harvard university phd epidemiology

• Population Health Sciences
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

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Questions about these requirements? See the contact info at the bottom of the page. 

Degree Requirements

Pre-arrival.

The PhD in Population Health Sciences (PHS) is intended to be a four-year program grounded in one of the five primary fields of study shown below. The desired field affiliation is identified by each applicant at the time of PHS application submission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences:  

•Environmental Health  

•Epidemiology  

•Global Health & Population   

•Nutrition  

•Social & Behavioral Sciences  

Each PHS student is typically assigned a faculty advisor by the designated field of study at the time of PHS admission, although, specific timing and procedures vary individually by field. In most cases, advisor assignment changes are possible but require consideration and sign-off by the field of study and PHS administration before finalization.

Year One (G1)

With the faculty advisor’s guidance and using PHS milestones, interdisciplinary core requirements, and individual field requirements as a blueprint, each student designs a degree plan toward the PhD while taking the initial coursework required and desired that will, ultimately, both inform and help to form their research topic and dissertation.  

At the end of year one, students will complete a Prospective Program Form. This form lists each student’s plan for coursework, including both year one and year two. The Prospective Program should reflect the area of specialization within the field and any minors, if required. Students in the GHP field (only) take the PQE I—the first of two Preliminary Qualifying Exam (PQE) written exams, focused on field content, at the end of the second term.

Year Two (G2)

Students continue with coursework using their degree plans, while solidifying preparations/studies for the two-part Preliminary Qualifying Examinations (PQEs).  

The PQE I: Content Knowledge Exam is managed by the individual field. It typically occurs at the end of year two, and for students in the GHP field-only, one taken at the end of year one and the other at the end of year two. The PQE I (the first of the two exams) may be either written, oral, or a combination of both, as determined by field.

Year Three (G3)

The PQE II: Dissertation Proposal Exam, also known as the “orals exam,” is the dissertation proposal segment of the PQEs and must be completed by the end of the fifth term (typically, end of fall term in the third year). This part of the exam is oral with a student written dissertation prospectus for each field.  

Within two weeks of successfully completing the PQE II, participants finalize general research topics and identify a dissertation advisor who will help with the nomination of a formal Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). The dissertation advisor is almost always the student’s academic advisor, and the DAC typically consists of the same advisors who serve on the PQE II committee. In some cases, changes and substitutions may be warranted depending on the direction of the research. The DAC serves to mentor the student through the dissertation candidacy process and defense. At this point, the student is officially recognized as a PhD candidate and begins doctoral research and dissertation writing in earnest, including in-person DAC progress report meetings every three to six months, up until the time of the dissertation defense.

Year Four (G4)

Each candidate continues with research and dissertation writing, including required in-person DAC progress report meetings every three to six months. The candidate dissertation typically consists of three papers, which are defended orally before the degree conferral of a PhD in population health sciences by the end of year four. 

Year Five (G5) – UPON APPROVAL  

While PHS is expected to be a four-year PhD, the program does allow for up to one additional (fifth) year of research toward a dissertation defense and degree conferral, assuming there is agreement and sign-off among the advisor, committee, field of study, and the PHS director. If approved for a fifth year, the PHS student would be required to complete an additional two (fall term-only) or four (full year) GSAS credit equivalents of TF/RA work during the additional time beyond the original four-year program commitment. These additional credits are required as a fifth-year add-on to the 10 GSAS equivalent required credits already completed in years 1-4.  

Summers (June, July, and August) – ALL YEARS  

All PHS students are required to be working toward their research and dissertation during all summers in which they are enrolled in PHS and receiving their regular monthly PHS stipends. Students should continue with research, writing, and in limited capacity (especially between years two and three and years three and four) holding positions such as research assistants, interns, and/or teaching fellows.  

PHS students should typically not be working for outside organizations with no Harvard University affiliation, and this is particularly true for PHS-enrolled international students. All decisions on non-research/dissertation-related summer work must only be taken after student/advisor consult regarding a summer research plan.  

Additional Notes on PHS Milestones:  

• The overall four-year timeline depicted above may differ for students entering the PHS PhD from a Harvard Chan SM or MPH program.  
• All PHS students are allowed to continue with tuition-free coursework toward their research during years three and four of the PhD program—and the additional fifth year, if approved (see above).  
• PHS students are not eligible to take Harvard-offered summer courses, with the exception of language courses offered through GSAS.  

