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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Program inthe Department of Health Studies atthe University of Chicago
INTRODUCTION
The PhD program in the Department of Health Studies at the University of Chicago offers advanced courses of study in biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services research, supported by a core methodological curriculum in population-based research on human health. Students completing the program will be prepared to design and conduct methodological and substantive research on fundamental questions about human health and biomedical science from a population perspective. They will also be prepared to collaborate with colleagues from different disciplines to carry out such research.
The program is organized around a common quantitative core curriculum designed to prepare students methodologically for more in-depth study in their chosen field and for dissertation research. Beyond the core curriculum, each student will choose a major disciplinary area of concentration, take a sequence of advanced courses in that area, and prepare a dissertation of independent, original, and rigorous research in that area. Opportunities for such concentrated study are available in the three broad areas represented by Department faculty: biostatistics, epidemiology and health services research.
In addition to the concentration, each student will choose a minor program of study in another area either represented by Department faculty or offered elsewhere at the University. An overarching goal of the program is to train scholars who will be capable both of conducting independent research in their chosen field and of collaborating with researchers from other disciplines. The combination of the major concentration and minor program is intended to yield a curriculum with both disciplinary depth and an interdisciplinary perspective on problems in population health and biomedical science.
| Program requirements |
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To earn the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Department of Health Studies, students must fulfill the following requirements:
(i) Complete 19 graduate level courses, including
(a) a core curriculum of up to seven courses needed to prepare for the qualifying examination; and
(b) a major concentration program approved by the faculty consisting of at least 7 additional courses in a disciplinary domain (such as biostatistics); and
(c) a minor program approved by the faculty consisting of at least 3 additional courses in a second disciplinary area; and
(d) a course in scientific integrity and the ethical conduct of research (BSDG 55000), usually in the first year of study (divisional ethics requirement).
(ii) Pass a multi-part qualifying examination demonstrating mastery of the core curriculum and of foundational knowledge in the chosen area of concentration;
(iii) Teach two quarters for credit in pre-approved teaching assistant positions in the biological sciences (divisional teaching requirement) ;
(iv) Establish a doctoral dissertation committee, present proposed dissertation research to members of that committee and other interested faculty, and obtain written approval from the committee for the proposed dissertation research;
(v) Prepare and defend a doctoral dissertation of independent, original, and rigorous research in the chosen area of concentration; and
(vi) Participate in the departmental seminar, in weekly faculty / student workshops, and in research workshops that overlap with the chosen area of concentration.
For the typical student, it is expected that the majority of coursework will be completed in the first two years of the program, that qualifying examinations will be taken in the summer following the second year in the program, and that the program will be completed in 5 years. Students able to complete the core curriculum in one year may take the first part of the qualifying examination in the summer following the first year in the program.
The purpose of the core curriculum is to prepare students methodologically for population-based research on human health. As such, it is primarily quantitative and analytical, designed to ensure that all students in the program attain foundational proficiency in the Department's core subjects of biostatistics, epidemiology and health services research, as well as a working knowledge of the structure and functioning of the U.S. health care system.
The core curriculum will be covered in a sequence of seven courses (see list below) and will be the subject of Part I of the Qualifying Examination. Some students will take all seven of these courses, while others with appropriate background will pass over some and/or take alternatives offered at higher methodological levels. Subjects covered in these courses include: exploratory data analysis and basic biostatistical techniques, multiple linear regression models, applied generalized linear models (logistic regression, log-linear regression, proportional hazards regression), epidemiologic methods, econometric selection models, design of qualitative, observational, quasi-experimental and experimental studies, measurement validity and reliability, survey design and analysis, and methods for measuring quality and costs in health care. The seven courses are:
HS32200 - Biostatistical Methods I
HS32400 - Applied Regression Analysis (Biostatistical Methods II)
HS32700 - Biostatistical Methods III
HS30900 - Principles of Epidemiology
HS31000 - Epidemiologic Methods
HS35100 - Health Services Research Methods
HS58100 - The Social Context of Medicine
| Major Area of Concentration |
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Each student will choose a major area of concentration among those offered by the Department. The concentration provides for in-depth study in at least one disciplinary domain in population-based health research. The student will take a total of 10 - 12 courses in that area (including up to 3 core courses), of which 2 may be reading courses. These courses will constitute a coherent program of study developed in consultation with the student's academic advisor and approved in advance by Department faculty. Because of the diversity in students' backgrounds, each program will be tailored to the student's needs based on experience and interest, and on available faculty and courses. This course of study may draw on courses offered by the Department, as well as elsewhere in the Biological Sciences Division and across campus, including those in Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, Sociology, Demography, Ecology and Evolution, Human Genetics, Social Service Administration, and Human Development. In addition, the student will regularly participate in research workshops on campus that overlap with his/her chosen concentration area.
