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PhD in Public Health

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Degree awarded:  Doctor of Philosophy in Public health (Ph.D. PH)

Duration: 3 years (Weekend)

Type of Entry: Post Graduate

Course Description

The Doctor of Philosophy in Public health (Ph.D. PH) is designed to meet the demands of students and prepare them for a successful career in  Public Health. The programme consists of coursework components but only to help students get a grounding in their area of research specialization, followed by seminars, an examination, a proposal defense and a written and defended thesis.

Ph.D. PH is organized into three (3) content modules, each spanning three weeks. Assignments include individual work (discussion forums and individual essays) as well as group projects and discussions.

Cross-cutting Courses

Regardless of which type of Doctorate one registers for, there are some courses that every student is required to pursue before they can graduate. These cross-cutting courses are an integral part of the individual curriculum (work plan). There are also elective cross-cutting courses that the student may with the advice of the supervisor, choose to study for credit or audit. They are outlined below:

  1. Advanced Research Methods
  2. Philosophy of Methods
  3. Advanced Gender Research Studies
  4. Statistical Methods and Computer Applications in Research
  5. Qualitative Data Management and Analysis
  6. Information Competence and Management
  7. Scholarly Writing and Communication Skills

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of Ph.D. PH will be able to apply the following skills;

  1. Ability to adapt quickly to new environments and work etiquettes, work under pressure, and willingness to work hard.
  2. Flexibility, functioning independently in a variety of environments and roles.
  3. Ability to critically analyze data using scientific methods and statistics.
  4. Communication skills including conceptualizing, explaining, writing, and public speaking.
  5. Creation, design of complex studies and projects; implementation and management of all phases of complex projects and follow through to completion.
  6. Ability to work with the communities and to do advocacy work.
  7. Creativity, resourcefulness, and the ability to persevere in harsh working conditions.

Objectives

To produce graduates;

  1. With substantial competency in the area of public health and research methodologies in particular that are central for generating new knowledge.
  2. With a firm understanding of the broad intellectual tradition of public health.
  3. Who are global scholars and can conduct excellent scientific research into public health problems and with the capacity to organize seminars and workshops that will attract international scholars.
  4. Who are capable of writing scholarly papers and publishing in international peer-reviewed journals.
  5. Who can apply the acquired knowledge, competencies and skills in handling and providing solutions to public health related challenges.
  6. With substantial competence in carrying out consultancies for organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations, African Union, African Development Bank, World Bank, all of which are engaged in public health related work.

Summary of modular course content

A distinctive feature of the Ph.D. in Public Health programme is the situation of research in the ecological framework that considers multi-level analysis for addressing public health questions. This feature will be integrated in both knowledge and creative activity modules that must be satisfied in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements. Each year students will take one module to support their progress to the next year.

Course Code Course Name Status LH T/PH CH CU
PhDPH 5101 Philosophy of Social Science Elective 30 30 45 3
PhDPH 5102 Communicable Diseases Management and Control Basic 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5103 Non Communicable Diseases Management and Control Basic 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5104 Epidemiological Principles and Methods Basic 30 30 45 3
PhDPH 5105 Medical Anthropology Elective 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5206 Society and Health Elective 30 30 45 3
PhDPH 5207 Environmental Health concepts Core 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5208 Biostatistical Concepts and Methods in Public Health Core 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5209 Biostatistical analysis of   Epidemiological Data Core 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5210 Basic Principles of Statistical Inference applicable to Public Health Core 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5111 ICT and Computer Applications Core 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5112 Computing and Management of Databases Core 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5113 Fundamentals of Health Law Core 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5114 Health Policy Development Core 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5115 Healthcare Management Core 30 30 30 2
PhDPH 5216 Research Methods Basic 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5217 Quantitative Research Methods Basic 30 30 45 3
PhDPH 5218 Qualitative Research Methods Basic 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5219 Mixed Research Methods Basic 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5220 Writing Skills Basic 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5121 Public Health Ethics Basic 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5122 Public Health Nutrition and physical activity Elective 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5123 Globalization and Health Elective 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5124 Society and Health Elective 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5125 The Political Economy of Health Basic 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5226 Research Proposal Core 45 30 60 4
PhDPH 5227 Community Based Public Health Elective 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5228 Health Disparities and Vulnerable Populations in Developing Countries Elective 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5229 Health Education Elective 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5230 Private Sector Role in Global Health Elective 45 30 45 3
PhDPH 5231 PhD Thesis Core 3
Total Hours   930 1665 107
  1. Proof of a candidate to have sat and passed UCE and UACE at the same sitting is a pre-requisite for enrolling on a Ph.D. program in Public Health at Bishop Stuart University.
  2. Other requirements for entry include among others a Masters in Health Administration, Health Services, Public Health, Policy, and Economics, Business Administration, or a related field in order to enter the Ph.D. PH. If a student completed a master’s degree that does not include Public Health content in the public health core areas, this student is expected to master competencies in those areas before graduation.
  3. One should have a First-Class or Upper Second Honours Bachelors degree in Public Health, a Masters degree in Public Health or Social Science and Humanities and in any behavioral science field.
  4. Applicants to be recruited for the Ph.D. in Public Health should be from Chartered Universities. Those candidates whose degrees were obtained from such institutions before being chartered should seek clearance from their Universities explaining why they are considered competent to be recruited into a Ph.D. programme at Bishop Stuart University. The Senate Graduate Committee reserves the right to admit candidates from this category. Full entry requirements

This is a three-year degree programme designed for highly qualified and motivated applicants who wish to acquire research and analytical skills in public health-related sectors and disciplines. It is designed for those individuals already working or those seeking jobs in academia as well as practitioners who wish to acquire the skills of professional academic research to work in knowledge-intensive firms, multinational companies, government agencies, consulting firms as well as international agencies. Specifically, this Programme is intended for:

  1. University lecturers who would like to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Public Health.
  2. Research fellows in health-related work.
  3. Top-level health managers of the public and private sectors who are desirous of acquiring a Ph.D. in public health.