Mission:
To prepare the next generation of health sciences scholars by providing an adaptable doctoral education that builds on each student's unique experience and supports their development as researchers, educators, and leaders.
Vision:
To be the program of choice for health professionals seeking a pragmatic pathway to scholarship—one that honors diverse clinical backgrounds, adapts to individual goals, and prepares graduates to generate meaningful research that impacts practice as well as education.
Program Director:
Ken Learman, PhD, PT
Director, PhD in Health Sciences
Professor, Physical Therapy
Admissions requirements:
Adequacy of students
The Ph.D. in Health Sciences is designed to accept students who possess a bachelor’s, master’s or a clinical doctorate degree. The bachelor’s and master’s degrees considered should be health related, but will consider students with a basic science degree (ex. biology) if there is an established interest in healthcare. Additionally, a pathway for select DPT students to enter the PhD program upon completion of their clinical doctorate has been established. All applicants to the program will be evaluated against the following admission criteria:
• Student with an interest in the Health Sciences and an interest in pursuing employment in academia, research, or clinical practice.
• Minimum overall 3.0 GPA from a bachelor's or master's degree.
• Exceptions will be considered on an individual basis for a GPA of 2.7-2.99. This will mandate a provisional admission.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will be required for applicants who only have a bachelor's degree. Scores of 290 on parts 1 and 2, and 3.5 writing score are recommended. All applicants applying with a current graduate degree will not be required to take the GRE but will be required to provide 1 example of academic writing and the committee reserves to right to request a second example at their discretion.
• Names and contact information for three references.
• Personal essay of why you are pursuing this degree and what area of research you are intending to pursue.
• A TOEFL score of at least 550 on a paper-based test, the equivalent score on a similar test, or an undergraduate degree from a university in the US.
Admissions will be completed by considering the student’s individual research agenda as well as compatibility and availability of faculty to serve on dissertation committees.
Graduate Faculty
Kelly Colwell, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Distance learning; improving patient and family health literacy through education for management of chronic asthma in children; improving access to healthcare in undeserved areas; improving student awareness of the need for cultural competency to better understand, educate, and treat patients in a multi-diverse patient population
Shannon Joy Dudash, PhD, DPT, GCS, WCC, Assistant Professor
Fall management in older adults, with a particular emphasis on fall preparedness as a proactive framework for supporting functional independence and falls efficacy, community-engaged scholarship, active mentoring of DPT students in their research projects
John M. Hazy, Ph.D., Professor, Chair
Community/behavioral health (drugs and crime); methodology and assessment; life course and cultural issues; teaching effectiveness
Edmund C Ickert, D.P.T., Ph.D., Associate Professor
Cardiopulmonary programs/outcomes/interventions; falls/fall prevention and outcome; geriatrics; education
Nancy Crum Landgraff, PT, Ph.D., Professor, Chair
Stroke rehabilitation and outcomes
Kenneth Learman, PT, Ph.D., Professor
Physical therapy interventions for the spine; concussion management; chronic pain phenotyping; headache differentiation
Kenneth L. Miller, Ph.D., Professor
Measurement of cultural bias and discrimination; child abuse; technology use in clinical supervision; gender equity
Cathy Bieber Parrott, PT, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Orthopedic-related disability measurement; program assessment
Nicolette Powe, Dr.P.H., Associate Professor
Health equality; chronic diseases; cancer prevention; healthy lifestyles
Richard Lee Rogers, Ph.D., Professor
Social problems and criminology; organizational and economic sociology; statistics and research methods; social history; Anglo-American religious movements; ecological analysis
Annie Q. Tapp, D.P.T., Assistant Professor
Implementation science to improve rehabilitation outcomes for aging and neurologic populations, neurologic rehabilitation, vestibular disorders, fall prevention, and musculoskeletal health in older adults
Daniel J. Van Dussen, Ph.D., Professor
Social and psychological determinants of health among older adults; the family; social support; statistics and methods; health and rehabilitation.
Affiliated Faculty
Chad Cook
Clinical examination and conservative or surgical treatment of orthopedics
Debbie Espy
Human movement science; neurological rehab; biomedical engineering
Weiqing Ge
Cultural humility, musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound, biomedical engineering
Damian Keter, PT, PhD, DPT
Post-professional education, manual therapy treatment mechanisms, and pain science
Degree Requirements
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Core minimum of 3 credits | 3 | |
| Classroom Management & Teaching Strategies in Health Sciences (required) | ||
| Higher Education in Health Sciences (optional) | ||
| HRS 8990 | Graduate Research in Health Sciences (course must be repeated for a total of 12 s.h.) | 12 |
| HRS 8995 | Dissertation in Health Sciences (course must be repeated for a total of 18 s.h.) | 18 |
| 12 credits required from the following | 12 | |
| Statistical Techniques in Health and Human Services | ||
| Research Methods in Health and Human Services | ||
or HHS 6989 | Health Research Methods | |
| Qualitative Research Methods | ||
| Epidemiology in Public Health | ||
| Biostatistics in Public Health | ||
| Healthcare Biostatistics | ||
| 15 credits of discipline specific content determined by the program of interest or the academic advisor | 15 | |
| Scientific Writing in Health Sciences | ||
| Health professionals as community resources. | ||
| Health Behavior | ||
| Health Care Policy | ||
| Health Care Administration | ||
| Health Informatics | ||
| Clinical Informatics | ||
| Health Services Issues | ||
| Health Care System Analysis | ||
| Program Planning and Evaluation | ||
| Planning and Fiscal Management | ||
| Theory and Practice of Information Systems | ||
| Data Science and Machine Learning | ||
| Principles of Computer Programming | ||
| Cloud Computing and Big Data | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 60 | |
Candidates that enroll with a bachelor’s degree will complete all core courses (60 s.h.) and an additional 30 s.h. as approved by the Program Director or their academic advisor. These courses can be an individualized plan using existing master’s or doctoral courses in the College of Health and Human Services.
Learning Outcomes
By graduation from the Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences program, students will:
- Propose a research study utilizing appropriate statistical or assessment techniques to answer a question based on an identified gap in the literature.
- Apply scientific evidence to specific patient/client cases in their fields.
- Explain how psychosocial and mental & behavioral factors impact healthcare outcomes of various disease processes relate to their area of research.
- Design a study to answer an original research question regarding the teaching andragogy in Health Sciences education.
- Communicate their original research both verbally and through manuscripts submitted for publication in academic journals.
- Apply interdisciplinary research skills to solve current and future problems as professionals in Health Sciences.