The Professional Certificate in Population Health Sciences Research (PHSR) is a new non-degree program in the Department of Population Health Sciences that offers healthcare professionals strong foundational training in population health sciences research via an IN PERSON format. Participants will learn theoretically grounded, applied, and pragmatic interdisciplinary approaches to solve health and healthcare challenges.
Our new certificate program will train and prepare you to:
- Address health and disease by integrating population-level thinking.
- Critically evaluate scientific evidence and its potential impact on populations.
- Apply population-level strategies in health promotion, clinical care, research, teaching, and health policy efforts.
- Conduct research according to the highest scientifically rigorous and ethical standards and serve the needs/values of the populations with which they interact.
- Understand the ever-changing healthcare landscape.
- Engage stakeholders.
- Develop and evaluate new models of healthcare delivery.
Who is the Certificate for?
The Certificate is for:
- Past or active employees in public health who want more specialized or analytical skills
- Established professionals in healthcare or government who want to incorporate advances in health services research
- Clinicians who want to focus on policy-relevant research to improve health and healthcare
Of particular note, is the flexibility the certificate offers. Participants may complete the certificate over a period of up to 3 years, at their convenience, so that they may undertake their training while also continuing to work. Completion in 2 years is recommended; participants must complete all requirements within 3 years.
The Certificate is designed exclusively for professionals, and is not available to any degree-seeking student, either at Duke or elsewhere.
Why should I apply?
The need for population health scientists has become increasingly clear, and improving the value of, access to, and quality of care requires a scientific workforce that is skilled in the development, dissemination and implementation of strategies to address our healthcare delivery problems. To fill this gap, the Department of Population Health Sciences (DPHS) is offering a Certificate in Population Health Sciences Research, empowering working healthcare professionals with the skills to move science into practice using quantitative and qualitative methods, by using established implementation frameworks and engaging key stakeholders to influence health outcomes.
Core Competencies
The Certificate in Population Health Sciences Research will give students:
- The knowledge to investigate, address, and solve ‘real world’ healthcare problems.
- The analytical and methodological skills they can apply to emerging and changing approaches to study design and traditional methods.
- The expertise to identify problems, formulate questions, and use diverse methodologies to evaluate and implement in uncertainty.
- A multidisciplinary skillset anchored in project-based experiences to succeed in the growing interdisciplinary healthcare environment.
Why Duke?
With a strong connection to the Duke University Health System, the DPHS Education programs create a living laboratory for health services research, implementation science, and health policy analysis.
Career Services
Students in the certificate program can take advantage of the Master’s program career development resources and those offered by the Graduate School's Professional Development Programs and the Duke Career Center.
Does this program fit your needs?
If so, learn more about the coursework, timeline, application process in our frequently asked questions.
FAQs about the Certificate in PHSR
The program consists of 8 courses (20 academic credits), which comprised the core curriculum of the Master of Science courses in the Department of Population Health Sciences. Training includes courses in analytic methods, statistical programming, and research methods.
$850 per credit
All required courses for the certificate program are self-contained within the Department of Population Health Sciences (e.g., no need for courses outside the department).
Please note:
- Odd-numbered courses are offered in the fall and even-numbered courses are offered in the spring.
- Each course is a full-year, indivisible course offered in two parts (fall and spring). You must take both parts of the same course in the same year (e.g., if you take Analytic Methods I, you must take Analytic Methods II the same year), and you may not take the courses out of sequence (e.g., Analytic Methods I must be completed before taking Analytic Methods II).
- Because the content is inextricably linked, participants will be required to take Analytic Methods and Statistical Programming at the same time.
- In order to support students who have relevant prior experience or training, courses may be substituted with a more advanced (800-level or 900-level) PHS course in a similar area. This requires prior approval of the PHS Director of Graduate Studies.