*Note: PhD students entering FAS are assigned a Graduate Year number, often designated using a G# format, i.e., G1 (Graduate Year 1), G2 (Graduate Year 2), etc. Continuing Harvard Chan students often enter PHS with a G2 or G3 designation based on prior completion of PHS core coursework and/or core requirements in a chosen field of study and when taken in consideration with program and facilities expenses.  

Students who enter with a Harvard Chan master’s degree are considered graduate year G3 rather than G1. Please carefully consult the appropriate field of study timetable for the required due dates of all forms and milestones. However, four fully-funded academic years (tuition, fees, healthcare, and stipend) remain allotted to all PHS students in completing their research toward dissertation and defense. 

Core Curricula

The following courses satisfy the minimum curriculum and core requirements for the PhD in population health sciences. All students are encouraged to pursue further coursework in areas of specific interest. Core requirements have been selected to broaden the student’s knowledge base as well as to build depth in individual research areas. In rare cases (noted below), students may jointly petition a course’s respective field of study, the academic advisor, and the PHS program office with a request to consider prior similar or more advanced coursework in order to satisfy core requirements. To further broaden perspectives on population studies and health-related issues, students may also choose to enroll in courses offered beyond the PHS fields of study and Harvard Chan, such as those offered by programs affiliated with other Harvard Schools (i.e., Harvard Medical School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School, etc.) as well as graduate-level classes at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tufts University, or Brown University.  

Please note that the number of credits per course varies by School. The governing School registrar’s office for all PHS students is the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). FAS uses a 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-credit system over two terms (fall and spring), while the Harvard Chan Office of the Registrar (considered the "home School" for PHS students’ classes and coursework) uses a 1.25-, 2.5-, 5-, and 10-credit system over quarter terms (fall one, fall two and spring one, spring two). Students can use the credit conversion chart to see credit equivalents from School to School. GSAS students, encompassing all PhD students, including PHS, use FAS credits. GSAS students are required to enroll in at least 16 FAS credits per term (20 Harvard Chan credits) and are allowed to enroll in a maximum of 24 FAS credits.  

Additionally, all GSAS students are required to take each course for a letter grade (sometimes referred to as an ordinal) if it is offered for a letter grade—even in cases when the course is offered as either an ordinal or as SAT/ UNSAT grade and regardless of whether a student has passed their qualifying exams and is considered to be a PhD candidate. The only routine instance in which a student can take a course as SAT/ UNSAT is if this is the only grading option offered at the time of course enrollment, in which case GSAS students are expected to receive a satisfactory grade. The grading system is outlined on the Grade and Examination Requirements page of GSAS Policies.  

The one exception to the GSAS ordinal grade requirement for all PhD students is in the category of languages. GSAS language courses may be taken at any time on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis, regardless of grading structure, but they may not be counted toward the degree.  

The final selection of courses must be made in consultation with each PHS student’s individual advisor and field academic administrator and will be verified by the PHS program office.  

Course offerings vary from year to year, and students should consult the course catalog in my.harvard for the most up-to-date course list. All students are obliged to follow the guidelines as described in the PHS Student Handbook for their respective year of entry.  

Off-Campus Study and Non-Resident Status: Students who plan to be away from the Harvard University campus but who still intend to make satisfactory progress toward their degree, i.e., will be engaged either domestically or abroad in fieldwork, research, data collection, etc., should complete the GSAS online Non-Resident Application (aka NORA) to indicate a temporary change to their intended study location and to be considered as non-resident students for the term. Students must request both PHS program office and advisor consent prior to making the request to the GSAS Office of Student Affairs via NORA and should do so well in advance of the specific term filing deadlines. Please note: Any non-resident student approved for traveling scholar status will NOT be allowed to enroll in coursework and will not be able to access campus resources in-person during their time/term as a traveling scholar.

PHS PhD Core Course Requirements

• RCR – Responsible Conduct of Research: Year One or Year Two
• TF/RA:  12.5 Harvard Chan credit-equivalent, accrued at any time during years one, two, three, or four at the student’s discretion

*Alternatively, PHS 2000A and/or PHS 2000B may be taken during the second year if a student opts to enroll in BST 201, BST 210, or alternate biostatistics coursework during the first year and upon consultation with PHS 2000 faculty, the advisor, field of study academic adminstrator, and PHS program office. Please see the following section on PHS 2000 Course Timing & Experience. 

