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Academic Catalog 2021-2022

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  • Population Health, PhD

Population Health, PhD

2021-2022 Edition

  • Undergraduate
  • College of Professional Studies Undergraduate
  • Graduate
    • General Admission and Transfer Credit
    • Information for Entering Students
    • College Expenses
    • University-​Wide Academic Policies and Procedures
    • PhD Programs
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    • Bouvé College of Health Sciences
      • Academic Policies and Procedures
      • Interdisciplinary
      • School of Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences
      • School of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences
        • Counseling Psychology, PhD
        • School Psychology, PhD
        • Applied Behavior Analysis, CAGS
        • Counseling Psychology, CAGS
        • School Psychology, MS/​CAGS
        • Applied Behavior Analysis, MS
        • Applied Psychology, MS
        • Counseling Psychology, MSCP
        • Applied Behavior Analysis, Graduate Certificate
        • Personal Health Informatics, PhD
        • Population Health, PhD
        • Public Health, MPH
        • Exercise Science with Concentration in Physical Activity and Public Health, MS
        • Health Informatics, MS
        • Population Health, MS
        • Law, JD /​ Public Health, MPH
        • Pharmacy, PharmD—Direct Entry /​ Public Health, MPH
        • Physician Assistant Studies, MS /​ Public Health, MPH
        • Public Health, MPH /​ Exercise Science with Concentration in Physical Activity, MS
        • Public Health, MPH /​ Health Informatics, MS
        • Exercise Science for Clinicians, Graduate Certificate
      • School of Nursing
      • School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
    • School of Law
    • College of Professional Studies
    • College of Science
    • College of Social Sciences and Humanities
    • Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership
    • Faculty
    • Appendix
  • Course Descriptions
  • Catalog Archives
  • Overview
  • Program Requirements
  • Advanced Entry PhD Program Requirements

This program seeks to train students to become public health researchers and leaders through simultaneous examination of multiple determinations of health, including social, environmental, nutritional, and behavioral risk factors. Our students investigate the underlying causes of adverse health, including disease, disparities, and disability, through training in core population health disciplines—biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services—together with individual-specific and specialized training in topics related to student research. Importantly, our students are mentored by Northeastern’s distinguished faculty, who individually and together conduct innovative, solution-focused research in critical population health topics.

Our population health doctoral students have an opportunity to learn to conduct research that addresses five key health determinants:

1.      Social and community contexts

2.      Environment and neighborhoods

3.      Health and healthcare delivery

4.      Education

5.      Economic stability

Our diverse faculty has expertise in numerous population health disciplines, including health services research, health disparities, environmental and social epidemiology, biostatistics, exercise science, medical sociology, public policy, personal health technologies, and mental health. Students have the opportunity to work side by side with faculty in conducting cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research in these fields.

Course Requirements

All population health PhD candidates must earn at least 33 semester hours by completing core research courses, selecting a concentration and taking courses for that concentration, and taking additional electives and directed study courses as needed and in consultation with their faculty advisors. They must complete a dissertation in order to earn their degree. Eight core courses (22–23 semester hours) must be taken by all students, in addition to a mandatory, non-credit-bearing seminar speaker series. All students must fulfill the requirements of their specific population health option: social and environmental determinants of health or health services and policy.  There may be some flexibility in course selection based on a student’s relevant experience and dissertation topic. Students must consult with their advisor before selecting elective courses (9–10 semester hours). Electives should be used to either help the student develop skills needed for research or to help the student develop new research ideas.

Advanced Entry

This program is strictly for students who already have a master’s degree in public health or a closely related area and have full-time employment at a company or agency who has entered into an agreement with Northeastern to be the student’s sponsor. Completion of the PhD program requires 21–23 semester hours, including a yearlong research methods seminar and other advanced research courses. All students must fulfill the course requirements of their specific population health option: social and environmental determinants of health (9 semester hours) or health services and policy (7 semester hours). There may be some flexibility in course selection based on a student’s relevant experience and dissertation topic. Students must consult with their advisor before selecting elective courses. Electives can be used to either help the student develop skills needed for research or to help the student develop new research ideas but are not required. 

Please visit Bouvé College Learning Outcomes for the specific student learning outcomes for this program.


Students who do not qualify for the doctoral degree, but who have completed required coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or better, may be eligible to receive a terminal MS Population Health degree. Note that no students will be admitted directly into the Population Health program to pursue a master’s degree.

