In their first year, students in the Duke MS in Population Health Sciences program take classes in population health, statistical methods and programming, research methods, and professional development. The program’s second year mixes electives and experiential learning, culminating in a capstone project that typically involves an internship.
Year 1
Fall (11 credits)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 701 | Foundations of Biostatistics for Population Health | 3 |
| POPHS 703 | Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences I | 1 |
| POPHS 705 | Introduction to Population Health Sciences | 3 |
| POPHS 707 | Population Health Research Methods I | 3 |
| POPHS 709 | Professional Development I | 1 |
Spring (11 credits)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 702 | Regression Methods for Population Health | 3 |
| POPHS 704 | Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences II | 1 |
| POPHS 706 | Introduction to the US Healthcare System | 3 |
| POPHS 708 | Population Health Research Methods II | 3 |
| POPHS 710 | Professional Development II | 1 |
Year 2
Fall (9 credits)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 751 | Capstone Project | 3 |
| N/A | Elective | 3 |
| N/A | Elective | 3 |
Spring (9 credits)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 752 | Capstone Project | 3 |
| N/A | Elective | 3 |
| N/A | Elective | 3 |
Capstone Project
The capstone project, typically involving an internship, is a supervised experience in either a professional or research setting that’s relevant to population health. Students with an interest in work outside a research setting may choose to complete the internship at an organization external to Duke, such as a nonprofit community organization or a health-related company. For students with research career goals or intentions of entering a PhD program, the internship may be part of a DPHS faculty-mentored research project and may include primary data collection and/or data analysis.
All students will complete either a master’s paper or a thesis, based on their internship work. Students should choose between the thesis or paper in consultation with their mentors. There are no differences in the degree received whether the student chooses a master’s paper or a thesis.
Course Descriptions
Please Note: Course instructors and descriptions are subject to change.
POPHS 701 Foundations of Biostatistics for Population Health
Instructor: Brad Hammill
This course is an applied introduction to biostatistical methods for population health research. Topics include descriptive data analysis, foundational concepts of statistical inference, inferential methods for categorical and continuous data, and simple regression analysis for continuous outcomes. Students will use statistical software to explore data and perform statistical analysis.
POPHS 703 Introduction to Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences I
Concurrent with POPHS 701
Instructor: Faculty
Students will be introduced to statistical software packages (e.g., SAS Software System, R Statistical Computing Platform) to provide an introduction to the core ideas of programming, including data preparation, input/output, debugging, and strategies for program design. Students will learn to write code to perform descriptive, statistical, and graphical analyses, and write maintainable code to test for correctness, and to apply basic principles of reproducibility. Programming techniques and their applications will be closely connected with the methods and examples presented in the co-requisite Biostatistics in PopHealth course POPHS 701. This course assumes minimal programming knowledge.
POPHS 705 Introduction to Population Health Sciences
Instructor: Heather King
This course introduces students to population health, the distribution of health within and between populations across the lifespan and over time; understood through health determinants, disparities, and outcomes as well as healthcare access, cost, and quality. The course explores the who and how of population health sciences, which aims to intervene at multiple levels to improve population health. Within population health sciences, attention will be paid in the course to preliminary research considerations (e.g., ethics, searching the literature, critical appraisal, theories/models/frameworks), research questions, and approaches (i.e., quantitative and particularly qualitative and mixed methods).
POPHS 707 Research Methods I - Measuring Health and Designing Studies in Population Research
Instructor: Sudha Raman
This is the first in a two-course sequence in which we will establish a strong foundation in population health research methodology through in-depth coverage of quantitative study design. The course introduces critical concepts in research methods including understanding populations, measuring and describing health, defining exposures, interventions and outcomes, study design including randomized trials and cohort studies, and threats to internal validity, such as confounding and bias. The course work and activities aim to develop the ability to identify and select study design features in a given context, and interpret and critique research results.
POPHS 709 Professional Development I
Instructor: Courtney Van Houtven
This multi-semester course gives students a holistic view of their career choices and how to develop the tools they will need to succeed professionally. Fall semester focuses on creating a strong professional presence, proper networking techniques, American employer expectations, creating and maintaining a professional digital presence, and learning how to conduct and succeed at informational interviews. Students will attend interviewing and networking events with Duke staff and faculty as well as external guests.
POPHS 751 Capstone I
Instructor: Student's Advisor
The first of the two-semester capstone sequence. In this course students will develop an interdisciplinary project to identify, analyze, and implement tangible solutions for a specific Population Health issue. Guided by a faculty advisor, each student will complete the course through independent study.
POPHS 702 Regression Methods for Population Health
Instructor: Brad Hammill
Building on POPHS 701, this course covers regression methods for population health data. Topics include multivariable linear regression and logistic regression, with an introduction to generalized linear models and causal inference methods. Survival analysis and related regression methods are also covered. Students will use statistical software to explore data and perform statistical analysis.
POPHS 704 Introduction to Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences II
Concurrent with POPHS 702
Instructor: Faculty
Students will build on programming learned in POPHS 703 using the SAS Software System and R Statistical Computing Platform. Students will perform descriptive, statistical, and graphical analyses, and write maintainable code, test code for correctness, and apply basic principles of reproducibility. Programming and assignments will be closely connected with the methods and examples presented in the co-requisite regression methods course POPHS 702.
POPHS 706 Introduction to the US Healthcare System
Instructor: Virginia Wang
This course is designed to introduce students from multiple disciplines to the fundamental characteristics of health care systems; the organization, financing, and delivery of services in the US health care system; the role of prevention and other non-medical factors in population health outcomes; key management and policy issues in contemporary health systems; and public policy and its impact on the prospects for improvement health systems and population health.
