The DrPH is the highest professional degree in public health. The goal of our DrPH program is to develop transformative leaders in public health practice who can collaborate with diverse partners across settings and sectors, synthesize knowledge, and generate practice-based evidence. Our program focuses on training innovative leaders who will develop, implement, and disseminate evidence-based programs and policies to address global public health issues, framed by a health equity lens. Students are trained by an interdisciplinary faculty with expertise in research and practice, and they benefit from NYU’s location in New York City and an expansive global network.
GPH uses an interdisciplinary approach in its DrPH curriculum, with training in the areas of data and analysis; leadership, management, and governance; policy and programs; and education and workforce development. The GPH program has a specialized focus on communication, collaboration, leadership, implementation science, and ethics.
A total of 42 credit hours is required for the DrPH, including 15 credits of electives. Students are expected to complete the degree within four to seven years, depending on previous academic coursework in public health, and whether the student is registered on a full-time or part-time basis.
GPH strongly believes in the importance of faculty mentoring. Early in the first semester, each DrPH student will be assigned a faculty mentor, based on areas of common interest. The faculty mentor will help the student with selecting relevant electives and developing a plan with recommendations regarding an advanced applied practice experience, qualifying exam preparation, dissertation focus, and other academic issues. Faculty mentors will also help students network with other NYU faculty and with health professionals working in the field.
In addition to faculty mentors, the program will provide coaching to every candidate, helping students develop hands-on leadership and professional skills under the guidance of experienced public health professionals.
Admissions
We welcome applications from candidates with an MPH or other relevant graduate degree (e.g., in epidemiology, medicine, nursing, social work, or public administration).
Students entering the program with a graduate degree other than an MPH are required to complete the five pre-requisite courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and management, environmental health, and social and behavioral science, before matriculating into the program.
The GRE is not required nor considered as part of your application.
All applicants are required to submit the following:
SOPHAS application form, select DrPH in Global Health from the list of active NYU GPH programs
Official transcripts from each institution attended (or an evaluation of your credentials if you graduated from a foreign institution)
Three letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose
Leadership statement
Optional writing sample
Resume/CV
English language proficiency exam (TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic) results for all applicants whose native language is not English and who did not receive the equivalent of a US bachelor's degree at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.
Personal interview
Program Requirements
Prerequisites
Students admitted with a graduate degree other than an MPH must complete some or all of the six (6) public health pre-requisite courses over the summer prior to starting the required DrPH coursework. It is strongly suggested that students complete these pre-requisite courses prior to matriculation in the fall. If the student cannot complete these courses in the summer, the student may be required to take a heavier course load in Year One. The pre-requisite courses are as follows:
Select 12 elective credits in consultation with a faculty mentor
12
Total Credits
42
Public Health (DrPH) Electives
While not exhaustive, the list below represents a number of courses applicable to the program. All elective courses are subject to consultation with a faculty mentor.
CDC Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Training (online)
200 hours of an Applied Practice Experience, developed in consultation with the faculty mentor
Qualifying examination (AAPE Defense)
Dissertation
Sample Plan of Study
Prerequisites
Note: Students without an MPH must complete the following prerequisites courses before beginning Year 1 of the program in consultation with their faculty advisor:
Required for students without a CEPH-accredited MPH
2
Students maintain matriculation while working on non-course requirements.
Learning Outcomes
Foundational Competencies
All graduates develop the following 20 foundational competencies in the areas of data and analysis; leadership, management, and governance; policy and programs; and education and workforce development:
Data and Analysis
Explain qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and policy analysis research and evaluation methods to address health issues at multiple (individual, group, organization, community and population) levels.
Design a qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, policy analysis or evaluation project to address a public health issue.
Explain the use and limitations of surveillance systems and national surveys in assessing, monitoring and evaluating policies and programs to address a population’s health.
Leadership, Management and Governance
Propose strategies for health improvement and elimination of health inequities by organizing stakeholders including researchers, practitioners, community leaders and other partners.
Communicate public health science to diverse stakeholders, including individuals at all levels of health literacy, for purposes of influencing behavior and policies.
Integrate knowledge, approaches, methods, values and potential contributions from multiple professions and systems in addressing public health problems.
Create a strategic plan.
Facilitate shared decision-making through negotiation and consensus-building methods.
Create organizational change strategies.
Propose strategies to promote inclusion and equity within public health programs, policies and systems.
Assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses in leadership capacities, including cultural proficiency.
Propose human, fiscal and other resources to achieve a strategic goal.
Cultivate new resources and revenue streams to achieve a strategic goal.
Policy and Programs
Design a system-level intervention to address a public health issue.
Integrate knowledge of cultural values and practices in the design of public health policies and programs.
Integrate scientific information, legal and regulatory approaches, ethical frameworks and varied stakeholder interests in policy development and analysis.
Propose interprofessional team approaches to improving public health.
Education and Workforce Development
Assess an audience’s knowledge and learning needs.
Deliver training or educational experiences that promote learning in academic, organizational or community settings.
Use best practice modalities in pedagogical practices.
Program-Specific Competencies
In addition, graduates develop the following program-specific specialized competencies:
Design health communication campaigns and interventions for public health organizations, NGOs, community-based organizations, or other stakeholders.
Design and implement a personal leadership development plan.
Apply public health concepts in the framing of a research question and outline a proposal to address a public health problem in the student's discipline.
Identify implementation science frameworks and methods to assess the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies, and interventions.
Apply ethical principles to the promotion of social justice in public health research and practice.