Overview
The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health (COPH) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health Promotion and Prevention Research (HPPR). The degree is awarded by the UAMS College of Public Health in recognition of scholarly achievement evidenced by a period of successful advanced study, the satisfactory completion of prescribed examinations, and the defense of a dissertation addressing a significant issue relevant to social and behavioral sciences in public health. The curriculum of the HPPR program provides extensive training in basic and applied research methodology that will allow public health scientists to serve as Principal Investigators responsible for developing an extramurally funded program of independent research. Integrated within the multidisciplinary environment of an academic health sciences center, the Ph.D. program is uniquely positioned to advance the understanding of interactions among biological, behavioral and cultural processes that are associated with the etiology and prevention of major chronic illnesses that constitute a significant public health challenge in Arkansas. An advanced understanding of these complex interactions will expand the current knowledge base and foster the development and evaluation of new health care strategies and public health initiatives that subsequently can be implemented to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and communities throughout the state of Arkansas. A strong emphasis on applied and community based research methods provides graduates with a solid foundation in the design and evaluation of public health service programs. This perspective will foster collaboration with public health practitioners in the development of programmatic research that is truly responsive to the health needs of Arkansas residents and makes optimal use of public health infrastructure in the state.
This program is supported by the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education.
Admission Requirements
Applicants who have earned an MPH or equivalent degree in a health-related field from a CEPH accredited institution in the United States or a foreign institution with similar requirements for the MPH degree are eligible to apply for admission to the Doctoral Program in Health Promotion and Prevention.
Official transcripts must show completion of at least one graduate-level course in each of five key areas (intro to public health; health behavior and education; biostatistics; epidemiology; and research design) with a grade of B or better in each course.
Students who have not satisfied this requirement in one of these 2 ways must complete the 3-credit-hour Introduction to Public Health course offered by the COPH with a grade of B or better before the student may graduate with the doctoral degree. The course is considered a pre-requisite and will not apply to the minimum required hours for the degree.
Scholarships and Assistantships
A limited number of research assistantships for the PhD in HPPR are available on a competitive basis for qualified students that cover tuition and up to $30,000 a year in stipends for up to three years.
We also offer a pre-doctoral scholarship (ARCHD-T32) for students with an interest in health disparities research and advanced data analytics. This four-year program is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Minority Health and Disparities, and includes an annual stipend and tuition discounts. To learn more about this program, visit our ARCHD-T32 web page, or contact Mick Tilford, Ph.D. at TilfordMickJ@uams.edu.
Application
Any individual desiring admission to this program must submit application materials through the on-line centralized School of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS).
More Information & Application Deadlines
Transcripts
It is the applicant’s responsibility to request that an official copy of the applicant’s academic record be sent directly to SOPHAS from EACH college or university that the applicant has previously attended. The academic record must include all courses, grades, semester credits attempted, and degree(s) earned. Official transcripts must show completion of at least one graduate-level course in each of four key areas: health behavior and education; biostatistics; epidemiology; and research design. Courses must have been completed within the five (5) years immediately preceding the requested semester of admission. Applicants who have not completed these courses, but whose applications show exceptional potential for success, may be conditionally admitted to the Ph.D. program, but will be required to complete the courses through available COPH course offerings with grades of “B” or better before registering for core required courses in the Ph.D. program.
A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.70 (A=4.00) or better on all undergraduate and graduate coursework attempted at a regionally accredited institution of higher education is required. Should an applicant fail to meet this requirement, the program may petition on behalf of the applicant the Dean of the College of Public Health to consider an exception to this requirement.
Master’s Thesis
All applicants must submit a copy of their master thesis or a written report demonstrating a comparable level of research experience and expertise that has been prepared in a manner consistent with publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The thesis or research report will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee to evaluate the relevance and quality of the applicant’s research experience. The review will specifically consider: relevance and adequacy of literature review; significance and specificity of a well-defined hypothesis or research question; appropriate and effective application of experimental methods; selection and description of appropriate intervention and assessment methods; description and application of an appropriate data analysis plan; presentation and interpretation of results; discussion and integration of results within the public health literature.
Graduate Record Examination
Competitive applicants will have Graduate Record Examination scores (quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, analytic writing) at or above the 50th percentile. The GRE must have been taken within five years immediately preceding the requested semester of admission. Programs may petition the Dean of the College of Public Health, on behalf of the applicant, to consider an exception to this requirement.
Curriculum
The Ph.D. Program will require a minimum of sixty-six (66) semester credit hours and can be completed within a three-year period of full-time study. Completion of all Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Prevention Research requirements ensures that graduates have attained the Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Prevention Research:
Ph.D. Health Promotion and Prevention Research Competencies
Core Content Areas
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program must complete: 6 semester hours of core required coursework in Behavioral Science; 6 semester hours of core required coursework in Community Science; 6 semester hours of core required coursework in Quantitative Methods; and 6 semester hours of core required coursework in Qualitative Methods. In order to develop research skills required to function as an independent investigator, students must complete 30 semester hours of Applied Research Methods that include professional and scientific presentations examining issues addressed by core public health disciplines (3 hrs), grantwriting (3 hrs), mentored research (6 hrs), and dissertation research (18 hrs).