Course Listings  

All Harvard University course catalogs are available via my.harvard.  

Past Course Evaluations  

FAS: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~evals/ Harvard Chan: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/office-of-education/course-evaluations/

DMS: Downloadable listings of  curriculum and course locations

Past course evaluations are available for FAS courses and Harvard Chan courses .

PHS Core Course Requirements

Phs 2000 a & b + lab: quantitative research methods in population health sciences.

10 Harvard Griffin GSAS Credits/12.5 Harvard Chan Credits 

PHS 2000 A  

This is part one of a two-part core yearlong quantitative methods course for the population health science PhD students at the School of Public Health. The course integrates methods and concepts from the various disciplines represented by population health sciences to equip students with the methodological tools to conduct their own research as well as collaborate across fields of study and areas of specialization. PHS2000A covers foundational statistical methods including linear and logistic regression, generalized linear models, survival analysis, and longitudinal data analysis. Discussion will be given to important concepts including sampling, measurement, model specification, interpretation, estimation, and diagnostics. Coursework will consist of two weekly lectures and a weekly lab session, problem sets, and exams. R is the main statistical computing software that will be used in the course.

PHS 2000 B  

This is part two of a two-part core yearlong quantitative methods course for the population health science PhD students at the School of Public Health. The course integrates methods and concepts from the various disciplines represented by population health sciences to equip students with the methodological tools to conduct their own research as well as collaborate across fields of study and areas of specialization. Part two of the course focuses on scientific inference and causal reasoning in the population health sciences and will provide an overview of methods for sensitivity analysis, interaction, mediation, propensity scores, time-varying exposures, measurement and correction for measurement error, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, difference-in-difference methods, time series, missing data, multiple testing, replication, and meta-analysis. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the basic definitions, assumptions, and methodology. Students will be referred to further readings and courses to gain more detailed understanding. Coursework will consist of two weekly lectures and a weekly lab session, problem sets, and exams. Various software resources will be used throughout the course, with R being the main statistical computing platform used. The course will prepare students to critically read through the empirical population health science literature and to implement a number of different methods in their own research. 

PHS 2000 COURSE TIMING & EXPERIENCE 

The two-term PHS 2000 course (Part A in fall term and Part B in spring term) forms the methodological foundation for the PHS PhD and for subsequent methods courses. PHS 2000 is interdisciplinary by design and taught at a higher level of understanding than most comparable courses. Except in unusual circumstances, both PHS 2000 A and B are considered required core coursework for all students seeking to obtain the PhD in population health sciences. As such, a final grade of B or above is required of all enrolled PHS students in each of the two PHS 2000 courses, both A and B.  

Our goals for the course are to provide students with a deep understanding of the most commonly used statistical tools in empirical quantitative research in the population health sciences and to give students the background and skills to be able to read, understand, and critique cutting-edge research in their respective fields.  

PHS 2000A/B may be taken in the first or second year of the PhD program. We encourage all students to consider how the timing of taking PHS2000A/B can build on your foundational knowledge of quantitative research methods and to discuss your options with your academic advisors and the PHS 2000 faculty. We recognize that PHS students come to the program with a diversity of skills and experiences.  

We encourage all students to make their decisions via a multilevel process involving a discussion of options with their academic advisors and under the consultation of PHS 2000 faculty. We know that PHS students come to the program with a diversity of skills and experiences, all of which uniquely position them to make contributions to the science of population health. The quantitative skills that we teach in PHS 2000A are an important part of students’ population health sciences "toolkit", and it is worth taking the time to make use of the resources that we provide to help make the most of their PHS experience. Students with strong quantitative GRE scores, with previous master’s level coursework in statistics, and who scored well on the pre-assessment and/or completed the summer online biostatistics course are well positioned to take PHS 2000A in the first year of the program.  

