2023 – 2024 Doctoral Handbook

2023 – 2024

Doctoral Handbook

“The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, education specialist, and doctoral degrees.

Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-479-4500 for

questions about the accreditation of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”

The Gillings School is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). CEPH is an independent

agency, recognized by the US Department of Education to accredit schools and programs of public health.

Table of Contents

Gillings School Doctoral Public Health Degrees 4

Major Courses 4

Admission Requirements 4

Policies, Procedures, and Forms 4

Academic Advising/Your Faculty Mentor 4

Degrees

Biostatistics 4

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 4

Admission Requirements 5

Competencies 5

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 6

Examinations and Dissertation 8

Environmental Science and Engineering 10

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 11

Admission Requirements 13

Competencies 14

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 14

Examinations and Dissertation 18

Other Important Information 21

Epidemiology 27

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 27

Admission Requirements 28

Competencies 29

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 30

Examinations and Dissertation 41

Health Behavior 59

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 59

Admission Requirements 64

Competencies 65

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 65

Examinations and Dissertation 76

Health Policy and Management: DrPH in Health Leadership 82

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 82

Admission Requirements 83

Competencies 83

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 87

Examinations and Dissertation 90

Health Policy and Management 91

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 91

General Education Requirements / Admission Requirements 92

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 93

Examinations and Dissertation 95

Maternal and Child Health 98

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 98

Admissions Requirements 99

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 101

Examinations and Dissertation 104

Nutrition 110

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview 110

General Education Requirements / Admission Requirements 111

Competencies 112

Degree Requirements / Curriculum 114

Examinations and Dissertation 116

General University Academic Information and Policies 127

Academic Calendar 127

Course Credit Guidelines 127

Grading Basis

Transfer Credit

Pass/ Fail/ Auditing Courses

Registration 127

Credit Hours

Adding/ Dropping 128

Withdrawal

Cancelation

Post-semester

Grading 128

Grading Policy

Grade Changes 129

Grade Appeals

Exams 129

UNC Exam Schedule

Academic Eligibility 129

Tuition and Fees 130

Honors Court 130

Campus Health Requirements 130

Graduation 130

Gillings School Doctoral Public Health Degrees

The Gillings School doctoral degrees help students develop research and teaching skills through

coursework, doctoral research, practice opportunities and preliminary doctoral examinations.

With a commitment to collaboration, the Gillings School doctoral degrees help students develop

research and teaching skills through coursework, doctoral research, practice opportunities and

preliminary doctoral examinations.

Major Courses

Required courses for each major provide students an opportunity to develop discipline-specific

knowledge and skills and demonstrate discipline-specific competencies. The required courses for each

major and the associated competencies are described below in each department specific section.

Admission Requirements

Each degree program provides advanced research, course work, research, and practice opportunities,

and prepares individuals for careers in academia, government, and industry. Each program has differing

admission requirements that are best detailed in their specific site.

Policies, Procedures, and Forms

Most forms for Gillings students can be found on the Gillings Forms page. Also included are any non-

Gillings forms, and directions and procedures for each form. Students should work with their Academic

Coordinator to complete each form.

For additional doctoral policies and forms, see the UNC Graduate School Handbook.

Academic Advising/Your Faculty Mentor

Upon admission, students are assigned a faculty mentor from their departmental faculty. The Academic

Coordinator assists the student in navigating the Graduate School and departmental rules and

expectations. The faculty mentor guides them in choosing an appropriate program of coursework and in

forming a research committee, when appropriate. Usually, the faculty mentor will serve as the student’s

research advisor as well, though a research advisor from faculty (including adjunct faculty, or faculty in

other departments) may be assigned. In this case, research advisor and mentor will serve on the

student’s examination committee.

Biostatistics

What You Will Learn in this Program

The Department of Biostatistics offers training and research programs to develop and apply innovative

statistical methods to problems of human health and disease, including basic biomedical sciences.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to forge dramatic advances in health science research that benefit human health in North

Carolina, the US, and globally through the development of profound and paradigm-shifting innovations in

biostatistical methodology and the thoughtful implementation of biostatistical practice to solve public

health problems.

We bring about positive, equitable, and sustainable changes in health by:

A. Supporting excellence in biostatistical practice by conducting theory and methods research of clear

relevance to practice

B. Promoting sound application of new and existing statistical methods

C. Fostering equity and diversity in the biostatistics field and beyond;

D. Improving biostatistical education at the undergraduate and graduate levels

E. Working with undergraduate colleges to promote biostatistics as a discipline for graduate studies and

a professional career

F. Anticipating and meeting the learning needs of our students by maintaining an open and inclusive

environment in the department

G. Using the tools of our discipline to enhance human welfare through collaboration in research with

colleagues in the biological and health sciences

H. Seeking opportunities to advance the biostatistics profession.

Overview

The Department of Biostatistics in the Gillings School of Global Public Health of the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill stands as one of the best departments of its kind in the world. The Department

was established in 1949 with the goals to advance statistical science and, ultimately by its application, to

improve human health. To achieve these goals, the Department of Biostatistics offers training and

research programs to develop and apply innovative statistical methods to problems of human health

and disease, including basic biomedical sciences.

Admission Requirements

1. An appropriate prior Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, or a closely related field.

2. Strong mathematical training including linear algebra and multivariable calculus. Advanced

calculus/elementary analysis are strongly encouraged, but on occasion exceptional students are

admitted without these courses. In such cases, the student will take MATH 521 during the first year

of study.

Degree Competencies

Upon satisfactory completion of this program the student will have:

1. demonstrated mastery of: (a) the theory of probability and statistical inference, by successfully

passing the written qualifying exam in theory, and (b) the application of said theory to solve a

variety of applied statistical problems in the health sciences, by successfully passing the written

qualifying exam in applications

2. learned advanced biostatistical techniques, including the ability to

• PH01: design cost-effective surveys and experiments (including clinical trials) for collecting data

on topics relevant to health, taking account of sampling error, measurement error,

nonresponse, and other sources of bias and variability [BIOS 662, BIOS 663, BIOS 841, and BIOS

767];

• PH02: use advanced parametric and semiparametric models for the analysis of public health

data, including linear regression, mixed models, methods for categorical data, generalized linear

(mixed) models, generalized estimating equations, survival analysis, and Bayesian methods

[BIOS 762, BIOS 767, BIOS 780];

• PH03: discern when standard methods are not appropriate, when nonparametric methods

based on randomization and ranks may be substituted, or when new methods must be

developed [BIOS 662 and BIOS 780];

• PH04: estimate survival curves from time-to-event data which may involve censoring and time-

dependent covariates, and test for differences among treatments and for the effects of

covariates [BIOS 780]; and

• PH05: apply advanced statistical computing methods such as the EM algorithm, MCMC method,

and optimization procedures, and write efficient R, SAS, and C++ code [BIOS 611, BIOS 762, and

BIOS 735];

• PH06: used computers for research data management (applying a defensible standard of

documentation, archiving, protection of confidentiality, and audit trail) and for the analysis of

data with standard statistical program packages [BIOS 611, BIOS 735, BIOS 841, BIOS 850];

3. PH07: carried out independent methodological research, including the writing of a scholarly

dissertation and publishing papers based on the dissertation in respected statistical journals

[BIOS 994];

4. PH08: gained successful practical experience in statistical consulting, including interaction with

research workers in the health sciences, abstracting statistical aspects of substantive problems,

and communicating the results to persons without specialized biostatistical training; if not

outside academia, then this consulting experience can be obtained by serving in the Biometric

Consulting Laboratory (BCL), the Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center (CSCC), the

Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC), the North Carolina Translational Research and

Clinical Studies (NC TraCS), or as a member of another university research project team [BIOS

841 and BIOS 843];

5. PH09: taught basic statistical theory and applications effectively, not only to biostatistics majors,

but also to other health science practitioners [BIOS 850].

Degree Requirements / Curriculum

The Gillings School of Global Public Health requires a minimum of 18 semester hours of course work

beyond the Master's degree for a PhD student to be able to take the PhD written qualifying examinations

and to begin work on their dissertation. The Department of Biostatistics requirements are as indicated

below. Requirements (1), (2), and (3) may be waived for students who have had previous training or

experience deemed equivalent by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Courses counted toward the

Gillings School of Global Public Health requirements, or taken at UNC prior to entry into the program, may

be included in (5).

1. Mathematics

• Advanced Calculus and /or Real Analysis

The PhD student is required to take BIOS 760 and BIOS 761. This requires working knowledge of

advanced calculus equivalent to at least the level of MATH 521 at UNC-CH.

• Linear Algebra

The PhD student is required to take BIOS 762. This requires working knowledge of the material in

MATH 422, 577, and 547 at UNC-CH.

Students who have not taken advanced calculus and/or real analysis are required to take an

equivalent course at UNC such as MATH 521

2. Statistical Computing and Data Science

• BIOS 611. This is a required course in data science.

• BIOS 735. This is a required advanced statistical computing course.

3. Basic Statistics

• The elements of probability, statistical inference, statistical methods, and linear regression.

Required courses are: BIOS 660, 661, 662, BIOS 663, BIOS 672, and BIOS 673. Most of these

courses are included in a typical MS program.

4. Advanced Statistics

• Required Courses: BIOS 735, BIOS 760, BIOS 761, BIOS 762, BIOS 767, BIOS 780, and BIOS 850

• Electives: At least 9 semester hours. Acceptable courses include all those numbered at the 700-

level in Biostatistics or in (Mathematical) Statistics at UNC-CH, and equivalent courses in

Statistics at other institutions as approved by the DGS. Requests to count 700-level courses in

STOR toward this requirement are considered individually.

NOTE: BIOS 735, 760, 761, 762, 767 are typically taken during the second year of study and 780

is typically taken during the third year, following completion of BIOS 662, 663, 672 and 673

during the first year of study for students who are admitted to the PhD program with a b

achelor’s degree.

• Bootcamps

• Students taking BIOS 760 in the fall semester are required to take the Real Analysis

Bootcamp, offered each summer, in the summer immediately preceding that fall semester

• Students taking BIOS 762 in the fall semester are required to take the Linear Algebra

Bootcamp, offered each summer, in the summer immediately preceding that fall semester.

• PhD students taking BIOS 611 in a fall semester are required to take the SAS Bootcamp,

offered each summer, in the summer immediately preceding the fall semester.

5. Supporting Program

o A supporting program of at least 6 semester hours, including EPID 600 or 710 and SPHG 600 (or

equivalent), is required.

6. Practicum

• BIOS 841 and BIOS 843 (4 semesters (credits)) are required. BIOS 843 can be taken only if you

have taken both the theory and applications written qualifying exams. Note that there are

mandatory attendance requirements for BIOS 843 described in the course syllabus.

• In addition, each PhD student may be required to grade up to 3 courses (up to 4 for a combined

MS/PhD program).

7. Dissertation Registration

• All doctoral students must register for a minimum of 3 credit hours of dissertation work (BIOS

994).

8. Transfer of Credits

• A doctoral student may request transfer up to 6 credit hours from another institution. Courses

transferred are subject to examination at the time of the PhD oral examination. The Committee

may recommend the transfer of both course and residence credit in its report to the Graduate

School, which has the final responsibility for approving the transfer. Transferred credit does not

relieve the student of the residence requirement of at least one academic year of continuous

full-time study, or the equivalent, at UNC-CH.

Examinations and Dissertation

Written Qualifying Examinations

Each PhD student is required to pass the PhD written qualifying examinations in biostatistics theory and

applications. The PhD written qualifying examinations are usually taken in the beginning of the third year

of the program, depending on the student’s prior obtained degree before entering the program.

Preliminary Doctoral Oral Examination

In the Department of Biostatistics, the preliminary oral examination consists of two parts, a written

document, and an oral presentation. The preliminary doctoral written document also consists of two

parts:

• The first part is the student’s review of the literature for the proposed dissertation topic, on

which the student will be questioned by the Committee. This portion of the written document

must be at least 12 pages in length, excluding the bibliography section.

• The second part is concerned with the research already obtained, and the feasibility of the

proposed dissertation research. This portion of the written document must be at least 20 pages

in length, excluding the bibliography section. An appropriate maximum length for the literature

review and proposal is about 40 pages.

As stated in the Graduate School Handbook, students should have fulfilled, or will have fulfilled by the

end of the semester in which the preliminary oral examination is to be taken, all required course work

and the minimum residence requirements for the doctorate. Additional considerations include the

following:

1. No doctoral student is allowed to take the preliminary oral examination until they have passed

both the theory and applications written qualifying examinations.

• No doctoral student is allowed to take the preliminary oral examination without having

completed all necessary coursework covered on the exam.

• A student must be registered for at least three (3) credit hours of BIOS 994 to take the

preliminary oral examination.

• The preliminary oral examination must precede the final thesis defense by at least 4 months.

• In addition, no preliminary doctoral examination can be scheduled until the student has

obtained some tangible research results as judged by the dissertation advisor.

• The literature review and proposal to be considered at the preliminary oral examination must be

submitted to the Doctoral Committee at least three weeks before the oral is scheduled. An

appropriate maximum length for the literature review and proposal is about 40 pages

Preliminary Oral Examination Instructions

It is important that all PhD students follow the timeline and process for the preliminary oral examination

described here. This process should be started as soon as the dissertation committee is confirmed with

the advisor. A checklist of items that should be completed or are in progress before the preliminary oral

examination process can begin include:

• Student must have completed and passed the written qualifying examinations (theory and

applications).

• An abstract must be completed.

• The full proposal can be added later, but no less than 3 weeks before the prelim date.

• Both the Doctoral Committee Composition and Doctoral Exam Report forms must be completed,

saved, and uploaded into a folder created to contain all the dissertation materials. To begin the

process, students should access http://internal.bios.unc.edu, enter their ONYEN and password,

click OK, and proceed by clicking on Oral Exam Request. The following is a brief summary of the

timeline and steps required to complete the process:

• Section one should be completed. The student should enter their room information after they

have received confirmation from SPH.

• Section two should be completed. The dropdown box will have names of all BIOS faculty. If a

dissertation committee member is not in the list, their name will need to be entered.

o If a dissertation committee member is not listed on Graduate School Designation, a copy

of their CV should be uploaded. In general tenure track/tenured professors are on the

list, and fixed term may or may not be on the list. By clicking on Graduate School

Designation, a student can see if their committee members are listed.

• At 5 weeks out, the student will need to upload their abstract and ensure the Doctoral

Committee Composition and Doctoral Exam Report forms are uploaded.

• At 3 weeks out, the student will need to have their proposal uploaded in the online system. If

the time to the scheduled prelim is less than 3 weeks, the system will not allow the proposal to

be uploaded, and the prelim will need to be rescheduled.

• At 2 weeks out, the system will send out a prelim announcement, the doctoral committee

composition and doctoral exam report forms, and the proposal and abstract to the student and

their dissertation committee members.

After the examination, the completed reporting forms should be returned to the Academic Coordinator.

For any part of the prelim, the Dissertation Committee may award a PASS or FAIL, or a PASS subject to

specified conditions (such as additional course work, or the passing of a special examination covering a

specific topic). A student who fails a part of the prelim is entitled to one re- examination, but not until at

least 3 months have elapsed. Re-examination of the first part may be in writing, by request of the student.

Appeals of Committee decisions may be made to the faculty of the Department through the Department

Chair.

Final Dissertation Defense

When a date for the final dissertation defense (referred to as the Final Oral Examination in the Graduate

School Handbook) is chosen, the student will access http://internal.bios.unc.edu, enter their ONYEN and

password, click OK, and proceed by clicking on Final Exam Request. The student should enter their room

information, upload their abstract and dissertation. The system will notify the doctoral committee,

Biostatistics faculty and peers. enter their ONYEN and password, click OK, and proceed by clicking on Final

Exam Request. The student should enter their room information, upload their abstract and dissertation.

The system will notify the doctoral committee, Biostatistics faculty and peers.

At least three weeks after entry into http://internal.bios.unc.edu the candidate takes the final dissertation

defense. This includes a public exposition and defense of the dissertation, presented as a seminar or

colloquium, at which time the candidate answers questions regarding the dissertation that are raised by

the Committee and others present. Immediately after the public meeting, the Committee members meet

with the student to conclude the thesis defense, at which time they may also ask questions of the student

about the dissertation or other areas of research.

The Graduate School form for reporting the results of the final dissertation defense is sent by the

Academic Coordinator to the doctoral committee chair prior to the defense; the completed form is

returned to the Academic Coordinator following the defense.

A student must be registered for BIOS 994 for three (3) credit hours to take the final dissertation defense.

Environmental Science and Engineering

Key Personnel

Name and Title

Room

Contact

Rebecca Fry, Distinguished Professor and

Interim Chair

Rosenau 166A

[email protected]

Orlando Coronell, Associate Professor and

Associate Chair for Academics

Rosenau 163B

[email protected]

Jason West, Professor and Director of

Graduate Studies

Rosenau 140

[email protected]c.edu

Courtney Woods, Assistant Professor and

MPH Concentration Lead for Environmental

Health Solutions

Rosenau 146

cgwoods@email.unc.edu

Amanda Northcross, Associate Professor

and Director of Undergraduate Studies

Rosenau 160

amandaln@email.unc.edu

Joseph Brown, Associate Professor and Director

of Engineering Programs

Michael Hooker

Research Center

0032

joebrown@unc.edu

Jennifer Joyce Moore

Academic Coordinator

Rosenau 162B

ESEStudentServic[email protected]

jenjoyce@email.unc.edu

Kira S. Jones

Academic Program Services Coordinator

Rosenau 161

ESEStudentServices@unc.edu

[email protected]

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview

Increasingly, the faculty and students of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering

(ESE) are responding to, planning for, and working to mitigate new and evolving public health threats –

that oftentimes have a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. Some of these threats

include viruses transported by airborne particles, hazardous agents in contaminated floodwaters,

antibiotic resistance, air pollution exposures from drought-enabled wildfires, changes in water

availability in low-income countries, extreme weather-impacts on the financial health of local water

districts and exposures to legacy and emerging contaminants.

This work is uniquely possible at a place like Gillings, where engineering, science and public health are

found together, and where health equity is a part of our mission. Addressing surprising new challenges

requires a depth of knowledge, but also a willingness to teach and learn from others, to broaden your

perspective, to be creative and to work collaboratively across disciplinary boundaries. You will make the

most of your education when you seek out and embrace opportunities to do this.

We will need integrated and holistic solutions. If anything, the past decade has shown that stove-piped

responses will not deliver the long-term, sustainable results we need. Engineering solutions to

household water service provision, for example, must be done within the broader context of a one-

health approach to providing a disease-free living environment if we are to meaningfully reduce water-

related diseases. As environmental scientists and engineers located within the top public school of

public health, ESE is ideally positioned to provide holistic, intersectoral responses to mitigate and

prepare for the pressing environmental challenges (e.g., by characterizing susceptible populations,

characterizing and prioritizing health risks, examining energy policy options with co-benefits for health,

engaging communities to improve resilience, and designing next-generation technologies). Thus, while

we celebrate a century of environmental solutions to public health problems, we affirm our

commitment to build public health resilience to climate and environmental change.

ESE’s history of leadership. Our work today builds on ESE’s long tradition of local and global impact. We

are the nation’s first engineering department in a school of public health. We enrolled our first Sanitary

Engineering master’s student, Roy Jay Morton, under Thorndike Saville in the fall of 1920, when there

was a pronounced need to improve water safety in the towns and cities of North Carolina and also stark

inequities in water, sanitation and health between white and black neighborhoods. Our public health

achievements were notable, and also severely hampered by systemic racism. ESE was a founding

department of UNC’s School of Public Health (1940) under Herman Baity. The student body and

curriculum began a substantial evolution in the 1960s. We began admitting women (e.g., Linda Little)

and African American students (e.g., Bill Small, Otto White) and international aid organizations began

sending students from several continents to be educated by the department. A 1971 survey estimated

that 25% of graduates were addressing water and sanitation challenges in international health

organizations and foreign governments, including African and Latin American countries. Three of the

first four Directors of Environmental Health at the World Health Organization were our alumni. Under

the leadership of Dan Okun (1955-1973) and continuing under Russell Christman (1973-1989), ESE

became a truly interdisciplinary department, providing a quantitative education in environmental

sciences and engineering, with faculty expertise spanning sciences, engineering, management and policy

domains in air, water and industrial hygiene. The department’s current name was adopted in 1962 and

William Glaze (1989-1997) added faculty in the health sciences.

Building the next generation of leaders. Today, ESE has over 2000 practicing alumni. Our graduates take

with them an integrated, interdisciplinary, quantitative, mechanistic education that links health risks

back to sources. They are engaged in efforts to improve environmental quality locally and globally,

including through technological innovation, effective environmental policies, research and community

engagement. We have an internationally recognized faculty in air pollution, environmental health

sciences, climate change and health, global water policy, infectious disease and microbiology,

environmental chemistry, transport, energy, and engineering. We are home to UNC’s Water Institute,

Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems, the Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, and

participate in UNC’s strong university-wide environmental and climate change communities. Since its

founding, the Gillings School of Global Public Health has been a consistent advocate for health equity

locally and globally.

Help us build a more healthy, equitable and sustainable future.

Department Overview

Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) faculty, students and alumni harness

environmental solutions to enhance public health, well-being, and foster resilience in the face of climate

and environmental change. Interdisciplinary research in air quality and atmospheric processes, human

exposure and health effects, energy and complex systems modeling, and safe and reliable water

resources draw from faculty expertise in the physical and life sciences, engineering and policy. We work

to:

• Understand the environmental transport and transformation of chemicals and infectious agents;

• Protect vulnerable populations from toxic exposures;

• Mitigate the impacts of climate change on air, water and health; and

• Create a healthy, sustainable and equitable future.

This document is intended to provide a quick reference for students in our department.

What You Will Learn in this Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, a terminal degree, is intended for students with a strong

background in the sciences or engineering and prepares graduates for careers in basic and applied

research, education, advanced practice, and management in the field of environmental sciences and

engineering. Research, and publication in peer-reviewed journals, is a major focus of a PhD

education.

Success in achieving the Environmental Sciences and Engineering PhD discipline specific degree

competencies (see section C) is measured by the successful completion of all degree requirements

including formal course work; a comprehensive written exam; a preliminary oral exam (i.e.,

preparation and defense of a research dissertation proposal); preparation of a dissertation; and a final

oral exam (i.e., defense of the dissertation). All PhD students present their work in the Departmental

Seminar (ENVR 400). Although not a requirement, most will present their work at national and

international meetings and publish in peer-reviewed literature.

We offer a variety of primary and specialized courses intended to allow students to meet degree-specific

competencies.

ESE Student Services is the first point of contact for any questions or concerns. Email them

at: esestudentser[email protected]. A complete listing of faculty and staff is available online.

Note: At UNC-Chapel Hill, the Graduate School administers graduate degrees and is the official School for

graduate students. Its regulations, as set out in the Graduate School Handbook, are the final authority on

academic matters.

Admission Requirements

Detailed admission requirements for the PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering can be found

on The Graduate School’s website, under the Environmental Sciences and Engineering degree program

link in the Public Health section.

If a student is interested in moving from a Master’s to a Doctoral program, they should consult with

their faculty mentor and ESE Student Services.

With their faculty mentor’s support, a student can request to be promoted to PhD after the first

semester of a master’s program or after completing the master’s program by using the forms found

here. Students who request to promote using the forms will be considered by the ESE Admission

Committee, but don’t need to submit a formal application through SLATE (ApplyNow). Master’s

application materials and current UNC transcripts along with the faculty mentor’s recommendation are

reviewed. One consideration is whether there is funding to support the support the student through

their PhD.

The second option is for a student to submit a formal application to the PhD program using the SLATE

(ApplyNow) application. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for fall semester admission by the

December priority funding deadline. Students who apply this way are eligible for recruitment

awards/funding through the ESE Department, Gillings School of Global Public Health and The Graduate

School.

Promoted Students will receive an ESE Department Congratulations letter that confirms their

acceptance into the new graduate program. This email is sent from esestudentservices@unc.edu

Concentration Competencies

Competencies developed by ESE faculty define what students should know and be able to do upon

completion of the PhD program. Competencies guide our curriculum planning process and serve as

a measure against which student achievement is assessed. Following are the degree-specific

competencies for the PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering:

• Identify key knowledge gap(s), integrate knowledge, and design sound research strategies to

fill gap(s) in knowledge in a specific area within environmental sciences and engineering.

• Develop the ability to critically evaluate environmental sciences and engineering research.

• Demonstrate depth of knowledge in a specific area within environmental sciences

and engineering to support success in research.

• Develop skills to successfully execute a research design within the discipline of

environmental sciences and engineering.

• Develop the ability to present/communicate environmental sciences and engineering

research results formally to a broad audience.

The above competencies are met via specific courses and/or experiences as indicated in the ESE

Competencies Mapping.

Degree Requirements / Curriculum

Note: At UNC-Chapel Hill, the Graduate School administers graduate degrees and is the official School

for graduate students. Its regulations, as set out in the Graduate School handbook, are the final

authority on academic matters.

All graduate degrees offered by ESE include a culminating experience – a thesis (MS), technical report

(MSEE, MPH and MSPH), or dissertation (PhD). The culminating experiences provide students an

opportunity to synthesize, integrate and apply knowledge and skills learned in coursework and other

learning experiences and require students to demonstrate attainment of program competencies.

Upon admission, students are assigned a faculty mentor from the ESE faculty. The ESE Academic

Coordinator assists the student in navigating The Graduate School and departmental rules and

expectations. The faculty mentor guides them in choosing an appropriate program of coursework and

in forming a research committee, when appropriate. Usually, the faculty mentor will serve as the

student’s research mentor as well, though a research mentor from faculty (including adjunct faculty, or

faculty in other departments) may be assigned. In this case, both the faculty mentor and research

mentor will serve on the student’s examination committee.

The requirements for the PhD are governed by the Graduate School and ESE and include:

• Formation of a five-member (or more) committee tailored to the student's area of interest that

guides all aspects of the student’s study and research. A majority of the committee must be regular

faculty at ESE, though an exception may be requested from The Graduate School via a written

request from the ESE Director of Graduate Studies;

• Mastery of a depth of knowledge in a particular area of environmental health, sciences or

engineering: consisting of at least 15 credits of courses approved by the student and their

dissertation committee;

• Mastery of two research skills: to be determined by the student and dissertation committee. This

requirement can be met by taking two courses, hands-on workshops or other trainings leading to

certification, for example in various modeling software, or operator training on specialized

instrumentation;

• ENVR 400 (Departmental Seminar): for PhD students, this requires enrolling in 0.5 credits each

semester until students have attended 30 seminars, completed associated assignments, and

presented a seminar on their research. The course information will be available through Canvas –

see below for additional details;

• SPHG 600 (Introduction to Public Health);

• ENVR 601 (Epidemiology for Environmental Scientists) or EPID 600 (Principles of Epidemiology for

Public Health): higher level epidemiology courses can be substituted with approval of the ESE

Director of Graduate Studies;

• ENVR 703 (Proposal Writing for Environmental Research): taken when the student is or about to

write the dissertation proposal;

• ENVR 704 (Critical Analysis of Environmental Research): must be taken twice, preferably during the

first and second years;

• Completion of a “comprehensive written exam” to test student’s knowledge and evaluate

preparation for dissertation research (see below)

• Completion of a “preliminary oral exam” defending the student’s research dissertation proposal

(see below);

• Completion of a significant and original body of research, which requires a minimum of six

semester hours of ENVR 991 (Research in ESE) and a minimum of six hours of ENVR 994 (Doctoral

Dissertation) (see below); and

• Preparation, presentation, and oral defense of the research dissertation (i.e., “final oral exam”).

The PhD Course Planning Worksheet can be found here. The Worksheet includes an approximate

timeline for PhD students.

Full Time Status after Comprehensive Written Exam & ENVR 994

The following is ESE policy regarding credits necessary to maintain status as full-time student: Once a

PhD student’s Dissertation Committee has certified that the student’s coursework has been

completed, they have passed the comprehensive written exam, and the coursework/exam paperwork

is on file with ESE Student Services, the student will be considered full-time as long as the student is

registered for a minimum of 3 credits of ENVR 994. Students must be registered for a minimum of 3

credits of ENVR 994 when they take their preliminary oral exam (i.e., dissertation proposal defense)

Courses

A current listing of courses is available on our department’s course page.

ENVR 400 - Seminar Series

ENVR 400 is intended to provide students with exposure to the breadth of research activities in the

Department. It also provides an opportunity for doctoral students to gain experience presenting their

research to a diverse audience. Attendance and feedback policies are designed to encourage students to

support their colleagues in this endeavor, to provide feedback to them, and to ask questions to gain a

better understanding of their work.

Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2021 should follow the rules in place before then, but refer to

the Canvas site to ensure that you are fully acquainted with them. Students beginning their

matriculation in Fall 2021 or later semesters should follow the rules described in this handbook. For

specific descriptions of terms used here (such as attendance credit, hours of credit, feedback etc.),

please refer to the appropriate links on the Canvas site.

Students pursuing doctoral degrees must receive attendance credit for 30 seminars (and complete

associated assignments/feedback) in the ENVR 400 Seminar Series.). PhD students must also present a

seminar in the series prior to their dissertation defense (i.e., “final oral exam”). Seminar attendance

credits received by students while on the Master’s track in this department carry over to the PhD

track.

Students must begin meeting the ENVR 400 requirement in the first semester of their program. They

should register for 0.5 credits every semester they plan to attend ENVR 400 toward fulfilling its

requirements. PhD students continue to register and complete ENVR 400 requirements until they have

received 30 attendance credits and have presented their own seminar. Students should contact the

instructor of the course to schedule their seminar presentation. This should be given prior to their

dissertation defense.

To receive one attendance credit, students must attend one seminar and complete the associated

assignments as specified on the canvas site and syllabus. Each semester between 8 and 10 seminars are

scheduled in the ENVR 400 series at a fixed time and place identified on the course website and the

course Canvas site.