The three most common areas of concentration will be biostatistics, epidemiology and health services research, areas represented by Department faculty. In epidemiology and health services research, the student will further sub-specialize within his/her concentration in order to attain adequate depth of study appropriate for a PhD degree.
Concentration in Biostatistics. Students completing a concentration in biostatistics will be prepared to develop state-of-the-art quantitative reasoning and techniques of statistical science, mathematics, and computing, and to apply these to current and future research problems in biomedical science and population health. In addition, these students will complete a minor program of study in a substantive area of application. As such, they will be particularly well prepared to engage in collaborative population-based health research.
Concentration in Epidemiology. Students completing a concentration in epidemiology will be prepared to design epidemiologic studies and apply state-of-the-art quantitative methods to epidemiologic data analysis. They will have a strong background in epidemiologic methods and at least one substantive area of sub-specialization. Possible sub-specializations include genetic epidemiology, social epidemiology, psychiatric epidemiology, cancer epidemiology and aging research. Their program of study will include appropriate courses in the biological sciences related to the disease processes for the substantive area. Whether or not their minor program is biostatistics, their course of study will include advanced biostatistical methods in sampling, categorical data analysis, survival analysis and longitudinal analysis.
Concentration in Health Services Research. Students completing a concentration in health services research will be prepared to apply theories and methods adapted from sociology or economics to the study of individual, neighborhood, and population health, the delivery and financing of health care, and the structure and functioning of the U.S. health care system. The focus of this concentration will be on experimental, quasi-experimental, and survey-based studies and appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods for analyzing whether, how, by whom and to whom health care is delivered. Students may choose to sub-specialize in health economics or in organizational behavior, social network/social capital theory, or demography, each with applications to problems in human health. In addition, students will have strong training in biostatistics and epidemiology via the core curriculum and minor program.
| Minor Program of Study |
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In consultation with his/her academic advisor, each student will develop a minor program of study to complement his/her major area of concentration. The student will take 3 additional courses in that area which are neither core nor concentration courses. The program may comprise courses from any Division or School on campus.
Tailored to each individual student, the minor will vary in its degree of specificity from student to student. It may be one of the three broad areas represented by the Department faculty, or it may be a more specialized, emerging or synthetic area; examples within the DHS include psychiatric or cancer epidemiology, health economics, economics of aging, and clinical trials design. Outside the DHS, minors may conceivably be designed in areas such as statistical genetics, cancer biology, genetic or molecular epidemiology, bioinformatics, medical decision theory or survey research methods. In many cases, the combination of portions of the core curriculum and the minor program will approximate traditional Master's level training in a given area. For example, a student with a minor in biostatistics or epidemiology will accrue 5 or more courses in that area from the core curriculum and minor curriculum over the course of the program.
| Faculty-Student and Student-Student Interaction |
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The main purpose of the PhD program is to train scholars who are prepared to be independent researchers and are capable of collaborating with researchers from other disciplines. This purpose will be furthered by seminars and workshops and by extensive faculty-student and student-student interaction. The PhD Program is by design relatively small, affording students the opportunity for regular and intensive interaction with Health Studies faculty and other Health Studies students throughout their residency in the program. Additionally, interactions with other graduate students across campus arise regularly in the classroom; many of our courses regularly include graduate students in the Divisions of Biological, Physical and Social Sciences, and in the Schools of Business, Public Policy, and Social Service Administration. Typical course enrollment is between 10 and 20 students which is an ideal size to foster vigorous classroom interactions.
At admission to the program, each student will be assigned an academic advisor who is a Health Studies faculty member. The faculty, in consultation with the academic advisor, will periodically evaluate each student's progress with respect to coursework, examinations and dissertation development. Upon a student's selection of a dissertation topic and a dissertation committee chair, the chair will typically become the student's academic advisor for the remainder of his or her time in the program.
