2.12 Doctoral Degrees. The school shall offer at least three doctoral degree programs
that are relevant to three of the five areas of basic public health knowledge.
a. Identification of all doctoral programs offered by the school, by degree and area of
specialization. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1 may be referenced for this
purpose. If the school is a new applicant and has graduates from only one doctoral
program, a description of plans and a timetable for graduating students from the
other two doctoral programs must be presented, with university documentation
supporting the school’s projections.
At Indiana University, doctoral degrees are offered through the Indiana University Graduate
School but are administered and recommended for conferral by the academic unit of the
university in which the major is located. The SPH administers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
degree with five available majors. All doctoral degree programs in the SPH are classified as
academic. These five doctoral majors are included in the instructional matrix provided in
Template 2.1.1.
b. Description of specific support and resources available to doctoral students
including traineeships, mentorship opportunities, etc.
The SPH has a comprehensive array of services related to advising, career counseling, and
research funding that are available to all graduate students. These specific support services are
summarized in later sections of this document (advising and career counseling are summarized
in Section 4.4; research support is summarized in Section 3.1).
Additionally, the school provides fiscal support to students through academic appointments and
fellowships that enhance the development of professional skills throughout the doctoral degree
program.
Student Academic Appointments
The SPH provides academic appointments to doctoral students. These appointments carry the
title of Associate Instructor (AI) or Graduate Assistant (GA). Associate Instructor appointments
are for doctoral students who develop pedagogical skills while contributing to the teaching
mission of the school. Graduate Assistant appointments are for doctoral students who are
assigned to work directly with a faculty supervisor on research initiatives. These appointments
are allocated within a range of 0.25 to 0.50 FTE and provide a financial stipend, varying levels
of fee remission, and health insurance.
Table 2.12.1, on the subsequent page, provides a summary of the number of doctoral students
receiving academic appointments over the past three years, by funding source, and a summary
of the financial contributions of the school with regard to the stipends and tuition and fee
remissions.
SPH Fellowships
The SPH offers competitive fellowships available to doctoral students. Base funds for these
fellowships are provided by the Indiana University Graduate School annually and the school
matches the Graduate School’s contribution to establish the amount of funding for each
academic year. Fellowships are awarded by the SPH after students are selected based on
criteria established by faculty in each doctoral program. Typically criteria for awards include
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research productivity and overall professional development. Below is a summary of the number
of fellowships and total dollar amounts for the past three years:
Table 2.12.2. Fellowships and Total Dollar Amounts Awarded to Doctoral Students: 2011-2014
Academic Year
2013-2014
2012-2013
2011-2012
Number of Doctoral Fellowships
Awarded
32
32
20
Total Award $
$127,305
$111,406
$64,000
c. Data on student progression through each of the school’s doctoral programs, to
include the total number of students enrolled, number of students completing
coursework, and number of students in candidacy for each doctoral program.
Table 2.12.3, on the subsequent page, provides a summary of data on student progression
through each of the school’s doctoral programs.
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Table 2.12.1. Summary of Funding for Student Academic Appointments (Assistantships), 2011-2014
2011-2012
2012-2013
Academic Department
# Students
Appointed
Total $
Stipend
Total $ Health
Insurance
# Students
Appointed
Total $
Stipend
Actual
Actual
Applied Health Science
44
$367,617
Actual
Actual
$490,780
$100,232
39
$309,181
Environmental Health
2
$17,400
$24,194
$4,556
2
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
1
$10,440
$23,298
$2,278
3
Total $ Fee
Remission
2013-2014
Total $ Health
Insurance
# Students
Appointed
Total $
Stipend
$533,068
$98,280
40
$ 591,981
$
805,787
$
$24,200
$41,097
$5,040
3
$
34,425
$
110,509
$
7,205
$12,100
$31,183
$7,560
7
$
79,340
$
212,510
$
18,523
Total $ Fee
Remission
Total $ Fee
Remission
Actual
Total $ Health
Insurance
Actual
177,045
Kinesiology
26
$326,550
$291,344
$59,228
29
$318,150
$395,656
$73,080
29
$ 520,548
$
492,248
$
117,424
Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies
12
$135,100
$172,529
$27,336
16
$136,455
$246,132
$40,320
14
$ 144,550
$
288,706
$
35,003
Total
85
$ 800,086
$ 1,247,136
$ 1,370,844
$ 1,909,760
$
Total Student Support for Year
$
$
857,107
$
1,002,145
$
193,630
2,052,882
89
$
$
224,280
2,271,502
93
$
355,200
3,635,804
Table 2.12.3 Doctoral Student Progression 2011-2014
Table 2.12.c Doctoral Student Progression Data by Major, 2011-2014
Environmental Health
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
# newly admitted during year
1
2
1
# currently enrolled at fall census
1
2
3
# completed coursework during year
0
0
2
# advanced to candidacy during year
0
0
2
# graduated in year
0
0
0
Epidemiology
2011-20122012-2013 2013-2014
1
3
4
2
2
6
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
0
0
Health Behavior
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
15
17
13
63
62
54
14
11
16
14
11
16
12
8
12
Human Performance
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
13
16
13
55
45
44
10
10
6
10
10
6
11
8
9
Leisure Behavior
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
6
11
7
28
28
26
4
6
3
4
6
3
9
8
2
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d. Identification of specific coursework, for each degree, that is aimed at doctoral-level
education.
