Community Health Education, Ph.D.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.

In addition to the minimum admission materials required by the Graduate School, applicants should submit:

  • A statement of purpose, not to exceed two single-spaced pages, that includes:
    • Your research interests, how they developed (including how your volunteer, work, and personal experiences led to your interests), and who on our faculty you would be interested in working with and why.
    • Your career goals.
    • Why UNC Greensboro is a good fit for you and why you are a good fit for UNC Greensboro.
  • Three letters of recommendation. Your reference providers are required to write a letter on your behalf in addition to filling out the required form. We also recommend that at least one of your letters of recommendation come from a professor or course instructor.

For best consideration, materials should be provided by December 1, although strong students will be considered on a rolling basis until the class is filled. Admission is for the Fall only and applicants can be admitted as either full-time or part-time students.

Degree Program Requirements

Required: 63 credit hours (90 credit hours without a qualifying master's degree)

The Ph.D. in Community Health Education requires 63 credit hours beyond an appropriate master’s degree (90 credit hours without an accredited M.P.H./M.S. degree or related degree). Students who enter with a master’s degree are required to earn a minimum of 48 credits of course work and 15 credits of dissertation work. 

Entering doctoral students who have not completed one or more of the Public Health Core or Health Education Core courses must complete these courses as part of their program in addition to the minimum 63 credit hours (HEA 758 is required for all doctoral students).

Profession Core (12-30 credits)
Public Health Core (0-9 credits) 1
HEA 704Quantitative Methods3
HEA 707Determinants of Health3
HEA 710Epidemiology Methods3
Health Education Core (3-12 credits) 2
HEA 718Assessment and Program Planning I3
HEA 721Public Health Theories and Strategies3
HEA 726Evaluation Methods3
HEA 758Advanced Theoretical Basis for Community Health Education 33
Professional Development (12 credits)
HEA 761Teaching Practicum in Public Health Education3
HHS 703Teaching Undergraduates in Health and Human Services3
HHS 750Professional Development Seminar3
Select at least one course (3 credits) from the following: 3
Promoting and Protecting Health through Entrepreneurship
Doctoral Seminar in Grant Writing
Research Core (21 credits)
Foundations (3 credits)
HEA 751Foundations of Research for Public Health Education3
Methods (18 credits)
HEA 705Qualitative Methods in Public Health3
HEA 752Quantitative Methods in Public Health3
HEA 765Advanced Program Evaluation in Public Health Education3
Select at least three courses (9 credits) from the following: 49
Engaging Communication Scholarship II
Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry: A Social Justice Approach
Structural Equation Modeling in Education
Hierarchical Linear Modeling
Case Study Methods in Educational Research
Survey Research Methods in Education
Intermediate Statistical Methods in Education
Design and Analysis of Educational Experiments
Advanced Research Design in Human Development and Family Studies
Applied Multiple Regression
Statistical Applications for Nursing Research
Statistical Applications for Nursing Research II
Qualitative Methods for Nursing
Survey Methods for Policy Research
Statistical Methods in Psychology I
Statistical Methods in Psychology II
Advanced Data Analysis
Nonparametric Statistics
Categorical Data Analysis
Sample Survey Methods
Mixed Methods Research Design in Curriculum and Instruction
Electives (15 credits)
Select 15 credits from the following: 515
Management of Community Health Organizations
Social Epidemiology
Advanced Community Health Projects
Topics in Community Health Research
Global Health Issues
Gender and Health
Problems Seminar
Foundations of Educational Measurement Theory
Social Psychology and Physical Activity
Urban and Regional Development Policy
Dissertation (12 credits)
HEA 799Dissertation12
Total Credit Hours63
1

Public Health Core courses may be waived with an accredited M.P.H./M.S. degree or related degree.

2

HEA 718, HEA 721, and HEA 726 may be waived with an accredited M.P.H./M.S. in Health Education or Health Education-related degree. HEA 758 is a required course for the Health Education Core.

3

HEA 758 is required for all doctoral students.

4

Students should work with their advisor and committee to select course work complementary of expected dissertation method needs. Additional methods courses taken beyond the required courses may count as part of elective requirements.

5

The list provides examples of possible electives. Elective choices should be made under the advisement of the student's doctoral program committee. A minimum of 6 credits of HEA courses is required. Additional methods or professional development courses taken above those required may be counted toward elective requirements.