This course meets Competency #5 of the PhD degree in ESE (“Develop the ability to

present/communicate environmental sciences and engineering research results formally to a broad

audience”) and successful completion is required for graduation.

This course is currently (as of Fall 2023) being taught in a remote format. In semesters when the course

is taught “in person,” students will be expected to be present in person to receive attendance credit

unless special permission is obtained in advance. Details will be provided in the syllabus and Canvas.

ENVR 991 - Research in Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Until completion of coursework, students should register for ENVR 991 each semester that they are

doing research. Research credits should reflect the research effort of the student. Students can register

for 1- 9 credits of ENVR 991 per semester.

Research hours typically account for a significant number of credit hours each semester. Typically, a full-

time student will carry a total semester load of approximately 16 credits. Please note, 16 credits is the

maximum number of credit hours a graduate student can register for during a semester, without an

exception to policy (i.e., tuition increases above 16 credits). Keeping in mind these guidelines, students

should speak with their faculty mentor to determine the appropriate number of credits of ENVR 991 for

which to register.

Once a PhD student’s Dissertation Committee has certified that the student’s coursework has been

completed, they have passed the comprehensive written exam, and the coursework/exam paperwork is

on file with ESE Student Services, the student will be considered full-time as long as the student is

registered for a minimum of 3 credits of ENVR 994, in which case there would be no need to register for

ENVR 991. The student should discuss with their faculty mentor if they think this situation may be

applicable to them.

Part-time students should speak with their faculty mentor and or the ESE Academic Coordinator should

they have questions about registering for ENVR 991.

How to determine your research hours? Each semester, students who have not yet completed

coursework should register for any desired classes, making sure they are registered full-time (total of 9

credit hours including ENVR 991, or 3 credits of ENVR 994). Then, if appropriate, the student may

increase the number of registered ENVR 991 credit hours until the sum of all credit hours is 16 for the

semester. Please speak with your faculty mentor and/or the ESE Academic Coordinator so they can help

you calculate the appropriate number of research credit hours for which to register. For guidance in

deciding the number of ENVR 991 credits for which students should register, students and faculty

mentors may consult the credit hour definition by the UNC Registrar’s Office here.

ESE graduate students work hard on research, and this should be reflected in the number of research

hours students register for each semester. Registration for research credits ensures that you are

enrolled in the correct number of credits that corresponds with the work you are doing, and so

department resources are allocated accordingly.

Tuition Note: As outlined by the UNC Cashier's Office, tuition is assessed on a per credit hour basis. For

most graduate programs, tuition is capped at full-time enrollment, which is 9 credit hours for graduate

students. Estimated rates by program can be found using the tuition estimator. This means that 9 -16

credits cost the same amount of tuition. For more detailed tuition and fees information see the Cashier's

website.

Declaring a Minor

To request a minor, graduate students must fill out the appropriate form (“Minor Declaration Form”) on

The Graduate School’s forms page, and email it to ESE Student Services at esestudentservices@unc.edu.

Note that the courses in the minor field must be completed in addition to ESE requirements for the

graduate degree, as per the Graduate School’s Handbook.

Waiving School of Public Health Requirements

Students may petition to waive School of Public Health course requirements if they possess the

appropriate background, or they may substitute other courses in certain circumstances. More

information is available on the Gillings Academic Forms and Policies website.

PhD students with previous public health degrees do not need to meet the SPHG 600

requirement. Students can find the exemption form that needs to be completed here.

Examinations and Dissertation

Overview

All PhD applicants in ESE must pass a Comprehensive Written Exam and a Preliminary Oral Exam (i.e.,

dissertation proposal defense) prior to official acceptance as a doctoral candidate. As a doctoral

candidate, students complete their research and document it in the form of a Dissertation that they

submit to their Dissertation Committee and defend orally during what is called the Final Oral Exam (i.e.,

dissertation oral defense). For the entire process (i.e., coursework, comprehensive written exam,

preliminary oral exam (dissertation proposal), and final oral exam (dissertation defense)), the student

should seek the advice and approval of the Dissertation Committee.

Dissertation Committee Composition

The Dissertation Committee should be formed by the end of the first calendar year. The Committee

consists of at least five (5) members with the following requirements:

• The majority of the committee members must hold tenured, tenure-track, or research faculty

appointments in ESE

• Other committee members may be members of other academic departments at UNC, or

members of the Graduate Faculty or special appointees

• Special appointees must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School (note: consult with

ESE Student Services to obtain help with the special appointment process of a committee

member). These faculty serve as Fixed-Term Faculty.

• Committee membership must be approved by The Graduate School

Students should decide, in consultation with their faculty mentors, the composition of their Dissertation

Committee.

Comprehensive Written Exam

Before scheduling the Comprehensive Written Exam, the following must be completed:

1. All required coursework (except ENVR 400 and 703) or the student must be in the final semester

of the course plan approved by their Dissertation Committee

2. Residence Credit requirement and any conditions attached to admission

Once these milestones have been completed, the student meets with their faculty mentor for approval

to take the comprehensive written exam. A Dissertation Committee meeting is then scheduled. During

this meeting the student should seek approval from the Dissertation Committee to take the

Comprehensive Written Exam.

The following items should be sent to the committee members prior to the meeting and are to be

brought to the meeting.

• A list of all coursework and research skills completed

• A brief outline/description of dissertation topic

• A timeline for completion of research

When approval is granted, the student and faculty mentor sign and return the Application to Take the

PhD Comprehensive Written Exam Form to ESE Student Services. In signing the form, the faculty mentor

certifies that the student is qualified to take the exam. The signature of the Faculty Mentor (if different

from the Research Mentor) is required to certify that the Committee agrees that the coursework is

complete. The completed form is submitted to ESE Student Services.

Comprehensive Written Exam Format: The format of the Comprehensive Written Exam shall be

proposed by the student’s faculty or research mentor, after consultation with the student, and approved

by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee.

The following Graduate School form must be signed after passing this comprehensive written exam:

Doctoral Exam Report Form (PART I)

Once a PhD student’s Dissertation Committee has certified that the student’s coursework has been

completed, they have passed the comprehensive written exam, and the coursework/exam paperwork is

on file with ESE Student Services, the student will be considered full-time as long as the student is

registered for a minimum of 3 credits of ENVR 994.

Preliminary Oral Exam (a.k.a. Dissertation Proposal Defense)

The Preliminary Oral Exam (i.e., Dissertation Proposal Defense) should be scheduled as soon as

reasonably possible, generally within no more than six to twelve months after successful completion of

the comprehensive written exam. The Dissertation Proposal Defense cannot be taken before the

comprehensive written exam is passed. The student should coordinate with the Dissertation Committee

to schedule a date for the preliminary oral exam. Once a date is determined, the student must schedule

a room and ensure the availability of the appropriate technology.

Copies of the dissertation proposal should be distributed to the dissertation committee members 3

weeks before the defense. The preliminary oral exam is administered by the Doctoral Dissertation

Committee with the faculty mentor (faculty mentor if different from the research mentor) as

chairperson – all committee members must be present.

Students must be registered for a minimum of 3 credits of ENVR 994 when they take their preliminary

oral exam (dissertation proposal defense). Note that a minimum of six hours of ENVR 994 needs to be

taken during a doctoral student’s program – a student may consider registering for three hours of 994

prior to the preliminary oral exam if they anticipate graduating after only one additional semester.

Dissertation proposal document format: The format of the dissertation proposal document should be

discussed with the faculty mentor (and research mentor, if different). Many students write a proposal

using the guidelines for research proposals set by funding agencies such as EPA, NIH or NSF.

The Permission to Take the Oral Exam, signed by the student’s faculty mentor, documents that the

student is ready to take the preliminary oral exam (Dissertation Proposal Defense).

The following Graduate School form must be signed after passing the proposal defense: Doctoral

Exam Report Form (PART II)

Final Oral Exam (a.k.a. Dissertation Oral Defense)

After passing both the Comprehensive Written Exam and Preliminary Oral Exam (Dissertation Proposal

Defense), a PhD dissertation must be written and defended orally. The candidate’s research mentor

(and faculty mentor if different from research mentor) must review and approve the dissertation draft

before distribution to the Dissertation Committee. The Committee must have sufficient time to review

the dissertation draft prior to the defense. Therefore, copies of the dissertation should be distributed to

the Dissertation Committee approximately two weeks before the final oral exam (Dissertation Oral

Defense). The doctoral candidate must coordinate with the Committee the date and time for the

Defense.

The Permission to Take the Oral Exam, signed by the student’s faculty mentor, documents that the

student is ready to take the final oral exam (Dissertation Oral Defense).

Dissertation document format: a Dissertation is a highly technical document comprising the body of

original research work performed by the student during their doctoral studies. Students should discuss

with their faculty mentor the specific format to use, but a typical format is composed of 5-6 chapters

where the first chapter is an Introductory chapter, the following three chapters are three distinct

scientific contributions to the student’s field of study (e.g., three research papers published or

publishable in peer-reviewed journals), and Conclusions/Implications/Future Work chapter(s).

• Formatting Previously Published Work. In some cases, students gain approval from their

academic program to include in their thesis or dissertation previously published (or submitted,

in press, or under review) journal articles or similar materials that they have authored. For more

information about including previously published works in your thesis or dissertation, see the

section on Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials and the section on Copyrighting. If

appropriate, published articles can be included as separate individual chapters within the thesis

or dissertation.

Dissertation Oral Defense format: For all degrees, the thesis/dissertation defense (final oral exam) is a

45-minute public seminar in which the results of research are presented, using visual aids (e.g.,

PowerPoint) as appropriate. The presentation is organized according to specific aim(s), description of

the background and context of the research, the experimental design (and hypothesis if appropriate),

the experiments, and the results obtained. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the

significance of the findings, and the implications for environmental health. The general audience then

has the opportunity to ask questions. After the open questions (and possibly a short break, and/or

private discussion among the Committee), the Committee will meet in closed session with the candidate

to ask more detailed questions about the research, the presentation and interpretation of the results,

the conclusions, and potentially any other material that a student in the designated program could

reasonably be expected to know. At the conclusion of the closed session the candidate will be excused

while the Committee confer among themselves to evaluate the thesis/dissertation and defense.

The Committee makes recommendations for revisions to the thesis/dissertation. A PDF file of the final

dissertation is uploaded to ProQuest.

The following Graduate School form must be signed after passing the dissertation defense (final oral

exam): Doctoral Exam Report Form (PART III)

The following Graduate School form must be signed when the Committee approves the dissertation:

Doctoral Exam Report Form (PART IV)

Completing Graduate School Defense Paperwork

Please see our detailed help documentation that identifies where ESE graduate students and faculty

should complete and sign the defense paperwork required by The Graduate School (see Figure 1 & 2

below, under How to Complete Required Dissertation Defense Paperwork). This paperwork must be

completed and submitted to the ESE Academic Coordinator (esestudentservices@unc.edu) before

students submit their dissertation to The Graduate School.

Dissertation Submission

Please refer to The Graduate School submission instructions. After the dissertation is revised to the

dissertation committee’s satisfaction and signed, the student will upload it to the ProQuest Thesis and

Dissertations database (note that there is a fee). The Graduate School will review it before it is published

and may require some revisions (usually formatting) from the student.

Guidelines for Formatting Dissertations

Dissertations must follow the formatting guidelines as laid out in the Graduate School Thesis and

Dissertation Guide.

Guidelines for Submitting Dissertations

These are currently outlined on the Submission of Final Work webpage. Dissertations are uploaded to

the ProQuest database through the Graduate School.

Other Important Information

Courses

A current listing of courses is available on our department’s course page.

Inter-Institutional Registration

UNC-Chapel Hill has inter-institutional agreements with Duke University, North Carolina State

University, North Carolina Central University, and the UNC Campuses in Charlotte and Greensboro.

More information is located here on the Registrar’s website. The form must be signed by the

student and their faculty mentor before being submitted to ESE Student Services.

Note: Gilling’s policy for accepting inter-institutional classes differs from the UNC Registrar. Before

registering for a class, meet with the Academic Coordinator to make sure credit can be transferred

and applied.

Faculty Research Interests

Please see our faculty research page here.

Residency and Tuition Remission

The state of North Carolina distinguishes between residents and non-residents for tuition purposes.

Non-residents must pay an out-of-state portion of tuition.

Non-resident students should start taking steps to apply for NC Residency as soon as they arrive.

Information on residency is located on the Registrar’s website. US citizens and US permanent residents

who are non-residents are strongly encouraged by the Department to apply for NC residency once in

state for 365 days. It is possible to obtain residency shortly after a year of living in North Carolina, but

only if a substantial number of tasks (e.g., registering a vehicle, registering to vote, paying taxes in North

Carolina) are completed within a short period of time after moving to the state. The intent of this

process is to demonstrate that the student is intending to set up domicile in North Carolina – not simply

live here to go to university.

International students cannot apply for residency, though permanent residents of the United States

can (see the North Carolina State Residence Manual linked to from the Graduate School’s website for

more information).

Why ESE Graduate Students Need to Gain NC Residency?

We expect domestic students to obtain NC Residency during their first year. You should gain residency

as soon as you can because the out-of-state portion of tuition costs each student about $18,000/year.

For students who serve as TAs, the sponsoring department rarely covers the out-of-state portion after

the first year. Thus, students need to begin the process of applying for residency as soon as they arrive.

Students can reapply every semester until residency is granted.

You can find more information about the NC Residency Eligibility Requirements here.

Insurance

If a student is on the GRA/TA/Fellow (GSHIP) plan, they must waive the compulsory UNC Student Blue

insurance every semester. If a student is on other insurance (e.g. a spouse’s) they must also waive the

compulsory UNC insurance every semester. Otherwise, the student will be enrolled in the regular

student plan and be billed accordingly.

GRAs, TAs and Fellows who are on the GSHIP will be sent a 1112.1.1f UNC-CH Graduate Student

Health Insurance Program form. Students will need to return this form as soon as they can,

preferably before August.

Note that for students graduating or coming off payroll, the GSHIP is cancelled quite soon afterward (the

end of May for May graduates, or for those coming off payroll in May), so they should make other

arrangements as soon as they can, whether through an employer or through the marketplace.

Continuing students who are coming off payroll and GSHIP insurance in May can enroll in Student Blue

plan at any time of the year as losing GSHIP is considered a qualifying life event to enroll in Student Blue.

Committee and Faculty Mentor Meeting forms

A Committee Meeting form should be submitted to the student services office for every formal meeting

that takes place between a student and their committee. In lieu of this form, a brief statement

describing the meeting (who was present, discussion topics etc.) could be submitted. Any changes to a

student's committee should be reported to ESE Student Services at esestudentse[email protected].

We also encourage you to use the Faculty Mentor Meeting form when you meet with your faculty

mentor.

Policies for Changing Faculty Mentors

Students may change their faculty or research mentor if they find a willing new mentor to take them on.

There is no formal process for this, but students should consult with their current faculty mentor,

particularly if they are being funded through a research assistantship with that faculty mentor. Students

should then notify ESE Student Services at esestudentservices@unc.edu so they can update your

student record.

Students who need assistance handling a problem with their faculty mentor should talk to the Director

of Graduate Studies or the Academic Coordinator. If they find they need additional assistance, they can

make an appointment with the ESE Department Chair ([email protected]).

Addressing Students Concerns

Your well-being and positive student experience are important to us. Please visit and bookmark this

page for reference. We are committed to addressing issues in a fair, timely and professional manner. We

know it will not be possible in some cases, but to help us achieve the best outcome, we ask students to

follow the 5 steps below whenever possible:

Step 1: Contact your instructor, the individual with whom you have a concern, or your faculty

mentor as appropriate. Most concerns can be resolved through discussion between the

person(s) involved. If you are uncomfortable interacting directly with the person(s), or if the

concern is not resolved satisfactorily, proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Discuss the matter with your department’s Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) or the

ESE Academic Coordinator. If you have consulted with the DGS, or designee, and still believe the

matter has not been dealt with satisfactorily or equitably, proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Discuss the matter with your Department Chair. If you believe the matter has not been

dealt with satisfactorily or equitably, you can proceed to step 4.

Step 4: Schedule a meeting with Charletta Sims Evans, the SPH Associate Dean for Student

Affairs (simsevan@email.unc.edu), if you need further consultation.

Step 5: If the issue is still not resolved and you are a graduate student: schedule a meeting with

Kate McAnulty, the associate dean for student affairs in The Graduate School

([email protected]). Undergraduate students, contact the Office of Dean of Students.

Room and Audio/Video (AV) and Other Equipment Reservations

Relevant information is located on the Gillings website. Other equipment for check-out, as well as

audio and video editing facilities, are located in the basement of the House Undergraduate Library.

Poster Printing

Conveniently located at the center of campus on the third floor of Student Stores, the UNC Print Stop

and Copy Center offers printing and copying services. You can find more information about poster

printing here.

Defense Timeline and Announcements

To announce your Dissertation defense, students should send an email to esestud[email protected]

that contains their name, the type of defense they will complete, date of defense, Zoom link or location,

thesis or dissertation title, abstract, and committee members (indicate dissertation committee

chair/faculty mentor). Please follow the following format/template:

1. Student Name

2. Type of defense

3. Date

4. Zoom link or Location

5. Title:

6. Abstract:

7. Committee Members (indicate committee chair):

Defenses should be scheduled at least two weeks before The Graduate School submission deadlines

so that students have time to incorporate any committee edits and complete submission

formatting requirements.

Students are encouraged, but not required, to make their defense open to the public.

How to Complete Required Dissertation Defense Paperwork

Completing the official dissertation defense paperwork required by the Graduate School can be

confusing. We have laid out where students and faculty need to sign these forms (below, Figure 1 &

Figure 2). This paperwork should be returned to the ESE Academic Coordinator at

esestudentservices@unc.edu.

Students should communicate with their faculty mentor about what other materials they should bring

to their defense.

General Information

• University Academic Calendar

• University Academic Integrity Standards

• University Explanation of Grading

Figure 1: Report of Doctoral Committee Composition and Report of Approved Dissertation Project

(click to access this form via The Graduate School – High Res). Help document can also be found on the

ESE Graduate Student Canvas site.

Figure 2: Doctoral Exam Report (click here to access this form via The Graduate School – High Res).

This help document can also be found on the ESE Graduate Student Canvas site.

Epidemiology

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview

This section of the handbook provides comprehensive information on policies and requirements for the

Doctoral program in the Department of Epidemiology. It is intended for the use of students and faculty

and is updated annually. Many forms are referenced throughout this document and can be found at the

links below. You need to pay close attention to the instructions in this document regarding which forms

you complete and which ones the Academic Coordinator will complete.

What you will Learn in the Program

Students in the Department of Epidemiology master study design, methodological, and quantitative

analysis skills and develop subject area-specific expertise so as to advance knowledge regarding the

causes and prevention of disease and the promotion of health.

Department Mission Statement

Our mission is to improve the public’s health by training epidemiologists and by advancing knowledge

concerning the causes and prevention of disease and the promotion of health. We strive to creatively

integrate substantive knowledge and methods from many fields into epidemiologic research, teaching,

and practice, with an ultimate commitment to benefit public health.

Our goals are to:

I. Provide the highest quality education to enable scientists and health professionals to advance

epidemiology as a discipline and apply their skills to advance scientific knowledge in public and

private settings.

II. Advance interdisciplinary and multilevel knowledge of health and disease in populations.

III. Create and evaluate opportunities to promote health and reduce illness and disability in

populations regardless of socioeconomic status. (i.e., a diversity goal).

IV. Innovate and advance the field of epidemiology through the development of epidemiologic

methods.

V. Partner with public health agencies to improve the health of populations through the training of

public health leaders and the application of epidemiologic knowledge by public health

practitioners.

VI. Improve the health of populations in the State of North Carolina and globally.

Overview

Department Organization

The Department of Epidemiology’s Chair is Til Stürmer, MD, PhD. Dr. Audrey Pettifor is Associate Chair

of the department. Department faculty as of July 2023 include 39 tenure track faculty (including 10

jointly appointed) and 23 fixed-term faculty (including 2 jointly appointed). There are 56 staff who help

with the central and research administrative aspects of the department. A listing of department faculty

and staff can be found here- https://sph.unc.edu/epid/epid-faculty-and-staff/.

The students have a central organizational group – the Epidemiology Student Organization. Their email

address is eso@unc.edu.

The Department of Epidemiology has four standing committees: 2 Admissions Committees (PhD/MSCR

and MPH), Graduate Studies Committee and Epidemiology Inclusive Excellence. In addition, there is

faculty representation to several SPH committees: IRB, Academic Programs Committee, Inclusive

Excellence Council, Research, Space, and Academic Promotion and Tenure.

The Admissions Committees handle all aspects of the admissions and recruitment process. Membership

consists of faculty from the major focus areas, as well as the Academic Coordinator.

The Graduate Studies Committees provide oversight for the department’s graduate program with

respect to overall curriculum development and evaluation, requirements, qualifying examinations, new

course and program approval, and other academic matters. Membership consists of departmental

faculty representing both methods and substantive areas, the Academic Coordinator, and 2 to 3 student

representatives identified by the Epidemiology Student Organization to serve on the committee.

Admission Requirements

• A relevant master’s or professional degree is beneficial, but not required. Students who have

earned a bachelor’s degree may still be admitted.

• Strong quantitative and biological preparation is highly encouraged.

University Academic Calendar

The university academic calendar can be found here: University Academic Calendar

University Academic Integrity Standards

Information on the university academic integrity standards can be found here: University Academic

Integrity Standards

Degree Competencies

The PhD program presupposes a foundation of knowledge of concepts and skills of epidemiology, an

understanding of public health concepts and the population perspective, and the ability to read with

sophistication reports of clinical and epidemiological studies. The PhD program assumes that graduates'

professional identity and primary area of expertise will be in epidemiology, though the student may

possess a prior area of professional expertise (such as medicine, nursing, or pharmacy).

The PhD program is designed to equip persons to function as independent researchers in academia,

research institutes, government, or industry. While graduates often seek additional experience by way

of postdoctoral training, a graduate of the PhD program is prepared to function as a faculty member of a

graduate program in a university or in a position in a public health organization, government or industry,

or multi-disciplinary setting of comparable independence and responsibility.

The competencies of the doctoral program in Epidemiology (listed below) guide our curriculum planning

process and serve as a measure against which student achievement is assessed. The competencies

should be read in relation to the School’s mission. They fully meet the competencies set out for doctoral

education at the UNC School of Public Health.

Upon satisfactory completion of the PhD degree program the student will be able to:

1. Identify, critically review, and synthesize the relevant body of scientific literature, identifying

gaps and important questions, constructing specific research questions, and considering the

perspectives of relevant community stakeholders.

2. Design epidemiologic studies - including appropriate study populations, considering the

relevance and importance of diversity in study populations, strategies of data collection, data

collection instruments, ethical data collection procedures - to identify or monitor public health

problems, investigate etiologic and preventive relations, predict health outcomes, and provide

epidemiologic input for program evaluation.

3. Develop detailed protocols for collecting epidemiologic data by means such as questionnaires,

biomarkers, interviews, medical records, data systems and other data sources, with adequate

consideration of diverse group perspectives, historical experiences, ethical and privacy

considerations, data management principles, data security, quality control, and oversight.

4. Develop detailed data analysis plans and conduct data analyses for epidemiologic data such as

data collected from individuals and data systems, including datasets made available by

governmental and other organizations, to address research questions and estimate relevant

population parameters, taking account of data quality, measurement error (including

measurement of social constructs such as race, ethnicity, and gender), and potential for bias,

including confounding.

5. Work in interdisciplinary teams and contribute results from epidemiologic research to an

integration with findings from other scientific literature (biological, psychological, sociological)

and other substantive information (e.g., community perspectives, concerns, and historical

injustices).

6. Understand how epidemiological research relates to improving population health and working

to advance health equity.

7. Develop skills in teaching epidemiology and in presenting oral and written reports and

explanations to professional, student, and lay audiences; providing comments, questions, and

suggestions to colleagues presenting epidemiologic research or methods in written and oral

form; and responding professionally and effectively to comments and questions from editors,

peer reviewers, and readers/students/listeners.

Research Program Area Learning Objectives

Each major program area has established guidelines to ensure that the curriculum successfully

addresses those issues that are specific to that area of research. This includes identification of learning

objectives, methods for satisfying those learning objectives and monitoring of evidence of achievement

of the learning objectives. Learning objectives are provided for the following program areas: cancer,

cardiovascular disease, environmental/occupational, infectious diseases, injury, pharmacoepidemiology,

reproductive/perinatal/ pediatric, and social epidemiology. The learning objectives can be found in the

UNC OneDrive Student Resources folder at https://go.unc.edu/epi-student-resources under Program

Area Learning Objectives.

Degree Requirements/Curriculum

The PhD in Epidemiology is an academic doctoral degree. It is a research degree, centered on a major

research project within a broad public health orientation and seeking to integrate related disciplines.

The program averages three to five years. Coursework and preliminary examinations normally require

three years, with the remainder of the time devoted to the research and completion of the dissertation.

The Department specifies degree requirements within a framework prescribed by the Graduate School.

For a checklist of doctoral degree milestones, as well as sample schedules and timelines, go to the UNC

OneDrive Student Resources folder at https://go.unc.edu/epi-student-resources.

Required EPID Core Methods Courses

Required Course

Typically Taken

• EPID 704: Socially Responsible Epidemiology

year Fall

• EPID 705: Introduction to Logic and Probability Logic in Epidemiology

year Fall

• EPID 710: Fundamentals of Epidemiology [EPID 711 may be

substituted by clinicians]

year Fall

• EPID 712: Readings in Fundamentals of Epidemiology

year Fall

• BIOS 600: Principles of Statistical Inference or BIOS 650: Elements of

Probability and Statistical Inference I or BIOS 662: Intermediate

Statistical Methods

year Fall

• BIOS 645: Principles of Experimental Analysis or BIOS 663:

Intermediate Linear Models

year Spring

• EPID 715: Theory and Quantitative Methods in Epidemiology

year Spring

• EPID 716: Epidemiologic Data Analysis

year Spring

• EPID 718: Analytic Methods in Observational Epidemiology

year Fall

• EPID 722: Epidemiologic Analysis of Time-to-Event Data

year Spring

• EPID 726: Epidemiologic Research Methods

year Fall

Additional Courses

• SPHG 600: Introduction to Public Health (Students who hold a public health undergraduate or

graduate degree (e.g., BSPH, MPH, MSPH, DrPh) from a CEPH-accredited school or a CEPH

accredited program may be exempt. Other students may be able to exempt, see details at

Applying for a Core Exemption.)

• Substantive epidemiology courses: minimum of two courses; consisting of 1.) a minimum of 2

credits in the student’s program area of study and 2.) a minimum of 2 credits in an area (or

areas) outside of student’s program area of study (i.e., one 2 credit course, or two 1 credit

courses).

• Advanced statistics course/s as determined with mentor and specified by intradepartmental

review committee (e.g., BIOS 664, BIOS 665, BIOS 667). Other courses approved to date by the

GSC to meet this requirement include HBEH 762 (the 3-credit version only), SOWO 916, SOWO

917, SOCI 711, SOCI 717, and SOCI 718. Note that intermediate level BIOS courses (i.e., 550,

662, 663) do not count as the 3

level course.

• Other coursework as stipulated by program area guidelines. (Refer to relevant program area at the

UNC OneDrive Student Resources folder at https://go.unc.edu/epi-student-resources, under

Program Area Curriculum Pathways.

• Other coursework as determined with mentor and specified by intradepartmental review

committee.

• EPID 994: Dissertation research hours, minimum of a total of six credit hours required (At

minimum, three credits when defending proposal and three credits at final defense. Additional

credit hours as needed.).

On-Site Doctoral Studies Policy

Doctoral students are strongly encouraged to complete their doctoral studies on-site, such that they can

freely participate in planned (e.g., seminars, journal clubs, peer group meetings, etc.) and impromptu

activities with the local community of scholars. This is not to discourage valuable off-site experiences,

such as internships, practicums, study site visits, or data collection; rather, this is to discourage

relocation outside commuting distance to the UNC campus before completion of doctoral studies.

Off-site doctoral studies may be permissible after successful completion of the following: (i) Graduate

School residency requirements, (ii) Epidemiology qualifying examinations, (iii) dissertation proposal

defense, and (iv) written approval by the mentor and a majority of the doctoral research committee.

Doctoral students should be aware of the following: (i) NIH training grants do not allow off-site doctoral

studies, (ii) some Epidemiology faculty members will not work with off-site students, and (iii) periodic

return trips to UNC will be required to meet with your mentor and committee members. Time to

completion of the doctoral degree is often longer for off-site students.

Other Degree Requirements

• One semester teaching experience in epidemiology (see next page for list of approved courses)

• Practicum requirement demonstrating experience in a minimum of two study implementation

activities as determined with mentor

• Competence in statistical computing and data management; may be satisfied by:

o EPID 700: SAS and Data Management

o BIOS 511: Introduction to Statistical Computing and Data Management, or

o Prior experience using SAS (exemption exam required prior to beginning fall term)

• Competence in scientific writing

• Intradepartmental Review planning session

• Preliminary Doctoral Examinations:

o Written examination: Doctoral Qualifying Examination- Methods and Substantive

Components

o Oral Examination: On the dissertation proposal

• Submission of a minimum of one manuscript from dissertation research to an external peer review

mechanism prior to the dissertation defense

• Other requirements as specified by mentor (e.g., some may require two papers submitted,

attendance at journal clubs and/or seminars, etc.)

• Other requirements as specified by program area (follow link to your specific area of focus-

sph.unc.edu/epid/epidemiology-research/)

• Doctoral Dissertation

• Final Defense of Dissertation

Doctoral students plan coursework beyond the core requirements in consultation with the mentor and

the intradepartmental review committee. Doctoral students are expected to take some higher-level

biostatistics course(s). Additional substantive epidemiology courses are strongly recommended.

Teaching Requirement

The teaching experience is a requirement for students admitted into the doctoral program. The purpose

of the teaching requirement is to make available to all doctoral students a learning experience in

effective communication in their field of scientific work, and a tutored practice in the teaching of

epidemiology. These skills and their application are part of the department's goals in the training of an

epidemiologist leading to the PhD degree.

