The Ph.D. degree program in Health, Society, and Behavior is designed for graduate students who aspire to address the complex social, structural, and behavioral determinants of health and health inequities. This degree program integrates a comprehensive approach, incorporating basic, applied, and community-engaged public health sciences research.

Students in the program explore the social and structural factors that influence health outcomes and contribute to health disparities. The curriculum emphasizes critical analysis of health-focused inequities, and the evaluation of potential interventions and policies aimed at addressing these disparities.

As a hub for research and education on health inequities, the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, which manages this degree, seeks to train and prepare students for impactful careers that promote health equity in vulnerable, marginalized, and underserved communities. With a strong focus on structural racism, the program offers a range of elective courses that enable students to deepen their training in innovative social and behavioral science methodologies. Students engage in independent dissertation work, where they design and implement research aimed at advancing health equity. Through this rigorous and transformative program, graduates will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive meaningful changes in public health.

Applicants are encouraged to start the application process early by consulting with faculty members in the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior whose research activities align with the applicant’s interests and academic background. Applications are reviewed after the posted application deadline. Applicants are admitted for the fall quarter only.

Who Can Apply

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of research on health inequities, undergraduate training in one or more subject areas is the preferred prerequisite for admission to the Ph.D. in Health, Society, and Behavior degree program.

Although a graduate degree is not required, students who have obtained advanced degrees such as an M.A., M.D., M.S., M.P.P., or M.P.H. are prioritized. Students who have taken core courses through their advanced degree, which overlap with our graduate-level courses, will be able to petition to waive core courses.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible to apply for the Ph.D. degree, an applicant must meet the minimum academic requirements:

• Successful completion or expected completion of a master’s-level degree in a health-related discipline (or foreign equivalent) from a recognized academic institution prior to enrollment at UCI, however, applicants who come with undergraduate degrees from other related majors might be required to take supplementary courses in addition to the preparatory module of the Ph.D. program. 
• All applicants must have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0.

Mentorship

Potential applicants are encouraged to evaluate the fit of their academic, research, and career interests with faculty in the Department and the Department as a whole. It is a priority to match potential applicants with mentors that will best support students throughout their doctoral training. For some, that may include more than one faculty mentor and for others perhaps a change in mentor(s) as they progress to the dissertation phase. Applicants are invited to elaborate on how their interests fit with the Department and program faculty in their application.

Application Instructions

Applicants must submit both the UC Irvine Application for Graduate Admission and the School of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) application to be considered for admission. Evaluations of applicant files for admission to the Ph.D. program will consist of an assessment of transcripts of previous academic work, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and other relevant qualifications.

A. Complete:
PUBHLTH 200	Foundations of Public Health
PUBHLTH 206A	Principles of Epidemiology
PUBHLTH 207A	Probability and Statistics in Public Health
PUBHLTH 207B	Analysis of Public Health Data Using Statistical Software
PUBHLTH 246	Social Research Methods
PUBHLTH 287	Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health
PUBHLTH 290	Special Topics in Public Health
PUBHLTH 294	Research Communication in Public Health
PUBHLTH 258	Professional Development Seminar
B. Select three of the following:
PUBHLTH 204C	Biostatistics III: Advanced Statistical Methods
PUBHLTH 209	Methods of Demographic Analysis
PUBHLTH 247	Program Evaluation
PUBHLTH 283	Geographic Information Systems for Public Health
PUBHLTH 286	Advanced Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Epidemiology
PUBHLTH 210	Theory-Driven Secondary Data Analysis
PUBHLTH 251	Models of Practice and Intervention at the Community Level
EDUC 234	Measurement and Psychometrics
EDUC 265	Applied Regression Analysis for Education and Social Scientific Research
EDUC 266T	Design-Based Implementation Research
EDUC 280	Research Methods: Hierarchical Linear Modeling
SOCIOL 212	Network Theory
SOCIOL 280	Analysis of Social Network Data
C. Select two of the following:
PUBHLTH 208	Advances in Social Epidemiology
PUBHLTH 222A	Health Policy and Management
PUBHLTH 242	Theories of Health Communication
PUBHLTH 244	Health Behavior Theory
PUBHLTH 248	Fundamentals of Maternal and Child Health - Programs, Problems, and Policy
PUBHLTH 272	Health Psychology
SOCIOL 239	Special Topics: Social Inequality
SOCIOL 249	Special Topics: Political Sociology and Social Movements
SOCIOL 262A	Population
SOCIOL 264	Immigrant America
SOC SCI 254A	Transnational Migration
D. Complete at least 12 units of the following:
PUBHLTH 296	Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing

Time to Degree

Advancement to Candidacy

A student will advance to candidacy after successfully passing the qualifying examination, which consists of both an oral and written component directly related to the research area and topic proposed for the dissertation. The Qualifying Examination must be administered at or before the end of the third year of study.

Comprehensive Exam

Students cannot apply to the M.S. program. Only students in the Ph.D. program who determine that the Ph.D. track is not fit for them, or due to extenuating circumstances are not able to continue toward the Ph.D. would be able to earn the M.S. degree.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the final requirement for the Ph.D. and must demonstrate the capability to conduct original research suitable for publication in a reputable scientific journal. The format of the dissertation manuscript should be approved by all members of the dissertation committee.