Area of Specialization
During the first year of graduate study a Doctoral Advisory Committee will be appointed to assist the student in developing a degree plan that will best serve his or her professional and academic goals. In consultation with the Doctoral Advisory Committee, the student will identify didactic electives, mentored research experiences, and dissertation research comprising one of two areas of specialization: Behavioral Science or Community Science. In addition to coursework required of all students in each of the core content areas, the degree plan will specify 3 semester hours of didactic electives required in each of 3 core content areas (Behavioral Science, Community Science, Quantitative Methods) and an additional 3 semester hours of didactic electives that may be selected from any of the core content areas.
The 12 hours of didactic electives and 6 hours of mentored research experience identified in the degree plan will establish a conceptual and practical foundation for the development of dissertation research. These 18 elective semester hours in conjunction with 18 or more semester hours of dissertation research comprise for each student a uniquely defined area of specialization in either Behavioral Science or Community Science. In addition to consulting with the student in the development of a degree plan, the Doctoral Advisory Committee also will approve the initial dissertation proposal as well as the final written dissertation and oral defense. The dissertation must address a scientific question relevant to the application of behavioral and public health sciences either through secondary analysis of an existing data set or by collecting and analyzing new data. Successful defense of the dissertation will demonstrate competence in the selected area of specialization. Students who complete all coursework and successfully propose and defend a dissertation are awarded a Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Prevention Research.
Doctoral Advisory Committee
A Doctoral Advisory Committee must be appointed within the first year of graduate study. This committee will assist the student in selecting a course of study that will best serve his or her professional and academic goals. Approval of the initial dissertation proposal and of the final written dissertation and oral defense will be determined by this committee. At the time the committee is appointed, notification of the committee membership must be forwarded to the Health Behavior and Health Education Department Office. The committee will include no fewer than five (5) UAMS Graduate Faculty members, one of whom will be designated as chair.. Three members of the committee must hold primary faculty appointments in the COPH. One person who is not a UAMS faculty member may serve as a required committee member but not as chair.
Doctor of Philosophy Candidacy Exam
Candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must pass a candidacy examination administered after approximately one year of study in the doctoral program. Results of the examination will be submitted to the HBHE Student Coordinator immediately following the examination. After the student has passed the Doctor of Philosophy Candidacy Examination, the student must register for at least one (1) semester credit hour of dissertation for each semester and one (1) semester credit hour of dissertation for each summer session until the degree is awarded. Registration for a minimum of eighteen (18) semester credit hours of dissertation is required of doctoral degree candidates.
Dissertation
The dissertation must address a scientific question relevant to the application of behavioral and public health sciences either through secondary analysis of an existing data set or by collecting and analyzing new data. Students who complete all coursework and successfully propose and defend a dissertation are awarded a Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Prevention Research. A public defense is required along with approval by 80% of the Doctoral Advisory Committee for acceptance of the dissertation.
Time Frame for Completion of Degree
After passing the candidacy examination the degree must be completed within seven consecutive calendar years.
Grade-Point Average to Receive a Degree
In order to receive a degree, a candidate must present a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 on all graduate courses required for the degree. Failing to earn such an average on the minimum number of hours, the student is permitted to present up to six (6) additional hours of graduate semester credit in order to accumulate a grade-point average of 3.0; but in no case shall a student receive a degree who is obliged to offer more than six (6) additional hours of semester credit beyond the minimum. In the computation of grade point, all courses pursued at this institution for graduate semester credit that are part of the degree program (including any repeated courses) and the thesis (if offered) shall be considered. A student who repeats a course in an endeavor to raise his grade must count the repetition toward the maximum of six additional hours.
Recommended Course Schedule for PhD in Health Promotion and Prevention Research (HPPR)
Full-Time Enrollment Guide
Fall Year 1
HBHE 6021: Advanced Behavior Health Theory (3)
HPMT 6426: Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (3)
Elective 1 OR HBHE 6212: Applied Behavioral Research Methods (3)
COPH 6600: Mentored Research
Spring Year 1
BIOS 5212: Biostatistics II: Advanced Linear Models (3)
NPHD 6102: Qualitative Methodology in Nursing Research (3)
HBHE 6212: Applied Behavior Research Methods (3) OR Elective 1
COPH 6600: Mentored Research
(Select Candidacy Exam Committee)
Summer Year 1
HBHE 6120: Introduction to Mixed Methods Research Design (3)
Elective 2
COPH 6600: Mentored Research
Fall Year 2
COPH 6303: Community-Based Program Design
NPHD 6108: Qualitative Data Analysis, Theory & Practicum OR BIOS 6223: Biostatistics III: Multivariate Analysis & Linear Models (3)
COPH 6437: Grantsmanship & Peer Review Process
COPH 6600: Mentored Research
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
Spring Year 2
Elective 2 (3)
Elective 3 (3)
Elective 4 (3)
COPH 6600: Mentored Research
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
Summer Year 2
Elective 4 (3)
Elective 5 (3)
COPH 6600: Mentored Research
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
(Earliest Opportunity to take Candidacy Exam)
Fall Year 3
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
(Final Opportunity to take Candidacy Exam)
Spring Year 3
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
Summer Year 3
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
Fall Year 4
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
Spring Year 4
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
Summer Year 4
COPH 6999: Dissertation Research
For More Information
S. Alexandra Marshall, PhD, MPH, CPH, CHES
Email: smarshall@uams.edu
Phone: 501-526-6623
Tiffany Haynes, PhD
Email: tfhaynes@uams.edu
Phone: 501-526-6613
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education
4301 West Markham, Mail Slot #820
Little Rock, AR 72205