The student's mentor(s) is/are responsible for assisting in the development of a plan and timing that

best fits the student's training path. The teaching experience may be paid (Teaching Assistant, or TA).

For students who are not eligible to receive pay, or who choose not to, the experience may be reflected

in credit hours by registering for EPID 883 (Teaching Intern, or TI). We encourage students to seek out

teaching experience (either paid, for credit, or volunteer) beyond this single requirement, especially in

courses that are pertinent to their program area or focus of research.

Goals of the Teaching Requirement

The main goals of the teaching requirement are to gain experience in direct instruction of students in

epidemiologic research, typically through classroom instruction or office hours; academic support of

students; and evaluation of student work typically through grading. While not always an opportunity for

teaching assistants, experience in development of course materials and syllabus can also be valuable. A

TA position that is primarily administrative (e.g., Sakai management, guest lecturer coordination) would

not meet the goals of the requirement.

Options for Satisfying the Teaching Requirement

There are many options for satisfying the teaching requirements. Courses that often have opportunities

for epidemiology PhD students are SPHG 712 (Public Health Methods and Measures), one of the courses

in the MPH Integrated Core, and EPID 600 (Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health), a service course

for non-majors. TAs for EPID 600 may have the option of assisting with the on-campus version or the

distance-learning version. Students who have completed more advanced training may serve as TAs for

EPID 700, 705, 710, 712, 715, 716, 718, or 722, or EPID 711/PUBH 760. TAs in the advanced level

courses usually serve at the invitation of the primary course instructor; however, the instructors will

always welcome an inquiry from students who have a strong interest in a particular course. Other

options approved to date by the GSC for satisfying the teaching requirement are EPID 743, 750, 759, and

790. Courses may be added to this list at the request of the primary instructor with supporting

justification that the course’s TA position addresses the goals of the teaching requirement. Requests for

a course to be added should be submitted by the primary instructor to the Graduate Studies Committee

through the Academic Coordinator.

Doctoral students who have acquired comparable experience in the teaching of epidemiology prior to

entry into the doctoral program may request an exemption from this requirement by documenting their

past experience in this respect. Requests for exemptions to the teaching requirement are submitted to

the Graduate Studies Committee through the Academic Coordinator. A request should carry the co-

signature of the student's mentor.

International students who plan to TA should first complete GRAD 810, Communication in the American

Classroom. If an international student has extensive experience in US classrooms (e.g., earned an

undergraduate and/or graduate degree in the US), then they can submit a request to waive this

requirement.

Doctoral Practicum Requirement

The field conduct of studies and related activities is an integral part of the life of an epidemiologist.

Practical aspects of study conduct can include everything from designing questionnaires and subject

recruitment to the collection of biologic samples and laboratory analysis. These activities are

challenging and require a number of skills and experiences. Moreover, failure to properly conduct

studies can waste precious resources and potentially invalidate study findings. Because students often

conduct their dissertation research based on secondary analysis of data, this requirement will ensure

that doctoral students in the Department of Epidemiology have been directly involved in at least two

hands-on experiences in the practical conduct of studies.

Requirement Details

All students in the PhD program must demonstrate adequate practical experience in a minimum of two

study implementation activities. Adequate practical experience will be defined as a meaningful field

experience, study conduct or implementation activity totaling approximately 80 hours for all activities.

The student's mentor (not the Academic Coordinator) will assist with the selection of eligible activities,

the time and effort required, and provide the final approval. The mentor is not required to supervise

the actual activities. These activities can be part of the dissertation project. Pay is neither required nor

prohibited.

Options for Satisfying the Practicum Requirement*

• Development and testing of study protocols

• Staff training and certification

• Subject recruitment

• Questionnaire design and pretesting

• Interviewing

• Working with the community to implement research and community engagement

• Coding, Data management, Data organization

• Medical or other records abstraction

• Designing and implementing quality control activities

• Biospecimen collection

• Laboratory analysis

• Environmental, occupational, or personal exposure monitoring

• Collection of measurements on study participants

• Other activity as approved with mentor

*Does not include activity that is at the same time, a required part of an existing course.

Format

No exemptions based on practical experience prior to entrance into the doctoral program will be

allowed; the student will have to choose an activity not performed in the past.

Checkpoints: (a) Planning and scheduling of this activity with the mentor, (b) Intradepartmental Review

and proposal defense. The deadline is the final defense of the dissertation.

Report of Completion

A brief (1 page) final report is to be turned in to the mentor, along with the Practicum Verification form

(Epidemiology Student Resources site on OneDrive) for each activity separately. The report should

summarize the activities conducted to satisfy the requirement and refer specifically back to the doctoral

competencies. Copies of both the report and the verification form are then to be submitted to the

Academic Coordinator.

The Intradepartmental Review

Composition of the intradepartmental review committee is decided in consultation with the doctoral

mentor and consists of three members of the epidemiology faculty. A subject matter expert can be

substituted for one member with departmental approval (contact the Academic Coordinator for

approval). At least one must have a primary appointment (neither adjunct nor clinical) in the

Department of Epidemiology.

The intradepartmental review is guided by the Intradepartmental Review form. At least a week before

the intradepartmental review, the student provides each participant with the following, organized

following the sections of the Intradepartmental Review form so as to facilitate efficient review:

• Summary of completion of or plans to complete each degree requirement

• Summary of how each PhD competency has been achieved

• Summary of how each program area learning objective has been achieved

• Summary or outline of the proposed dissertation project

• Statement on long-term career goals

• An updated CV

• IRB training certificate in the student’s name

• Practicum requirement verification (if complete)

A copy of the entire packet given to your IDR Committee must be provided to the Academic

Coordinator.

The student must obtain the Intradepartmental Review form through the Epidemiology Student

Resources site on OneDrive. The form will be completed by the Committee Chairperson during the IDR.

During the session, the student and committee plan the training needs and opportunities best suited to

the doctoral research identified by the student. The student is responsible for giving a copy of the

signed checklist to each member of the IDR committee and filing the original copy with the Academic

Coordinator.

Additional Degree and Curriculum Information

Academic Advisor Assignment

The Academic Coordinator for the Department of Epidemiology is the academic advisor for all students

during their time in the program.

Faculty Mentor Assignments

When a student is admitted to the EPID program, a faculty mentor assignment is made based on factors

such as mutual interests and faculty mentoring load. Within the student and faculty population, there is

great diversity in work styles. While in most instances the original assignment will prove to be a

satisfactory and fulfilling relationship, there are reasons why these first matches may not always be the

best pairing to meet the needs of the student. Therefore, there may be times when the student and/or

the mentor feel that the student's needs may be better served by another mentor. Change is

encouraged to facilitate the best possible mentoring experience.

Changing Faculty Mentors

Once the student identifies a new faculty member who is willing to serve as their mentor, the student

asks the faculty member to sign a Mentor Assignment/Change form (available on the Epidemiology

Student Resources OneDrive site) indicating that they have agreed to mentor the student. This form is

then filed with the Academic Coordinator.

A student who is considering a change in mentors is encouraged to discuss the situation with their

current mentor. If for any reason the student is not comfortable doing this, they should consult with the

Academic Coordinator about how to proceed, depending on the specific circumstances. When a change

in mentors is made, the student should notify the now-prior mentor as a matter of courtesy. However,

if this proves to be a problem, the Academic Coordinator should be asked to assist.

Communication

The mentor/mentee relationship benefits from good communication. Establishing expectations of both

the faculty member and the student at the outset of the mentor/mentee relationship is a major

component of good communication. Listed below are some suggestions for topics for discussion

between mentor and mentee, beginning at the first meeting:

1. preferred method of communication (telephone, email, walk-in, sign-up at door, schedule

appointment)

2. frequency of meetings

3. responsibility for initiation of meetings

4. how the mentor will communicate which of his/her suggestions are recommendations and

which are requirements

5. how much course planning should be done with the mentor (i.e., is it necessary to meet with the

mentor prior to registration for courses)

6. who will be responsible for ensuring that the student has met all degree requirements

7. to what extent the mentor will assist in identifying funding opportunities

8. to what extent the mentor will assist in identifying master's paper and/or dissertation topics

9. what the mentee’s expectations are in terms of faculty involvement in identifying topics and

funding opportunities

10. what the mentor’s expectations are in terms of professional development opportunities (i.e.,

manuscript review, proposal writing, data analysis, literature reviews, presentations at

meetings, etc.)

11. how often the student and mentor should meet to assess the student's progress, and in what

manner that assessment will be made

12. how often the student and mentor should meet to assess the appropriateness of the

mentor/mentee match, and in what manner that assessment should be made

Individual Development Plan

The Graduate Studies Committee encourages faculty to work with their mentees to complete an

Individual Development Plan (IDP) at the start of each academic year. An IDP template is available on

the Epidemiology Student Resources site on OneDrive. Students are encouraged to prepare a draft IDP

and then meet with their mentor to discuss and refine it. Topics for inclusion on the IDP include:

• perceived strengths and weaknesses

• progress made in the previous academic year (i.e., courses, presentations, degree milestones)

• plans for the upcoming academic year

• remediation plan (in cases of Qualifying Exam failure)

• progress toward thesis

• steps taken toward post-graduation career plans (e.g., CV preparation, networking, job search)

Process Evaluation

It is recommended that the mentor and mentee regularly assess the mentoring relationship to evaluate

the appropriateness of the match and to identify areas where improvement can be achieved. Students

and mentors are encouraged to discuss openly the concerns of either party and to try to negotiate

solutions to any problems.

Course Registration

A complete list of courses, along with course descriptions and current syllabi, is available on the Courses

webpage of the department’s website.

Independent Study, Independent Research, and Lab Practice

Independent study, independent research, and field training are options available to the mentor and the

trainee to introduce individualized and flexible learning opportunities into a student’s training path. The

distinctive features that define each of these are listed below:

Readings in Epidemiology (EPID 886) is a course organized between faculty and one student (or fewer

than five students) with defined learning objectives, an evaluation, and credit hours to meet a student’s

training objectives outside/beyond the established courses and seminars. This independent study

activity can include review of the substantive and/or methodologic knowledge base in a particular area,

and/or their application. This course is not intended to support research hours. Students who wish to

Epidemiology Student Resources site on Sakai).

Independent Research (EPID 910) provides a mechanism for training opportunities based on active

participation in research with faculty. It is based on defined learning objectives for this activity, their

evaluation, and a pre-established number of credit hours. The student’s time is allocated primarily to an

active role in research activities as part of a research team, as opposed to a review of the scientific

background and/or knowledge base pertinent to the research.

Independent research is a training activity for academic credit. Remuneration as a research assistant

for the student’s participation in a research project related to this learning activity is an option, to the

degree that the objectives and responsibilities for the independent research and the research assistant

activity are specified and do not overlap. Both the learning activity and its objectives, as well as the

funding implications, must be discussed explicitly at the outset of this activity and established in writing.

Epidemiology Lab Practice (EPID 905L) is any learning activity conducted off-campus, designed to

support the student’s training goals. Such activities are either formal training activities listed on the

curriculum or designed specifically for the student with approval by the mentor, specifying learning

objectives, number of credit hours, an evaluation, and the student’s responsibilities.

A student’s participation in independent study, independent research, or lab practice requires approval

by the supervising faculty.

Exemption from Required Courses

Exemption from any course requirement is on the basis of equivalent work. A student seeking

exemption from, or substitution for, a School of Public Health core requirement must submit for

approval the School of Public Health’s Core Course Exemption/Substitution Application Form

(http://sph.unc.edu/students/academic-and-policies/). To be exempted from a departmental

requirement, the student submits a departmental exemption request form to the Academic

Coordinator. The petition should describe clearly the equivalent coursework and/or experience. This

form is available on the Epidemiology Student Resources site on OneDrive.

Exemptions may be granted for introductory substantive courses on an individual basis. We expect both

the course instructor and Program Area Leader to consider such requests carefully to ensure that the

student is well prepared should s/he elect to take the Substantive QE in that area. We expect our

students to meet the substantive epidemiology course requirements by choosing topical areas, and

course levels within a program area, that complement the knowledge base that they bring to the

program.

Departmental Grading Policies

Policy on “L” Grades

A grade of P is the lowest acceptable grade in core methods courses (EPID 705, EPID 710, EPID 712, EPID

715, EPID 716, EPID 718, EPID 722, and EPID 726). A grade of L in one of these courses requires

re‑taking the course if the student is to continue in the program.

Diagnostics

It is each student’s responsibility to assess his/her performance in courses and the need for remedial

action. For this, students are encouraged to seek help from the Academic Coordinator, their mentor,

course instructors or others, as needed. In addition, a grade of L in an Epidemiology core methods

course requires that a meeting among the student, the mentor, the course instructor, and the Academic

Coordinator take place within two weeks. The purpose of the meeting is to ascertain the factors

associated with the poor performance and to implement the steps described below. The Academic

Coordinator will notify the student’s mentor of the L grade. The Academic Coordinator is responsible for

initiating this meeting at the earliest convenience of all involved. A grade of L often reflects the need for

an adjustment in workload, study habits, or other activities rather than a lack of aptitude. Many

students go on from L grades in core courses to have great success in the remainder of their academic

program and future careers.

Implementation

Students who receive a grade of L in a core methods course must re-take the course and receive a

minimum grade of P, unless exempted below. The student is expected to retake the course – or to be

granted an exemption by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) – within one year of taking the core

methods course that resulted in an L grade. If this timeline is not met the student must ask the

Academic Coordinator to present an alternative timeline to the GSC.

Conditional advancement to a higher-level course for a student who receives a grade of L in a core

methods course

Students who receive a grade of L in a core methods course may advance to the pertinent higher-level

methods course in epidemiology (prior to re-taking the course in which they received an L) only if

approved by the instructor of the higher-level course and endorsed by the student’s mentor and the

Academic Coordinator. These exceptions will be rare.

Exemption from the requirement to re-take a core methods course

For EPID 705, 710, 712, 715, 716, and 718, a high performance in the higher-level course (above the 85

percentile) allows the student to submit a request to the GSC to be exempted from having to re-take the

lower-level course graded as ‘low pass’ (L).

Progress Assessment

The purpose of tracking student progress is the early identification of possible problems so that they

may be remediated in a timely fashion. It is expected that the student will take ownership of their

education by seeking assistance if any of the criteria identified below exist. A student interested in

receiving assistance should contact the Academic Coordinator. With the student’s input, they will

identify a mentoring committee (including at least one GSC member) to assist in resolving stumbling

blocks to success in the program. This committee may or may or may not include the mentor,

depending on the student’s preferences.

Helping students resolve conceptual misunderstandings, improve methodologic skills, prioritize their

responsibilities, and address obstacles to their progress early in their training improves long-term

success in the program and in the student’s career. Remediation activities would consist of completing a

plan to address weaknesses and/or other identified obstacles. The plan would be developed by the

student in conjunction with members of the Graduate Studies Committee, the Academic Coordinator

and mentor. This arrangement may include tutoring, re-taking or auditing a core methods course (or

portions of it), a project designed to augment specific skills, or other agreed-upon activities. For

students further along, remediation may consist of re-prioritization of responsibilities or other agreed-

upon steps to ensure milestones (e.g., IDR) are met.

Indicators that a progress assessment meeting is advisable:

• When a student receives 6 or more credits of “L”.

• When a student fails his/her first qualifying examination, methods or substantive (or master’s

comprehensive exam, if relevant).

• When a student fails his/her doctoral proposal defense.

• PhD students in their 4

academic year without having completed their IDR.

The list above is not exhaustive. At any time, a faculty member may identify students thought to be in

jeopardy and ask GSC to convene a meeting. However, the faculty member should first set up a meeting

with the student to discuss their concerns.

Although this process may create some anxiety among students, it is important to remember that the

intention is be a proactive step to ensure that all students will succeed in the program. It is not intended

to label students as weak or inferior in any way. There are many factors (personal and financial, as well

as academic) that contribute to slower progress and/or subpar performance. The role of the Graduate

Studies Committee is to assist students in successfully negotiating our challenging program.

Statistical Computing and Data Management

Competence in statistical computing and data management is a requirement of the program. Statistical

computing using SAS is a component of several of the methods courses, and is required for one's own

research, as well as for many research assistantships. Various training resources are available for

students without prior experience. Some of these are:

1. EPID 700: SAS and Data Management (3 credits)

2. BIOS 511: Introduction to Statistical Computing and Data Management (4 credits)

3. Non-credit short courses offered by the UNC Odum Institute for Research in Social Sciences

(https://odum.unc.edu/education/short-courses/)

A SAS exemption exam is offered over the summer for those students not enrolling in EPID 700 or BIOS

511.

Adequacy in statistical computing is assessed as part of the intradepartmental review discussion for

doctoral students.

Human Subjects Review

All students – without exception - must complete training in the protection of human research subjects.

The website for this training is https://research.unc.edu/human-research-ethics/getting-

started/training/. Students should select training in either Group 1 or 2. Group 3 does not suffice.

Students may obtain a copy of their CITI training verification online at

https://acap.research.unc.edu/research_training/?event=administration.certificates.pgCertSelectTraining

The “Responsible Conduct of Research” course offered by the N.C. Translational and Clinical Research

Sciences (TraCS) Institute during the summer can be taken in lieu of the CITI training. This course is

typically announced via email by the TraCS program.

Examinations and Dissertation

Preliminary Doctoral Written Examination: The Doctoral Qualifying Exam

Preliminary Doctoral Examinations in the Department of Epidemiology are designed in accordance with

Graduate School requirements for a written and an oral examination, together constituting a

comprehensive examination of the student's command of his or her field. The student must be

registered at the time the preliminary examinations are taken. The examinations are covered by the

Honor Code.

Purpose

The written examination is the Doctoral Qualifying Examination (QE). The QE is a culminative learning

experience that provides a structured opportunity for students to review and demonstrate their

knowledge and mastery of the program’s core competencies from the recommended course sequences

in 1) epidemiologic methods and 2) a selected substantive area. The primary purpose of the

examination is for students to integrate their substantive and methodologic training to date and

communicate their command of this knowledge in a written form.

Content and Structure of the Qualifying Examination

The Doctoral Qualifying Examination is administered in two independently graded portions. The

methods component is a standardized test of proficiencies in applying epidemiologic methods at the

level of EPID 715/716/718/722. The substantive component consists of topical questions related to the

program area declared by the student and supported in part by a recommended reading list prepared by

the program area faculty. It is prepared (and graded) by a committee established by the program area

leader. The two components of the Qualifying Examination are taken independently, and both must be

satisfactorily completed prior to the preliminary oral examination. An outline of each part of the

Doctoral Qualifying Examination follows.

The methods component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination consists of written responses to

questions designed to test the student’s ability to apply the concepts and methods covered in the

required epidemiology and biostatistics courses. It is administered as an in-class examination, and

questions may call for short essay answers; computations and set up of computations; interpretation of

software output; construction, analysis and interpretation of results in tabular form; and analysis of data

provided.

The substantive component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination consists of written responses to

questions designed to assess the student's command of the topical/programmatic area declared for the

intended doctoral research. It is administered as a take-home, open book examination. Program areas

are those defined by the Department of Epidemiology as providing training in a substantive/topical area.

Each program area provides a reading list of relevant, current literature recommended for reading prior

to the exam. Recommended preparation for the exam, which should include review and synthesis of the

program area courses and the reading list, is considered to be an integral part of the substantive exam

process. Following a framework first described by Fink

, the significant learning objectives of the

substantive portion of the QE are as follows:

(1) To critically read, understand, and evaluate current literature in the substantive area

(foundational knowledge objective),

(2) To synthesize topical/substantive information and articulate that synthesis in writing

(application objective),

(3) To apply epidemiologic methods to a research question related to a salient issue in the

substantive area (application objective),

(4) To identify and discuss the public health implications of a salient issue in the substantive

area (integration objective), and

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: an integrated approach to designing

college courses (Revised and updated edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

(5) To further the development of self-directed learning skills (learning how to learn/

process objective)

In summary, to successfully complete both components of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination,

students must demonstrate (a) mastery of and the ability to apply the epidemiologic concepts and

methods covered by the core methods curriculum, and (b) a command of and ability to synthesize the

knowledge base, topical issues, and public health applications in the substantive area selected for the

proposed doctoral research.

Planning

In the course of a student's Intradepartmental Review (IDR) a timeline is identified for the optimal time

to take each part of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination, if not already taken.

Students prepare for the methods component of the examination by reviewing the pertinent course

materials and publications cited in the course materials and textbooks. At the discretion of the

examining committee, additional guidelines may be provided prior to the exam. A set of representative

questions are available for review and are posted on the Epidemiology Student Resources site on Sakai.

These, along with older exams posted on the site, can serve as good practice opportunities.

To assist students in preparing for the substantive component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination

program areas are responsible for providing a “study guide” for students, to include the learning

objectives of the program area and recommended readings for developing the minimally necessary

expertise in the area (not selected solely for the purpose of addressing specific exam questions).

Previous guidelines and past examinations for substantive component are posted online on the

Epidemiology Student Resources site on Sakai.

Timing

Given the qualifying nature of this examination, the Doctoral Qualifying Examination should be taken

after the completion of recommended coursework but before the bulk of the work on doctoral research

is begun. Both the Methods and Substantive components must be completed satisfactorily for a student

to continue in the doctoral program.

The methods component of the qualifying exam is offered at the end of each spring semester. It should

be taken after completion of EPID 722 and is typically taken at the end of the student’s second year in

the program. The student is required to consult with the mentor before registering for the methods

component of the doctoral qualifying examination to confirm the student’s readiness to take the

examination at that time.

The substantive component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination is offered early during the fall

semester. Special interest area examinations (i.e., genetic, physical activity, etc.) are also scheduled at

that time. The substantive component of the Qualifying Examination should be taken after a student

has selected a topical/programmatic area for the doctoral research and has completed the relevant

courses defined in the learning objectives of each program area (typically start of the third year), but it

can be taken before the methods component. The student's mentor should be actively engaged in the

student’s decision about when to take the substantive component and in which program area.

However, no documentation of completed requisites is needed for a student to register for the

substantive component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination.

The program area director will make study guidelines available no later than three months prior to the

date of the examination.

The Academic Program Services Coordinator will email an announcement to the listserv when

registration is open.

Administration

The methods component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination is prepared by the Doctoral Qualifying

Examination Committee of the Graduate Studies Committee, drawing on other faculty as needed. For

each examination, a faculty committee is established, with responsibility for developing, testing, and

grading the examination. The committee includes at least one member of the GSC.

For the substantive component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination the program area director forms

a committee of faculty members, at least one of whom will have a primary appointment in the

Department of Epidemiology. Inclusion of adjunct faculty of the Department is permissible and

desirable. The program area director is responsible for providing study guidelines in advance.

To be examined in areas that are not established program areas, the student must file a request through

the Academic Coordinator justifying the need for a “special interest” examination. (With the exception

of the oral epidemiology program, such requests are rarely approved.) If approved by the Graduate

Studies Committee, the student’s mentor will form an ad hoc examining committee. At least one of

these must have a primary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology. The mentor plays an

important role in selecting the questions but does not take part in grading. However, to aid in

standardization of the examination across program areas, special interest area questions require prior

approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.

This ad hoc committee does not constitute a dissertation committee - since approval of both parts of the

Qualifying Examination is a requisite for setting up a doctoral committee - but it can serve as the core

around which the dissertation committee is subsequently established. The ad hoc committee is

responsible for grading its questions and for providing diagnostic feedback to the student. The latter is

channeled through the Doctoral Qualifying Examination committee of the Graduate Studies Committee

and the Academic Coordinator.

Format

The methods component is an in-class exam, designed to be completed within a four-hour time period.

However, a total of six hours will be allowed. The exam will be 20-25 questions, some of which may be

clustered in multi-part questions based on a table, figure, abstract, or scenario. All items are to be

answered, and their point values will sum to 100.

The following parameters apply to the administration of the methods component:

• Allowable physical materials:

o Calculator

o “Modern Epi”: Rothman, KJ, Greenland S, Lash TL. Modern Epidemiology, Third edition.

Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008 or Lash TL, VanderWeele TJ, Haneuse

S, Rothman KJ. Modern Epidemiology, Fourth Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,

2020

▪ NOTE: Annotations from coursework are allowable, but annotations for the

purpose of the exam are not.

o Foreign language dictionary

o Blank scrap paper

• Allowable electronic materials:

o Electronic version of Modern Epi

▪ NOTE: Annotations from coursework are allowable, but annotations for the

purpose of the exam are not.

o Excel or other calculation software (no pre-filled cells)

o Online foreign dictionary or translation app

• Disallowed materials: You may not access any other physical, electronic, or online materials or

resources.

• Communication: You may not communicate with anyone about the exam until the end time of

the exam period.

The substantive component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination is administered as a 3-day, open

book, open-notes, take-home exam. The time limit for this part of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination is

three business days – i.e., the exam is distributed in the morning and due by 5 pm two days later.

Students are allowed to access books, course materials, and published literature while taking the exam.

However, no use of prior exam keys or communication with other individuals about the exam are

allowed (with the exception of clarifying questions directed to program area leads). The exam may

include short- and/or long-answer questions and sub-questions; some common examples include: short

essay questions, critical review of a paper or poster, evaluation of two contrasting papers, descriptions

of conceptual models in relation to a substantive topic, study design for a predefined research question,

analysis and interpretation of results in tabular form, evaluation of generalizability or transportability of

results, or assessment of measurement validity. The substantive qualifying exam must have at least two

questions. Program areas may design the exam in any of the following ways: (1) write two questions and

require the student to answer both; (2) write three questions and require the student to answer three

and the best two grades will be counted; or (3) write three questions and specify for the student one

question to answer and allow the student to choose which one of the remaining questions to answer.

Submission of an exam is final. Students should review their exams carefully prior to submission. For

either component, a student may terminate the exam prior to submission with no penalty.

Copies of past qualifying exams are available on the Epidemiology Student Resource site on OneDrive.

Grading

An overall grade of Pass on the Doctoral Qualifying Examination requires a Pass on both the Methods

component and the Substantive component.

The Methods component will be assigned a score from 0-100% by the examining committee.

Examination answers are graded by a member of the examining committee without knowledge of the

student's identity. In cases where there is some question about the appropriate grade for an answer, the

primary grader consults with another faculty member. The overall score is the sum of the points

awarded for the answers to each of the approximately 20-25 questions on the examination, divided by

the total points available. The examining committee may add an upward adjustment if deemed

appropriate to shift the score distribution. A Pass on the Methods component requires a score of 70%.

For the Substantive component, each submitted question is typically graded by one member of the

examining committee. In cases where there is some question about the appropriate grade for an answer

(or criterion), the primary grader consults with another faculty member. Due to the variable size of

substantive area cohorts, it is not required that the grading for the substantive QE be conducted in a

blinded fashion. Satisfactory performance on the substantive QE learning objectives is evaluated by a

rotating panel of program area faculty who review the written submissions using the following

Performance Assessment Criteria:

(1) The student's knowledge base in the study area is both broad and deep, and they

demonstrate awareness of salient issues reflecting familiarity with the current

literature.

(2) Where appropriate, the student selects appropriate epidemiologic methods to address

question prompts and demonstrates knowledge of that methodology.

(3) Where appropriate, student demonstrates the ability to integrate the broader public

health relevance of question prompts.

(4) The writing is clear, concise, and focused.

Students will be evaluated on the degree to which their responses address these criteria and faculty will

provide feedback on the student’s demonstration of meeting each criterion. Each criterion will be rated

as demonstrating excellent, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory proficiency, separately for each major

question and for the overall exam. A grade of “Pass” for the exam will be awarded if the student

demonstrates as least satisfactory proficiency on the overall exam for both criteria 1 and 2 and at least

one of criteria 3 and 4. A student can receive a “Pass” on the exam and still be expected to address skills

for which their proficiency was rated less than satisfactory in any one of the assessment criteria.

Students should meet with their primary faculty advisor to discuss the results of their exam and, if they

scored in the unsatisfactory range in any of the performance assessment criteria, develop a plan to

improve their skills in this area. For example, if a student gets excellent or satisfactory on criteria 1, 2,

and 3, but an unsatisfactory on criterion 4, the student and their advisor should agree on a plan to

improve their writing skills, such as visiting the UNC Writing Center for support as the progress in the

program.

Report of Outcome

Within 3 weeks of the examination (either part), notification of the outcome is communicated to the

student by the Doctoral Qualifying Examination Committee of the Graduate Studies Committee.

A student who does not pass either component of the examination is required to consult with her/his

mentor and the Academic Coordinator and conduct an in-depth review of his/her performance and any

additional feedback or advice from the Doctoral Qualifying Examination Committee. Following this

review, the student submits a brief report to the Graduate Studies Committee, with a copy to the

mentor and the Academic Coordinator, assessing the contributing factors to not passing the exam and

outlining an itemized plan for preparation to retake the exam, which should include an Individual

Development Plan (IDP). This analysis and plan are due to the Academic Coordinator within one month

of the report of the examination outcome unless a longer time is agreed to by the Chair of the Graduate

Studies Committee. A reply from the Graduate Studies Committee will ordinarily be provided following

the next scheduled GSC meeting after receiving the student’s plan. Unless a different timing is

recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee, the student must obtain a grade of Pass the next

time that component of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination is offered in order to remain in the

doctoral program.

Appeal of Failure

An appeal of a failing report is considered by the Graduate Studies Committee.

An appeal must be submitted to the Academic Coordinator within 3 weeks of receiving the official notice

of the examination grade. Appeals must be in the form of a written justification and should be

presented in such a way that the appeal can be considered without revealing the identity of the student

involved. The appeal should be self-contained (other than references to standard textbooks or

examination materials).

Students are expected to decide on their own whether to appeal an examination outcome. The

examination can be discussed with the mentor or other faculty members. Appeals are regarded as part

of the examination, and therefore subject to the Honor Code. The appeal must be the student's own

work and be accompanied by a signed pledge. To preserve anonymity, the pledge will be separated

from the appeal itself and retained by the Academic Coordinator.