Doctoral degrees in the SPH require the completion of a minimum of 90 semester credits
beyond the bachelor’s degree. With approval from a student’s advisory committee, a maximum
of 30 credits from prior graduate-level work (with the exception of internships and independent
studies) may be transferred and applied toward the 90 credits required for the doctoral degree.
The SPH requires that all doctoral students fulfill the 90 credits required for the degree within
the following structure:
Prerequisites and/or Required Courses
Students must complete, or provide documentation of completion during prior graduate work,
four courses that are classified as prerequisites or required courses. These include:
•
•
•
•
Biostatistics/Statistics: SPH-Q 501 Introduction to Statistics in Public Health. An
introductory course in statistics or biostatistics (three semester credits). Credit for this course
is not counted toward the minimum 90 credits required for the Ph.D.
Research Methods: SPH-X 590 Introduction to Research in Health, Kinesiology, and
Recreation. An introductory graduate-level course in research methods (three semester
credits). This course may be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree as a course in the
major, minor, or electives, upon approval of the committee.
Introduction to Public Health: SPH-X 505 Principles and Foundations of Public Health.
This course may be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree as a course in the major,
minor, or electives, as described below. Students who have previously completed an MPH
degree from an accredited school of public health or accredited public health program are
exempt from this requirement. Students who are completing requirements for an MPH
degree concurrent with the doctoral degree are also exempt.
Epidemiology: SPH-E 651 Epidemiology or equivalent course from prior graduate work.
This course may be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree as a course in the major,
minor, or electives, as described below.
Degree Requirements (90 credits minimum)
•
•
•
•
•
Research Skills (9 credits minimum). A minimum of nine credits of coursework providing
required skills to conduct research, such as an advanced course in biostatistics. These
credits count toward the 90 credits for the degree. Courses counted in this area required a
minimum grade of “B.”
Major Area of Study (30 credits minimum). A minimum of 30 credits in the major area of
study. These courses must be taken within the School of Public Health. Courses transferred
from previous graduate work outside the School of Public Health, if within the major area of
study, can be used to fulfill the major areas of study requirement, contingent upon the
committee’s approval.
Minor Area of Study (9 credits minimum). A minimum of nine credits of coursework in a
designated area outside the department in which the major is being pursued.
Electives (0 to 28 credits). Elective credits may range between 0 and 28. An optional
second minor may be included in the elective credit hours.
Dissertation (20 to 30 credits).
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The three doctoral degrees that are aligned with the core knowledge areas of public health
(environmental health, epidemiology, and health behavior) require that students have completed
a master’s (e.g., M.A., M.S., MPH, M.Ed.) or other professional degree (e.g., JD, MD) prior to
admission. Students are required to provide proof of the fulfillment of this requirement either
during the admissions process or at some point after matriculation into the doctoral program,
depending on the extent to which the student had completed this prior degree before applying to
the doctoral program. For these three public health doctoral majors, students must provide such
proof of prior degree completion before being approved to complete the doctoral qualifying
exams. The doctoral degree with a major in Leisure Behavior requires that students have
completed the master’s or professional degree prior to being admitted. The doctoral degree
program in Human Performance makes decisions about the completion of the prior graduate
work on a case by case basis.
Table 2.12.4., below and on the subsequent pages, provides a listing of all doctoral-level
courses. Courses are listed by the department in which they are offered. While doctoral
students typically select courses from within their home department for research, readings, and
seminars, it is also the case that students are able to choose from any courses based upon their
individual research interests, with approval of the student’s faculty advisory committee.
Table 2.12.4 Doctoral Course Offerings by Department
Department Offering Course
Course Number Course Title (credit)
SPH-E 792
SPH-E 793
SPH-E 794
SPH-E 799
Department of Epidemiology
SPH-Q 601
and Biostatistics
SPH-Q 602
SPH-Q 603
SPH-Q 611
SPH-Q 612
SPH-B 701
SPH-B 702
SPH-B 784
SPH-C 794
SPH-H 750
Department of Applied Health SPH-H 764
Science
SPH-H 662
SPH-H 791
SPH-H 792
SPH-H 799
SPH-S 794
Independent Research in Epidemiology (1-3 cr.)
Independent Readings in Epidemiology (1-3 cr.)
Doctoral Seminar in Epidemiology (1 cr.)