• Students who do not have master’s level coursework in statistics, who scored below the 70th percentile on the quantitative GRE, or who feel "rusty" in their familiarity with mathematical concepts may consider taking BST 201 and/or BST 210 in their first year, deferring PHS 2000 A/B until the second year. For these students, we suggest that they take their experience with the online summer biostatistics course, the online PHS Summer Prep materials, and the PHS sessions during Orientation Week into consideration in making their decision, in conjunction with their academic advisor. We encourage students to reach out to the PHS 2000 course director to discuss options.   
• Instructor and TF office hours will be offered throughout each week of the term.   
• Instructors are also available for one-on-one meetings by appointment.  
• Small group tutoring with a prior PHS 2000 student is available to enrolled PHS 2000A/B students. To facilitate the transition into PHS 2000 coursework, we will automatically accommodate all requests for tutoring up to the first exam of PHS 2000A/B. The cost of this tutoring is covered by the PHS program. We will re-evaluate tutoring priorities periodically throughout the semester to ensure that this resource is prioritized and made available to those who can benefit most from it.   
• The deadline to add/drop fall courses with the FAS registrar’s office is the "Fifth Monday" of the term (typically, the first Monday of October). We encourage students to discuss their experience in the first three weeks of the course with the course instructors and with their advisors if they feel that they may want to drop the course, and we will support those students in finding alternative course options to further prepare for PHS 2000A in the same fall term.  
• In rare circumstances, PHS students with a prior master’s degree and who believe they have previously experienced the vast majority of the material covered in the course can request a waiver for a specific term, subject to approval by the course instructors and the advisor, with notification to the appropriate field of study academic administrator, and final sign-off from PHS program. 

EPI 201: Introduction to Epidemiology – Methods 1 + Lab

Two Harvard Griffin GSAS Credits/Four Harvard Chan Credits

EPI 202: Elements of Epidemiologic Research – Methods 2 + Lab

Faculty: Mittleman

These two epidemiology courses are to be taken by all PHS students in the first year. This sequence equips all students with understanding of basic research concepts, causal theory, epidemiology, and study design. Students requesting a waiver should submit their request and supporting documents.  

Students who have previously taken one or both of these courses during a prior degree at Harvard do not need to take any course enrollment/waiver request action. Confirmation of course completion is reflected in the transcript provided at the time of application to PHS as long as the course was completed within five years of enrollment in PHS, and field administrators will ensure that these students receive credit toward the PHS core requirements. Five years is the length of time that a degree student has to transfer Harvard Chan courses taken as a non-degree or master’s student into the degree record.

SBS 506: An Intro to History, Politics, & Public Health: Theories of Disease Distribution & Health Inequities

In all but the most exceptional of cases, this course must be taken by all incoming PHS students in the fall of first year; however, all PHS students are required to complete this course by the end of fall in the second year at the latest. (Caveat: All SBS students are required to take the course in the first year.) The course introduces different perspectives (social, behavioral, environmental, nutritional, global, and policy) that inform public health research and education. If the course was taken at Harvard Chan prior to 2016, the student will likely need to re-take this course in order to meet the PHS core requirement.  

Students who have previously taken this course during a prior degree at Harvard do not need to take any course enrollment/waiver request action. Confirmation of course completion is reflected in the transcript provided at the time of application to PHS as long as the course was completed within five years of enrollment in PHS, and field administrators will ensure that these students receive credit toward the PHS core requirements. Five years is the length of time that a degree student has to transfer Harvard Chan courses taken as a non-degree or master’s student into their degree record.  

Students may request a course reading list during the summer via PHS office.  

Please note, waivers are not allowed for SBS 506.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

(FAS-Offered January or August Sessions - RECOMMENDED, HPM 548, or DMS-Offered MEDSCI 300qc, Harvard Chan-offered course)

Any chosen RCR method of study from either the list above or another approved equivalent should introduce the basic ethical and regulatory requirements for conducting bench, animal, clinical, and public health research. The course must fulfill the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH) requirements for RCR instruction. All three options listed above meet NIH and NSF requirements. (The FAS-offered course is the one most highly recommended by a majority of PHS students.)  

