Public Health—Epidemiology

Office: Stein Clinical Research Building, Room 349
Mail Code: 0607

UCSD—http://www.medicine.ucsd.edu/fpm/epi/teaching.html#phd
SDSU—http://publichealth.sdsu.edu/phdmain.php
UCSD Faculty—http://medicine.ucsd.edu/fpm/epi/faculty.html

The Joint Doctoral Program (JDP)

The doctoral program in public health (epidemiology) was developed as a joint program in 1990 between the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University (SDSU). Students in the program complete course work and conduct research at both institutions. Faculty from each campus serve on advisory and dissertation committees, providing students with extensive exposure to experts whose research interests represent the interdisciplinary nature of modern public health. Dr. Deborah Wingard (UCSD) and Dr. Stephanie Brodine (SDSU) codirect the program. Dr. Richard Shaffer (SDSU) serves as overall program coordinator.

Requirements for the joint doctoral degree include:

1. successful completion of required course work
2. passing written preliminary examinations in epidemiology and biostatistics
3. passing written and oral qualifying examinations
4. demonstrating proficiency in two computer-based statistical software packages
5. demonstrating proficiency in teaching
6. completion and successful formal defense of a dissertation

Typical areas of emphasis include infectious disease epidemiology, chronic disease epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, community-based trials, physical activity/exercise/nutrition and health. San Diego is ideally located in a large and ethnically diverse metropolitan center bordering Mexico and the Pacific Rim, enabling students to carry out population-based multicultural and multinational studies of health problems.

Time Limits

The goal of this policy is to encourage Ph.D. completion in a timely manner.

Pre-candidacy limit. Maximum registered time to advance to Ph.D. candidacy: 4 years
Support limit. Maximum registered time doctoral student is eligible for support: 6 years
Total time limit. Maximum registered time to complete all Ph.D. requirements: 7 years

Information regarding admission is found in the current edition of the Bulletin of the Graduate Division of San Diego State University. To receive an application for admission, contact SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego 92182-4162, (619) 594-2743.