Community Health Ph.D.
The Community Health Ph.D. prepares students for academic and research careers that will enable them to find solutions to the health-related problems facing our society today and into the future.
The Community Health Ph.D. at Illinois offers students the opportunity to focus their studies in six major areas of concentration, allowing them to do work that is important to them. This program trains future community health researchers and practitioners as they address some of our greatest challenges.
Areas of Research
Areas of ResearchExamples of study topicsHealth Promotion and Behavioral InterventionHealth behavior, physical activity, nutrition, physical and mental health, perinatal woman health, healthy agingHealth DisparityGlobal health, immigrant health, minority health, rural communitiesHealth Technology from Design to ImplementationHuman factors, technology use in diverse populations and in the context of daily life, implications of technology use for health across the life spanRehabilitation, Disability and Chronic IllnessWellness, quality of life, psychosocial adjustment, transition, and social participationApplied Health Data AnalyticsAnalysis of electronic health records (EHR), operational data, spatially and temporally organized data, dyadic data, etc.
Admissions Requirements
The minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education3.50 GPAAlthough the GRE scores are not required, the scores may provide helpful supporting information in some cases. Applicants who have taken the GRE and feel their scores would benefit their application are encouraged to submit the scores. If you would like to submit scores, we recommend you scan your official score report as a PDF file and attach it to your application. You do not need to submit official scores through ETS, but if you decide to, please use our University code of 1836. Your application must demonstrate sufficient academic/quantitative preparedness to be considered for admission to the program. Your prior coursework, volunteer and/or work experiences, and recommendations are just a few of the items that will be reviewed to gauge your preparedness for graduate studies.3 Letters of recommendationPersonal StatementResumeOfficial TranscriptsInternational students must also submit Test of English as a Foreign Language scores, with a minimum for full status admission: 103 (TOEFL - IBT) or 7.5 (IELTS). Scores cannot be more than 2 years old. Please see more information about the DUPLINGO test here.Students for whom English is not their native language and who wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship must achieve a score on the speaking sub-section of 24 (TOEFL - IBT) or 8 (IELTS). See this page for more details.
Admission Deadlines
Students may apply to either the M.S. or the Ph.D. program. Applications for Fall admission are due on January 15. Applications for Spring semester are due on October 1.
Curriculum
Entering with M.S.CourseHoursAdvanced research methods/statistics4HK 591 (CHLH 591)4HK 562 (CHLH 565)4Two courses in area of specialization8HK 590 (CHLH 593)8Elective hours required to bring total course work hours to 64 hours12HK 599 (CHLH 599)32Total Hours64Entering with B.S.CourseHoursHK 591 (CHLH 591)12HK 562 (CHLH 565)4HK 55012Two courses in area of specialization8Additional research methods/statistics8HK 590 (CHLH 593)16Elective hours to bring total course work hours to 64 hours12-28HK 599 (CHLH 599)32Total Hours96For a more comprehensive guide to the coursework, please see the HK Graduate Handbook:
(Community Health PhD starts on page 26)
See HK course catalog for more information on each course
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