PHSR 701 Applied Analytic Methods for Population Health Sciences I
Instructor: Brad Hammill
Students will get an introduction to study design, descriptive statistics, and analysis of statistical models with one or two predictor variables. Topics include: principles of study design, basic study designs, descriptive statistics, sampling, contingency tables, one- and two-way analysis of variance, simple linear regression, and analysis of covariance. Both parametric and nonparametric techniques are also explored. Core concepts are taught through team-based case studies and analysis of research datasets taken from the population health sciences literature and demonstrated in concert with POPHS 703 (Introduction to SAS Programming for Population Health Sciences). Computational exercises will primarily use the SAS Statistical Computing Platform.
PHSR 702 Applied Analytic Methods for Population Health Sciences II
Instructors: Matt Maciejewski & Valerie Smith
This course is a continuation of POPHS 701. Topics include: analysis of multivariable statistical models with continuous, dichotomous and survival outcomes. Topics include mixed effects models, generalized linear models (GLM), basic models for survival analysis and regression models for censored survival data, clustered data. Students will explore parametric and nonparametric and perform computational exercises using the SAS System and R Statistical Computing Platform.
PHSR 703 Introduction to Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences I
Concurrent with POPHS 701
Instructor: Jared Dean
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 applied analytic methods course POPHS 701. This course assumes minimal programming knowledge.
PHSR 704 Introduction to Statistical Programming for Population Health Sciences II
Concurrent with POPHS 702
Instructor: Jared Dean
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 applied analytic methods course POPHS 702.
PHSR 705 Topics in Population Health Sciences I
Instructor: Matt Dupre
Students will gain foundational knowledge in the US healthcare system, population health sciences, and health and healthcare including an introduction to major diseases and disorders. Topics include: definition and measurement of population health; an overview of determinants of health including medical care, socioeconomic status, the physical environment and individual behavior, and their interactions; an overview of health services research, dissemination and implementation science, epidemiology, and measurement sciences.
PHSR 706 Topics in Population Health Sciences II
Instructor: Virginia Wang
This course is a continuation of topics introduced in POPHS 705 including: overall structure of the US healthcare system, insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA system, the ACA, mental health, health economics, and quality of care.
PHSR 707 Population Health Sciences Research Methods and Study Design I
Instructor: Sudha Raman
This is the first in a two-course sequence that gives students a strong foundation in population health research methods. The course introduces critical concepts in research methods, including varying types of validity, reliability, and causal inference. Topics include: sampling and interpretation of probability and nonprobability sampling; an introduction to measurement theory; threats to internal validity; experimental designs; and quasi-experimental designs.
PHSR 708 Population Health Sciences Research Methods and Study Design II
Instructors: Sudha Raman
This is the second in a two-course sequence that gives students a strong foundation in population health research methods. Topics include: qualitative and mixed methods, and advanced designs relevant to population health. The course applies foundational design information to methods unique to population health, including pragmatic trials, administrative claims data, and electronic medical record data. The course culminates in the development of a strong research question for a literature review, using the methods learned to critique research on a topic of the student’s choosing.
The PHSR is designed exclusively for working professionals and is not available to any degree-seeking students, those at Duke or elsewhere.
Participants may take up to 3 years to complete the program. Completion over 2 years is recommended, though participants have the option to complete the certificate in 1 year.
Please email Heidi McCann a CV and a 500-word personal statement.
All submitted applications will be reviewed by a faculty member.
Selected candidates will be asked to complete a virtual interview with members of the DPHS Education Team, prior to a decision being reached.
The application decisions will be made on a rolling basis and no later than September 1. Decisions will be released through email notification only.
Coursework will be graded according to the same policies outlined by The Graduate School:
- A (exceptional, 4.0 grade point) is the highest grade.
- B (good, 3.0 grade point) and
- C (satisfactory, 2.0 grade point)
- F (failing) is unsatisfactory.
- I (incomplete) indicates that some element of the student’s work is missing for an acceptable reason at the time grades are reported.