A new Harvard Chan fall RCR course now also runs on Fridays from 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., in-person on the Harvard Chan campus during each fall term: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/regulatory-affairs-and-research-compliance/responsible-conduct-of-research-rcr/  

Please note: Different courses meeting this requirement are offered via FAS, Harvard Chan, and the Harvard Division of Medical Sciences (DMS). PHS students need only choose one PHS-approved course; however, this course must be completed by the end of the second year for all students (in some cases, within the first year of study), except when a student has already taken HPM548 during a prior Harvard Chan master’s degree program. Students may also be required to take a refresher course to update their research conduct knowledge during year three or year four.

Contact Info 

Population Health Sciences Website

PhD Program in Population Health Sciences Office of Education Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge 121 Boston, MA 02115-6096 [email protected]

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Harvard Ph.D. Program in Health Policy

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The Harvard PhD in Health Policy, awarded by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, is a collaborative program among six Harvard University faculties: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

While the program is interdisciplinary in nature, students specialize in one of five concentrations:  decision sciences, economics, management, methods for policy research, or political analysis.

Approximately 110 faculty members from schools within the University are involved with the program, and students are free to take classes throughout the University. A hallmark of the program is the accessibility of faculty members to students and the commitment of faculty to students enrolled in the program.

The program started in 1992, and there are 67 students currently enrolled and over 250 alumni.

PhD Program in Health Policy Concentration Areas:

Decision sciences.

Methods for Policy Research

Political Analysis

Population Health Sciences

The Program in Population Health Sciences offers doctoral training that builds on multiple disciplinary perspectives to understanding origins and determinants of health and disease across populations, and developing theoretical and methodological skills to conceptualizing and evaluating population-level interventions to address health inequalities. The program is a joint collaboration between the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health to offer a Ph.D. in population health sciences. Students in this program will belong to one of the following fields of study: Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Global Health and Population, Nutrition, or Social and Behavioral Sciences.

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Harvard University PhD in Epidemiology

Epidemiology is a concentration offered under the ecology, evolution and systematics biology major at Harvard University. We’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the doctor’s degree program in epidemiology, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, and more.

You can jump to any section of this page using the links below:

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How Much Does a Doctorate in Epidemiology from Harvard Cost?

Harvard graduate tuition and fees.

In 2019-2020, the average part-time graduate tuition at Harvard was $1,545 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for graduate students are shown in the table below.

Does Harvard Offer an Online PhD in Epidemiology?

Online degrees for the Harvard epidemiology doctor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the Harvard Online Learning page.

Harvard Doctorate Student Diversity for Epidemiology

Male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their doctor’s degree in epidemiology in 2019-2020, 68.0% of them were women. This is less than the nationwide number of 70.9%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 28.0% of epidemiology doctor’s degree recipients at Harvard in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is about the same as the nationwide number of 29%.

Majors Related to a PhD in Epidemiology From Harvard

You may also be interested in one of these majors related to epidemiology.

View All Epidemiology Related Majors >

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Offered By: Department of Epidemiology

Onsite | Full-Time | 4 – 5 years

• MAS Application Fee Waiver Requirements
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About the PhD in Epidemiology Program

The doctoral program in Epidemiology is anchored in public health and population research and analysis. Students approach research using epidemiologic methods to understand complex human health problems. The PhD requires two years of coursework followed by two (or more) years of research. Students are required to complete a teaching training curriculum and serve as a teaching assistant for methods and topical courses. Additionally, students must complete a written comprehensive exam, a practice oral exam, a preliminary exam, multiple oral and poster presentations, and a final dissertation including presentation and defense.

PhD in Epidemiology Program Highlights

Train with renowned faculty.

100+ faculty across 8 research tracks in epidemiology

Access to wide range of coursework

Explore your interests with a wide variety of courses taught by our faculty

Write and publish

All of our doctoral students get training in writing papers and proposals through didactic learning and mentoring

Participate on research teams

The School is the leading recipient of NIH research funding among U.S. schools of public health, providing robust hands-on research opportunities

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Epidemiology?

Visit the  Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

Sample Careers

• Epidemiologist
• Faculty Member
• Science Director
• Health Commissioner

Curriculum for the PhD in Epidemiology

Browse an overview of the requirements for this doctoral program in the JHU Academic Catalogue and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School Course Directory .

Current students can view the PhD in Epidemiology requirements in the student handbook on the Epidemiology portal site.

