Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)
Driving Change. Creating Impact. Across Communities.
About the Program
The Social and Behavioral Sciences doctoral program is based on the principle that health and health behaviors are influenced by multiple psychological, behavioral, social, and cultural factors. This program is designed for master's prepared students who seek advanced training in social and behavioral sciences theories and methodologies. This CEPH-accredited interdisciplinary doctoral program is intended to be completed in three years. There are competitive assistantships available with full tuition waiver and an annual stipend.
PhD degree can be earned in-person and full-time or part-time.
What will you learn?
Students work closely with faculty mentors in research areas such as smoking, addiction, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, STDs, cancer, nutrition, physical activity, obesity, maternal and child health, and neighborhood environment with strong mixed methods training. As a metropolitan research university, we are especially committed to health equity and social justice issues in urban communities.
Graduates of the program are prepared to conduct innovative, interdisciplinary, and translational research in community settings with an emphasis on vulnerable populations, and to design, implement, administer, and evaluate public health interventions and policies. The program will emphasize urban health and health disparities issues in Tennessee, the Mid-South region, and globally.
Where to after graduation?
Due to the complex challenges of population health and healthcare delivery, the need for public health scholars with expertise in social and behavioral sciences continues to grow in academia, research, and practice. This program is designed for those who intend to teach and conduct original research utilizing rigorous scientific theories and methods to understand and influence the social and behavioral determinants of population health risk factors and outcomes.
Is this degree right for you?
The PhD degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences is the highest academic degree for individuals planning to pursue scholarly careers in this discipline.
Connect with our Admissions Team
Briana McNeil, MEd
Coordinator, Recruitment and Admissions
sphadmissions@memphis.edu
901.678.3740
Shirl Sharpe, MS
Academic Services Coordinator II
ssharpe@memphis.edu
901.678.1710
Alex Parkhouse, MA, PhD
Assistant Professor, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences
alex.parkhouse@memphis.edu
901.678.5308
Admission Information
Requirements:
- Completed SOPHAS application
- Master鈥檚 degree with minimum GPA of 3.0
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Statement of Purpose (750-1000 words)
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- Credentials evaluation for foreign transcripts visit Graduate Admissions.
- Language proficiency test if language of instruction was not English
Deadlines
Priority Deadline - February 1
Curriculum
The SBS doctoral program is a 54-semester hour degree program, with 45 hours of graduate coursework beyond the master's degree, and 9 hours of PUBH 9000 for the dissertation. Students are required to take 12 credit hours of SBS core courses, 3 credit hours of doctoral seminar, 12 credit hours of research methods courses, 6 credit hours of biostatistics, 12 credit hours of elective courses, and 9 credit hours of dissertation.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Core (12 credit hours)
- PUBH 8130: Social Determinants of Health
- PUBH 8132: Health Program Evaluation
- PUBH 8340: Behavioral Intervention Development
- PUBH 8161: Health Behavioral Theories
Doctoral Seminar Core (3 credit hours)
- PUBH 8901: Doctoral Professional Development Seminar
Research Methods Core (12 credit hours)
Quantitative Methods Course (9 credit hours) - Select three
- PUBH 8141: Epidemiologic Survey Methods
- PUBH 8172: Epidemiology in Public Health II
- PUBH 8174: Epidemiology in Public Health III
- PUBH 8450: Randomized Clinical Trials
Quantitative Course (3 credit hours)
- PUBH 8347: Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Biostatistics Core (6 credit hours)
Biostatistics II (3 credit hours)
- PUBH 8152: Biostatistical Methods II
Additional Biostatistics Courses (3 credit hours) 鈥� Select one
- PUBH 8104: Large Data Sets in Public Health Research
- PUBH 8310: Mixed Model Regression Analysis
- PUBH 8311: Applied Categorical Data Analysis
Elective Courses* (12 credit hours)
Dissertation (9 credit hours at The 福利片国产 of Memphis)
- PUBH 9000 Dissertation
Competencies
- Review, synthesize, and evaluate Identify individual, organizational, community, and societal influences on health, health behaviors, disease, illness, injury, and disability.
- Utilize social and behavioral science theories to advance public health research and application.
- Conduct and disseminate rigorous and innovative social and behavioral science research relevant to public health.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate behavioral and structural interventions to promote health and health equity, prevent disease and injury, alleviate disability, and improve the quality of life.
- Analyze and critically apply professional and ethical standards of public health.