What is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health?
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest academic degree offered at the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Public Health. It is designed for students who want to pursue advanced research, develop new knowledge in their field, and assume leadership roles in academia, government, or industry. While the MPH and MS prepare students to apply existing public health knowledge in professional or research settings, the PhD focuses on generating new knowledge through independent research and scholarship.
PhD degrees are currently offered in three academic programs:
- Biostatistics - Training in the development and application of statistical methods to address complex health-related research questions.
- Community Health Science - Research on the social, behavioral, and policy factors that influence health outcomes and shape interventions. In addition, doctoral students in the CHSP program have an option to focus on either health promotion or environmental health issues, including intersections with community health and policy.
- Epidemiology - Advanced study of the patterns, causes, and prevention of disease in populations, with a focus on designing and conducting original epidemiologic research.
Graduates of PhD programs are prepared to advance public health knowledge and practice through roles such as:
- Faculty or researchers in universities and academic medical centers
- Senior scientists in government health agencies such as the CDC or NIH
- Research leaders in healthcare systems, non-profit organizations, or international agencies
- Experts in data, policy, or epidemiologic research within the private sector