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 Research | Examples of study topics |
---|---|
Health Promotion and Behavioral Intervention | Health behavior, physical activity, nutrition, physical and mental health, perinatal woman health, healthy aging |
Health Disparity | Global health, immigrant health, minority health, rural communities |
Health Technology from Design to Implementation | Human factors, technology use in diverse populations and in the context of daily life, implications of technology use for health across the life span |
Rehabilitation, Disability and Chronic Illness | Wellness, quality of life, psychosocial adjustment, transition, and social participation |
Applied Health Data Analytics | Analysis 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 education
- 3.50 GPA
- Although 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 recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Resume
- Official Transcripts
- International 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
Course | Hours |
Advanced research methods/statistics | 4 |
HK 591 (CHLH 591) | 4 |
HK 562 (CHLH 565) | 4 |
Two courses in area of specialization | 8 |
HK 590 (CHLH 593) | 8 |
Elective hours required to bring total course work hours to 64 hours | 12 |
HK 599 (CHLH 599) | 32 |
Total Hours | 64 |
Course | Hours |
HK 591 (CHLH 591) | 12 |
HK 562 (CHLH 565) | 4 |
HK 550 | 12 |
Two courses in area of specialization | 8 |
Additional research methods/statistics | 8 |
HK 590 (CHLH 593) | 16 |
Elective hours to bring total course work hours to 64 hours | 12-28 |
HK 599 (CHLH 599) | 32 |
Total Hours | 96 |
For 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
Apply Now
Follow the link below to follow begin your application.
FAQs
- Follow this link to apply
- Fall semester closes: January 15th
- Summer semester closes: March 1st
- Spring semester closes: October 1st
- Rolling admissions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please talk with your prospective advisor.
- Domestic Applicants: Exemptions for the application fee can be found here
- International Applicants: We do not waive the fee for international students unless a faculty member is willing to pay the fee. Please reach out to the faculty member you have been in contact with about this possibility.
- It is optional, not required.
- It is 3.00 for M.S. programs and 3.50 for PhD programs
- Follow this link for a guide
- Yes, then please have your official transcript sent to grad@illinois.edu.
- Yes! You should reach out to any faculty member that you are interested in working with to see if they are admitting students for the semester that you wish to start. You can also ask them about funding as a research assistant. While you can apply without having a faculty mentor, your chances of being accepted into the program increase greatly if you have identified a faculty member prior to submitting your application.
- Please check the faculty directory to learn about the research interests of HK faculty members.
- Yes, but you would need to pay an application fee for each degree program.
- Follow this link for a general FAQ on applying to grad school at Illinois.
- Yes, but if you are admitted for the B.S.-PHD, please check with your advisor to see if they want you to get an M.S. along the way as this would require us to recode you from PhD to an M.S. at the time of admissions.
- No, there are not.
- In Kinesiology, you can complete either a thesis or non-thesis M.S.
- In Community Health, the only option is to complete a thesis-based M.S.
- Based on the availability of funds, admitted students will receive at least a 25% teaching assistant (TA) appointment and/or 25% research assistantship appointment which come with a tuition waiver, insurance, and a monthly stipend. Students however will be responsible for student-initiated fees.
- International students must satisfy an English proficiency requirement to quality to be a TA. See qualifications here.
- Funding decisions are made following admission to the program but with enough advance notice to allow you ample time to make the best decision for your graduate career. This applies to both domestic and international students.
- HK Graduate Handbook (Grad programs start on page 19).
- More information may be found under either Kinesiology or Community Health at the following link.
- Yes, but the only program that we have this for is the MPH / EPI degree.
- Yes, for admissions only.
- English proficiency guidelines.
- Teaching assistant English proficiency guidelines.
- We do not waive the fee for international students unless a faculty member is willing to pay the fee.
- Yes, after you are admitted you have the option of completing an Oral English Assessment Interview (OEAI). These interviews are typically conducted in April, May or June. If you receive a passing score, then you could possibly receive a 25% teaching assistant appointment. This would come with a tuition waiver, monthly stipend and insurance.
- Graduate college housing guide.
- Graduate residence hall information: housing@illinois.edu
- Apartment information email: apartments@illinois.edu
Contact
Graduate contact
HK-GRAD-OFFICE@illinois.edu
Dr. Laura Rice
Director of Graduate Studies
HK-Director-Grad-Studies@illinois.edu
Department of Health and Kinesiology
Graduate Program Secretary
906 S. Godwin Ave
112 Freer Hall
Urbana, IL. 61801