The GSC will select an Appeal Committee to serve on an ad hoc basis. The student may suggest that the

GSC consult with a particular faculty member; however, the GSC is not required to do so.

The Appeals Committee will review the appeal materials without knowledge of the student's identity.

To preserve anonymity, all communication between the student and the Committee will take place

through the Academic Coordinator until the appeal has been decided. The Appeal Committee will bring

the results of its review to the next scheduled GSC meeting for discussion. In reaching its decision the

Committee will award full credit to answers that are judged to be equally as good as those originally

proposed.

The GSC will review the appeal results and reach a final decision. The GSC decision is final with respect

to the substantive issues. The final GSC decision will be communicated to the student within 6 weeks of

submission of the appeal. The student may appeal to the Department Chair only on grounds of alleged

irregularities in procedure.

The Dissertation Committee

The Dissertation Committee is established after both components of the doctoral qualifying exam have

been passed. The Dissertation Committee is composed of five or more members, a majority of whom

must be “regular” members of the University of North Carolina Graduate School Faculty from the

Department of Epidemiology. All tenured and tenure track faculty at the ranks of assistant, associate

and full professor are automatically “regular” members of the Graduate Faculty (this includes tenure

track faculty School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, other SPH Departments, etc.). Per Graduate

School guidelines, "other persons may be appointed to the Graduate Faculty for “fixed” term

membership; these appointees may include: faculty emeriti, clinical or research professors, scholars

from other institutions, independent scholars, and practitioners." Confirmation of any individual's

status can be obtained online at gradschool.unc.edu/policies/faculty-staff/faculty/.

At least three committee members must be “regular” faculty of the Department of Epidemiology.

Research track faculty, adjunct faculty, and committee members from outside the UNC-CH system will

need to email to [email protected] an electronic copy of their current CV so that they can be

nominated for a fixed-term appointment with the Graduate School for the purpose of serving on

committees. Be sure to confirm status online as noted above as there are research track faculty in

Epidemiology who have special approval as “regular.”

Committee members from outside the UNC-CH system DO NOT have to be given adjunct

appointments to serve on a student’s committee.

The role of the Committee Chairperson is to follow the student's progress throughout the dissertation

process and to ensure that all departmental policies and expectations are adhered to. For this reason,

the Committee Chairperson must be someone whose primary appointment is in the Department of

Epidemiology. Graduate School policy requires that the Committee Chairperson be a “regular” member

of the Graduate Faculty.

The Committee should also include a biostatistician or someone who can function in that capacity.

Inclusion of members from outside the department is encouraged when their point of view is warranted

by the research question. Such members may be drawn from any of the disciplines bearing on the study

of the distribution and determinants of human health and disease. A student who is minoring in

another program must have a faculty member from that program on his/her committee.

Dissertation committees should be comprised of the people best suited to serve the student on project

needs. If necessary, exceptions to policy can be made. The student, in conjunction with the committee

chair, must submit a written justification to the Academic Coordinator. The Department will petition the

Graduate School for an exception. Please consult with the Academic Coordinator for a sample petition.

Committee members are proposed by the student and approved by the dissertation mentor using the

Request for Doctoral Dissertation Committee Approval form (available on the Epidemiology Student

Resources site on OneDrive). The student submits this form to the Academic Coordinator for

departmental approval. The Academic Coordinator then completes and submits the Graduate School’s

“Report of Doctoral Committee Composition” form. The Committee composition must be constituted

and submitted for approval at least 2 weeks prior to the Preliminary Oral Examination.

The Preliminary Oral Examination

Off-site doctoral work is acceptable ONLY after a successful defense of the doctoral proposal, inclusive

of an off-site work plan and a timeline approved by the doctoral committee. (See full policy under

“Summary of Degree Requirements/Schedules/ Timelines for the PhD.”)

The Preliminary Oral Examination is the second of the preliminary doctoral examinations. It is held after

the Qualifying Examination has been passed, at a time when the student's dissertation committee

determines that the dissertation proposal has reached a suitable stage, and in accord with Graduate

School regulations. The Graduate School policy requires that by the time of the second preliminary

examination (dissertation proposal oral defense) the student must have fulfilled all required coursework

and the minimum residence requirements for the doctorate or will fulfill these by the end of the

semester in which the examination is taken. A student must be registered for 3 credits of EPID 994 at

the time of the preliminary oral examination.

The purpose of the preliminary oral examination is to review a structured proposal of the student’s

doctoral research that includes its objectives, hypotheses, and work plan, submitted for formal approval

by the doctoral dissertation committee. The content and format of the dissertation proposal is defined

by the student and the doctoral mentor/doctoral committee chair at an early stage of this process. At

a minimum, the doctoral research proposal includes a comprehensive statement of the background and

critical assessment of the literature, a statement of objectives and their rationale, the study

hypothesis(es) and design, and a proposal plan of analysis. Formal approval of the dissertation proposal

and pertinent supporting materials by the doctoral committee takes place during the oral examination.

Sample proposals are available online on the Epidemiology Student Resources site on OneDrive.

The preliminary doctoral examination includes a presentation by the student of the proposed doctoral

research. Discussion of the proposal during the preliminary doctoral examination is not constrained by

the contents of the proposal. Members of the doctoral committee are free to pose questions on any

substantive or methodologic subject related to the proposed doctoral work, a minor program, or

aspects of another program or curriculum which is transferred into the candidate’s doctoral program.

Also, during this examination the committee should review and discuss manuscript authorship issues

with the student.

The student should submit a draft of the proposal to each committee member well in advance of the

date planned for the examination (a minimum of 4 weeks ahead of the examination date), to allow time

for review and comment. The committee must approve the proposal before the student may proceed

with the doctoral research. After the approval of the proposed research, the “Report of Approval of

Dissertation Project” and the “Report of Oral Examination” are signed by committee members. These

forms are obtained from the Student Services Office and should be returned after the examination. Do

not print these forms from the Graduate School website. They are multi-use forms that have already

been filled out and printed by the Student Services Office.

Following the oral examination, the student must submit a tentative schedule for completion of the

dissertation to each committee member.

Significant weaknesses in the dissertation proposal or in the level of preparation of the candidate may

result in a failed examination, which can be repeated as defined in the Graduate School Handbook.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctorate is a certification that the student has completed all

requirements for the degree except for the dissertation and/or defense.

The student must have completed all course work required by the program and the dissertation

committee, completed all minor program requirements if a minor has been declared, and passed both

components of the doctoral written examination and the dissertation proposal defense (counts as oral

examination).

The Doctoral Dissertation

The purpose of this capstone experience is to provide students an opportunity to synthesize, integrate

and apply knowledge and skills learned in coursework and other learning experiences and require

students to demonstrate attainment of program competencies. According to Graduate School policy,

the doctoral dissertation "is expected to be of such scope, independence, and skillful presentation as to

indicate that the candidate has acquired a command of the subject, has the demonstrated ability to

contribute fresh knowledge or a fresh outlook to the subject, and has mastered the research

methodology of the discipline."

The student is expected to consult with members of the dissertation committee at frequent intervals

throughout the progress of the research and is required under Graduate School policy to submit a

progress report to each member of the committee at least once a year. More frequent reporting is

desirable and may be specified by an individual committee.

The Graduate School requirements for dissertation format are specified in the publication, The Graduate

School Thesis and Dissertation Guide. Formatting is challenging. Start your formatting when you start

your writing! A video with UNC dissertation formatting instructions can be found here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YVLDnWWOEV0

Human Subjects Review

All proposed doctoral research must be submitted to the School of Public Health Institutional Review

Board (IRB) as soon as the project has been approved by the doctoral committee. This applies to all

proposals, whether sponsored or not sponsored. While practice in the context of training is not subject

to review by IRB, generalizable research conducted by students and/or faculty is subject to a

determination whether review by the IRB is required. This determination is the purview of the IRB.

Since the dissertation is a research activity that takes place under the leadership of the student with

support from a mentor, safeguarding the ethical conduct of this research activity is a responsibility

shared by the student.

Guidance for any IRB action required for student research can be found here ohre.unc.edu and guidance

for any IRB action required for student research is also in the “IRB Guidance for Student Research and

Class Projects” document found on their IRB Guidance Information web page. Registration of

dissertation proposals follows the rules for IRB action presented on the website referred to above. The

student is listed as the lead investigator for the research activity and a faculty mentor is identified who

holds ultimate responsibility for ensuring that this project complies with all University, regulatory, and

fiscal requirements.

Depending on the data and research environment of the dissertation project it may be possible or

desirable for student research to be subsumed under an existing IRB approval extended to the lead

investigator of a “parent study” that supports a student’s research. The decision about what is

reasonable and whether the student’s proposed research meets this Institution’s guidelines for ethical

conduct of research involving human subjects is made by the IRB. Students should consult with their

mentors in preparing IRB applications.

Upon receipt of IRB approval, the student must complete the Verification of Compliance with

Institutional Review Board Requirements form (available on the Epidemiology Student Resources site

on Sakai). A copy of the IRB committee’s decision must be attached to the form.

See website at ohre.unc.edu for information and online submission of applications.

Data Use Agreements

If using data that is not publicly available, the IRB Committee requires a data use agreement. This form

is available on the Epidemiology Student Resources site on Sakai. This form should be submitted to the

study’s Principal Investigator.

Standards and Expectations for Doctoral Research in the Department of Epidemiology

The research question for a dissertation in Epidemiology can be substantive, methodologic, or

theoretical. In any case, it should have a demonstrable potential for advancing the state of knowledge

or practice. Standards for an adequate doctoral dissertation are expressed by expectations for a high

level of achievement in the following areas:

1. Originality is expected in doctoral research. It may be achieved through innovation in theory,

methods or substantive content, or by creative application of existing theory or knowledge to a new

problem. Research that replicates findings of others without this kind of innovation, while often a

worthwhile contribution, is not sufficiently original to satisfy the expectations for the dissertation.

2. Depth in the definition and treatment of the research topic is a requirement for doctoral-level

research. It implies both technical competence and intellectual sophistication. Depth is to be

gauged by the doctoral committee against standards of work publishable in peer-reviewed

communications.

3. Scholarship. The dissertation should be competent in scholarship, as well as in scientific technique.

The problem should be introduced, the study justified, and the results discussed in such a way as to

place the work in its academic context. That is, the dissertation should demonstrate familiarity with

the work of others, awareness of important developments and controversies, and an ability to

critically synthesize and convey such knowledge.

4. Writing Skills. Competence in scientific writing is among the evaluation criteria for the doctoral

dissertation.

Publication Requirement

The program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Epidemiology is research

oriented, and the candidate's doctoral research is expected to make a scientifically meaningful

contribution to methodology and/or substantive knowledge. Peer review in assessing whether these

standards have been met is the responsibility of the doctoral committee, acting in the capacity of an

internal review body.

Peer reviewed communication of research findings is both a yardstick by which the merit of scientific

work is measured, and a mandate for scientists in the field of public health. The acquisition of the skills

that will enable a scientist to implement these expectations should be an integral part of the doctoral

training in epidemiology.

A mentored application of new skills is the preferred and most effective mode of learning and is applied

to as many components of the doctoral training in the department of Epidemiology as is feasible. The

publication of research findings and encountering external peer review should be first experienced in

the didactic and supportive environment of a training program. Postponing these experiences until after

graduation can be a significant hurdle to career development.

Implementation

As part of the doctoral research proposal approved by the doctoral committee, a minimum of two

manuscripts intended for publication must be proposed. The choice of topics and an outline of the

scope of the manuscripts are prepared with input from the doctoral mentor and are approved by the

doctoral committee.

The doctoral committee, or the doctoral mentor and at least one member of the doctoral committee,

serve as an internal peer review group for the final drafts of these manuscripts.

Completion of the doctoral program requires that one manuscript be submitted to an external peer

review mechanism approved by the doctoral mentor. This requirement must be met BEFORE the

defense of the dissertation is held. Unless an exception is requested by the doctoral mentor, the

default external peer review mechanisms are a scientific journal, or a publication/scientific peer review

group established by a parent study that has sponsored the doctoral research. Verification of

submission is required prior to the final defense by completing the Verification of Submission of

Dissertation Manuscripts form on the Epidemiology Student Resources site on OneDrive. Review of the

manuscript by a co-author who is not a member of the doctoral committee does not substitute for

external peer review.

Neither completion of peer review by a journal nor acceptance for publication is required prior to

scheduling the doctoral defense. Timely submission of manuscripts resulting from the doctoral research

process is encouraged, to give the candidate an opportunity to receive external peer review comments

and to experience the interaction with external peers and journal editors. Rejection of a manuscript by

a journal (or equivalent external peer-review process) does not preclude a successful completion of the

doctoral program. Conflicts that may emerge between recommendations from external peer reviewers

and the doctoral committee are resolved by the doctoral committee, according to the academic

requirements of the doctoral program. The doctoral committee is the only, and final, arbiter of the

acceptability of the doctoral dissertation.

If doctoral research is proposed that does not lend itself to publication according to the process outlined

above, an alternative pathway to publication needs to be approved at the time of the Preliminary Oral

Doctoral Examination, to provide an equivalent learning opportunity to this student. If in the opinion of

the doctoral committee the analytic results of the doctoral research do not merit publication, this

committee develops an alternative to meet the expectations of the doctoral program and to make

available to the student the experience of the publication process.

Authorship Expectations from Doctoral Research

The doctoral candidate is expected to assume the role of lead investigator for his/her doctoral research,

exercising these responsibilities and decision-making prerogatives with guidance from the dissertation

committee Chair. Consistent with this role, the doctoral student is expected to serve as lead author on

publications that originate from doctoral research, unless an alternative is stipulated at the time of the

doctoral dissertation proposal defense as required by access to data or resources. Under these

circumstances, the student’s record should indicate in writing his/her agreement with the data use

specifications as well as the mentor’s endorsement. Service on the doctoral committee does not confer

authorship to faculty; contributions to a publication that deserve authorship recognition should be

measured individually. Authorship recommendations from the scientific editors of the major health

sciences journals serve as the guidelines for this process, as summarized in JAMA 1993; 269:2282-2286

and the instructions to authors provided by the major journals.

Assuming lead authorship responsibility and its roles is part of the career development competencies

acquired as part of the doctoral training. The doctoral mentor is responsible for assisting the candidate

in negotiating authorship issues, particularly in the case of multi‑site collaborations, and for studies that

have established publication and authorship policies. Guidelines to assist in this process are found in

JAMA 1997; 278:579-85, and others.

If the doctoral research is conducted in collaboration with another institution, scientist(s) or agency

supplying the data, negotiations should take place early in the planning of the doctoral research and

no later than at the time of the defense of the doctoral dissertation proposal. Expectations of

authorship for all publications resulting from the doctoral work should be made explicit as part of

such negotiations. Such negotiations should include the student, the doctoral mentor, and the

collaborating scientist(s). A written confirmation or understanding of the agreement should follow

these negotiations.

It is recommended (not required) that the doctoral mentor and at least one member of the doctoral

committee be willing to assume co-author roles on each of the two manuscripts, to guarantee full

involvement and timely critical input.

Format of the Dissertation

The traditional dissertation format is a single document with no page limit. Despite its greater length,

less careful and time-consuming editing is typically required than for journal publication. However, it

has the disadvantages of being time-consuming to read and difficult to reduce to publishable

proportions. In the preferred format, often referred to as a “manuscript dissertation,” the results

chapters are prepared as manuscripts ready to be submitted for external peer review. This collection of

related manuscripts is preceded by two or three chapters that present a unified review of the literature,

the study questions, their rationale, the corresponding hypotheses, and the general methods common

to the results chapters/manuscripts. Although each manuscript has its own discussion section, a

common discussion is included as the last chapter of this type of dissertation. This format is attractive in

many ways and is encouraged. Although more demanding in the writing stage, the use of this format

will result in a shorter, more readable dissertation, and more importantly, it leads more quickly to its

submission for publication.

The “manuscript dissertation” is strongly recommended by the Department and is used almost without

exception. A minimum of two manuscripts must be prepared by the student, in collaboration with

members of the doctoral committee in supporting roles. These manuscripts must be of a quality

sufficient to have the potential to be published in a first rate, peer-reviewed journal. Even if a

monograph style is chosen as the format for the dissertation, a minimum of two manuscripts must be

prepared by the student, one of which needs to be submitted for external review prior to the defense.

Exceptions to the format should be specifically applied for (to the mentor).

While the actual manuscripts are formatted as stand-alone documents ready to be submitted for

external peer review, for the dissertation they must be integrated into a coherent document that

meaningfully links these manuscripts to the aims of the doctoral research. Thus, the complete doctoral

dissertation document includes the following elements (all but an introduction are required).

1. Abstract

2. Introduction

3. Critical review of the literature

4. Specific aims or statement of the study questions, and their rationale

5. Hypotheses to be tested

6. Study design, population, measurements/instruments, and quality assurance

7. Analytic approach

8. Results (manuscripts)

9. Overall discussion and interpretation of findings (with reference to overall aims of the

doctoral research)

For details on table of contents, pagination, typeface, etc., consult The Graduate School Thesis and

Dissertation Guide.

Data Source

The source of data or study material for dissertation research is determined by the study question.

Primary data collection and secondary analysis of existing data may be acceptable, as determined in

collaboration with the mentor.

Breadth

Innovation rather than breadth is a requirement for the dissertation research question. The dissertation

may be narrowly focused on a specific problem, if it has the potential to advance the state of the science

in a substantive, methodologic, or public health area. However, consideration of the wider implications

of the research question and results in the Introduction and Discussion portions of the dissertation is

expected.

Timeline and Interaction with the Doctoral Committee

1. The doctoral committee convenes with the student on at least three occasions. These meetings

are required, formal milestones in the student’s doctoral research and preparation of a doctoral

dissertation. They are

i. Preliminary oral examination (defense of the doctoral research proposal).

ii. One or more interim meetings.

At least one interim meeting of the committee is held approximately six months prior to

final defense (a minimum of four months prior to final defense) to review progress and

to provide input from the full committee for the remaining stages of the doctoral

research and publication process leading to the final defense. The interim meeting

includes a presentation by the candidate to the committee. A majority of the

committee must convene on the UNC campus; off-site members of the committee may

participate via a mutually agreeable conferencing medium. Exemptions from the

requirement to hold an interim meeting of the doctoral committee due to exceptional

circumstances require approval by Graduate Studies Committee.

The purpose of the interim meeting is to provide an opportunity for the student to

obtain direct consultation with the entire committee prior to completion of the doctoral

research process and the dissertation. Issues to be addressed in the interim meeting

include reaching consensus on the scope, completeness, and timeline of the

dissertation, clarifying outstanding issues of analysis and interpretation, and to set up a

dissertation close-out schedule. At that time, the Chair of the doctoral committee also

asks each committee member to identify any concerns regarding the status of the

doctoral research. Following this meeting a brief summary of the decisions and

recommendations is distributed by the student and the committee chair to the full

committee and a Documentation of Interim Doctoral Committee Meeting and

Dissertation Close-out Schedule (available on the Epidemiology Student Resources site

on Sakai) is submitted by student to the Academic Coordinator.

iii. Final doctoral defense.

A final defense may not be scheduled without a prior interim meeting of the

committee. In addition, the announcement of the final defense may not be made

without prior permission of the Academic Coordinator. This is to ensure that all

administrative tasks have been satisfied prior to the defense.

2. Notification of final defense.

The dissertation close-out schedule, signed by the mentor and the student, constitutes the notification

of final defense, and is filed with the Academic Coordinator.

The student submits the final dissertation document to the committee one to two months prior to the

final defense. Failure to meet this timeline may result in the need to reschedule the doctoral defense.

The student contacts each member of the committee at that point to establish a schedule that allows (a)

time for each committee member to read the dissertation, (b) time for the student to meet with each

committee member if needed, and (c) an opportunity for the student and mentor to rehearse the

defense presentation.

3. Responsibilities of the Committee Members

The student must provide adjuncts or committee members from other departments with a copy of the

departmental policies (available online at https://sph.unc.edu/students/gillings-school-student-

handbook/). At the preliminary oral examination, the committee Chair will review the process

described above, the roles and expectations, and the timeline. The student is then authorized to

proceed with the proposed doctoral research.

Submission of Doctoral Dissertation

The policy adopted by the Epidemiology faculty for submission of the dissertation follows:

The written dissertation document must be in final form prior to the final defense. This implies that all

pages, references, and appendices are in place and that a thoughtful discussion has been completed.

The dissertation will have been thoroughly proofread and editorial problems corrected. It is expected

that following the defense, substantive changes in the written document will be minimal. Any

subsequent retyping should at most involve a few pages. This being the expectation of the student, the

implication is that each committee member will have reviewed thoroughly the entire finalized

document well in advance of the defense.

REMINDER: Do not use forms from Graduate School for report of defense. These pre-filled forms need

to be picked up from the Academic Coordinator before the final defense.

NOTE: The dissertation document MAY NOT be submitted to the Graduate School prior to the

dissertation defense. The defense must be completed and the written document must have been

approved by the committee as documented by the required signatures in Part IV of the Graduate School

exam form before the dissertation document may be submitted to the Graduate School.

Application for Graduation

To be eligible for graduation in a given semester, students must apply for the degree early in that

semester. Students need to apply for graduation in ConnectCarolina through their Student Center.

Deadlines for applying for graduation in a given term can be found on the Graduate School’s website. If

a student fails to graduate in the term applied for, s/he must re-apply; no prior application will suffice.

Final Defense of the Dissertation

The Final Defense (the final doctoral oral examination) is a formal requirement of the Graduate School.

The student must be registered for 3 credits of EPID 994 at the time it is held, and all committee

members are required to be in attendance. It is the perception of the GSC that dissertation committee

meetings tend to operate more smoothly when all members of the committee are present in the same

room. For the defense of the dissertation proposal, and for the final dissertation defense, it is highly

desirable for all members of the dissertation committee, especially the Chair, to be present in the room.

The GSC strongly recommends that no more than one member of the dissertation committee should

participate electronically. If the Chair of the committee must participate electronically, high-quality

video conferencing (e.g., at the Mayes Center) should be used; and, it is recommended that another

committee member, who is physically present, should be delegated to moderate the open session.

Once a date and time have been agreed upon by the student and committee members, the student

should arrange for a room for the defense. The defense must be announced via the epidsems

distribution list ([email protected]) at least one week in advance. From this announcement, a flyer

will be prepared for posting in the department. The announcement should include student name, title

of presentation, indication that this is a doctoral defense, name of mentor, date, time, and location.

Program areas are encouraged to issue specific invitations to colleagues outside the department, citing

the paper titles.

The announcement of the final defense may not be made without prior permission of the Academic

Coordinator. This is to ensure that all administrative tasks have been satisfied prior to the defense.

The final defense includes a presentation of the results of the doctoral research to the doctoral

committee, other faculty, and students. This is followed by discussion and criticism of the scientific

work presented and the final written document.

The first portion of the Final Defense is open. The candidate presents the research, and a general

discussion period follows. Following this open meeting, the student and Committee meet in closed

session for a final examination of the work. The results are reported to the Graduate School after all

committee members have signed the “Report of the Final Oral Examination” obtained from the

Academic Coordinator. The Chair of the dissertation committee should not sign this document until

the dissertation is in final form. This form will not be submitted to the Graduate School until all

corrections/modifications to the final document have been completed.

Submission of the Dissertation to The Graduate School

The student should consult The Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide for information on

preparation of the dissertation for submission to the Graduate School. These guidelines must be

followed in order for the final product to be accepted by the Graduate School.

Dissertations must be submitted to The Graduate School in electronic format. Refer to The Graduate

School webpage Thesis and Dissertation Resources for specific details.

NOTE: The dissertation document MAY NOT be submitted to the Graduate School prior to the

dissertation defense. The defense must be completed and the written document must have been

approved by the committee as documented by the required signatures in Part IV of the Graduate School

exam form before the dissertation document may be submitted to the Graduate School.

Submission of the Dissertation to the Department

Once a student’s dissertation has been approved by The Graduate School, it is the student’s

responsibility to send a copy of the dissertation in PDF format to the department’s Academic

Coordinator.

Health Behavior

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THIS PROGRAM/MISSION STATEMENT/OVERVIEW

Overview

The Department of Health Behavior is in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. The

department offers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the MSPH (Master of Science in Public Health)-to-

PhD degrees. The Handbook describes the competencies guiding training and degree requirements for

both programs. Additional resources (including archives of guidelines from previous academic years) are

available on the department website, Teams, and Canvas.

Two other documents contain important information and regulations: (1) Gillings School of Global Public

Health Student Resources and (2) The Graduate School Handbook. The Graduate School Handbook

describes policies and procedures of The Graduate School, including academic requirements and

regulations, which apply to all graduate students. Other useful information is available on The Graduate

School webpage. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of and comply with all requirements in

these documents.

Mission

Doctoral training in Health Behavior prepares graduates for research careers in academic, non-profit,

and governmental settings and for leadership roles. Graduates are trained to conduct independent

research on the context and etiology of health-related behaviors that contribute to domestic and global

public health problems and to develop, evaluate, and disseminate interventions to ameliorate those

problems.

Key personnel

The doctoral program is administered by the doctoral program director, in coordination with the

doctoral program Academic Coordinator. The doctoral program director is responsible for all issues

related to enrolled doctoral students. The doctoral program is guided by a doctoral advisory committee

(DAC) made up of department faculty members. Committee members are appointed by the chair of the

department. The doctoral program director serves as the chair of DAC.

A commitment to anti-racism and equity

The Health Behavior department is committed to promoting anti-racism and equity in our training,

research, and practice. We also aim to create an inclusive and supportive environment for students,

faculty, and staff. We recognize that such a commitment requires intentional action, critical reflection,

and iterative assessment of our individual and collective actions. To advance our processes of anti-racist

reflection and action, we have created several structures in the department. The Equity Collective

(https://sph.unc.edu/diversity/equity-collective/) was established by a group of Health Behavior

students in 2017 to create, promote and sustain equity in the Department of Health Behavior. The

Health Behavior Equity Task Force (https://sph.unc.edu/hb/equity-task-force-updates/) is a group of

Health Behavior faculty formed in 2020 to promote anti-racism and equity through the development of

an Equity Action and Accountability Plan. The department also establishes ad hoc equity work teams for specific

topics as needed that involve additional faculty, staff, or students as appropriate; all faculty have served on at least

one such group in the past.

Doctoral Student Advisory Committee

The doctoral student advisory committee (DSAC) serves as a representing body of the doctoral students;

nominations to DSAC are made annually. The primary role of DSAC is to serve as a liaison and

representative voice of the doctoral student body to the departmental faculty and administration,

including representation at faculty meetings. In addition, DSAC coordinates events and purchases with

student fees to facilitate social interaction and professional development and to support recruitment

and orientation processes. In addition to serving on DSAC, doctoral students are strongly encouraged to

participate regularly in other aspects of department life. This participation could include: attending

lectures sponsored by the department and school; attending dissertation defenses; meeting with faculty

candidates; serving as a student representative (if invited) for faculty searches or other ad hoc

assignments; and/or serving in a leadership role in one of the many other student organizations in the

school and on campus.

Protection of human subjects

Training in ethical issues related to research involving human subjects is required of all students who are

engaged in the planning, conduct, or analysis of research at UNC that involves human subjects. In the

first fall semester, doctoral students must complete a web-based training program, the Collaborative IRB

Training Initiative (CITI), and must be registered in the UNC Ethics Training Database. Information about

the CITI on-line course and registration in the database may be found at UNC’s Office of Human

Research Ethics (OHRE) webpage.

All research involving human subjects must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the

Protection of Human Subjects. Doctoral students must have IRB approval for research conducted as part

of the doctoral dissertation.

The Honor Code

Doctoral students are subject to the regulations of the Honor Code and are expected to review and

understand the code. The complete code can also be found in The Graduate School Handbook.

Residency and enrollment requirements

PhD students must register full-time in the department (nine or more credit hours per semester) for the

fall and spring semesters during the first two years. MSPH-to-PhD students must register full-time for

fall and spring semesters during the first three years. Following successful completion of the

comprehensive exam at the end of the second year, full-time enrollment is 3 credits of HBEH 994

(dissertation credits). Students may continue to take other courses as needed to meet their course

requirement and training needs.

Full-time enrollment exceptions in the second (or third for MSPH-to-PhD students) year may be made

under special circumstances, subject to approval of the department chair and doctoral program director.

See Registration in The Graduate School Handbook for minimum requirements. The department strongly

recommends that students continue to maintain residency at least until the oral qualifying examination

is passed and the dissertation is underway. See also Residence Credit in The Graduate School Handbook

for the minimum number of semester registration requirements at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Continuous Enrollment

Doctoral students are expected to engage year-round with faculty on research and other mentored

activities. Students are encouraged to stay continuously involved, including over summers, in activities

to advance their training. Students are expected to discuss their summer plans and registration with

their mentors.

Registration is required during the first or second summer session if students are taking a course(s),

completing a practicum, or fulfilling work related to an academic milestone. Academic milestones

include completing the doctoral written comprehensive exam, the oral comprehensive exam, and the

dissertation defense. PhD students completing the primary (HBEH 842) or secondary (HBEH 843)

practicum or MSPH-to-PhD students completing the research practicum (HBEH 744) during the summer

are required to register for at least one credit in summer session I or II. Students must be registered for

three credit hours of dissertation (HBEH 994) during the semesters or summer sessions in which the

dissertation is proposed (oral exam) and defended.

Leave of Absence

Students in good academic standing may request a leave of absence for a defined period (up to one

year), during which no academic progress is made. After consultation and approval from the faculty

mentor and doctoral program director, students should complete a Request of Leave of Absence form,

available on the Graduate School website (https://gradschool.unc.edu/). Students should give the

completed form to the doctoral program director for completion of the departmental section and

signature; the Academic Coordinator will file the application with the Graduate School.