Research Tracks

The Department's current research tracks in the PhD program include:

Cancer Epidemiology offers a rich, vibrant and dynamic environment for masters and doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows to actively participate, learn, explore and conduct cancer-related population-based and clinical research. The track has a long and successful history of training masters and doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Past students continue to conduct population-based cancer research and have made successful transitions to positions in academia, government and private sector organizations.

Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology focuses on the use of epidemiologic methods in clinical research and practice as well as interdisciplinary training on the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease. The program integrates knowledge on all aspects of the disease: biology, behavior, treatment, and prevention. Training emphasizes active participation in research and translational epidemiology using a collaborative approach, which is enhanced by the close relationships between the Department of Epidemiology and clinical departments of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis offers students a unique educational experience in clinical trial and evidence synthesis methodology. Methods are applied to a variety of clinical areas including respiratory-, eye- and infectious diseases, and mental health. Student-faculty discussions, journal clubs, research-in-progress meetings, seminars and active participation in research add to both the depth and breadth of the program.

Environmental Epidemiology concentrates on the impact of environmental exposures on health and disease states in human populations. This track integrates epidemiological methods, assessment of environmental exposures and understanding of specific disease processes to identify the health consequences of environmental exposures. Environmental Epidemiology provides basic information for risk assessment, risk communication, and environmental health policy decisions and has a central role in identifying, implementing and evaluating strategies for the prevention and control of environmental exposures. Training in Environmental Epidemiology emphasizes active participation in large population research projects, with close collaborations across the School and with national and international collaborators.

Epidemiology of Aging focuses on the determinants of physical and cognitive health, disease, and function in older adults. Offers multidisciplinary training in methods and theories needed for the study of older populations. Strong ties exist with several multi-departmental training grants and programs. This training program also is connected to numerous large research projects.

General Epidemiology and Methodology offers research and training opportunities in almost all areas of chronic disease epidemiology, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diseases of childhood and includes advanced methodology training in epidemiologic methods as well as providing individualized or customized training in statistical epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology and social epidemiology.

Genetic Epidemiology focuses on the study of genetic and environmental factors, and their interaction in disease and normal variation. Emphasis is on understanding the methodology and approach to designing, executing and analyzing genetic studies. Training is broad-based and collaborative and encourages participation in research from faculty in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Institute of Genetic Medicine, and the School of Medicine.

Infectious Disease Epidemiology provides training in the fundamentals of infectious disease epidemiology with an eye toward preparing graduates to work in teaching, research and practice. The program emphasizes principles and methods that can be used to understand the dynamics and control of transmissible diseases by all classes of organisms. The curriculum builds on the faculty's extensive and diverse experience researching and combating infectious diseases, ranging from hospital acquired infections, to neglected tropical diseases and sexually transmitted infections.

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page. This specific program also requires:

Prior Coursework

College-level math through pre-calculus, a biology course, and one additional science course

Prior Graduate Degree

Not required, but highly recommended

Prior Work Experience

One year of full-time work experience in a related field

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores are  not required and not reviewed  for this program. If you have taken a standardized test such as the GRE, GMAT, or MCAT and want to submit your scores, please note that they will not be used as a metric during the application review.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all required application components.

All full-time PhD students will receive the following support for the first four years of the program: full tuition, individual health insurance, University Health Services clinic fee, vision insurance, and dental insurance.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU   starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

General Inquiries:

[email protected]

Senior Academic Program Manager Frances S. Burman [email protected]

Biomedical Graduate Studies

Epidemiology and biostatistics graduate group.

• Epidemiology

PhD Program in Epidemiology

The mission of the PhD Program in Epidemiology is to train independent researchers in the development and application of epidemiologic methods and to prepare them for positions as scientific leaders in academia and industry. The PhD is a research degree; it indicates the highest attainable level of scholarship, and a commitment to a research career. The PhD does not represent merely the accumulation of course credits, but rather, the development and completion of a well-designed and conscientious program of scientific investigation that makes a unique contribution to the field of epidemiology.  

The PhD program in Epidemiology requires basic and advanced courses in epidemiology, statistical methods, as well as electives drawn from other departments and schools that serve the student's research interests. The program also requires separate oral qualifications and candidacy examinations, and the successful public defense of a doctoral dissertation, in accordance with University of Pennsylvania policy.  