POPHS 708 Research Methods II: Evidence, Methods, and Decision Making in Population Health
Instructors: Dana Pasquale
The course introduces critical concepts in research methods including understanding populations; measuring and describing health with limited or imperfect data; defining exposures, interventions, and outcomes; study design in applied settings; challenges to application; and working with stakeholders. The course work and activities aim to develop the student’s ability to understand how to design, interpret, and critique population health assessments and interventions. The foundation for these topics and skills was set in 707.
POPHS 710 Professional Development II
Instructor: Courtney Van Houtven
This course is a continuation of POPHS 709 and teaches project and team management, including applying leadership and management principles. This course will give the student a holistic view of career choices and development and the tools they will need to succeed as professionals in the world of work.
POPHS 752 Capstone II
Instructor: Student's Advisor
The second of the two-semester capstone sequence. In this course students will develop and produce an interdisciplinary project to identify, analyze, and implement tangible solutions for a specific Population Health issue. Guided by a faculty advisor, each student will complete the course through independent study.
All DPHS Electives are 3 credits, unless otherwise indicated.
Students can choose electives offered through DPHS or courses housed in other departments. Electives from outside of DPHS should be chosen in consultation with your advisor/mentor, and are approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
DPHS Electives
POPHS 811 Pragmatic Health Policy Research
Fall, Instructor: Hillary Campbell
This course bridges the divide between analysis/methods courses (generating evidence) and policy courses (understanding specific policy areas, process, and stakeholders) to help students build foundational knowledge and focused skills in framing and communicating timely, policy-relevant evidence, applicable to many career paths related to population health. Students will increase knowledge and mastery of theoretical and substantive foundations of pragmatic policy analysis, specific policy areas, and issues (e.g., SNAP, Medicaid, opioid use disorder, end-of-life care, COVID-19 response, or others; issues covered vary from year to year). Students will be able to clearly communicate policy-relevant information, orally and in writing.
POPHS 812 Quality of Care and Population Health
Spring, Instructor: Faculty
The goal of enhancing the quality of care and services provided by healthcare and community organizations is at the heart of much of the practice, evaluation, and research in population health sciences. This course focuses on 1) defining and identifying quality goals; 2) determining measures of quality; 3) planning projects to improve quality; and 4) summarizing the impact of quality improvement efforts.
POPHS 813 Population Health Through Implementation Science
Fall, Instructor: Hannah Lane & Leah Zullig
Implementation science addresses the translation of evidence-based practices, programs, and policies into real-world settings. This course will include didactic lectures, with case studies, applied group work, and a culminating real-world, hands-on implementation, dissemination, de-implementation, or QI science project.
POPHS 815 Health Services Research
Fall, Instructor: Hayden Bosworth
Health Services Research provides an overview of methods for undertaking research and program evaluation within health services organizations and systems. In addition to methods, the course also provides "the state of the art" in research and evaluation through the review of major completed studies. This course is recommended for students who will be carrying out policy research, social science research, or program impact evaluation within health delivery systems as well as developing and implementing programs to improve healthcare outcomes.
POPHS 816 Population Health Data
Spring, Instructors: Asheley Skinner
This course will provide an introduction to multiple different types of data, including national surveys, electronic health records, health insurance claims, and others-all relevant to Population Health. Additionally, the course addresses issues such as data provenance, data linkage, governance, and ethics.
POPHS 818 Fundamentals of Qualitative Research
Spring, Instructors: Amy Corneli & Brian Perry
This course prepares learners for serving as a research assistant on qualitative research studies. Learners will gain competency in 1) conducting qualitative research studies, with an emphasis on study coordination and interviewing skills, and 2) managing data and conducting applied thematic analysis.
POPHS 820 Pharmacoepidemiology and Population Health
Spring, every other year, Instructor: Sudha Raman
This course will introduce students to pharmacoepidemiology, defined as the application of epidemiological methods to study the use, safety and effectiveness of medication in populations. Students will learn to define and describe medication use, and safety and effectiveness outcomes using real-world data, as well as analytic and design approaches to recognize, quantify and reduce bias. This course will integrate a population health perspective, focusing on how pharmacoepidemiology evidence can inform equitable policy, regulatory and clinical decision making and the intersection of pharmacoepidemiology with pragmatic trial design, implementation science, and patient centered research methods.
POPHS 870 Climate and Health Collaboratory Seminar
Instructors Fall: Dana Pasquale, Spring: Sudha Raman
Climate and Health Collaboratory Seminar. Interdisciplinary graduate seminar introducing foundational theories, methods, and research approaches in climate and health across population health sciences, environmental sciences, and sociology. Emphasizes critical discussion, interdisciplinary synthesis, and student-led engagement. Meets biweekly. (This course is crosslisted with ECS 870 & SOCIOL 870).
POPHS 890 Extreme Heat and Health: Policies and Intervention
Fall/Spring Instructor: Elizabeth Rojo
This course explores the growing public health challenge of extreme heat in the context of climate change. Students will examine the physiological and social determinants of heat-related illness and mortality, focusing on vulnerable populations and the concept of climate justice. The course will transition from scientific fundamentals to a critical analysis of global, federal and state level policies. We will also explore existing interventions, including urban planning, early warning systems, cooling centers, occupational health regulations, and global climate mitigation strategies. Students will develop skills in policy analysis and evidence-based intervention design. (This course is crosslisted with GLHLTH 590.)
POPHS 895 Population Health Internship
Summer, Instructor: Asheley Skinner
Student gains practical experience by taking an internship in industry/government. Requires prior consent from the student's advisor and from the Director of Graduate Studies. May be repeated with consent of the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit/no credit grading only.