Parental Leave

UNC’s Graduate Student Parental Leave Policy is designed to assist a full-time graduate student

immediately following the birth or adoption of a child with 6 weeks of consecutive leave if the student is

the primary child-care provider. The form to request parental leave can be found here.

Leaving the Program before Finishing the Degree

If a doctoral student finds that the PhD Program in Health Behavior is not a good fit with their interests

and long-term career goals, they are encouraged to speak with their faculty mentor and the doctoral

program director. The faculty mentor and doctoral program director may be able to point the student

towards courses and resources that better support the student or help with applications to other

programs or career opportunities.

In some cases, students leaving the program before completing the PhD may be eligible to earn a

Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH). To be eligible, students need to complete the following

requirements: all doctoral required core courses; a total of 40 credit hours with at least P grades; the

primary practicum (HBEH 842); and a publishable manuscript. Students who wish to be considered for

this option should consult with their faculty mentor and the doctoral program director. Students who

matriculated into the MSPH-to-PhD track should consult the guidelines to determine requirements for

earning the MSPH as a terminal degree.

Academic Advising and Progress Reporting

The Faculty Mentor

Students are assigned a faculty mentor upon entering the doctoral program. The department considers

student preference, match of faculty and student research interests, and faculty preference and

availability in assigning mentors. The faculty mentor is responsible for guiding students’ academic and

research program and approving activities that satisfy course requirements.

If appropriate, either the student or mentor may decide later that another faculty member is more

suitable as faculty mentor for that student. These types of changes occur routinely, pending the

approval of the doctoral program director, with the only potential barriers being the availability of a

departmental faculty member qualified and willing to serve as mentor. The faculty mentor will typically

serve as the chair of the student’s dissertation committee but that is not automatic (see Doctoral

Dissertation).

Doctoral students are expected to work independently to make appropriate progress in the program,

even as they also work closely with the faculty mentor and other faculty. The mentor helps the student

identify courses and practica and assists with any problems affecting the student’s relationships with

faculty, colleagues, or the department at large. Students are responsible for seeking meetings as needed

with their faculty mentors. As a rule, students should proactively schedule at least one face-to-face

meeting with their mentor or dissertation chair each semester, no matter where they are in the doctoral

program. We also encourage students to get to know and work with a range of faculty during their first

2 years of training.

Cohort Advising

The doctoral program director meets with doctoral students by cohort in the first three years for PhD

students and during the first year for MSPH-to-PhD students. These meetings facilitate sharing of

updates regarding program requirements, soliciting student feedback and input, and identifying any

concerns or challenges affecting the cohort.

First Year Progress Review and Academic Committee

At the end of their first year in the program, the PhD student and faculty mentor form an academic

committee to formally review the student’s progress in the doctoral program.

The academic committee

consists of the student’s faculty mentor plus two other faculty members approved by the faculty

mentor. See Appendix 1 for guidance on first year progress review meetings. These meetings generally

take place in May or June following the completion of the first academic year in the program.

At least one week before the progress review meeting, the student sends the committee members a

summary report including:

(1) Educational and professional objectives,

(2) Completed and proposed coursework, with grades for completed coursework (use the Checklist

of Requirements for the PhD degree in Appendix 2)

(3) Practicum descriptions and learning contracts (if available),

(4) A description of other involvements and responsibilities (e.g., research assistantships,

fellowships),

(5) A list of questions for the committee, and

(6) Current curriculum vitae.

The student’s faculty mentor opens and closes the meeting, with the student taking the lead in

reporting their progress over the first year. Within a week after the meeting, the student prepares a

brief summary statement of the committee’s evaluation and recommendations and submits it

electronically to the faculty mentor, each committee member, the doctoral program director, and the

Academic Coordinator for inclusion in the student’s permanent file.

If the faculty mentor deems it appropriate, the academic committee may be activated for additional

meetings after the first-year progress review.

Written Progress Reports

At the end of the fifth semester

and every semester thereafter until graduation, students provide a

written progress report via email to the faculty mentor (or dissertation chair), the doctoral program

director, and the Academic Coordinator for inclusion in the student’s permanent file. The report should

be submitted no later than the beginning of exam week for the fall and spring semesters and should be

no longer than two pages. Students should include an updated Checklist with each report (Appendix 2)

indicating any coursework or milestones completed since the last report.

For students who have not yet passed the oral qualifying exam (i.e., presented the dissertation

proposal), the report should identify:

(1) the dissertation topic or progress toward identifying a topic;

(2) the dissertation research questions/aims or progress toward formulating them.

(3) the likely chair or possible candidates and faculty with whom the student has met to discuss

dissertation ideas;

(4) specific, achievable goals over the next semester to move closer to being ready for the oral

qualifying exam;

(5) barriers to progress; and

(6) how the department can help the student achieve the goal of progressing to, and ultimately

passing, the oral qualifying exam.

For students who have passed their oral qualifying exam, the report should include the following

information:

(1) date of the oral qualifying exam;

This meeting takes place in second year for students enrolled in the MSPH-to-PhD Program.

Seventh semester for students enrolled in the MSPH-to-PhD Program.

(2) names and department affiliations of dissertation committee members;

(3) subject area or working title of the dissertation;

(4) report of progress since the last end-of-semester progress report including what stage(s) of the

dissertation process the student is in (e.g., data collection, analysis, writing up results);

(5) a self-assessment of the degree to which the student achieved each of the goals included in the

previous progress report;

(6) specific, achievable goals for what progress will be completed over the next semester;

(7) barriers to progress;

(8) expected date (month and year) of the dissertation defense; and

(9) any problems, special circumstances, successes since the last report.

Progress reports provide a basis for the written dissertation plan students are expected to prepare each

semester in which they are enrolled for dissertation credits (see Doctoral Dissertation). Dissertation

plans and progress reports should be submitted after a “check in” with the student’s faculty mentor or

dissertation chair.

As noted earlier, doctoral students should schedule at least one meeting with their faculty mentors each

semester (though most students meet with their mentors more frequently). Faculty mentors are also

encouraged to scheduled additional meetings if they determine that an advanced doctoral student

would benefit.

Progress Meetings

Beginning at the eighth semester

, students who have not successfully passed the oral qualifying exam

must schedule an annual progress review meeting with a committee made up of at least three

departmental faculty members including: (1) the doctoral program director, who chairs the committee;

(2) the faculty mentor (or dissertation chair if already selected); and (3) one or two other departmental

faculty members, approved by the doctoral program director. While welcomed as members of

dissertation committees, faculty members from outside departments are not appropriate as members

of the progress meeting committee.

At the beginning of the semester, students who are due for a progress meeting will be notified by the

doctoral program director and asked to nominate faculty members other than the faculty mentor to

serve on the committee. The doctoral program director can approve the nominations or name other

faculty members to the committee. Once committee membership is established, the student is

responsible for contacting committee members to schedule the meeting and for reserving a meeting

location. Students should submit the written progress report to all committee members one week prior

to the meeting.

Students who require a progress meeting but who have formally scheduled the oral qualifying exam may

request a waiver of the progress meeting by emailing the doctoral program director. The progress

committee provides guidance to the faculty mentor/dissertation committee chair on whether the

student is making adequate progress toward completion of the doctoral degree. If warranted, the

progress committee may recommend more frequent meetings with the student than annually. Also, if

there are committee concerns about student progress, the committee may establish written

expectations and a timetable for benchmarks that the student must meet for successful completion of

the degree. The faculty mentor/dissertation chair will use these expectations in grading student

progress on the dissertation (see Doctoral Dissertation).

Departmental File

The department’s Academic Coordinator maintains a permanent file for each student. Copies of

progress meeting materials, progress reports, practicum learning contracts, requirement checklists, and

all other paperwork related to the student’s academic career are stored in the file. It is the student’s

responsibility to provide copies of these documents to the Academic Coordinator.

Tenth semester for MSPH-to-PhD students.

Student Employment

Students are encouraged to seek and complete service work through research, teaching, and graduate

assistantships as an integral part of training. To support and enable students’ academic progress, the

department recommends that throughout their training, students’ service work or other employment

not exceed 20 hours per week on average. This maximum is cumulative across all positions during fall or

spring semesters. During required coursework (i.e., fall and spring semesters of years 1 and 2 for PhD

students; years 1, 2, and 3 for MSPH-to-PhD students), 20 hours is the maximum allowable hours of

employment per week that can be paid through sources that flow through UNC-Chapel Hill’s accounting.

Note that a non-service stipend paid through the university by a fellowship is usually considered to be

equivalent to employment at 20 hours per week. If allowable by the fellowship, students may complete

a full or part-time teaching assistantship and be compensated for it; research assistantships typically are

not allowed. Students are encouraged not to exceed the 20-hour limit through employment outside of

UNC-Chapel Hill. International students are subject to visa requirements and should consult the

International Student and Scholarship Services Office for employment policy and related restrictions.

Employment Issues Related to MSPH-to-PhD Program

For the purposes of employment within the department or university, students enrolled in the MSPH-to-

PhD program are classified as doctoral students and thus qualify for the doctoral minimum stipend for

research and teaching assistantships.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must have received a masters degree prior to matriculating in the program. We do a holistic

review of each application, focused on the following:

• Fit with the department: is the applicant interested in the type of research done in the department?

If previous training is in a different field, does the applicant reflect an understanding of public health

and explain why they want to switch fields?

• Fit with a faculty member: do we have a faculty member willing to advise the student? Ideally, we

would like to see fit with 2-3 faculty members.

• Experience with research: does the student have at least 1-2 years of part- or full-time research

experience? We are training researchers, so want to be sure applicants have a basic understanding

of what research is and what it entails. Note: we are also interested in practice experience, and

consider this in admissions, but do not require it.

• Articulation of research interests: has the student described an interest in health behavior-research

that is likely important to the field, and both narrow enough to reflect some intentional thought,

and flexible enough to adjust during the training process?

• References: strong references from academic and professional sources (generally faculty or other

professional researchers who have taught/advised students and employers).

• Academic record: We look for strong grades, especially in graduate training or late undergraduate

training. GPAs above 3.0 are preferred. We also review the application statement to assess writing

and critical thinking. As of the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, GREs are no longer accepted as part of

the review process.

• International students: International students are required to provide transcripts from all training

institutions. If they have not received training at an English-language institution, they will be

required to submit standardized test scores for the TOEFL or IELTS.

• Diversity: We aim to train a diverse public health research workforce and employ a broad definition

of diversity in our admissions process.

CONCENTRATION COMPETENCIES

Doctoral students are expected to gain and demonstrate competency in theoretical foundations of the

field, research methods, interventions, and in professional development topics. These competencies

represent minimum objectives that form the foundation of doctoral training in Health Behavior. By the

end of the program doctoral students will be able to:

1. Integrate social science and behavioral theories and empirical research to critically assess how

health behaviors are formed and changed.

2. Critique the scientific literature in terms of the study design, methodological approach,

interpretation, and presentation of research relevant to the field of health behavior.

3. Identify essential and compelling gaps in understanding of determinants and outcomes of health

behaviors and develop appropriate research questions to address these gaps.

4. Select and apply appropriate study designs, operational measures, and analytic methods to

evaluate relevant research questions and hypotheses related to health behaviors.

5. Apply theories, conceptual paradigms, and evidence to inform the design, implementation,

evaluation, adaptation and dissemination of health behavior programs and policies.

6. Communicate health behavior research to diverse audiences via presentations and publications.

All students have additional learning objectives and develop specialized and in-depth competencies in

their specific areas of interest.

DEGREE REQUIRESMENTS/CURRICULUM

Students complete a minimum of 58 credits across the following categories: 1) required core and

elective courses (45 credits min.); 2) written comprehensive exam (1 credit); 3) practica (6 credits); and

4) dissertation (6 credits min.) (see Table 2). In addition, students without a prior bachelor’s or MPH or

equivalent degree from an accredited school of public health must complete a one-semester 3-credit

Gillings School of Global Public Health core course (SPHG 600/FLO: Introduction to Public Health). See

Table 3 for the sequence of requirements by semester.

When taking electives in other school or university departments, students must enroll in courses higher

than the 400-level and be graded (not pass/fail) to have those credits count towards the minimum

number of credit hour hours required for graduation. Undergraduate-level foreign language courses

cannot be counted toward a graduate degree. Students may take these courses as additional credits.

Students are required to take 3 advanced elective courses including one in interventions (min. 3 credits),

one in methods (min. 2 credits) and one in theory (min. 3 credits). Advanced electives must be approved

by the doctoral program director on an individual basis. Students should email their intended advanced

elective courses and accompanying syllabi to the doctoral program director for approval prior to taking

the class. Approval is done on an individual basis due to changes in course content and focus.

Table 2. Minimum PhD Requirements (58 Credits

)

Area

# of

Credits

Theoretical Foundations

HBEH 815: Foundations of Health Behavior I*

HBEH 816: Foundations of Health Behavior II*

One advanced theory course

Research Methods

HBEH 760: Advanced Research Methods*

HBEH 761: Generalized Linear Modeling with Health Behavior Applications*

HBEH 762: Advanced extensions to linear regression*

HBEH 763: Measurement*

HBEH 860: Research Proposal Development*

One advanced methods course

Interventions

HBEH 811: Development and Evaluation of Health Promotion and Disease

Prevention Interventions *

One advanced interventions course

Professional Development

HBEH 812: Professional Development I*

HBEH 813: Professional Development II*

Electives

Practica

HBEH 842: Primary practicum*

HBEH 843: Secondary practicum

Doctoral Comprehensive Exam (HBEH 891-045)

Dissertation credits (HBEH 994)

TOTAL

*Required before the written comprehensive exam. +Encouraged before the written comprehensive exam but may be taken

after. Must be graduate-level courses offered in HB or other departments

Students without a prior bachelor’s or master’s

degree from an accredited school of public health must take the 3-credit SPHG 600/FLO course by the 4

semester and before

the written comprehensive exam. It does not count towards the 58 required credits.

Students are encouraged to take advanced quantitative or qualitative methods courses.

Table 3: At a Glance: PhD Sequence of Requirements (Years 1 and 2)

Year 1

Fall 2022

Spring 2023

Summer 2023

HBEH 760: Advanced Research Methods (3)

HBEH 812: Professional Development I (2)

HBEH 815: Foundations of Health Behavior I (3)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum (1-2

credits)

SPHG 600/FLO: Introduction to Public Health

(3)]

Elective(s)/advanced core (3-6 credits)

HBEH 761: Generalized Linear Modeling (4)

HBEH 816: Foundations of Health Behavior II

(3)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum

(1-2 credits)

Elective(s)/advanced core (3-6 credits)

Optional:

HBEH 842, Primary

Practicum (1-4 credits)

HBEH 843, Secondary

Practicum (1-2 credits)

Elective courses

Year 2

Fall 2023

Spring 2024

Summer 2024

HBEH 811: Development & Evaluation of HPDP

Interventions (3)

HBEH 762: Advanced extensions to linear

regression (2)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum (1-2

credits)

Elective(s)/advanced core (2-6 credits)

HBEH 813: Profession Development II (1)

HBEH 763: Measurement (3)

HBEH 860: Research Proposal Development

(3)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum

(1-2 credits)

Elective(s)/advanced core (3-6 credits)

HBEH 891-045:

Comprehensive Exam

(1)

The primary and secondary practicum can be completed starting with the first semester in the program and are optional in the

summer. The primary practicum is required to be completed prior to the written comprehensive exam.

Students without a prior bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited school of public health must take the 3-credit SPHG

600/FLO course before the completion of the 4

semester and before the written comprehensive exam. It does not count

towards the 58 required credits.

Extension of timeline for completing course requirements

Occasionally, students seek, or are recommended by their faculty mentor to seek, an extension of time

for completing the two years of required course work for the PhD or three years of required course work

for the MSPH-to-PhD. The reasons for seeking an extension are typically personal, such as family-related

reasons, or are related to academic concerns.

Because of course sequencing requirements and the annual (i.e., summer session I) schedule for the

doctoral written comprehensive exam, extensions will typically be granted for one year. Students are

discouraged from seeking more than a one-year extension because the written doctoral comprehensive

exam is based on the two years of preceding required courses. Course content may change from year to

year, which may impact student preparation for the exam.

Students who seek an extension should meet with their faculty mentor to prepare a course completion

plan and timeline. Faculty mentors are expected to provide advice and support to students in

developing the extended schedule and plan. Students are expected to take responsibility for following

the schedule and related plans and for keeping the faculty mentor informed of their progress. Requests,

plans, and the timetable for an extended timeline must be approved by the doctoral program director.

Credit for Previous Coursework

Doctoral students are permitted to transfer in up to six course credit hours required for the degree,

pending approval. Such work must represent courses relevant to the field of health behavior and the

student’s program of study, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student

competencies at least the equivalent to those of currently enrolled doctoral students (i.e., 700- or 800-

level courses in our department). Courses for which credits are given must be equivalent to those

offered by the department or approved as electives, and a grade of P (or B) or higher must have been

received from an accredited graduate institution.

Credit reductions do not influence the residency and enrollment requirements or comprehensive

examination procedures.

HBEH 760, 761, 762, 763, 811, 812, 813, 815, 816, and 860 cannot be exempted, and prior credits

earned in courses or seminars similar to these courses cannot be applied toward the required credits.

Students who wish to submit a credit transfer request should first review the guidelines set forth in the

Graduate School Handbook. Credit transfer request form and supporting materials are typically

submitted to the Academic Coordinator’s office in the student’s second semester. The Academic

Coordinator screens the student’s application materials and certifies the request.

Once a credit transfer application has been certified by the Academic Coordinator, the student may

submit the request to the first year Progress Review Committee, which then makes a transfer credit

recommendation. The doctoral program director has final department-level approval. The request is

then reviewed by the Graduate School, which makes a final decision on the matter. If approved, the

credits will appear on a student’s course history and transcript as transfer credit.

Minor Degree

Students may elect to complete a formal minor in another department. A minor consists of at least 15

credits hours in the minor department and any other requirements specified by the minor department.

To count toward the minor, all credits must be for courses listed (or cross-listed) in other departments.

Minor credits may not count for departmental course requirements. The minor must be approved in

advance by the student’s faculty mentor, the doctoral program director, and the director of graduate

study in the minor department. The student should complete a Minor Declaration Form which will be

sent to The Graduate School by the Academic Coordinator.

Students from Other Departments Pursuing Minors in HB

Students enrolled in other departments who wish to earn a minor in Health Behavior must have a

departmental faculty member as a minor faculty mentor and must earn a minimum of 15 credits in the

department including: HBEH 730 (or an equivalent course), HBEH 815, HBEH 816, and HBEH 811.

Professional Development

Professional development is continuous over the course of doctoral training and occurs both informally

and formally. Periodic training sessions, workshops, and other requirements help enhance engagement

with the department and field of health behavior and increase professional development in the areas of

the responsible conduct of research, information literacy, research funding strategies, and other areas.

The Doctoral Student Advisory Committee also identifies and hosts professional development activities.

Students must register for two professional development courses: HBEH 812 (2 credits) in the first fall

semester and HBEH 813 (1 credit) in the second spring semester.

Manuscript Preparation

The ability to publish research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals is fundamental to a research

career. Although not a formal course requirement, students are encouraged to seek out opportunities,

prior to the dissertation project, as both a co-author and as a lead author in writing manuscripts.

Students may complete manuscripts as part of a research practicum, as part of a research assistantship,

as an independent study, in collaboration with a faculty mentor, or through some other circumstances.

Students are encouraged to discuss their research interests with faculty to learn of opportunities for

collaboration on manuscripts. Note: MSPH-to-PhD students are required to complete a publishable

manuscript to earn the MSPH.

Practica

A fundamental assumption of the practicum requirements is that mentored practical experience can

enhance knowledge and skills taught in courses. Students complete a primary practicum in research and

a secondary practicum in teaching, research, or some other experience that enhances professional skills

(e.g., an internship in a congressional office, government agency, or non-profit organization). More time

is devoted to the primary practicum (4 credits, 480 hours) than to the secondary practicum (2 credits,

240 hours). Practica can be paid learning experiences.

Each practicum is individually designed by and for the student and requires a practicum learning

contract (Appendix 3). The practicum learning contract must be completed before the start of the

semester when the student will be completing the practicum credits. A practicum can occur within the

department or elsewhere. The preceptor is usually a department or adjunct faculty member, but that is

not required. Regardless of the affiliation of the preceptor, the student’s faculty mentor is responsible

for assuring that the student has a worthwhile and appropriately mentored practicum.

Primary Practicum

The primary practicum is designed to enhance knowledge and skills in research through work on one or

more research projects. It can occur within the context of a research assistantship, but that is not

required. The practicum may involve: designing and implementing a research project, including

developing and evaluating a health behavior intervention; carrying out data analyses; writing

manuscripts; assuming responsibility for part of a project; or a combination of these activities.

Students must register for HBEH 842 for a total of 4 credits for the primary practicum; the credits should

be split over the semesters (fall, spring and/or summer) in which the practicum takes place. Practicum

credits do not apply to the 46 required course credits. If the practicum takes place during the summer

students must register for at least one credit in summer session I or II. A separate practicum learning

contract is required for each semester in which practicum credits are completed.

Students must devote the equivalent of 15 hours per week for two regular semesters (32 weeks) for a

total of 480 hours. The primary practicum can be completed in one or two semesters and work can

occur in the summer. Students may distribute the 480 hours across more than one project to optimally

match their practicum learning objectives. Students must complete the primary practicum prior to

taking the written comprehensive exam.

Secondary Practicum

The secondary practicum is designed to enhance knowledge and skills in teaching, research, or another

area relevant to professional goals. A secondary practicum in research may involve work on the same or

different projects than in the primary practicum but must emphasize different skills. Students must

devote the equivalent of 15 hours per week for one regular semester for a total of 240 hours. The

practicum may be completed in one or more semesters, and work can occur in the summer.

Students must register for HBEH 843 for a total of 2 credits for the secondary practicum; practicum

credits do not apply to the 46 required course credits. Students must complete the secondary practicum

prior to taking the oral qualifying exam.

To fulfill the secondary practicum, the student must be involved in teaching a 2- or 3-credit

undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral level course. Minimum responsibilities for the teaching practicum

are described below. The student must be mentored by a faculty member and devote a total of 160

hours to teaching responsibilities (i.e., approximately 10 hours a week over 16-weeks). In addition,

students must complete two or more workshops offered by the Center for Faculty Excellence and

designed to prepare graduate students for instructional responsibilities in their future careers (e.g., the

online new TA orientation, workshop on writing a teaching statement). Completion of the workshops

satisfies the remaining required hours. Students must complete FERPA training prior to TAing.

Minimum Student Responsibilities (at least two)

• Developing or significantly modifying a course syllabus as part of course planning

• Developing and implementing the equivalent of three hours of class instructional sessions (e.g.,

lectures, case studies, distance learning activities)

• Grading student assignments that require detailed, qualitative, evaluative feedback; i.e., merely

grading multiple choice answers does not meet this requirement

• Facilitating discussion groups

During or at the conclusion of the practicum experience, each student should begin to articulate a

teaching philosophy as a precursor to developing a teaching portfolio.

Faculty and Student Roles

Consideration of practica begins at the time of matriculation. The student and faculty mentor together

are responsible for identifying prospective practicum assignments and mentors. The faculty mentor

must approve any changes to the practica. Faculty mentorship is at the core of all practica. The faculty

mentor is expected to provide opportunities that will allow students to fulfill their practicum

requirements and to provide feedback to students on their performance of major responsibilities. The

faculty mentor has the final responsibility for assuring that the student has the opportunity for a

worthwhile practicum, even when the faculty mentor is not the mentor for the practicum.

Practicum Contract

Before a practicum begins, the student prepares a learning contract that specifies learning objectives,

lists the skills to be enhanced, and describes activities that will contribute to the objectives. See

Appendix 3 for a template of the practicum learning contract. The contract is signed by the student,

faculty mentor, and practicum preceptor (if different from the faculty mentor) and submitted to the

Academic Coordinator to be stored in the student’s departmental file.

International Travel

UNC students planning to travel internationally for any academic purposes, including conducting

research, participating in practice experiences, or in any way fulfilling an academic requirement must

familiarize themselves with university and school travel policies. As of August 2022, all university-

affiliated global travel is prohibited unless approval is obtained. Please review current travel policies

here: https://sph.unc.edu/global-health/global-travel-toolkit-2/.

Waiving Practica

Because practica have such significant potential for being valuable learning experiences, and knowledge

and skills in research, teaching, and other professional skills can always be enhanced, extremely

compelling reasons are necessary for a practicum requirement to be waived. Extensive prior experience

is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a waiver. Waiver of a practicum requirement requires the

unanimous approval of the student’s academic committee and written approval of the doctoral program

director.

MSPH-TO-PHD DEGREE

The Department of Health Behavior offers a doctoral degree track for students holding a bachelor’s

degree but not a Master of Public Health (MPH) or other master’s degree. Students in this degree track

earn the Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree before completing the requirements to

receive the PhD.

MSPH-to PhD Training Sequence

Students must meet all requirements within 8 years from the date of first registration in the MSPH-to-

PhD Program. Table 5 shows the general timetable of steps for completion of the degree. Appendix 5 is

a Checklist of Requirements for the MSPH-PhD Degree.

Table 5. MSPH-to-PhD Training Sequence and Timetable

Academic Event

Semester after Entry

Completion of master’s level required courses

Completion of first year MSPH progress review

Completion of master’s level research practicum

Completion of master’s level comprehensive examination

Completion of SPH integrated core course requirements

Completion of publishable paper

Completion of minimum course requirements

Completion of primary practicum requirements

2,3

Completion of secondary practicum requirements

Written doctoral comprehensive examination

6 (Summer I)

Selection of doctoral dissertation committee

Written progress reports

Oral qualifying examination

Admission to doctoral candidacy

Oral defense of dissertation

Award of doctoral degree

A semester number followed by “+” indicates the earliest semester that the event typically happens.

9 credits, not including specific required courses, may be completed after the written comprehensive exam.

May begin doctoral primary practicum before finishing MSPH publishable paper requirement.

Primary practicum must be completed before the written comprehensive exam.

May begin secondary practicum before primary practicum is completed, but both must be completed before the oral

qualifying exam.

MSPH requirements must be completed prior to the doctoral written comprehensive exam.

Required at the end of the 7

semester and every subsequent semester until graduation.

At the beginning of the 10

semester, students who have not passed the oral qualifying exam must schedule a progress

meeting. The progress meeting is scheduled annually until the oral qualifying examination is passed.

MSPH-to-PhD Course Requirements

Students enrolled in the MSPH-to-PhD track complete 84 credits of required course work in (Table 6); 50

of those course credits (plus 4 practicum credits for the research/paper practicum) must be completed

before the MSPH is conferred. Courses in year 1 consist of MPH core courses that focus on foundational

knowledge in public health and health behavior. In years 2 and 3, MSPH-to-PhD students enroll in

doctoral required courses in the competency areas of a) theoretical foundations of health behavior, b)

research methods, c) interventions, and d) professional development, as well as elective courses. See

Table 6 for MSPH-to-PhD requirement and Table 7 for the sequence of requirements by semesters.

Table 6. Minimum MSPH-to-PhD Requirements (84 Credits)

Area

# of credits

HB Master’s Level Courses

HBEH 730: Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior†*

HBEH 750: Applied Research Methods†*

HBEH 753: Qualitative Methods in Health Behavior†*

HBEH 752: Health Behavior Survey Methods†*

School Integrated Core Courses

SPHG 711: Data Analysis for Public Health†*

SPHG 712: Methods and Measures†*

SPHG 713: Understanding Public Health Issues†*

SPHG 721: Conceptualizing Public Health Solutions†*

SPHG 722: Developing, Implementing and Evaluating Public Health Solutions†*

MSPH Paper 4

HBEH 744: MSPH Research Practicum†*

HBEH 745: MSPH Publishable Paper Practicum†*

Doctoral Level Required Courses

Theoretical Foundations

HBEH 815: Foundations of Health Behavior I†*

HBEH 816: Foundations of Health Behavior II†*

One advanced theory course

Research Methods

HBEH 760: Advanced Research Methods†*

HBEH 761: Generalized Linear Models with Health Behavior Applications†*

HBEH 762: Advanced extensions to linear regression*

HBEH 763: Measurement*

HBEH 860: Research Grant Proposal Development*

One advanced methods course

Interventions

HBEH 811: Development and Evaluation of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Interventions*

One advanced interventions course

Professional Development

HBEH 812, Professional Development I†*

HBEH 813, Professional Development II*

Electives

Practica

HBEH 842: Primary practicum*

HBEH 843: Secondary practicum

Doctoral Written Comprehensive Exam (HBEH 891-045)

Dissertation credits (HBEH 994)

TOTAL

†Required for conferral of MSPH degree

*Required before the doctoral written comprehensive exam.

+Encouraged before the written comprehensive exam but may be deferred until after comps. Must be graduate-level courses offered in HB or

other departments

Note, the MSPH degree is not conferred until students have: (a) completed at least 50 hours of course credits; (b) completed 4-credits of

research and paper practicum; (c) submitted the paper for publications and (d) passed the master’s level comprehensive examination.

Students are encouraged to take advanced quantitative or qualitative methods courses.

Graduate level courses offered in HB or other departments. Students are encouraged to choose electives in HB and other departments, take

additional advanced methods courses, and select courses that reflect their substantive interests.

