Admissions Requirements
- MPH or MSPH from a CEPH accredited institution. Additional foundational coursework will be required for individuals who do not meet this requirement.
- A minimum of 3 years of relevant public health practice. See concentration prerequisites below for additional detail.
- Official Transcripts - Official transcripts are required from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
- Letters of Recommendation - Applicants must submit 3 letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to academic, practice and/or research abilities.
- Personal Statement - The personal statement should be no more than 1500 words in length and answer the following questions:
- Why are you interested in pursuing a DrPH degree?
- What are your specific areas of interest related to the concentration area you are applying?
- How has your public health practice experience prepared you for the DrPH concentration to which you are applying?
- How will obtaining a DrPH in the selected concentration area will help you meet your career objectives?
- What are your personal skills and general preparation that will help you succeed in this DrPH program?
- Resume or CV - An updated resume/CV that includes: Employment history, relevant public health practice experience, volunteer/service experience
- TOEFL or IELTS Scores - Official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS scores are required of all applicants whose primary language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from a college or university outside of the United States.
- Emergency Preparedness Concentration Prerequisites: A minimum of 3-5 years of relevant emergency preparedness experience. Examples of such experience include but are not limited to:
- Conducting a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA)
- Gathering community stakeholders to discuss vulnerabilities and planning strategies
- Coordinating and writing an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
- Conduct workshops to review the EOP
- Design, develop and execute Tabletop, Functional and Full-Scale Exercises to test the EOP
- Update the EOP on a regular basis
- Conduct community or organization Emergency Preparedness educational programs
- Participate in community planning meetings
- Actively contribute to the Incident Command (IC) process in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
- Coordinate (recruit, train, retain) community volunteers to assist in disaster response operations
- Work closely with community response organizations (Emergency Management, Volunteer Organizations, Law Enforcement, EMS)
- Write and submit periodic reports on community/organization ongoing operations
Detailed application and admissions criteria is located on the DrPH Admissions website: https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/admissions/doctorofpublichealth.html
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PREREQUISITE COURSES | ||
| CPH 500 | FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH * | 3 |
| CPH 506 | BIOSTATISTICS ** | 3 |
| CORE COURSES | 18 | |
| CPH 700 | HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 3 |
| CPH 704 | ADVOCACY AND POLICY ENGAGEMENT | 3 |
| CPH 705 | PUBLIC HEALTH TEACHING AND TRAINING | 3 |
| CPH 707 | ADVANCED PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| CPH 711 | COMMUNICATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERS | 3 |
| CPH 712 | SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIC THINKING | 3 |
| CONCENTRATION COURSES | 12 | |
| CPH 726 | EXERCISE DESIGN | 3 |
| CPH 727 | MANAGING COMPLEX DISASTERS | 3 |
| CPH 746 | EPIDEMIOLOGY IN PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE | 3 |
| HPRO 903 | MIXED METHODS RESEARCH | 3 |
| ELECTIVE COURSES (At least 3 of the 12 credit hours must be 700-level) | 12 | |
| PRACTICUM AND ILE COURSES | 12 | |
| CPH 798 | DRPH PRACTICUM | 6 |
| CPH 799 | DRPH INTEGRATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 54-60 | |
*Only required if student does not have an MPH from an accredited institution
**Only required if student does not have a graduate-level course in Biostatistics. Consult with advisor.
Students are also required to complete a Digital Portfolio.
Concentration Competencies
| EMPDRPH1 | Analyze a public health emergency and coordinate a public health emergency response utilizing foundational theories, key crisis leadership, and crisis communications skills. |
| EMPDRPH2 | Use scientific methodology to design, analyze, and evaluate emergency preparedness response solutions. |
| EMPDRPH3 | Recommend and integrate solutions for public health preparedness programmatic and policy development at the micro-community and macro-community levels. |
| EMPDRPH4 | Analyze policies and laws to identify gaps and areas for improvement and recommend strategies that integrate inclusivity, advocacy, and science in public health preparedness and response. |
| EMPDRPH5 | Select, assess, and produce preparedness-based evaluation tools to develop and implement quality and adaptive programs. |
| EMPDRPH6 | Use a systems approach to evaluate new information and technology for current and future preparedness threats. |