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Milestones

Qualifying examination
Annual review
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
Oral defense of dissertation proposal
Candidacy status
Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
Health Services
PHTH 5232Evaluating Healthcare Quality3
or PHTH 5234 Economic Perspectives on Health Policy
Population Health
PHTH 6400Principles of Population Health 13
PHTH 6410Principles of Population Health 23
Epidemiology
PHTH 5202Introduction to Epidemiology3
PHTH 6202Intermediate Epidemiology3
Research Ethics
BIOL 6381Ethics in Biological Research2
or PHSC 5212 Research Skills and Ethics
Research and Analysis
PHTH 5210Biostatistics in Public Health3
PHTH 6210Applied Regression Analysis3

Options

Complete one of the following options:

Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Option

Course List
Code Title Hours
PHTH 6224Social Epidemiology3
PHTH 6440Advanced Methods in Biostatistics3
PHTH 6800Causal Inference in Public Health Research3
Electives2-4

Health Services and Policy Option 

Course List
Code Title Hours
ECON 5110Microeconomic Theory4
PHTH 5234Economic Perspectives on Health Policy3
Electives3-4

Electives

Course List
Code Title Hours
CS 6220
Data Mining Techniques
CS 7280
Special Topics in Database Management
ECON 5110
Microeconomic Theory
ECON 5140
Applied Econometrics
ECON 7200
Topics in Applied Economics
EXSC 5200
Cardiopulmonary Physiology
EXSC 5220
Advanced Exercise Physiology
EXSC 5230
Physical Activity and Exercise: Effects on Musculoskeletal Health and Disease
HINF 5200
Theoretical Foundations in Personal Health Informatics
HRMG 6220
Health Organization Management
PHSC 6216
Human Physiology and Pathophysiology
PHTH 5212
Public Health Administration and Policy
PHTH 5214
Environmental Health
PHTH 5226
Strategic Management and Leadership in Healthcare
PHTH 5230
Global Health
PHTH 5540
Health Education and Program Planning
PHTH 6200
Principles and History of Urban Health
PHTH 6204
Society, Behavior, and Health
PHTH 6208
Urban Community Health Assessment
PHTH 6320
Qualitative Methods in Health and Illness
SOCL 7287
Social Movements in Health
STRT 6220
Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations

Dissertation 

Course List
Code Title Hours
PHTH 9990
Dissertation Term 1
PHTH 9991
Dissertation Term 2

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

33 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.000 GPA required

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Milestones

Qualifying examination
Annual review
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
Oral defense of dissertation proposal
Candidacy Status
Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

A grade of B or higher is required in all coursework. Students must complete all core requirements unless otherwise indicated:

Course List
Code Title Hours
Population Health
PHTH 6400Principles of Population Health 13
PHTH 6410Principles of Population Health 23
Epidemiology
PHTH 6202Intermediate Epidemiology3
Research Ethics
BIOL 6381Ethics in Biological Research2
or PHSC 5212 Research Skills and Ethics
Research and Analysis
PHTH 6210Applied Regression Analysis3

Options

Complete one of the following options:

  • Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Option
  • Health Services and Policy Option 

Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Option

Course List
Code Title Hours
PHTH 6224Social Epidemiology3
PHTH 6440Advanced Methods in Biostatistics3
PHTH 6800Causal Inference in Public Health Research3

Health Services and Policy Option 

Course List
Code Title Hours
ECON 5110Microeconomic Theory4
PHTH 5234Economic Perspectives on Health Policy3

Electives

Students may elect to take additional course credits to support their dissertation work.

Course List
Code Title Hours
CS 6220
Data Mining Techniques
CS 7280
Special Topics in Database Management
ECON 5140
Applied Econometrics
EXSC 5200
Cardiopulmonary Physiology
EXSC 5220
Advanced Exercise Physiology
EXSC 5230
Physical Activity and Exercise: Effects on Musculoskeletal Health and Disease
HINF 5200
Theoretical Foundations in Personal Health Informatics
HRMG 6220
Health Organization Management
PHSC 6216
Human Physiology and Pathophysiology
PHTH 5212
Public Health Administration and Policy
PHTH 5214
Environmental Health
PHTH 5226
Strategic Management and Leadership in Healthcare
PHTH 5230
Global Health
PHTH 5540
Health Education and Program Planning
PHTH 6200
Principles and History of Urban Health
PHTH 6204
Society, Behavior, and Health
PHTH 6208
Urban Community Health Assessment
PHTH 6320
Qualitative Methods in Health and Illness
SOCL 7287
Social Movements in Health
STRT 6220
Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations

Dissertation 

Course List
Code Title Hours
PHTH 9990
Dissertation Term 1
PHTH 9991
Dissertation Term 2

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

Minimum 21 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.000 GPA required

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