Table 7 At a Glance: MSPH-to-PhD Sequence of Requirements (Years 1, 2 and 3)

Year 1

Fall 2022

Spring 2023

Summer 2023

HBEH 730: Theoretical Foundations of Health

Behavior (3)

HBEH 750: Applied Research Methods (2)

SPHG 711: Data Analysis for Public Health (2)

SPHG 712: Methods and Measures (2)

SPHG 713: Understanding Public Health Issues

(2)

HBEH 744: Research Practicum (2)

HBEH 753: Qualitative Research Methods (3)

HBEH 752: Health Behavior Survey Methods (2)

SPHG 721: Conceptualizing Public Health

Solutions (2)

SPHG 722: Developing, Implementing &

Evaluating Public Health Solutions (4)

Year 2

Fall 2023

Spring 2024

Summer 2024

HBEH 745: Publishable Manuscript (1-2)

HBEH 760: Advanced Research Methods (3)

HBEH 812: Professional Development I (2)

HBEH 815: Foundations of Health Behavior I

(3)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum (1-

2 credits)

Elective(s)/Advanced Core (3-6 credits)

HBEH 745: Publishable Manuscript (1-2)

HBEH 761: Generalized Linear Modeling (4)

HBEH 816: Foundations of Health Behavior II (3)

Elective(s)/Adv. Core (3-6 credits)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum (1-2

credits)

Optional:

HBEH 842, Primary

Practicum (1-4 credits)

HBEH 843, Secondary

Practicum (1-2 credits)

Elective courses

Year 3

Fall 2024

Spring 2025

Summer 2025

HBEH 811: Development & Evaluation of

HPDP Interventions (3)

HBEH 762: Advanced extensions to linear

regression (2)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum (1-

2 credits)

Elective(s)/Advanced Core 3-6 credits)

HBEH 813: Professional Development II (1)

HBEH 763: Measurement (3)

HBEH 860: Research Proposal Development (3)

Elective(s)/Adv. Core (3-6 credits)

Optional

: HBEH 842: Primary Practicum (1-4

credits)

Optional

: HBEH 843: Secondary Practicum (1-2

credits)

HBEH 891-045: Doctoral

Comprehensive Exam (1)

The primary and secondary practicum can be completed starting with the first semester in the program and are optional in the

summer. The primary practicum is required to be completed prior to the written comprehensive exam.

MSPH Research Practicum and Publishable Paper

Overview. The MSPH research practicum and paper are designed to enhance students’ knowledge and

skills in research through work on a research project that leads to a publishable paper. The paper is an

approved substitute for a master’s thesis, as required by the Graduate School for the master’s degree.

Consideration and planning for the research practicum and publishable paper begins in the fall semester

of year 1 and the requirements must be completed by last day of classes in the fall semester of year 3.

The timetable for completing the research practicum and paper is shown in Table 8.

Practicum. The research practicum usually begins in the spring semester of year 1 and is completed by

fall of year 2. Students typically work on their faculty mentor’s research for their practicum. If such an

opportunity is not available, the faculty mentor should work with the student to identify an appropriate

practicum opportunity, either in the department or in another unit. Practicum preceptors are usually

faculty members within the University, although this is not required. All preceptors must hold a PhD,

ScD, DrPH, or MD and must commit to mentoring the student. To complete the research practicum

requirements, students should:

(1) Work with the faculty mentor to identify a research practicum and, if indicated, a preceptor.

(2) Once the practicum is identified, complete the research practicum contract and file it with the

Academic Coordinator (Appendix 6) and

(3) Register for research practicum credits with the faculty mentor when ready.

(4) At the end of year 1, schedule a meeting with a two- or three-person committee composed of the

faculty mentor, the practicum preceptor (if different than the faculty mentor), and one doctoral

advisory committee member. The purpose of this meeting is to review/finalize plans for the

practicum and begin developing a plan for the publishable paper that will emerge from the

practicum (Appendix 4).

(5) Two credits (200 hours) are required for the research practicum. Students should enroll in 2 credits

of HBEH 744 in the spring semester of year 1 or 1 credit in the spring of year 1 and 1 credit in the fall

of year 2.

(6) Complete the research practicum by the end of the fall semester in year 2.

Paper. The research paper is completed over the course of the second year in the program and must be

completed before the beginning of the third year. To complete the research paper students should:

(1) Enroll in 2 credits (HBEH 745) in fall or spring year 2 or by fall of year 3; credits may be spread over

semesters and summer sessions.

(2) Work with the practicum preceptor, and possibly other members of the research team, to develop

paper ideas. The paper topic should be finalized no later than the last day of classes of the fall

semester in year 2.

(3) Take the leading role in conducting the analysis, interpreting the results, and writing the paper, with

guidance from the practicum preceptor and, as applicable, other research team members. The

preceptor reviews the paper and approves it when it is judged to be of publishable quality. Revisions

are likely to be requested by the preceptor throughout the process.

(4) Submit the paper to a peer-reviewed journal by the last day of classes of the fall semester in year 3.

Authorship order on the submitted paper is made by the practicum preceptor in accordance with

authorship guidelines for the journal to which the paper is to be submitted.

(5) Complete the MSPH Research Paper Requirement form and obtain the preceptor’s signature as

required when events are completed (Appendix 7). The form should be filed with the Academic

Coordinator.

(6) Send an electronic file of the submitted paper to the Academic Coordinator and the doctoral

program director by the last day of classes of the fall semester in year 3.

Grading. The research practicum and paper are graded by the faculty mentor, with input from the

preceptor if the preceptor is different than the faculty mentor. The research practicum and research

manuscript are graded using the permanent graduate grades (H, P, L, F). Grades include consideration of

the timeliness of meeting the deadline as well as the quality of the work.

Table 8. MSPH Research Practicum and Paper Sequence and Timetable

MSPH-to-PhD cohort meeting with doctoral program

director on the research practicum and paper requirements

Fall semester, year 1

Meet with faculty mentor to identify research practicum

possibilities and, if applicable, the practicum preceptor

Fall semester, year 1 – spring semester, year 1

Meet with faculty mentor, doctoral advisory committee

member, and preceptor, if applicable, to finalize the

practicum and begin developing plans for the paper.

End of spring semester, year 1

Complete the research practicum contract*

Spring semester, year 1-fall semester, year 2

Complete research practicum

Spring semester, year 1-fall semester, year 2

Meet with preceptor to develop paper ideas

Summer, following year 1 – Fall semester, year 2

Finalize paper topic*

Deadline: last day of classes, fall semester, year 2

Complete research paper & submit to preceptor*

Deadline: first day of classes, fall semester, year 3

Preceptor reviews paper and approves*

Fall semester, year 3

Submit paper to peer-reviewed journal*

Deadline: last day of classes, fall semester, year 3

Submit copy of the submitted paper to doctoral program

director and Academic Coordinator

Deadline: last day of classes, fall semester, year 3

*Signatures required.

Additional Requirements for the MSPH Degree

Students must complete the MPH comprehensive exam. The MSPH is conferred after all MSPH-required

courses, the MSPH practicum, and MPH comprehensive exam requirements have been fulfilled.

Additional Requirements for PhD Degree

Additional requirements for the PhD are the same as for those enrolled in the traditional PhD Program.

These include completion of a primary and secondary practicum, passage of the doctoral written and

oral comprehensive exams, and successful completion and defense of the dissertation. Note that the

publishable paper must be completed and approved by the faculty mentor by the end of fall semester in

year 3 for the student to be eligible to take the doctoral written comprehensive exam.

Special Note on Advising for MSPH-to-PhD Students

The department recognizes that first-year MSPH-to-PhD students have advising needs distinct from MPH

or PhD students. For that reason, the doctoral program director schedules cohort advising for first year

MSPH-to-PhD students in the fall and spring of the first year.

After spring semester of year 1, MSPH-to-PhD students schedule a meeting with a two- or three-person

committee composed of the faculty mentor, the practicum preceptor (if different than the faculty

mentor), and a doctoral program committee member. This meeting helps guide the student on: (a)

identifying/designing a summer research practicum and (b) developing a plan for the publishable paper

that will emerge from the practicum. The meeting gives students an opportunity to receive guidance on

progressing through the program. Appendix 4 has detailed guidance on these meetings. Additional

information on academic advising for doctoral students can be found on pages 6-9 (Academic Advising

and Progress Reporting).

Transferring to the MPH Program

In rare cases, MSPH-to-PhD students will decide that the MPH Program better suits their career goals

and that they would like to transfer to that program. Such a transfer is only possible by applying to the

MPH degree program and receiving an offer of admission. Students wishing to apply to the MPH

Program must meet all requirements for admission to that program. In addition, they must:

• submit a new complete application through the SOPHAS system by the SOPHAS MPH program

deadline (this includes official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended);

• pay the SOPHAS application fee;

• submit the UNC Graduate School supplemental application by the MPH application deadline;

• pay the application fee;

• address in the required statement why they now want, and should be considered for, the

degree to which they are applying.

Suitability for the program is based on (a) performance in the student’s first year MPH classes and (b)

support of the MPH program director and the faculty mentor, with the latter provided by email to the

MPH program director.

Applications from current students will be considered in the same pool of applications from students

applying from other institutions or departments within UNC. No preferential consideration will be given

to current students.

Students who are interested in the possibility of applying to the MPH Program (Health Behavior

Concentration) are encouraged to speak with their faculty mentor and the MPH program director.

Students may also seek the assistance of the Academic Coordinator on the application process.

Note: this policy does not address the more typical and straightforward situation in which a student who

completes the MPH in the department chooses to apply to the PhD Program. Many students who have

received the MPH in Health Behavior have applied to the PhD program in Health Behavior for admission

in the fall immediately after graduating or some years later. Students in this situation follow the same

application process as any applicant from any other institution.

EXAMINATIONS AND DISSERTATION

The Written Comprehensive Examination

The written comprehensive examination tests competency in the core areas of: (a) theoretical

foundations of health behavior, (b) research methods, and (c) interventions. The exam is designed for

students to demonstrate: 1) critical thinking; 2) ability to integrate knowledge and understanding across

competency areas; and 3) readiness to undertake the dissertation.

Students must be registered in HBEH 891-045 when the comprehensive examination is taken during

summer session I, immediately following the end of the spring semester. To be eligible for the exam,

PhD students must have completed at least 36 required course credits, including 27 credits of required

courses (including HBEH 760, 761, 762, 763, 811, 812, 813, 815, 816, 860) (Table 2) and 9 credits of

advanced or elective courses. Students are also required to have completed the 4-credit primary

practicum. MSPH-to-PhD students must have completed all courses required before the doctoral

comprehensive exam, all requirements for the MSPH degree, and the primary practicum (Table 6).

The written comprehensive examination is graded by the doctoral advisory committee (DAC). DAC may

invite others, including persons other than departmental faculty members, to contribute to preparing

and grading examination questions. In the case of failure, the student, faculty mentor, and one or two

members of DAC will meet to discuss any coursework or other assignments required by the committee

for remediation. Except under unusual circumstances, students who fail will retake the exam in May the

following year.

A student who fails the second examination becomes academically ineligible to continue in the program

unless reinstatement is approved by the department and the Administrative Board of the Graduate

School.

Unless authorized in writing by the doctoral program director, exam questions as well as students’

answers are available only to the students who wrote them, members of DAC, the student’s faculty

mentor, and specially-assigned graders of the examination.

Doctoral Dissertation

Each doctoral student is required to propose, write, and defend a dissertation based on original research

of a high scholarly standard. The major goals of the dissertation are to provide the student with an

educational experience that results in: (1) a significant contribution to the field of health behavior and

(2) acquisition of knowledge and skills to make continuing, important contributions to the field.

In the dissertation, students pose specific research questions to be examined, the argument supporting

the research questions, and the scholarly gap to be addressed. The dissertation must:

1. Have demonstrated relevance to health behavior and significance to public health;

2. Be guided or informed by social or behavioral science theory or conceptual paradigm(s) that

underlie the rationale for the research;

3. Demonstrate originality through innovation in theory, methods or substantive content, or by the

application of existing theory or methods to a problem.

4. Be based in scientific standards; i.e., methods used need to be appropriate to the research

questions asked or hypotheses proposed, and the dissertation itself should demonstrate mastery of

the research methods used;

5. Make a scholarly contribution to the literature and to the field; and

6. Be of publishable quality.

The dissertation may use quantitative or qualitative methods or both. A re-analysis of existing data sets,

whether collected by others or by the student for another purpose, is allowed when the student

generates and tests original research questions and hypotheses. Students are encouraged to develop

their dissertation ideas in the context of the research opportunities available to them through their

faculty mentor, chair, or other faculty members. Dissertation research is facilitated when it is aligned

with faculty research activities. Proceeding in this fashion should help ensure that students’ plans are

feasible and have scholarly value.

Appendix 8 provides an overview of the dissertation process, from the initial development of the ideas

to the defense of the final dissertation. Students should review the steps in this process and consult with

their chair about how to best follow them.

The Dissertation Chair

When a student’s ideas about a dissertation topic and research approach have taken form, the student

identifies a member of the departmental faculty who agrees to serve as the chair of the dissertation

committee. The dissertation chair is often, but not required to be, the original faculty mentor.

Dissertation Credits and Grading

Students must register for 3 dissertation credits (HBEH 994, section number of the dissertation chair or,

if not yet selected, faculty mentor) every semester in which they are working on the dissertation,

typically beginning in the semester after passing the doctoral written comprehensive exam. Students do

not need to register for dissertation credits during the summer unless they are completing their oral

exam or defending the dissertation. Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credits of

dissertation requirements. While the dissertation is in progress, HBEH 994 is graded with the graduate

permanent grades of P (pass), L (low pass), and F (fail). Regular communication between the student and

dissertation chair is essential to fair grading and the successful completion of the dissertation. Students

are expected to confer with the chair at the start of each semester to establish an achievable written

dissertation plan for the semester. The progress reports prepared by students beginning in the 5

semester (7

semester for MSPH-to-PhD students) will often be the basis for the written plan. The chair

will grade the student’s work based on the extent to which the student has been able to follow through

with that plan. It is the student’s responsibility to keep the chair informed about progress on the plan

and any barriers to it. As appropriate, the chair and student may revise the plan.

The Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee consists of no fewer than five faculty members. A majority of the committee

members, as well as a majority of the people passing the student on the oral qualifying exam or

approving the doctoral dissertation, must be regular members of the UNC-CH Graduate Faculty from the

Health Behavior department. Adjunct faculty, faculty emeriti, and committee members from other

institutions are not regular graduate faculty members from the department and must be nominated for

fixed term graduate faculty status to serve as committee members. No later than four weeks prior to the

oral qualifying exam, the student must submit to the departmental Academic Coordinator the working

title of the dissertation, a list of the committee members and their rank, and an electronic copy of a

recent CV for any proposed committee member who must be nominated for a fixed term faculty

appointment. The committee must be approved by the doctoral program director, whose signature is

required on the form submitted to the Graduate School after the orals.

Committee members are responsible for examining the dissertation proposal and dissertation and

participating in the oral qualifying exam and defense of the dissertation.

Developing the proposal

The approach to developing the dissertation proposal will be unique to each student and chair. Students

are encouraged to begin by developing a 2-3-page document (frequently called a “proposalette”) as

they begin to develop their dissertation proposal. The proposalette facilitates efficient articulation and

communication of aims while also summarizing the significance and methods. Students should develop

the proposalette in coordination with their chair; it can be shared with potential dissertation committee

members as they invite them to be on the committee and seek feedback on their ideas.

In order to establish shared norms and expectations of the dissertation process, students are also

encouraged to have an initial meeting once the dissertation committee has been formed. This meeting

can be used to discuss the proposed aims as outlined in the proposalette and to establish norms and

expectations related to communication, document review, dissertation format, authorship and timelines

during the proposal writing and dissertation processes.

The Oral Qualifying Examination

Within a year of passing the written comprehensive examination, students are expected to submit a

formal dissertation proposal for tentative approval to the dissertation faculty mentor. Proposals must

present: 1) the research questions to be examined; 2) the argument supporting the research questions;

3) the scholarly gap that is addressed; 4) the significance of the proposed research; 5) the guiding

conceptual or theoretical model; 6) hypotheses (if appropriate to the methods); 7) and a detailed

overview of proposed methods. A focused, critical synthesis of the literature should provide the

rationale for the proposed research. Students are expected to have, or demonstrate how they will

acquire, training through coursework in the proposed methods.

Copies of the final proposal tentatively approved by the dissertation chair must be given to the

committee members at least three weeks before the oral qualifying examination to allow time for

review. Committee members are not required to provide written or oral feedback to the student on the

proposal prior to the oral exam.

The student then participates in a two-hour oral examination. The examination focuses primarily on the

dissertation proposal, but questions may deal with any subject in which the student is expected to be

competent. At the beginning of the orals, students are expected to present an overview presentation of

their proposed research to committee members (approximately 20 minutes in length). By the day before

the exam, students must pick up or obtain electronically the paperwork for the oral qualifying exam

from the Academic Coordinator to take to the orals. The paperwork is comprised of two documents: the

Report of Doctoral Committee Composition and the Doctoral Exam Report. Students are asked not to

provide refreshments during the oral qualifying exam.

At the end of the oral qualifying examination, the committee may be satisfied with the proposal and the

student’s responses to questions, meaning that the student has passed the oral qualifying examination,

thereby receiving approval for the dissertation project. The student may also receive a “conditional

pass,” in which case the student may pass and proceed with the project contingent on the minor

revisions recommended and approved by the committee. Either way, students are expected to prepare

a written summary memo of the key points discussed during the oral exam and a summary of any

revisions made to the proposal that is distributed to all committee members and the Academic

Coordinator to be kept in the student’s file.

If major revisions or a new proposal is recommended, the student must schedule a second oral

qualifying examination. If the student does not receive approval for the dissertation project at this point,

the oral qualifying exam will be recorded as a failure with the Graduate School. Per the graduate school

handbook, a student who fails the oral qualifying exam two times becomes academically ineligible to

continue in the program unless the department and the Administrative Board of the Graduate School

approves reinstatement.

Admission to Candidacy

Students qualify for admission to candidacy once they have completed the primary and secondary

practica and all required course work, passed the doctoral written comprehensive exam, submitted an

acceptable dissertation proposal, and passed the oral qualifying exam. Students should use the checklist

in Appendix 2 (PhD) or Appendix 5 (MSPH-PhD) to track their progress towards candidacy. The

admission to candidacy milestone is fulfilled when the Graduate School has received the completed oral

exam paperwork from the Academic Coordinator.

Dissertation Format

Dissertations can follow the traditional monograph format or a manuscript format. Regardless of the

dissertation format, the research reported should be of publishable quality, as assessed and agreed on

by all members of the committee. Moreover, the student’s work is not simply evaluated on the quality

of the publishable papers but on the dissertation project as a whole.

Monograph format: The overall structure of a monograph format is as follows:

a) One or more introductory chapters that include an overview of the research questions to be

addressed, the rationale supporting the research questions, the scholarly gap that is addressed,

significance of the research, a literature review, a conceptual or theoretical model, and, as

appropriate to the methods, hypotheses;

b) a methods chapter;

c) a results chapter(s);

d) a synthesis/discussion chapter that integrates all research, discusses strengths and weaknesses, and

suggests future directions; and

e) appendices that may include questionnaires, details on data collection, or other such documents.

Manuscript format: The manuscript format requires at least two journal-length manuscripts that could

be altered slightly for submission to refereed journals. These manuscripts must be accompanied by

additional sections and/or appendices that provide detail normally excluded from articles but that

demonstrate the breadth and depth of knowledge expected in the dissertation. The overall structure is

as follows:

a) One or more introductory chapters with an overview of the research questions to be addressed, the

rationale supporting the research questions, the scholarly gap that is addressed, a more detailed

literature review than appears in a published article (as appropriate depending on the extent of the

literature reviewed in the manuscripts), a conceptual or theoretical model, and, as appropriate to

the methods and hypotheses;

b) chapters presenting each of the publishable articles;

c) a synthesis/discussion chapter that integrates all research, discusses strengths and weaknesses, and

suggests future directions; and

d) appendices that may include questionnaires, details on data collection and analysis, or other such

documents.

The publishable papers stand in place of the traditional methods and results chapters featured in the

monograph. Students may include a methods chapter in the dissertation as well, if this adds significantly

to the overall coherence of the dissertation.

Contingencies: Occasionally, students who propose completing two (or three) papers as part of their

dissertations find that their results are better suited to a monograph format, particularly in instances

where there are null findings. Students must gain approval from the dissertation chair and the entire

committee before modifying their dissertation from the paper to the monograph format. In either case,

students who have null findings are expected to write up their results, given that they have proposed

(and should only have received approval for) important theoretically and empirically justified research

questions. In this context, null findings could still contribute to the field.

Students who conduct primary data collection occasionally encounter unforeseen problems such as

smaller than expected sample sizes or unusable measures. If the proposed research cannot be

completed as planned and is not likely to meet the standard of publishable quality, students must seek

approval from the dissertation chair and the committee to modify their dissertation plans or for re-

proposing the dissertation. In some cases, particularly when conducting research on less commonly

studied populations or settings, the problems encountered may be instructive and appropriate for

publication. Regardless, students are always expected to take a scholarly approach to the

methodological process.

Similarly, students who conduct secondary analysis of already collected data may encounter unforeseen

problems that also require modifying or re-proposing the dissertation. In all cases, students are required

to gain approval from the dissertation chair and the committee for changes to the previously approved

dissertation proposal and to produce a full dissertation in one of the above formats.

Final Formatting Issues: The final format of the dissertation is determined by the student’s doctoral

dissertation committee at the oral qualifying exam but must be in compliance with the Graduate

School’s regulations about dissertation format and content as outlined in the Graduate School Thesis

and Dissertation Guide. The Graduate School requires that dissertations be submitted electronically.

Directions for doing so can be found in the Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide.

Publication and Authorship. Students who wish to submit manuscripts that count as part of their

dissertations to peer-reviewed journals prior to the dissertation defense may do so only with the

approval of the dissertation chair and review and consultation with all committee members. The student

and chair must plan a timeline that allows adequate time for committee member review of the

manuscripts before submission.

The discipline of public health is collaborative in nature, with authorship on publications often reflecting

this collaborative approach. Given this convention, the dissertation chair is usually a co-author on

publications proceeding from the dissertation. Other committee members may be named as co-authors,

as appropriate, depending on their contributions.

Students are encouraged to consult with their dissertation chairs on authorship guidelines. Likewise,

dissertation chairs are encouraged to take the lead on helping the student negotiate authorship roles

with other committee members, as appropriate. Discussions regarding co-authorship can begin as early

as the initial committee norming meeting described above, with the understanding that co-authorship

will need to be revisited later because of the evolving nature of the dissertation process and of

committee members’ contributions. Students and dissertation chairs may wish to consult authorship

guidelines articulated in the journals to which students intend to submit their papers. In other cases, the

student and chair may prefer to discuss authorship roles at the conclusion of the dissertation defense.

Regardless of the timing, co-authorship decisions should reflect collegiality and a shared understanding

of the responsibilities and contributions of co-authors.

Defense Timeline

The written dissertation must be in final form prior to the defense. Following the defense, substantive

changes should be minimal. To achieve these goals, each committee member needs to have reviewed

thoroughly the entire final document well in advance of the defense. The timetable of events around

the defense is shown in Table 4 and elaborated below. Adherence to the timetable should help assure

that students go into the defense with a high-quality dissertation. Students and faculty alike must

adhere to the timeline. Expectations for the level of participation in reviewing drafts by the committee

should be negotiated by the student and dissertation chair in consult with each committee member.

Scheduling a defense date: Because of the need to coordinate multiple schedules, the student may

schedule a tentative defense date with committee members before having approval to go forward with

the defense. When scheduling the date, the student must make it clear to committee members that the

date is tentative and contingent on receiving approval from all committee members to go forward.

Students may not expedite the scheduling or rescheduling of the defense to avoid the requirement to

pay tuition when the defense occurs, because of an impending start date for a job, postdoctoral

fellowship, or for other professional or familial obligation. The schedule must allow adequate time for

the chair and committee to review and provide feedback and for the student to respond to that

feedback and incorporate necessary changes.

Submitting complete draft: After receiving approval from the dissertation chair to do so, the student

should submit a complete draft of the dissertation to the committee members. This draft should be sent

to the committee no less than 3 weeks before the scheduled dissertation date. It is possible that some or

all committee members will have already reviewed drafts of the manuscripts. The student may request

to meet with committee members in one to two weeks to discuss the work and suggested revisions.

Committee members, however, are not obligated to meet with the student or provide feedback in

advance of the dissertation defense. Committee members, however, must affirm to the chair whether it

is appropriate for the student to go forward with the defense or to reschedule the date pending further

revisions. Note that University holidays may not be counted in calculating the defense timeline.

If any committee member is not satisfied that the dissertation is ready to be defended, the student must

revise the dissertation, distribute it to the committee for another round of review, and re-schedule the

defense. Before the defense can be announced, the chair must affirm with each committee member

that the student is ready to go forward with the defense. Approval to go forward does not imply that the

student will pass the defense.

Announcement: One to two weeks before the scheduled defense date, the chair sends an

announcement via email to all departmental faculty, students and the Academic Coordinator that gives

the title of the dissertation and the date, time, and location of the public presentation. The abstract

should be included in the body of the email or attached. Students should arrange for the dissertation

presentation to be announced on the SPH-wide calendar (the HB department chair’s assistant can help

with this).

Table 4. Dissertation Defense Timeline

Event

Timing

Person

Responsible

Schedule tentative date for defense and reserve room(s)

for public presentation and private defense

Several weeks/months in

advance

Student

Submit full dissertation draft to committee

At least 3 weeks before

tentative date

Student

Meet with committee members (not required)

1-2 weeks before tentative date

Student

Confirm with committee that defense can proceed

1-2 weeks before tentative date

Chair

Email dissertation abstract, date and location of public

presentation to department and Academic Coordinator

1-2 weeks before tentative date

Chair

Announce public presentation on weekly SPH calendar

Week of the defense

Student

Pick up dissertation paperwork from Academic

Coordinator

At least the day before defense

Student

University holidays may not be counted in the timeline.

Dissertation Defense

After a brief introduction by the dissertation chair (limited to a student’s educational background,

scholarships/funding, teaching experience, and record of publication), the student gives a 30- to 40-

minute presentation of the dissertation at a public meeting to which all departmental faculty and

students are invited. Fifteen to 20 minutes are allocated at the end of this presentation for questions

from the general audience. This formal presentation should not include any celebration; such

recognition is appropriately reserved until after successful defense of the dissertation. Upon completion

of this question-answer component, the dissertation committee meets with the candidate in a closed

session for the defense. This closed meeting usually lasts 60 to 90 minutes. Although all committee

members have earlier affirmed that the student is ready to go forward with the defense, this affirmation

does not imply that the student automatically passes the defense. To allow sufficient time for the public

and private parts of the defense, students should schedule a 3-hour block of time.

Health Policy and Management: Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Health

Leadership

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview

The goal of this DrPH program is to accelerate the learning, knowledge, and skill acquisition of

highly motivated, mid- to senior-level leaders committed to improving the public’s health such that

they can maximize their positive leadership impact in their respective organizations, their field, and

across the broader systems that influence good health and wellness.

Admission Requirements

• A prior master's or doctoral degree (not necessarily in public health) earned at least five

years prior to enrollment.

• Significant post-graduate experience in the health field, including at least five years in a mid-

to-senior level leadership position, preferably with substantial management and leadership

responsibility.

• Demonstrated potential, with motivation to obtain senior-level positions and passion to

improve the public’s health.

• Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better in prior graduate study.

While all students are expected to be academically qualified for doctoral level study, special

emphasis is placed on work history, demonstrated leadership, and a practice-oriented career

commitment.

Also note: Students without a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science in Public Health

(MSPH) from an accredited school of public health must successfully complete an additional three

credit foundational learning objective course (which is offered online). This course (SPHG 600) need

not be completed before matriculating, but it must be completed before graduation; most students

take the course in the summer prior to their first fall semester

Concentration Competencies

This DrPH does not have concentrations. All students take the same courses at the same time. These are

the competencies of the DrPH program and the course in which the competencies are gained.

Competencies

Course

Number and

Name

Course

Number

and Name

Course

Number

and Name

Course

Number

and Name

Other

Learning

Experienc

Data and Analysis

1. Explain qualitative,

quantitative, mixed methods

and policy analysis research

and evaluation methods to

address health issues at

multiple (individual, group,

organization, community, and

population) levels

HPM 953

Essentials of

Practice-based

Research (P)

HPM 963

Program

Evaluation for

Health

Leaders (R)

HPM 945

Dissertation

Planning and

Prep (R)

HPM 956

Fundamental

s of Research

and Analysis

(R)

HPM 951

Literature

Review &

Appraisal (R)

Dissertation

2. Design a qualitative,

quantitative, mixed methods,

policy analysis or evaluation

project to address a public

health issue.