The PhD program typically requires the equivalent of at least four years of full-time study, in three defined phases:  coursework, pre-candidacy, and candidacy . The coursework phase typically takes two years of full time study, and is intended to provide the student with the knowledge needed to pursue advanced, independent study and investigation in epidemiologic research. This phase culminates in the oral  Qualifications Examination , normally taken after most or all of the student's coursework has been completed. The pre-candidacy phase focuses on the preparation of a scientifically unique, methodologically sound, and feasible dissertation proposal. This phase ends with passing the oral  Candidacy Examination, at which time the student is recognized as a Candidate for the PhD and focuses his or her effort on performing the research for and writing the dissertation. A successful public defense of the dissertation then completes the academic requirements for the PhD.  

The PhD Program in Epidemiology is administered by the Graduate Group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (GGEB) and is led by the Chair of the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology, working with the PhD Program Executive Committee. The Office of  Biomedical Graduate Studies  (BGS) provides oversight and coordination for the GGEB and six other graduate groups offering PhD degrees in the biomedical sciences. BGS provides centralized support to the graduate groups for admissions, student fellowships, curricular oversight, record-keeping, and other operations.

The current standard course sequence for PhD students consists of up to seven core courses (see below). Additional course units are taken in electives (advanced epidemiology and/or biostatistics courses and courses outside the department and school, as needed to serve the student’s specific interests). In addition, a minimum three semesters of lab rotations (EPID 699) and one unit of dissertation research (EPID 995) are required. They are:

• EPID 7010: Introduction to Epidemiologic Research, 1.0cu
• EPID 7020: Advanced Topics in Epidemiologic Research 1.0cu
• EPID 6000: Data Science for Biomedical Informatics 1.0cu
• BSTA 6300: Statistical Methods and Data Analysis I*  1.0cu
• BSTA6320: Statistical Methods for Categorical and Survival Data (Methods II)* 1.0cu
• EPID 5340: Qualitative Methods in the Study of Health, Disease and Medical Systems, 1.0cu
• HPR 6080: Applied Regression Analysis for Health Policy Research*  1.0cu
• EPID 7000: Doctoral Seminar 1.0cu
• Ethics course 1.0cu (or MSCE workshops)

* Students can either take BSTA 6300 and BSTA 6320  OR HPR 6080.  They do not need to take all three. 

Additional requirements include:

• Participation in a monthly Career Development Workshop Series
• Attendance at the weekly epidemiology seminars
• Participation in a weekly Works in Progress (WIP) session
• Participation in the Responsible Conduct of Research Course
• Completion of web-based seminars in CITI and HIPAA training
• Teaching support as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for an Epidemiology or Biostatistics course
• Successful completion of all PhD examinations

Course descriptions can be found at:  http://www.cceb.med.upenn.edu/course-descriptions

All students are expected to develop and maintain a current course plan developed with and monitored by their mentor. This course plan must be approved by the Program Chair, and will be reviewed semi-annually in order to monitor the student's progress and identify potential delays in completing the program. A typical course plan is provided below.

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• Our Faculty

Educational Programs

News & events, epidemiology, phd student profiles, alexander furuya.

• [email protected]

I am a Columbia University graduate student pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. I have an extensive background in data analysis, statistical programming, and public health research. My goal is to understand social determinants of health among those in the LGBTQ+ community and immigrant communities, and I hope to identify effective interventions to improve health.

I currently work with Dr. Dustin Duncan in analyzing data form the Trying to Understand Relationships, Networks and Neighborhoods in Trans women of color (TURNNT) Cohort. Specifically, I am looking into determinants of HIV prevention and treatment and identifying factors that affect them.

Research Interests

• Social Epidemiology
• LGBTQ+ Health
• Health of the Aging Community
• Intervention Science
• HIV Treatment and Prevention
• Biostatistical Methodologies
• Chronic Disease Epidemiology
• [email protected]

I am a first year doctoral student, first year fellow on the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship with ICAP, and an infectious disease epidemiologist. I received a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2014, an MPH in Epidemiological Methods and Applications from the University of Michigan in 2016, and prior to coming to Columbia, spent about seven years at the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the HIV Epidemiology Section. My research interests are centered around infectious disease prevention and treatment interventions, and I have past work pertaining to HIV care navigation, hepatitis C treatment, mpox vaccination, and COVID-19 coinfection among people with HIV. Apart from my role as an analyst, as a database administrator and developer, I designed, carried out, and evaluated a surveillance system modernization project to increase the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of HIV test results for department case investigators and outreach staff. My current projects relate to PrEP demand creation among women in South Africa and HIV care retention patterns in Côte d'Ivoire.

