participatory Research Approaches in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 919 | Core Seminar in Community and Behavioral Health Promotion | 3 |
| Required Advanced Quantitative Courses 3 | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Structural Equation Modeling | ||
| Analysis of Cross-Classified Categorical Data | ||
| Applied Categorical Data | ||
| Applied Survival Analysis | ||
| Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Analysis | ||
| Research | 12 | |
Pre-Dissertation Research | ||
| Research and Dissertation (Doctoral Thesis) | ||
| Electives (see below) | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 72 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following courses: | ||
| ANTHRO 744 | Theories of Social Action: Theater, Ritual, Game | 3 |
| ANTHRO 803 | Survey of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| HS 917 | Seminar in Health Outcomes Assessment | 3 |
| PH 752 | Public Health and Mental Health | 3 |
| PH 758 | Social Epidemiology | 3 |
| PH 768 | Cancer Epidemiology | 3 |
| PH 769 | Critical Perspectives on Nutritional Epidemiology and the Food System | 3 |
| SOC WRK 705 | Individual Behavior and Social Welfare | 3 |
| SOCIOL 910 | The Sociology of Inequality | 3 |
| SOCIOL 982 | Advanced Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| SOCIOL 715 | Systematic Sociological Theory | 3 |
| Other courses as approved by advisor. | ||
- 1
Prereq: PH 702 Introduction to Biostatistics or approval for equivalent course.
- 2
Or other qualitative analysis course approved by advisor.
- 3
Other advanced quantitative courses will be considered.
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
The student must have a major professor to advise and supervise the student's studies as specified in Graduate School regulations. The entering student is assigned an advisor/major professor at admission based on fit and focus. The major professor serves as the student's research mentor and will guide the student in course selection, program planning, and research design. Students may change their advisor/major professor if the fit and focus change over time. Such changes will need approval of the graduate program committee. The major professor must have graduate faculty status.
Residence
The student must meet minimum Graduate School residence requirements.
Preliminary/Qualifying Exam Process
The qualifying exams must be successfully completed within five years of initial enrollment in the Ph.D. program.
The preliminary exam is designed to assess a student’s mastery of knowledge and skills to ensure adequate preparation for individual dissertation research. Students taking the preliminary exam are expected to demonstrate knowledge, competency and mastery of core public health concepts, issues and content relevant to the CBHP PhD Program. The preliminary exam consists of three sections: an open book integrative review, a closed book exam focusing on a case study, and an oral exam. (Please refer to the CBHP Qualifying Exam Policies and Procedures.) At the discretion of the examining committee, a student who fails the qualifying process may be allowed one additional attempt with all or part of the examination. After successful completion of the qualifying process, the student will concentrate on the development of the dissertation.
Time Limit
The student must complete all requirements for the degree within 10 years of the date of initial enrollment in the program.
Public Health PhD: Community and Behavioral Health Promotion Learning Outcomes
Doctoral students in the Community and Behavioral Health Promotion Concentration can expect to:
- Describe and critically evaluate the utility of key social and behavioral science theories for public health research.
- Design and implement theory driven community and behavioral health promotion research.
- Apply social and environmental justice philosophies, theories, and frameworks to public health research and the interpretation of research findings.
- Describe the social-political-historical contexts that have shaped the development of community engaged research including community based participatory approaches.
- Describe the contributions of community engaged approaches to community and behavioral health research and interventions.
- Critically appraise different methodological strategies in developing and implementing community engaged research.
- Apply qualitative and advanced quantitative methods to the study of public health problems, the assessment of community strengths and the evaluation of prevention and intervention programs.
- Use research findings to advocate for policies, programs, and resources that improve the health of communities.
- Demonstrate respect for the integrity and perspectives of others in all professional contexts.
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of how to manage ethical issues in community and behavioral health research and practice.
PhD Core Learning Outcomes
Doctoral students in all public health programs can expect to:
- Formulate and test a hypothesis using basic statistical methods.
- Apply statistical inference to guide research decision-making relevant to public health problem and issues.
- Evaluate critically scientific literature and identify how epidemiological and population health data can be used to answer research questions and inform program development and policy decisions aimed at promoting health equity.
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills necessary for formulating research questions, identifying theory to frame research questions, and identify and employ appropriate methodologies for addressing a public health research question.
- Apply social and environmental justice framework when asking and addressing research questions impacting the public’s health.