HPM 956

Fundamentals

of Research

HPM 945

Dissertation

Planning and

Prep (R)

HPM 759

Health Policy

Analysis &

Advocacy for

HPM 963

Program

Evaluation for

Health

Leaders (R)

Dissertation

and Analysis

(P)

Health

Leaders (R)

HPM 967

Quality

Improvement

(R)

3. Explain the use and

limitations of surveillance

systems and national surveys

in assessing, monitoring, and

evaluating policies and

programs and to address a

population's health

HPM 967

Quality

Improvement

(P)

Leadership, Management and Governance

4. Propose strategies for

health improvement and

elimination of health inequities

by organizing stakeholders,

including researchers,

practitioners, community

leaders and other partners

HPM 969

Program

Planning and

Design (P)

Dissertation

5. Communicate public health

science to diverse

stakeholders, including

individuals at all levels of

health literacy, for purposes of

influencing behavior and

policies

HPM 962

Marketing and

PR for Health

Leadership (P)

HPM 860

Population

Perspectives

for Health/

The

Research

Process (R)

HPM 963

Program

Evaluation for

Health

Leaders (R)

6. Integrate knowledge,

approaches, methods, values

and potential contributions

from multiple professions and

systems in addressing public

health programs

HPM 966

Systems

thinking &

Collective

Impact (P)

HPM 860/950

Population

Perspectives

for Health/

The

Research

Process (R)

Dissertation

7. Create a strategic plan

HPM 959

Strategic

Planning for

Public and

Nonprofit

Organizations

(P)

8. Facilitate shared decision

making through negotiation

and consensus building

methods

HPM 957

Crisis

Leadership (P)

HPM 759

Health Policy

Analysis &

Advocacy for

HPM 820

Organizationa

l Leadership

HPM 968

Managing the

Healthcare

Workforce

3 hour

module

when on

campus

Health

Leaders (R)

Theory and

Practice (R)

9. Create organizational

change strategies

HPM 968

Managing the

Healthcare

Workforce

HPM 820

Organizationa

l Leadership

Theory and

Practice (R)

HPM 940

Leadership in

Health

Informatics

(R)

10. Propose strategies to

promote inclusion and equity

within public health programs,

policies and systems

HPM 965

Cultural

Humility for

Century

Health

Leaders(P)

HPM 950/860

Population

Perspectives

for Health (R)

11. Assess one’s own

strengths and weaknesses in

leadership capacities including

cultural proficiency

HPM 965

Cultural

Humility for

Century

Health

Leaders (P)

HPM 820

Organizationa

l Leadership

Theory and

Practice (P)

12. Propose human, fiscal,

and other resources to

achieve a strategic goal

HPM 959

Strategic

Planning for

Public and

Nonprofit

Organizations

(P)

HPM 968

Managing the

Healthcare

Workforce (P)

HPM 958

Financial

Leadership

(P)

13. Cultivate new resources

and revenue streams to

achieve a strategic goal

HPM 958

Financial

Leadership (P)

HPM 959

Strategic

Planning for

Public and

Nonprofit

Organizations

(R)

Policy and Programs

14. Design a system-level

intervention to address a

public health issue

HPM 969

Program

Planning and

Design (P)

Dissertation

15. Integrate knowledge of

cultural values and practices

in the design of public health

policies and programs

HPM 969

Dissertation

Program

Planning and

Design (P)

16. Integrate scientific

information, legal and

regulatory approaches, ethical

frameworks, and varied

stakeholder interests in policy

development and analysis

HPM 759

Health Policy

Analysis &

Advocacy for

Health

Leaders (P)

HPM 810

Leadership in

Public Health

Law and

Ethics (R)

17. Propose interprofessional

team approaches to improving

public health

HPM 966

Systems

Thinking &

Collective

Impact (P)

HPM 968

Managing the

Healthcare

Workforce (R)

HPM 957

Crisis

Leadership

(R)

Education and Workforce Development

18. Assess an audience's

knowledge and learning needs

HPM 970

Training &

pedagogy for

health leaders

(P)

HPM 759

Health Policy

Analysis &

Advocacy for

Health

Leaders (R)

19. Deliver training or

educational experiences that

promote learning in academic,

organizational, and community

settings

HPM 970

Training &

pedagogy for

health leaders

(P)

20. Use best practice

modalities in pedagogical

practice

HPM 970

Training &

pedagogy for

health leaders

(P)

Unique UNC DrPH Program Competencies

21. Integrate ethics and

professionalism into

organizational and community

settings

HPM 810

Leadership in

Public Health

Law and

Ethics (P)

HPM 820

Organizationa

l Leadership

Theory and

Practice (R)

22. Apply systems thinking

approaches to learn about and

inform collaborative action

targeting complex public

health problems

HPM 966

Systems

Thinking &

Collective

Impact (P)

23. Apply the principles of

implementation research and

practice to successfully

integrate evidence-based

public health practices into

community settings.

HPM 964

Implementatio

n Science (P)

24. Use quality improvement

techniques to evaluate and

improve health systems,

programs and practices

HPM 967

Quality

Improvement

(P)

HPM 963

Program

Evaluation for

Health

Leaders (R)

25. Develop policy advocacy

strategies at the legislative,

administrative, or judicial

levels to influence health

policies

HPM 759

Health Policy

Analysis &

Advocacy for

Health

Leaders (P)

26. Assess informatics needs

in organizations and

community-based settings to

improve population health

HPM 940

Leadership in

Health

Informatics (P)

27. Assess WHO health

systems building blocks in an

international context and

identify system elements from

different countries that could

be used to improve access,

quality, or health outcomes in

home/work country

HPM 823

Global Health

(P)

28. Formulate strategies to

reduce implicit bias, structural

bias, social inequities and

racism that undermine health

and create challenges to

achieving health equity at

organizational, community,

and societal levels.

HPM 965

Cultural

Humility for

Century

Health

Leaders

(P)

P=Primary, R=Reinforcing.

Degree Requirements / Curriculum

Completing the DrPH requires:

1. Two years of coursework (see below)

2. A leadership reflection at the end of the coursework

3. A practicum and practicum reflection

4. Passing a written comprehensive exam

5. Completing a dissertation (passing an oral examination of the proposal and a final oral defense

of the complete dissertation)

Content Area

Course

Number

Course Title

Credi

Hour

Prerequisite

SPHG 600/FLO*

Foundation Learning Objectives

n/a

Fall, Year 1 (7 credits)

Leadership/PH

HPM 970

Training and Pedagogy for Health Leaders

Leadership/PH

HPM 810

Leadership in Public Health Law and Ethics

Leadership

HPM 820

Organizational Leadership Theory and Practice

Public Health

HPM 860

Population Perspectives for Health/Research Process

Dissertation

Identification of dissertation topic (general description)

Spring, Year 1 (6 credits)

Research

HPM 951

Literature Reviews & Appraisal

Research/PH

HPM 953

Essentials of Practice-based Research

Leadership/PH

HPM 965

Cultural Humility for 21st Century Health Leaders

Public Health

HPM 966

Systems Thinking and Collective Impact

Dissertation

Dissertation topic finalized, first draft of literature review completed

Summer, Year 1 (6 credits)

Leadership/PH

HPM 823

Global Health

Research

HPM 945

Dissertation Preparation and Planning

Research/PH

HPM 963

Program Evaluation for Health Leaders

Public Health

HPM 969

Program Planning and Design

Dissertation

Draft Chapter 1 (Background and significance), revised Chapter 2 (Literature review)

Fall, Year 2 (7 credits)

Research

HPM 956

Fundamentals of Research Methods and Analysis

Leadership

HPM 958

Financial Leadership

Public Health

HPM 964

Implementation Science

Dissertation

Draft Chapter 3 (Methods)

Spring, Year 2 (6 credits)

Leadership/PH

HPM 759

Health Policy Analysis and Advocacy for Health Leaders

Leadership

HPM 957

Crisis Leadership

Leadership

HPM 959

Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organizations

Public Health

HPM 967

Quality Improvement

Dissertation

Dissertation proposal defense, including research question, background and

significance, literature review, methods, timeline

Summer, Year 2 (4 credits)

Leadership/PH

HPM 940

Leadership in Health Informatics

Leadership

HPM 962

Marketing and PR

Leadership

HPM 968

Managing the Healthcare Workforce

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM – August

Dissertation Continue work on dissertation

Year 3 & 4 (variable credits if courses in addition to dissertation, otherwise 3 credits)

(Fall) Research

HPM 994

Doctoral Dissertation

(Spring) Research

HPM 994

Doctoral Dissertation

(Summer)

Research

HPM 994

Only register if defending dissertation

(Fall of Year 4)

Research

HPM 994

Must register if still working on dissertation

(Spring of Year 4)

Research

HPM 994

Must register if still working on dissertation

Dissertation

Fall Year 3: Data collection completed and perhaps analysis

Spring/Summer: Analysis, Results, Recommendations and Plan for Change

Spring/Summer/Fall: Dissertation Defense

Total Credit Hours 42-51

42+

Applied Practice Experience and Reflection

DrPH students are expected to engage in one or more applied practice experiences (APE) in which

they must complete at least one project that is meaningful for an organization and that advances

public health practice. The APE provides students an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills

being acquired through their coursework and further develop and demonstrate attainment of

program competencies. Relevant organizations include governmental, non-governmental, non-profit,

industrial, or for-profit settings, and may be the student’s own work setting. The work product may be

a single project or a set of related projects that demonstrate depth of competence. It may be a

discrete experience or integrated into program coursework.

In addition to the APE deliverable, a separate APE reflection paper is required.

Students could identify projects in classes to meet their APE requirement, if the project identified is

an application of the classroom learning to a “real world” setting (including the student’s worksite that

would not be part of their normal job responsibilities, or for another external organization).

Alternatively, students can design their own APE not directly tied to any specific class if the APE

meets the other requirements.

Final Leadership Reflection

Students are required to write a separate leadership reflection paper at the end of their second

summer to describe how their leadership framework has changed over the two years of DrPH

coursework. As this is a leadership focused doctoral programs, students begin their coursework by

developing their personal leadership framework (fall, year 1 in HPM 820), and complete their

program coursework by reflecting on how their leadership framework has evolved over time.

Examinations and Dissertation

Written Comprehensive Examination

A written comprehensive examination is administered at the end of the second year of the program,

usually in late August. The examination integrates key concepts from the overall program curriculum.

Students have two 12-hour time periods over two days in which to take the exam. Specific details

about the examination are provided to students at least one week before the exam is scheduled to

take place and the process is discussed at the beginning of the summer semester before the

examination. Note that this and all other examinations are given under the University Honor Code.

Dissertation

The DrPH dissertation is the ultimate academic demonstration of a student’s competency. It requires

the student to apply key aspects of the curriculum to improving the understanding or resolving of an

important public health-related issue.

The dissertation should demonstrate the candidate’s mastery of the skills and knowledge required to

address an important health-related program or problem or to create a substantial change in policy

for the public’s health. The dissertation should be of publishable quality in either the scholarly

literature or applied literature in health care delivery or public health. Students are strongly

encouraged to publish their research, which is usually done after defending their dissertation, so the

field can benefit from the research and its findings.

Students must register for dissertation credits (HPM 994 for 3 credits) each fall and spring semester

after they complete their coursework, until they defend their final dissertation. Students need at least

two semesters of HPM 994 to graduate (6 credits). Students do not need to register for HPM 994 in

the summer unless they plan on defending their proposal or final dissertation in the summer session.

Guidelines for the Dissertation

Students have flexibility in designing a dissertation project, but all will highlight a potential strategy

for addressing a current or past health policy or organizational issue or problem. The dissertation will

outline a plan to guide implementation of organizational or policy change. The objective of the DrPH

dissertation is to combine research with an understanding of the role of leadership in creating an

implementation plan to improve the public’s health.

Students have two options for dissertation formatting. One is the traditional, single monograph DrPH

dissertation. The second option is to prepare three manuscripts for publication, tying them together

with opening and closing chapters for submission to the UNC Graduate School. Those who are

interested in the three-paper option should consult with the program director, and dissertation chair

to determine whether the alternative is feasible and desirable in their case. Choosing between the

traditional DrPH dissertation format and the three-paper option requires consideration of the number

of research questions that merit separate treatment in stand-alone manuscripts. There should be

agreement at the end of a successful oral proposal defense as to what the format will be. The three-

paper option is not appropriate for all students, and the choice of whether to use this option does not

reflect the quality of the dissertation.

Oral Comprehensive Examinations – The Dissertation Proposal Defense and The Final Defense

The committee reviews and approves the dissertation proposal, provides guidance to the student in

conducting the dissertation, and ultimately judges whether the dissertation meets the criteria for a

scholarly work as outlined above.

The dissertation proposal defense ideally occurs in the spring or summer semester of the second

year. This will help keep the student on track to complete the program in three years.

Specific areas of focus include the significance and appropriateness of the issue chosen, the

appropriateness and execution of any conceptual model identified, the methodology used, whether

the results logically follow from the findings, the completeness and feasibility of the proposed

implementation strategy and evaluation plan.

Upon completion of the research, the student presents and defends their final product to their

committee in an open forum. The committee again judges whether the final product meets scholarly

work as defined above. This is the final defense.

Health Policy and Management: Doctor of Philosophy

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview

Mission

The mission of the PhD Program in Health Policy and Management (HPM) is to provide students with the

academic foundation, competencies, and research experience to become leading health services/health

policy researchers who will improve the health and health care of populations in the United States and

globally. The program accepts students who have varied academic, professional, and personal

backgrounds and interests and prepares them for research and policy careers in diverse settings,

including academia, contract research organizations, government agencies, health care systems, and the

private sector.

Overview

All HPM students take required courses in health services research, research design, analytic methods,

and health policy. In addition, students develop expertise in a concentration area. Current

concentration areas include: Decision Sciences and Outcomes Research; Economics; Financial

Management; Health Politics and Policy; Quality and Access; and Organization and Implementation

Science. Students must pass written comprehensive examinations after completing course work, then

present and defend a dissertation proposal and the final dissertation based on original research. The

PhD program is designed to be completed in four to five years.

General Education Requirements / Admission Requirements

School of Public Health (SPH)/HPM Foundational Courses (“Prerequisites”)

SPH/HPM Foundational Courses are courses that are viewed as necessary for PhD students in Health

Policy and Management to complete as early as possible during the PhD program. Credits earned for

SPH/HPM Foundational Courses do not count towards the required 46 credit hours. The SPH/HPM

Foundational Courses must be taken before the written comprehensive examination.

There are three SPH/HPM Foundational Courses for HPM PhD students:

1. HPM 754 (Health Care in the United States: Structure and Policy): it is strongly recommended

that students who have not taken this 3-hour course or its equivalent do so in their first

semester.

2. EPID 600 (Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health) or EPID 710 (Fundamentals of

Epidemiology): This 3-credit hour course provides students with an overview of epidemiological

principles and methods.

3. Public Health Foundational Learning Objectives (“FLO”), listed as SPHG 600 (Introduction to

Public Health Concepts): This 3-credit hour course provides an introduction to public health,

including history, key concepts, and terms.

To succeed in the analytical methods sequence, students should also be familiar with calculus, basic

statistics, and linear algebra (matrix algebra) and Stata, but no specific coursework is required prior to

entering the program.

Students with an MSPH or MPH degree from a CEPH-accredited School of Public Health will be

exempted from the SPH/HPM Foundational Courses. Students without one of these master’s degrees

who have taken SPH/HPM Foundational Courses (or their equivalents) prior to matriculation into the

PhD program may exempt one or all of these courses. An exemption from a course requires completion

of the appropriate form (see Section on Exempting from Required Courses in the HPM Guidelines and

Procedures) and permission from the instructor. Students who plan to exempt a course should do so as

soon as possible, preferably before the start of the first year. All exemption requests should be

completed before the end of the first year, as no exemption request is guaranteed to be approved.

Concentration Competencies

Competencies define what students should know and be able to do upon completion of the PhD. The

curriculum is designed to provide HPM students with the following competencies necessary for a career

in health services/health policy research:

• Identify and appropriately apply theoretical knowledge and conceptual models in support of

health services/health policy research

• Develop policy relevant hypotheses that fill a gap in the field that can be tested in a research

project

• Select appropriate research designs and methodologies for health services/health policy

research

• Understand and appropriately apply analytical strategies used in health services/health policy

research

• Interpret and explain the results of their research project from the perspective of their

concentration area

Degree Requirements / Curriculum

Course Requirements

A total of 46 credit hours of coursework, excluding credits for prerequisites and all dissertation credit

hours (I.e., HPM 994) (a minimum of six credits), are required for the degree. The PhD Program

Checklist (Appendix 2 in HPM Guidelines and Procedures) is intended to help students ensure that they

have completed all requirements. Students should review their updated checklist with their advisor

after each semester, upon completion of course work in second year, and prior to taking comprehensive

exams. Students should send the completed, reviewed course checklist to the Academic Coordinator for

their review prior to taking comprehensive exams. Students must register as full-time students (at least

nine credit hours) during the fall and spring semesters of the first and second years unless extenuating

circumstances exist; a reduced course load requires discussion with, and approval by the PhD Program

Director. The required courses, grouped by category, are:

Health Services Research/Research Methods: 9 credit hours

1. HPM 884: Health Services/Health Policy Research Methods I (3 credits)

2. HPM 885: Health Services/Health Policy Research Methods II (3 credits)

3. HPM 886: Advanced Applications in Research Methods (3 credits)

Analytical Methods: 12 credit hours

• HPM 880: Principles of Health Policy Research Methods (3 credits)

• HPM 881: Linear Regression Models (3 credits)

• HPM 882: Advanced Methodology in Health Policy and Management (3 credits)

• HPM 883: Analysis of Categorical Data (3 credits)

Professional Development: 10 credit hours (7 toward 46 required credit hours)

• HPM 871: Seminar in Teaching Health Policy and Management (1 credit); students register for

this course during the first semester in which they serve as a Teaching Assistant.

• HPM 873: Research Seminar in Health Policy and Management (1 credit per semester during the

first year for a total of 2 credits)

• HPM 874: Advanced Research Seminar in Health Policy and Management (1 credit per semester

during the first two years for a total of 4 credits)

• HPM 994: Developing Proposals for Health Services and Policy Research (3 credits); students

course instructor during the fall semester of their third year. Because this course is considered

part of the dissertation, this course does not count towards the 46 hours required for

graduation. Starting in the spring of their third year, students should enroll in 994 using their

mentor’s section number for all subsequent semesters until they defend their dissertation.

Concentration Area Courses: 15 credit hours

In addition to the requirements above, all students must take at least an additional 15 credit hours for

their concentration area (generally consisting of five 3-credit courses). Concentration areas vary in the

mix of required courses and elective concentration area courses. At least one of the concentration area

courses (3 units) must be a theory-based course. Concentration area classes are further described in

HPM Guidelines and Procedures.

Health Policy Requirement: 3 credit hours

HPM PhD students must take at least one course that provides an understanding of one or more of the

following general areas: (1) health policy development (including how and why health policies are

made); (2) the content of health policy that addresses a particular public health issue; and/or (3)

frameworks for understanding or making health policy choices. Although critical for the development of

health policy and health policy research, this requirement cannot be fulfilled with courses that primarily

focus on understanding research methods or statistics. Rather, for this requirement, policy is defined as

a purposive course of actions (e.g., programs, regulations, services management practices) set by

government or organizations (e.g., hospitals, insurance companies) that deal with health-related

concerns. Relevant courses may be offered in HPM or through various Departments at UNC or other

universities. The decision of whether a particular course can count as a Health Policy course should be

made by the student’s advisor, who may consult with faculty on the PhD Advisory Committee.

Typical Schedule

Fall, Year 1

Spring, Year 1

Fall, Year 2

Spring, Year 2

Fall, Year 3

HPM 880

HPM 884

HPM 881

HPM 885

HPM 882

HPM 886

HPM 883

HPM 994

HPM 873

HPM 874

SPH/HPM

Foundational

courses

HPM 873

HPM 874

SPH/HPM

Foundational courses

HPM 874

Minor course(s)

• SPH/HPM Foundational Courses include HPM 754, EPID 600/710, and FLO/SPHG 600.

Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses in their first year, but may do so

in the semester that best fits their schedules.

• HPM 873 and HPM 874 are required professional development seminars. All students

are required to take HPM 873 during the fall and spring semesters of their first year

(total of 2 credit hours) and HPM 874 during the fall and spring semesters for their first

two years (total of 4 credit hours). If course conflicts arise between these seminars and

other required courses, students can postpone taking 873 and 874 until subsequent

years, although they must be completed prior to their dissertation defense.

• HPM 871 (Seminar in Teaching Health Policy and Management) will be taken in the first

semester the student serves as a Teaching Assistant. PhD students are required to serve

as TA for at least one semester during their time in HPM.

Teaching Requirement

A competency of the PhD program is to prepare students to be effective classroom teachers. To fulfill this

competency, students must complete HPM 871 and be a paid teaching assistant (TA) at some point during

their training. HPM 871 is a 1-credit hour seminar that PhD students take during their first semester in

which they serve as a TA. The seminar is designed to: 1) facilitate the development of a contract

identifying mutual expectations for the TA and course instructor; 2) help prepare students to develop and

deliver a lecture (or equivalent activity) in the course for which they are a TA—giving this lecture is

required for TAs (as is the faculty member providing feedback to the TA) and is intended to provide

students with the skills and confidence to be effective teachers; 3) identify and resolve common TA issues

using a key incidents/discussion approach; and 4) identify resources either on-campus (e.g., the Center

for Faculty Excellence) or outside campus, to aid students in achieving their TA and long-term teaching

goals.

Occasionally, pedagogy may not be consistent with the career plans of a few students. Those students

may seek approval for an alternative to the formal TA service requirement, which includes both the

teaching component and taking HPM 871. For a substitute to HPM 871, the student could either seek an

exemption (and receive no credit) or propose an approved substitute (and receive credit). The choice and

format of the alternative for serving as a TA will be flexible, but will require agreement by the student,

advisor, PhD Program Director, and HPM 871 instructor. Two important points: (1) students seeking either

alternative will not receive funding for the alternative from the department, and (2) students who pursue

an exemption must be sure they have enough credit hours to graduate.

Examinations and Dissertation

Dissertation

Writing a dissertation demonstrates PhD students’ ability to synthesize, integrate and apply knowledge

and skills from their courses and other learning experiences. Each PhD student is required to write and

defend a dissertation based on original research of a high scholarly standard that makes a significant

contribution to knowledge in the field of health services research, policy or management. Students

typically defend their dissertation proposal during the third year and defend their dissertation during

the spring of their fourth or fifth year. The format of the dissertation should adhere to the guidelines

specified in The Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide, published by the Graduate School

(https://gradschool.unc.edu/academics/thesis-diss/guide/). Notably, all dissertations must be

submitted electronically.

Students have the option of writing the dissertation as a traditional monograph or in the form of three

manuscripts. The three-manuscript option has the benefit of directing the student’s effort towards the

ultimate goal of publishing, and students can work with their committee to submit approved

manuscripts prior to dissertation defense. However, this option generally requires more effort prior to

the dissertation defense than a traditional monograph-style dissertation. Notably, the three-manuscript

option is not appropriate for all students, and the choice of whether or not to use this option does not

reflect the quality of the dissertation.

Required Examinations

A doctoral student must pass a written four-hour comprehensive exam, an oral defense of the

dissertation proposal, and an oral defense of the dissertation.

Comprehensive Examination (Report of the Preliminary Written Exam): The purpose of comprehensive

exams is to determine whether students possess and can integrate the fundamental knowledge and

skills required to conduct dissertation research; that is, whether they can synthesize what they have

learned in their courses. Students should be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of

research both conceptually (e.g., how it relates to the other studies) and methodologically (i.e.,

assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the research design and offering strategies to improve it).

Students may take the comprehensive exam only after completing all SPH/HPM foundational and

required courses. Comprehensive exams are taken after the end of the second year (in early May), and

any retake exams are offered in mid-August. Comprehensive exams are open-book and open-note.

Requirements for taking comprehensive exams: students are required to have completed and passed all

courses related to each exam, including HPM 880-883, HPM 884-886, and all five concentration area

courses. Students will be allowed to take the comprehensive written exams without completing the

required units for HPM 871, HPM 873, or HPM 874, although these requirements need to be completed

prior to final dissertation defense. Students should have completed a course checklist, reviewed it with

their advisor, and submitted it to the Academic Coordinator for final review, at the end of their second

year of course work, and at least two months prior to sitting for the comprehensive exam.

Students will take comprehensive exams in three areas:

• Health Services Research/Research Methods: HPM 884, HPM 885, HPM 886.

• Analytical Methods: HPM 880, HPM 881, HPM 882, HPM 883

• Concentration Area

All students take the same examination in both Health Services Research/Research Methods and

Analytical Methods; these two exams are written and graded by the faculty who teach the required

courses and/or have expertise in these areas. Faculty writing each comprehensive exam will decide: (1)

whether there will be articles/readings upon which students are to base their answers (2) the amount of

time students will have to write their answers (typically four hours); and (3) page limitations for

answers. While the comprehensive exams are open-book and open-notes, students should not discuss

either the articles, once they are distributed, or the exam questions, once they are released, with

anyone, including other students, faculty members, or other individuals. The exams are administered

online, allowing students to work wherever is most comfortable for them (including out-of-town). Exam

windows are typically during the business day on the Eastern time zone, however.

The comprehensive exams will be graded anonymized, typically by the faculty who wrote the exam. The

exams are given one of three grades: Pass, Incomplete, or Fail.

1. Pass indicates that the student has sufficient command of the content to continue with graduate

studies and to write a dissertation. In rare cases, a High Pass indication will be given to indicate

an extraordinarily high score on the comprehensive exam.

2. Incomplete indicates that the student is deficient in one or more areas included in the

examination. The involved faculty will make recommendations for correcting these deficiencies.

These recommendations can vary depending on the nature of the deficiency and typically

include clarifying answers in writing or providing oral clarification.

3. Fail indicates that the student must retake one or more comprehensive exams. The retake of the

exam will happen three months after the first exam, typically before the beginning of students’

third year.

A student who does not satisfactorily complete the recommended activities for removing a deficiency

within the allotted time, or fails to pass the exam, will have a failure recorded with the Graduate School.

A second failure to pass the examination leads automatically to the student's ineligibility to continue in

the PhD Program.

The outcome of the examination is reported to the student through a personal letter from the Director

of the PhD Program and is made a part of the student's permanent record. The final result of the

written examination process described above will be reported as a pass or fail to the Graduate School

using the Report of the Doctoral Written Examination.

Alternative concentration area comprehensive exams: each concentration area can establish the format

for their comprehensive exam that may differ in format from the HSR and Analytic Method exams.

Alternative formats can include: (1) requiring students in the concentration to write a publishable

manuscript within certain parameters; (2) engaging in a substantive activity, such as generating a

simulation model that meets certain specifications; or (3) other approved formats. Alternative

concentration area exam formats will be established by the faculty lead for each concentration area, in

consultation with involved faculty from each concentration area. Students will be made aware of any

alternative format well in advance of taking the exam.

Dissertation Proposal Defense (Report of the Oral Examination): During an oral examination, the student

must present to the dissertation committee a written research proposal for the dissertation. Although

its format can vary, the organization, length, and level of methodological sophistication is often similar

to a grant proposal. The student is expected to work closely with their PhD mentor and consult with

committee members as the proposal is being developed. The PhD mentor typically serves as a gateway

for the other committee members and needs to sign off on any version of the proposal prior to

submission to other committee members. Committee members should be provided the final copy of the

dissertation proposal at least 10 business days (generally two weeks) prior to the proposal defense.

Before defending the dissertation proposal, the student must have completed all required courses, (with

the exception of HPM 871, HPM 873, and HPM 874) and passed the written comprehensive exam. As

per the Graduate School rules, the student must be registered at the time of the defense, even if it is

summer. The dissertation proposal must be defended in a meeting of the student's doctoral committee

and is part of the oral examination. The dissertation committee has full responsibility for examining the

doctoral proposal and evaluating performance on the oral examination. A pass will be based on the

presentation of an acceptable proposal and on the demonstration of a satisfactory level of knowledge in

the subject matter of the dissertation and related areas. The committee may decide to approve the

proposal as presented, conditionally approve it subject to specified, generally minor, revisions, or

require that the student make major revisions and stand again for the qualifying oral examination. The

committee may also require additional course work prior to a second proposal defense. The results of

the exam are reported to the Graduate School. The student must receive a passing grade from a

majority of the members of the dissertation committee in order to pass the proposal defense. A student

who chooses to pursue dissertation research on a different topic must defend a new proposal before

the doctoral committee. Students who pass the oral examination are eligible to be admitted to

candidacy for the PhD degree upon formal written application to the Graduate School. IRB approval is

required before the dissertation work is begun.

Dissertation Defense (Report of the Final Oral Examination): The student must defend the dissertation

in an oral examination open to all members of the faculty, students, and the public. It is the

responsibility of student to provide information on the exam date and location (including online

platforms) to the program assistant, Academic Coordinator, and Program Director at least 30 days

before the date of the dissertation defense, to allow time to post the information on the SPH and HPM

listservs and calendars. The Dissertation Committee has full responsibility for reviewing the completed

dissertation and deciding whether the PhD degree is to be awarded. The dissertation defense is held

only after all members of the dissertation committee have had an adequate amount of time to review

the final draft of the dissertation, no less than one month prior to the defense. The dissertation must be

in final form when submitted to the committee one month prior to the final defense. This implies that

all pages, references, and appendices are in place and that a thoughtful discussion has been completed.

The first portion of the defense, in which the candidate presents the research and responds to

questions, is open to the public (other students, faculty, friends, family, and general members of the

community). Following this open meeting, which generally lasts 30 minutes, the committee meets with

the PhD candidate in a closed session. The committee may require revisions to the dissertation after the

defense. The student must be registered for a minimum of three credit hours in HPM 994 during the

semester in which the final oral exam is held, even if it is summer.

More details can be found in the most current Guidelines and Procedures manual, posted on the HPM

departmental website (https://sph.unc.edu/hpm/hpm-program-guidelines/).

Maternal and Child Health

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview

The mission of the MCH doctoral program is to develop research scholars who can produce and

disseminate new knowledge and methods for the public health profession in the field of MCH.

Graduates of the MCH doctoral program will be able to conduct rigorous research in the field of

MCH, including evaluations that produce generalizable knowledge. Specifically, you will learn to

1) identify relevant research questions; 2) design appropriate studies to address these

questions; 3) translate findings for a variety of audiences; 4) work in interdisciplinary teams,

including MCH practitioners; 5) apply public health frameworks to MCH research and interpret

findings with a public health lens; 6) apply an equity and social justice lens to MCH research.

You will also gain a strong understanding of MCH foundational content and conduct research

that advances the MCH field.

Competencies: Upon satisfactory completion of the PhD, graduates will be able to:

• Summarize, synthesize, and critically evaluate research evidence on a maternal and

child health (MCH) topic of public health significance.

• Identify at least one theory--and summarize any related evidence—that links maternal,

infant, child, and/or adolescent health to health and well-being at a different period in

the life course.

• Drawing upon MCH-relevant theory, formulate a testable research hypothesis that will

make a novel contribution to the knowledge base.

• Demonstrate familiarity with the main experimental and non-experimental designs and

methods used by MCH program evaluators

• Understand and appropriately formulate an MCH program impact evaluation protocol.

Areas of Proficiency: Each doctoral student is expected to develop and demonstrate proficiency

in at least four areas:

1. Core maternal and child health content

2. Research methods

3. A chosen substantive area of specialization

4. The student’s selected minor

Admissions Requirements

A masters degree or equivalent is required for admission to the MCH PhD program. Experience

working in the MCH field and/or in relevant research is preferred.