Faculty-Student Workshop. All PhD students participate in a joint faculty-student workshop where they present their own work and discuss and critique material presented by others. Presentations may include material from the literature, research ideas, research in progress, or aspects of completed dissertation work. The workshop gives students valuable experience in presenting their work, in giving and getting feedback, in explaining concepts central to their discipline to a cross-disciplinary group, and in understanding the ways that multiple disciplines contribute to the broader research enterprise. The workshop also fosters collaborations and serves as a forum for training in such practical skills as grant writing, research funding, and team building.
| Teaching Assistantship |
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Doctoral students will be expected to teach a total of two one quarter courses for credit in pre-approved teaching assistant positions in the Department of Health Studies. This is a teaching requirement for all doctoral students in the Division of Biological Sciences. Teaching assistantships are unpaid educational experiences and can not supplement any tuition and stipend fellowship awards from the Department of Health Studies.
| Research Assistantship |
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Most students will work as a research assistant for a year or more as a member of a collaborative research project with one or more faculty members in the Department of Health Studies. Students will generally begin this work in their second or third years, as coursework is nearing completion; it is expected that work on such projects could inform the student's dissertation research. Research assistantships often form part of tuition and stipend fellowship awards from the Department of Health Studies.
| Qualifying Examination |
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Prior to embarking on dissertation research, each student will pass a two-part written qualifying examination. Part I will test mastery of the quantitative and methodological skills of the core curriculum and the student's ability to integrate material from the set of core courses. Part II will be tailored to the student's chosen area of concentration, interests, and expected dissertation topic, with the purpose of assessing depth of disciplinary knowledge and the ability to integrate that knowledge sufficiently to begin dissertation research. The expectation is that students will take the qualifying examination after completing their coursework, generally after two years. Students able to complete the core curriculum in one year may take the first part of the qualifying examination in the summer following the first year in the program. Those entering with significant preparation may be able to take both parts after their first year. The examination will be written and evaluated by two or more faculty members.
Dissertation Proposal and Proposal Hearing. Each student will pursue independent, original and rigorous research leading to a dissertation. Prior to beginning dissertation research, each student will establish a doctoral dissertation committee and will prepare a written proposal that must be reviewed and approved by the dissertation committee and other interested Departmental faculty at an oral hearing.
Dissertation Defense. A final draft of the dissertation will be made available to the student's dissertation committee and to the faculty as a whole four weeks before the oral defense of that work. The defense will involve a public presentation of the work in a Departmental seminar, followed by a closed hearing of the work with the student's dissertation committee
Dissertation Evaluation Criteria. Dissertation research in the Department of Health Studies must be grounded in theory, be rigorously and independently executed, and make a substantial contribution to the disciplinary area in which the student has elected to concentrate. In addition, where possible, the research should reflect important perspectives from the student's chosen minor program.
The PhD program offered by the Department of Health Studies is designed to accommodate students seeking a joint MD/PhD degree at the University of Chicago. For such students, program requirements are modified so as to dovetail with coursework and clinical activities taken as part of the MD program. Specifically, core course requirements will remain the same as those for non-MD students. However, major concentration course requirements are reduced, as they is expected synergy with medical school courses. Additionally, the minor program is waived, essentially being replaced by the student's preparation in clinical medicine. For the typical student, 3 to 4 years of residency in the PhD portion of the MD/PhD program are expected in addition to the 4 years of medical school.
Program requirements. To earn the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Department of Health Studies as part of a joint MD/PhD program, students must fulfill the following requirements:
(i) Complete 15 graduate level courses , including
(a) a core curriculum of up to seven courses needed to prepare for the qualifying examination; and
(b) a major concentration program approved by the faculty consisting of at least 7 additional courses in a disciplinary domain; and
(c) a course in scientific integrity and the ethical conduct of research (BSDG 55000), usually in the first year of study (divisional ethics requirement).
(ii) Pass a multi-part qualifying examination demonstrating mastery of the core curriculum and of foundational knowledge in the chosen area of concentration;
(iii) Teach two quarters for credit in pre-approved teaching assistant positions in the biological sciences (divisional teaching requirement) ;
(iv) Establish a doctoral dissertation committee, present proposed dissertation research to members of that committee and other interested faculty, and obtain written approval from the committee for the proposed dissertation research;
(v) Prepare and defend a doctoral dissertation of independent, original, and rigorous research in the chosen area of concentration; and
(vi) Participate in the departmental seminar, in weekly faculty / student workshops, and in research workshops that overlap with the chosen area of concentration.
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