In their first two years, students in the Duke PhD in Population Health Sciences program take classes in population health, statistical methods and programming, research methods, and more. In the remaining years, students focus their efforts on their dissertation.
Year 1
Fall: 10 credits (14 with RCR training)
Prior to the start of classes: SAS Programming Primer (optional -- online, self-paced)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 901 | Population Health Sciences Theories | 3 |
| POPHS 905 | Population Health Research Methods and Systematic Literature Reviews | 3 |
| POPHS 907 | Population Health Sciences Professional Development I | 1 |
| POPHS 920 | Analytic Methods I | 3 |
| BIOTRAIN 750 | Introduction to RCR Concepts (1-day event during orientation prior to classes) | 4 RCR credits |
Spring: 10 credits (14 with RCR training)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 910 | Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Design | 3 |
| POPHS 912 | Population Health Sciences Professional Development II | 1 |
| POPHS 921 | Analytic Methods II: Causal Inference | 3 |
| POPHS 923 | Principles of Health Measurement | 3 |
| BIOTRAIN 751 | The Responsible Scientist I | 4 RCR credits |
Year 2
Fall: 9 credits (11 if RCR training is taken this semester)
Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 903 | Analytic Methods III: Advanced Regression Methods | 3 |
| BIOTRAIN 753* | Data Management and Quality for Biomedical PhD Students (self-paced, online) | 2 RCR Credits |
| N/A | 2 Electives | 6 |
*BIOTRAIN 753 can be completed during either year 2 or year 3*
Spring: 8 credits
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POPHS 904 | Analytic Methods IV: Non-randomized designs | 3 |
| POPHS 930 | Grant Writing in Population Health Sciences | 2 |
| N/A | Elective | 3 |
Comprehensive Exams: Target date for passing is the end of the spring semester, Year 2
Year 3
Fall: Dissertation/CTN (1 credit)
Spring: 1 credit (5 if RCR training is taken this semester)
| Course # | Course name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Dissertation/CTN | 1 |
| BIOTRAIN 754 | The Responsible Scientist II | 4 RCR credits |
Preliminary Exam (i.e., dissertation proposal defense): Target date for passing is the end of the spring semester, Year 3
Year 4
Fall: Dissertation/CTN (1 credit)
Spring: Dissertation/CTN (1 credit)
Final Dissertation Defense: Target date is the end of the spring semester, Year 4
Year 5
*If applicable
Fall: 3 credits
| Course name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Dissertation/CTN | 1 |
| 2 RCR elective forums | 2 RCR credit hours each |
Spring: Dissertation/CTN (1 credit)
Course Descriptions
Please note: Course instructors and descriptions are subject to change.