Ph.D. Dissertation Epidemiology (1-30 cr.)
Experimental Analysis and Design (3 cr.)
Multivariate Statistical Analysis (3 cr.)
Categorical Data Analysis (3 cr.)
Statistical Packages in Research (3 cr.)
Survival Analysis (3 cr.)
Advanced Health Behavior Theory for Research (3 cr.)
Advanced Evaluation Research in Public Health (3 cr.)
Advanced Seminar in Public Health (1-3 cr.)
Doctoral Seminar in Public Health (1-3 cr.)
Advanced Seminar in Health Behavior (1-3 cr.)
Doctoral Seminar in Health Education (1-3 cr.)
Doctoral Section: Acquiring and Managing External Funds for Health and Human
Services (3 cr.)
Readings in Health Behavior (1-3 cr.)
Research in Health Behavior (1-3 cr.)
Ph.D. Dissertation Health Behavior (1-30 cr.)
Doctoral Seminar in Safety Education (1-3 cr.)
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Table 2.12.d (continued) Doctoral Course Offerings by Department
Department Offering Course
Course Number
SPH-V 741
SPH-V 743
SPH-V 745
SPH-V 747
SPH-V 749
SPH-V 750
SPH-V 752
SPH-V 753
SPH-V 755
SPH-V 757
SPH-V 782
SPH-V 791
SPH-V 792
SPH-V 794
SPH-V 799
Course Title (credit)
Molecular Toxicology (3 cr.)
Environmental Health Sampling (3 cr.)
Advanced Toxicology (3 cr.)
Carcinogenesis (3 cr.)
Advanced Occupational Health (3 cr.)
Current Topics in Environmental Health (2 cr.)
Toxicology in Rural Environments (3 cr.)
Rural Environmental Epidemiology (3 cr.)
Rural Public Health Policy and Environmental Law (3 cr.)
Women's Health: Law, Environment, and Health Policies (3 cr.)
Environmental Health Research Rotation (3 cr.)
Advanced Environmental Health Readings (1-3 cr.)
Advanced Environmental Health Research (1-3 cr.)
Environmental Health Seminar (1-3 cr.)
Ph.D. Dissertation Environmental Health (1-30 cr.)
Department of Kinesiology
SPH-K 705
SPH-K 791
SPH-K 792
SPH-K 799
Experimental Laboratory Techniques (2-5 cr.)
Readings in Human Performance (2-5 cr.)
Research in Human Performance (2-5 cr.)
Ph.D. Dissertation Human Performance (1-30 cr.)
Department of Recreation,
Park, and Tourism Studies
SPH-R 710
SPH-R 711
SPH-R 712
SPH-R 791
SPH-R 792
SPH-R 794
SPH-R 799
Social Psychology of Leisure (3 cr.)
Higher Education in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies (3 cr.)
Inquiry Methodology in Leisure Behavior (3 cr.)
Advanced Readings in Recreation (1-3 cr.)
Advanced Research in Recreation (1-3 cr.)
Doctoral Seminar in Leisure Behavior (1-3 cr.)
Ph.D. Dissertation Leisure Behavior (1-30 cr.)
Department of Environmental
Health
e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the
school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion.
This criterion is met.
Strengths
The school offers five Ph.D. majors, three of which are classified as public health. Faculty have
aligned competencies across the doctoral programs to ensure an emphasis on research, with
some majors also having advanced content-specific competencies. The school offers a
comprehensive package of funding to the majority of its doctoral students and has mechanisms
in place to support student research and travel.
Weaknesses
Faculty have expressed the need to increase the number of doctoral-only courses within the
school, particularly courses that focus on advanced research methods. One challenge to the
development of more methods courses within the school is that on the IU Bloomington campus
there exists long-standing and well established research methods courses in education,
psychology, sociology, environmental and public affairs, and statistics. As a result, concern has
been expressed on the campus about the development of courses that might be perceived as
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overlapping with these long-established courses. During the 2014-2015 academic year, one
priority for the Graduate Studies Committee is to review the nature of the existing courses on
the campus to ensure that it is in the best interest of the school to develop our own instead of
having our students seek such coursework outside the school.
Faculty have also expressed concern that the current dollar amount of the stipend associated
with the package awarded to student academic appointee doctoral students is lower than that
provided by some peer institutions. There is an ongoing effort to better analyze the impact of
increasing the value of these awards.
There are also disparities between some of the doctoral degree programs, with the public health
designated programs tending to have more doctoral-only courses than at least one of the two
programs designated as other.
Future Plans
The Graduate Studies Committee and the Committee on Budget and Planning will continue to
assess the impact of increasing the value of the financial package offered to student academic
appointees. Another topic prioritized by the Graduate Studies Committee for the 2014-2015
academic year relates to the current portfolio of doctoral-only courses, particularly those that are
research methods focused.
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