• Infectious Disease
• Health Interventions
• Implementation Science
• Global Health

Hoisum Nguyen

• [email protected]

Inspired by the stories of immigrants and social justice movements in the United States, Hoisum's research centralizes psychiatric and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on trauma and violence as it relates to firearms, racial/ethnic populations, LGBQIA+ communities, and financial means. Equipped with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH, Class of 2020) from Boston University in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, prior training in causal theories from UCLA (2021-2023), and previous work in suicide outcomes and emergency preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic for the county of Santa Clara, CA (2020-2022), Hoisum aims to create research of consequence for policy formulation.

Hoisum is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Epidemiology, a pre-doctoral fellow in Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Fellow (PET-T32), and also a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS) receiving health policy and leadership training from Johns Hopkins University (Class of 2026).

• Mental and Psychiatric Health
• Violence and Trauma Epidemiology
• Firearms Violence
• Health Equity and Social Disparities
• Racial/Ethnic Community Health
• Health Policy

Adam Whalen

• [email protected]

I am a first-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I received my BS in Biology and Public Health Science in 2015 from Santa Clara University, and my MPH in Epidemiology with a Certificate in Applied Biostatistics and Public Health Data Science from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I worked as a data analyst at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, working on research projects related to Hispanic/Latino health as well as women living with HIV. As a member of the Spatial Epidemiology Lab at Columbia, my current research investigates how discrimination against transgender women of color and sexual minority men affects health outcomes. I also examine activity space exposure to different features of the bult and social environment and how they influence criminal legal system involvement, sleep, access to gender-affirming health care, and other outcomes. My research interests include social and spatial epidemiology, novel spatiotemporal methods including GPS-based activity space analysis and geofencing applications, injury and violence outcomes such as transportation and police violence, and sexual and gender minority health.

• Spatial Methods
• Injury/Violence
• Transportation
• Police violence
• Sexual and Gender Minority Health

Erin M. Annunziato

• [email protected]

I am a pre-doctoral fellow in the Substance Abuse Epidemiology T32 Training Program. I am interested in structural-level determinants contributing to substance use-related harms, including racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment and drug-related legal outcomes. My current research examines relationships between 1) state policies, such as drug monitoring programs, and legal outcomes, and 2) racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment access through the criminal legal system. I have a BS in Biology from Boston College and an MPH in Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health.

• Drug policy
• Drug criminalization
• Racial and ethnic disparities
• Social epidemiology
• [email protected]
• Google Scholar

I am a second year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a second year pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I earned a BS in Biology from Brooklyn College (CUNY) in 2019, and an MPH in Epidemiology with an Advanced Certificate in Public Health and Humanitarian Action from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I served as a clinical research coordinator at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, where I managed all aspects of research and administration for the Stroke Division. My previous research has focused on a range of mental, neurological, and substance use issues in humanitarian settings. As a doctoral student, my research efforts are focused on evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes amidst the complex landscape of mental health and substance use among adolescents and their caregivers in diverse conflict-affected settings. My research interests include global mental health, substance use epidemiology, child development, and disability advocacy. 

• Global Mental Health
• Substance Use Epidemiology
• Child Development
• Disability Advocacy

Nicole Itzkowitz

• [email protected]

I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science T32 Training Program. I entered the program in 2022 with an MSc in epidemiology from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a BA in public health from the University of Rochester. My research interests are broadly concerned with quantifying urban environmental and built environment exposures and exploring their relationship with injury and other non-communicable disease outcomes. My previous work at Imperial College focused on examining the causal relationship between acute noise pollution exposure and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and creating a composite metric to estimate smoking behavior at small spatial resolutions. I am currently working with Dr. Andrew Rundle and the Built Environment and Health research group on several projects related to pedestrian and micromobility injuries and fatalities in the context of the built environment and alcohol use.

• Environmental Exposures
• Built Environment
• Non-communicable Disease