Doctoral Program Organization/Roles

Faculty Mentor (Advisor): At the time of admission, the Department’s Doctoral Committee

assigns a student to a MCH faculty mentor. The Committee uses information from the

student’s application materials, faculty interviews, and its knowledge of relevant expertise

among available faculty to identify a suitable faculty mentor.

Student-faculty communication is viewed as a mutual responsibility. Meetings are

scheduled on a periodic basis as agreed/requested by the student or the faculty mentor.

The faculty mentor will serve as the major source of guidance until the student’s Doctoral

Curriculum Committee is in place. Students are also encouraged to consult with other

department faculty for advice. In addition, other MCH students who are more advanced

in their studies are often helpful in providing information.

If it becomes necessary to change faculty mentors, the student should discuss this first with

the current and intended mentors. The student should then write a brief letter formally

100

requesting the change to the Department Doctoral Committee. The student may also consult

with the Associate Chair for Academics for assistance to expedite the change. The Doctoral

Committee will review the request and will notify the Department’s Academic Coordinator

about the change if it is approved.

The Doctoral Curriculum Committee: Each doctoral student's course of study is guided

by the student’s faculty mentor and a Doctoral Curriculum Committee (chaired by the

mentor). During the student's first semester, the student and their mentor will identify

potential faculty members to serve on the Doctoral Curriculum Committee. The Doctoral

Curriculum Committee must include no fewer than three members. Typically, at least

two of the faculty members are full-time, tenured, tenure-track, or fixed term members

of the regular MCH Department faculty; however, arrangements can be made for other

types of MCH faculty to serve on students’ doctoral curriculum committees. Fixed term

appointees to the Graduate Faculty may serve on committees of students and, at the

request of the program and approval of the Graduate School, may chair a doctoral

committee. These appointees may include: faculty emeriti, clinical or research

professors, scholars from other institutions, independent scholars, and practitioners.)

Since all PhD students complete a minor, one of the faculty committee members must

be from the minor Department. The academic faculty mentor and minor faculty mentor

must be different people.

The responsibilities of Doctoral Curriculum Committee members are to advise in the selection

of courses during the student’s second and subsequent semesters and approve the overall

course of study. Ideally, the first formal meeting of the Doctoral Curriculum Committee will be

held by the end of the student's first academic semester but should occur no later than the end

of the spring semester of the first academic year. The student must declare at least three areas

of proficiency, two of which will be “maternal and child health” and “research methods.” The

third area should be the student’s substantive specialty area (e.g., perinatal health services,

substance use disorder, etc.). Substantive specialty areas can be individualized for each

student; there is no predetermined list of specialty areas. Students should discuss the selection

of their specialty area with their faculty mentor. A fourth area of proficiency is the student’s

minor coursework. (Note: One course may serve in two areas of proficiency but courses

cannot count for both major and minor credits).

The main purpose of the first Curriculum Committee meeting is to define a course of

study that will provide competence in the selected areas. At this meeting, the

committee will review the student's previous education and work experience, courses

taken in the first semester, and any preliminary ideas for dissertation research. The

committee members will also discuss and approve the student's proposed areas of

competence.

The student's second curriculum meeting is held near the time of completion of the student's

coursework (usually the end of the second year of study). The purpose of this meeting is to

determine whether the student is prepared to take the Maternal and Child Health Written

Comprehensive Examination. The committee will review the student's progress in coursework

101

and plans for dissertation research. The committee may recommend additional courses

before the student can take the Written Comprehensive Examination. The committee must

approve the student's readiness to take the exam.

In preparation for both the first and the second Doctoral Curriculum Committee

meetings, the student should distribute to all committee members: 1) An up-to-date

curriculum vitae; 2) A list of courses proposed and taken (with grades if available),

organized in two ways: chronologically and by area of proficiency; 3) A brief statement of

dissertations interests or plans. After each curriculum committee meeting, the student

prepares a brief written summary of how the meeting progressed and the important

decisions made at the meeting. This summary is reviewed by the faculty mentor and

then distributed to all committee members and the Department's Academic

Coordinator.

The membership of the student's Doctoral Curriculum Committee may change for a

variety of reasons. If this need arises, the student should consult her or his faculty

mentor. The student should follow the same procedures for choosing new members as

for choosing the original members. The student and faculty mentor together should

notify the Department’s Academic Coordinator and the Director of the MCH Doctoral

Program of changes in committee membership.

Degree Requirements / Curriculum

For the PhD, the MCH department requires 38 semester hours in the major plus 15 hours for

the minor course of study, totaling a minimum of 53 credit hours.

The following are the required courses:

1. MCH Master’s Core Course Sequence (MHCH 701 & 702): PhD students entering

without an MPH in Maternal and Child Health will take the MCH Department’s yearlong

MCH master’s core course, “Foundations of Maternal and Child Health”, or have a

record of equivalent courses or knowledge. This course is taken in the first year of

doctoral study. Associate Chair for Academics may authorize exemption from the MCH

core sequence requirements by evidence of equivalent courses taken during master’s

training.

2. MCH Doctoral Research Seminar (MHCH 801): The MCH Doctoral Seminar provides a

forum for first year MCH doctoral students to hone their skills in developing research

questions, searching scientific literature, and preparing comprehensive literature

reviews for publication. Activities center on skill building, particularly locating scientific

research studies and critical review and synthesis of the scientific evidence to address

important MCH questions.

3. Proposal Development for Maternal and Child Health (MHCH 859): This course reviews

theories guiding MCH research and develops skills in preparing research proposals (e.g.,

F31; dissertation).

102

4. MCH Program Impact Evaluation (MHCH 862): This course is a program impact

evaluation analytic skills seminar. Topics covered include: selectivity, research designs,

instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, fixed and random effects, regression

discontinuity, matching, and selection models. Required preparation for this course

includes knowledge of Stata or SAS; proficiency in inferential statistics and multiple

regression analysis.

5. Research Methods. All students must complete at least two 3-credit courses in research

methods (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed). These courses can be taken outside of the

MCH Department but must be approved by the student’s faculty mentor.

6. Three Analytic Courses. One of the analytic courses is MHCH 862, as described above. A

minimum of two other quantitative analytic courses that include multivariate analysis

must be taken. These may be taken in other UNC departments and must be approved by

the student’s faculty mentor. In addition, students are encouraged to take BIOS 511 or

HPM 880 if they have little or no experience with a statistical package such as SAS (BIOS

511) or Stata (HPM 880), in their first semester of study. However, these programming

classes do not count toward the analytic course requirements.

7. Teaching Internship (MHCH 840-001): Students are expected to spend an average of 5

hours per week on the internship. In the semester of the internship students should

8. Research Internship (MHCH 841-001): Students are expected to spend an average of 5

hours per week on the internship; this should be negotiated with the research

internship preceptor and the student’s academic mentor. In the semester of the

internship students should register or MHCH 841-001 for one course credit.

9. Minor. PhD students must declare a minor course of study in another department or

program in the School of Public Health. Minors in departments in other Schools can be

considered (e.g. Public Policy) but must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor

and the Associate Chair for Academics. Fifteen hours of coursework in the minor

department are required. See below for more information about the minor

requirements.

10. Doctoral Dissertation (MHCH 994). Students must enroll in at least six credit hours of

this course after the completion of all other required courses and passing the written

comprehensive exam.

After completion of required doctoral courses, students must pass these academic milestones

(in order):

a. The MCH Written Comprehensive Examination

b. The First Oral Examination, which is the defense of the dissertation proposal

c. The Second Oral Examination, which is the defense of the completed dissertation

Minor. PhD students must choose a minor course of study in another department in the School

of Public Health. Minors in departments in other Schools can be considered (e.g. Public Policy)

103

but must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and the Associate Chair for Academics.

For a minor to be recognized by the Graduate School (i.e., appear on the student's transcript), a

student must minor in a program that offers a graduate degree.

The Graduate School requires at least 15 credit hours for the minor. In accordance with

Graduate School policies, all credits towards the minor must be for courses listed, or cross-

listed, in programs outside of MCH. Students should plan to take the methods sequence

required for their minor. Courses in the minor methods sequence can count to fulfill the

research methods or analytical course requirements described above if they meet the

definition for that requirement but courses in the minor area cannot be counted towards both

minor and MCH major credits. For students entering the doctoral program with a master’s

degree, coursework completed as part of a master’s program cannot be included in the

required 15 minor hours.

A minor advisor must be selected when a minor is declared. The minor advisor should be a

faculty member from the department in which the minor is being taken. The minor advisor

serves on the student's Doctoral Curriculum Committee and also on the Doctoral Dissertation

Committee. The minor advisor and faculty mentor cannot be the same person.

The minor coursework plan is approved by the student's Doctoral Curriculum Committee and

by the department in which the minor is taken. Students are advised to contact the Academic

Coordinator and Associate Chair of Academics in their respective minor departments to

determine required courses for their potential minors, since courses for minors are often taken

in sequence and require advanced planning. Once approved, the plan reflected in the "Minor

Declaration Form" (Rev 7/09) is signed by the Associate Chair of Academics in both the major

(MCH) and minor programs. For official minors, the original copy is sent by the Academic

Coordinator to the Graduate School for approval and retention in the student's permanent file.

Copies should also be filed with the Academic Coordinator in the minor department and the

MCH Academic Coordinator. Minimum requirements for a formal minor are also found in the

Graduate School Handbook.

Summary course plan by semester: Courses in bold in the table below are requirements for

MCH students to take in the sequence described. If a student wishes to take these courses out

of sequence, they must obtain approval from their faculty mentor and the Doctoral Program

Director. Courses with * indicate that students must take these courses (or an equivalent

substitute) if they did not take a similar course for their Master’s degree. Courses with a + (or

an equivalent substitute) are recommended for those without exposure to a statistical package,

though abbreviated statistical package training is available through short courses at the Odum

Institute. The sequence of these courses is not required as with required MCH doctoral courses,

but note that BIOS 600 is a prerequisite for multivariate statistical courses, and EPID 710 is a

prerequisite for many advanced Epidemiology classes. Students should work with their faculty

mentor to determine the most appropriate sequencing for their goals and needs, since each

student’s circumstances will differ.

104

Fall of Year 1

MHCH 701

Foundations of MCH I (if master’s was not in MCH)

MHCH 801

Doctoral Research Seminar

BIOS 600

Principles of Statistical Inference*

EPID 600

Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health* OR

or EPID 710

Fundamentals of Epidemiology*

BIOS 511

Introduction to Statistical Computing and Research Data+ OR

or HPM 880

Mathematical and Stata Tutorial+

XXX

Minor Coursework (if BIOS/EPI coursework was completed

during Master’s)

Spring of Year 1

MHCH 702

Foundations of MCH II (if master’s was not in MCH)

XXX

A course in multivariable statistics (usually linear regression)

XXX

Minor, substantive, research methods, or elective course

XXX

Minor, substantive, research methods, or elective course

Fall of Year 2

MHCH 859

Theoretical Perspectives on Maternal and Child Health

XXX

An advanced course in multivariable statistics

XXX

Minor, substantive, research methods, or elective course

XXX

Minor, substantive, research methods, or elective course

Spring of Year 2

MHCH 862

Program Impact Evaluation

XXX

Minor, substantive, or multivariable statistics course

XXX

Minor, substantive, research methods, or elective course

XXX

Minor, substantive, research methods, or elective course

Examinations and Dissertation

The Written Comprehensive Examination

The MCH Written Comprehensive Exam fulfills the Graduate School’s written exam

requirement.

The purposes of the MCH Doctoral Written Comprehensive Exam are:

1. To assess students’ mastery of the MCH knowledge base and current MCH practice (as

covered in the core master’s and doctoral course sequence MHCH 701, 702); and

2. To assess students’ knowledge and use of theory, review of the literature, research

design, and analytic approaches in addressing a MCH question (as covered in MHCH

801, MHCH 859, and MHCH 862).

105

Students are eligible to take the exam after they have successfully passed all the required MCH

core and three required analytic courses, and the students’ Curriculum Committee members

agree the student is ready to take the exam. Students may take the exam if they still have

additional coursework for their minor or substantive areas with approval from their Curriculum

Committee. In exceptional circumstances, students may take the exam before they have

completed required MCH and analytic coursework, with approval from the Curriculum

Committee, and the student may complete one of their two required internships after the

exam with the approval of their curriculum committee. The exam format will be three

questions, over the course of three days and is open book. Students must pass all three

questions to pass the written comprehensive exam.

If a student fails one question on the written comprehensive exam they can retake a similar

(different) question once they have satisfactorily completed a remediation plan to address the

gaps in their response and no sooner than three months after their first attempt at the exam.

The student should meet with their faculty mentor to develop the remediation plan. The faculty

mentor will meet with the Director of the Doctoral Program and the Associate Chair for

Academics to review and approve the remediation plan. The completion of the remediation

plan will be monitored by the faculty mentor, in consultation with the Director of the Doctoral

Program and the Associate Chair for Academics. The faculty mentor must approve that the

student is ready to retake the question. If they fail the question a second time the student will

need to retake the entire written comprehensive exam when it is next offered, as described

below.

If a student fails two written comprehensive exam questions, they will need to retake the entire

written comprehensive exam when it is next offered (usually with the next doctoral student

cohort in May of the following year). The student should meet with their faculty mentor and

their Doctoral Curriculum Committee to develop a remediation plan. The plan may include

additional course work, retaking certain courses, or other learning activities to address gaps in

competencies identified in their written comprehensive exam responses. The faculty mentor

will meet with the Director of the Doctoral Program and the Associate Chair for Academics to

review and approve the remediation plan. The completion of the remediation plan will be

monitored by the Doctoral Curriculum Committee, in consultation with the Director of the

Doctoral Program and the Associate Chair for Academics. The Doctoral Curriculum Committee

must approve that the student is ready to retake the exam. A student who fails any question on

their second attempt at the written comprehensive exam becomes ineligible to continue

graduate study or to take the examination a third time without special approval by the MCH

Department and the Administrative Board of the Graduate School.

The Dissertation

Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee is formed shortly after

the student passes the MCH Doctoral Written Comprehensive Examination. It consists of no

fewer than five members, with the majority being “regular” members of the MCH faculty.

106

According to the Graduate School’s policies, all tenured and tenure-track faculty are

automatically “regular” members of the faculty. Non-tenured track faculty (i.e., Research or

Clinical track) may receive approval from the Graduate School to be Special Appointed Regular

Graduate Faculty. A list of regular and special appointed regular graduate faculty can be found

at https://gradschool.unc.edu/facultystaff/faculty/. Adjuncts, faculty emeriti, and individuals

from other institutions or agencies may serve on dissertation committees with approval from

the Graduate School, but they do not count toward the committee majority from MCH. Please

consult with your faculty mentor, the Director of the Doctoral Program, and the Associate

Chair for Academics if you would like to include non-tenure-track MCH faculty (if they are not

special appointed regular graduate faculty), adjunct faculty, or individuals from other

institutions/agencies on your dissertation committee. This will ensure your committee meets

the Graduate School requirements. One member of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee must

be the student’s minor advisor.

The Chair of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee (i.e., who is typically the student’s academic

faculty mentor) is the faculty member primarily responsible for assuring that the student meets

all the necessary commitments to earn the degree, and as such, must be a regular or special

appointed regular graduate faculty member of the MCH Department. The Dissertation Advisor

(i.e., the faculty member who works most closely with the student on their research project)

can be from another department or institution. In exceptional circumstances it is possible for a

faculty member from another department to chair an MCH dissertation committee, but this

must be approved by the student’s MCH faculty mentor, the Director of the MCH Doctoral

Program, the Associate Chair for Academics in MCH, and the Graduate School. If a student’s

committee membership is not majority MCH faculty, committee makeup must be approved

by the aforementioned parties. Students seeking this approval should work with their faculty

mentor and the Associate Chair for Academics to send a letter to the Graduate School for

approval. Further information on committee membership can be found at

https://gradschool.unc.edu/facultystaff/faculty/faq.html

Although the student cannot officially form their dissertation committee before passing their

comprehensive exams, they are encouraged to begin conversations with potential committee

members during their 2nd year of study.

Committee Process. Prospective Doctoral Dissertation Committee members are invited

individually by the student to be members of the committee. Although Doctoral Curriculum

Committee members frequently continue to serve on the student's Doctoral Dissertation

Committee this is not required.

The Doctoral Dissertation Committee is approved by the Associate Chair for Academics using

the "Report of Doctoral Committee Composition" form

(http://gradschool.unc.edu/pdf/wdcomm.pdf) which must be transmitted to the Graduate

School for approval before the student defends their dissertation proposal. The student begins

the process by notifying the Academic Coordinator of their intent to defend their dissertation

107

proposal and/or the exam date. The student and their doctoral committee chair (usually the

faculty mentor) are responsible for completing the form, obtaining the signatures, and

returning the form to the Department’s Academic Coordinator, who then submits it to the

Graduate School.

Each doctoral student is expected to consult with members of their Doctoral Dissertation

Committee at regular intervals throughout the progress of their research.

The responsibilities of Doctoral Dissertation Committee members are to:

1. Examine and approve the dissertation proposal, as part of the oral examination required

for admission to candidacy;

2. Consult with the student throughout the progress of the dissertation research; and

3. Participate in the final oral examination in defense of the dissertation.

Dissertation Proposal Content. Each candidate is required to write a dissertation reflecting

research of such scope, originality, and skill in presentation as to indicate that the student has a

command of the subject and has demonstrated an ability to contribute fresh knowledge or

perspectives on the subject. In addition, the dissertation should demonstrate mastery of

appropriate research methodology. The proposal format and length are determined by the

nature of the research, but a typical proposal should include the following areas:

1. Abstract

2. Specific Aims

3. Background and Significance (this section includes a critical literature review, the

conceptual/theoretical basis of the project, and the gaps in the literature addressed by

the dissertation)

4. Preliminary Studies (this refers to studies done by the student if pertinent)

5. Research Design and Methods (including study design, description of the dataset/study

sample and recruitment procedures, description of included variables/assessment tools

and procedures, statistical analysis plan, study timetable, human subjects concerns,

potential public health impact)

When developing the proposal, students should consult with all the members of their

committee. Students should send a complete first draft of their proposal to their committee at

least 6-8 weeks before they would like to defend their proposal. They may tentatively schedule

a proposal defense date at this time. Committee members should return feedback on the

proposal within a reasonable timeframe. Students are expected to meet with their Dissertation

Chair to discuss Committee member feedback. Further, they should respond to comments

following the “response to reviewers” format typically used during the publication and grant

review process. This response to comments should be sent to Committee members along with

the revised draft of the proposal. When the Doctoral Dissertation Committee Chair agrees that

Committee member feedback has been adequately addressed, the proposal defense date may

be finalized.

108

The final proposal draft should be distributed at least two weeks before the date of the oral

examination to all members of the committee. The student should notify every member of the

committee of the time and place of the examination.

First Oral Examination: Dissertation Proposal Defense. Typically, the student prepares a 20-30

minute presentation of the proposal, and committee members pose questions and issues for

discussion. A grade of Pass is based on the presentation of an acceptable proposal and

demonstration of a satisfactory level of knowledge on the dissertation subject and related

areas. The student must receive a passing grade from the majority of the members of the

committee. If the dissertation proposal is not approved (i.e., the student fails the oral exam),

the examination is rescheduled after revision or completion of a new dissertation proposal. A

student who fails the first oral examination twice becomes ineligible to continue graduate study

or to take the examination a third time without special approval by the MCH Department and

the Administrative Board of the Graduate School.

Final Oral Examination: Dissertation Final Defense. The second formal meeting of the Doctoral

Dissertation Committee is the "final oral examination." The defense is usually composed of an

“open” presentation by the student (which anyone may attend), followed by a “closed”

meeting which includes only the student and the dissertation committee. Notice of the defense

date and location, which includes a (maximum) one- page abstract of the dissertation, is

distributed to SPH faculty at least one month before the defense.

It is the responsibility of the Dissertation Advisor to see that the draft dissertation is in an

appropriate form for evaluation by committee members. Students should send a complete first

draft to all committee members 6-8 weeks before they would like to defend their dissertation.

They may tentatively schedule a final defense date at this time. Committee members should

return feedback on the dissertation within a reasonable timeframe. Students are expected to

meet with their Dissertation Chair to discuss the feedback. Further, they should respond to

comments following the “response to reviewers” format typically used during the publication

and grant review process. This response to comments should be sent to Committee members

along with the revised draft of the dissertation. When the Doctoral Dissertation Committee

Chair agrees that Committee member feedback has been adequately addressed, the final

defense date may be finalized.

The committee should have a copy of the final dissertation at least two weeks prior to the final

defense. The committee may, at the time of the final oral examination (but not later), require

alterations and corrections. The Dissertation Advisor is responsible for verifying that the

changes required by the committee have been made but may delegate this responsibility to the

committee members who imposed the requirements. A student passes the final oral

examination only upon approval of at least two-thirds of the members of the examining

committee, including a majority of the MCH members. If a second defense is needed, it must

occur within the original eight calendar years allowed for completion of the doctoral program.

109

A third defense is allowed only with special approval of the MCH Department and the

Administrative Board of The Graduate School.

Dissertation Format. Students in MCH have two dissertation format options. One is the

traditional monograph. The second is a manuscript format. For the manuscript format, a

student completes a two-paper dissertation with an opening and closing chapter. At least one

of the papers must be submitted to a peer- review journal before the final dissertation defense.

This submission must be documented by a confirmation letter or email from the journal editor;

documentation should be provided to the dissertation chair by the time of the final defense. If a

student uses data that requires clearance or approval from the custodian of the data prior to

publication, the student should discuss this with their Committee Chair and then receive

approval from the Director of the Doctoral Program to submit the paper for clearance/approval

rather than publication before the final dissertation defense.

Selecting the Dissertation Format. In selecting the format, the student must consult with their

faculty mentor and dissertation committee to determine the most appropriate format, given

the dissertation subject matter and organizational possibilities. For the manuscript format, it is

acceptable for students to submit journal length papers that are formatted according to target

journal requirements. However, the student should confirm that their selected format

conforms to Graduate School specifications regarding format and content (see below). For the

manuscript formats, students should use additional sections or appendices to provide the detail

traditionally included in a monograph but not journal articles. For example, an introductory

chapter would provide the detailed literature critique that is not usually included in empirical

journal articles. A closing chapter would synthesize findings across the dissertation papers and

discuss their implications for future research, practice, and/or policy.

Authorships on Dissertation Papers. Conventions vary across disciplines, but the collaborative

nature of public health typically leads to committee co-authorships on dissertation

manuscripts. The dissertation chair/advisor is usually a co-author on all publications derived

from the dissertation. Other committee members may also serve as co-authors, depending on

their preferences and the significance of their contributions to the manuscripts. Dissertation

chairs/advisors and students should collaborate on the negotiation of authorship roles, with the

chair and/or faculty mentor leading this process as needed. Early discussion and agreement on

authorship is advisable, although progression through dissertation development and writing

may lead to later, mutually agreed upon, changes in responsibilities and authorships.

Dissertation Submission Guidelines. Dissertations must be submitted to the Graduate School

according to the schedule in the Calendar of Events (see Graduate School Record). Dissertations

must be prepared in accordance with the standards in The Graduate School Theses and

Dissertation Guide, available from the Graduate School at the following website:

http://gradschool.unc.edu/etdguide. Approved technical processes for reproducing special

materials or for reproducing the entire thesis or dissertation are described in the Graduate

School's Guide. All dissertations are submitted electronically to the Graduate School.

110

Graduating students should also submit the dissertation cover page, which includes the final

dissertation title, to the MCH Department's Academic Coordinator and to the Executive

Assistant to the Department Chair.

The IRB. All student research must be reviewed by a member of the UNC Non-Biomedical

Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB), which determines

whether the proposed research is exempt from IRB review, not human subject research,

(NHSR), qualifies for expedited review, or requires full board review. Some students will collect

their own primary data, and others will analyze data collected by someone else (secondary

data). Because it is not always clear whether secondary data analysis constitutes human

subjects research for IRB purposes, students proposing secondary analyses must submit an IRB

application. Go to http://irbis.unc.edu to submit your application to the IRB.

Nutrition

What You Will Learn in this Program / Mission Statement / Overview

The Nutrition PhD degree program prepares graduates for leadership in academic and related

settings that emphasize research and teaching or service. Students conduct original research that

culminates in a dissertation that expands the boundaries of nutrition knowledge, theory, and/or

methodology.

The Department of Nutrition is a global leader in research and training and is the only U.S.

program situated in a school of public health and a school of medicine. Our innovative and

interdisciplinary program encourages collaboration and capitalizes on both schools’ approaches

to health. We have an unusual breadth of research and training spaning issues from molecules to

society, and from discovery to delivery and policy. Our research is carried out across North

Carolina, the US, and globally.

Nutrition is central to public health around the world. Critical public health issues—from food

insecurity to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer—

are informed by nutrition research including laboratory, clinical, population-based, and policy

research. Our faculty train students in nutritional sciences, clinical nutrition, and public health to

become global leaders in their fields. This is balanced by a commitment to improve health equity

for underserved global populations. Our mission to improve health in North Carolina, nationally,

and globally gives our students a unique and purposeful experience and education that translates

into successful careers in academia, industry, government, and nongovernmental agencies.

Students who earn a PhD in nutrition at UNC-CH will attain a basic knowledge and

understanding of nutrition as it relates to metabolism, epidemiology, policies and interventions,

complemented by deeper knowledge in a specialized area of training. In our mission to promote

111

health equity through better nutrition for all, the department is committed to creating a training

program centered on inclusion, equity, and belonging.

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). Some students will engage in research at the

NRI, a unique and interdisciplinary institute that focuses on precision nutrition. NRI faculty from

numerous disciplines conduct research to define how individual variation (genetics, epigenetics,

microbiome, prenatal stressors) affects nutrient requirements and health/disease risk. Focus areas

include nutrigenomics, metabolomics, cancer, cognitive function and brain health, cardiovascular

disease, hepatic steatosis, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and obesity. The NRI is located just

northeast of Charlotte at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC). It has a well-endowed facility

that spans molecular to clinical studies, including a human metabolic chamber. In this richly

collaborative environment students can interact with faculty from the eight universities housed at NCRC

to improve human health through nutrition and food choice. https://uncnri.org/

General Education Requirements / Admission Requirements

PhD Applicants should have completed a baccalaureate degree from a four-year college or university, or

its international equivalent, with a 3.0 GPA or better. Applications from all disciplines are welcome, but

the following four courses are required to enter the program: Anatomy/Physiology, Organic Chemistry,

Biochemistry, and Human Nutrition. These courses are essential preparation for the graduate level

nutrition science core courses required for a PhD in nutrition.

Prospective applicants should complete the Nutrition Doctoral Program Information Request.

PhD applicants must submit, in addition to the University’s required application materials:

transcripts from all prior college programs, a resume, and personal statement which should

include:

1. A brief statement of what interests you most about the Nutrition doctoral program at UNC-CH.

2. Specific aspects of nutrition or research questions that interest you.

3. Previous research or job experience. Please identify your specific research skills

(computer, laboratory methods, survey development, etc.). Applicants with prior research

experience should describe in detail their research projects, including hypotheses tested,

methods, results and conclusions. Please note: To help us provide information required for our

training grants, please provide your number of months of prior full-time research experience.

For many individuals, this will reflect months of summer research experience or full-time

research experience following college. Do not include labs associated with a course (e.g. organic

chemistry course with lab). It is also recommended to include evidence of quantitative skills

through demonstration of prior quantitative experience (e.g., math, data analysis, or statistics

courses, applied experiences in data analysis).

4. Career goals upon completion of graduate studies.

Admission to the PhD program involves identifying a student’s compatibility in research interests with a

primary faculty advisor(s) and funding availability. Applicants are encouraged to begin conversations

with prospective research mentors prior to applying.

112

Individualized Programs of Study: Concentration Competencies

In close consultation with their primary faculty advisor(s), students develop an individual program of

study prior to or within the first semester of their graduate studies. This program reflects student

interests, background preparation, career interests and goals, and availability of expertise and

resources. All students complete common core courses that provide a foundation across all areas of

nutrition. Competencies for the PhD are listed in the box, below.

Nutrition Department PhD Competencies

• Demonstrate knowledge of how nutrition relates to fundamentals of public health, including

biostatistics, epidemiology, behavior, and policy and how this content informs nutrition

research.

• Demonstrate knowledge of multiple aspects of nutrition, from molecules to society, with a

focus integration of these concepts and how they relate to health and disease at the

individual and population levels.

• Demonstrate specialized knowledge of a focused area of nutrition including theoretical

aspects of the research area and mastery of related research methods.

• Demonstrate ability to critically evaluate existing research studies and identify major

strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate alternate research designs and methods in laboratory,

clinical, population-based, or community settings where nutritional factors act as either

exposures or outcomes.

• Formulate an original research question and develop a research proposal.

• Develop and carry out an independent research project, including management of project

design, data management, statistical analysis, hypothesis testing, and results interpretation.

• Exhibit effective teaching and presentation skills.

• Communicate study results in papers suitable for scholarly journals.

• Understand requirements for the responsible conduct of research.

Understand the implications of various research approaches to addressing health equity among

individuals and populations.

Each student also identifies a specialization area. Many students work in multiple areas reflecting their

multidisciplinary interests. This individualized program of study must be approved by the Doctoral

Committee and meet all department requirements.

Below are examples of specialization areas. These are illustrative, not prescriptive, and not mutually

exclusive. The program of specialization should provide an appropriate depth of training that reflects the

student’s interests and the faculty mentors’ expertise. Programs of study can be formalized by a minor

concentration, (“minors”, link under the PhD section at https://sph.unc.edu/nutr/unc-nutrition/student-

life/nutr-degrees/) or certificate program (https://gradschool.unc.edu/facultystaff/program-

development/certificates.html)

Translational and Biobehavioral Nutrition: For students interested in the intersection of basic

laboratory research and evidence-based practice, this program may include, but is not limited to

research centered on applying basic nutrition knowledge to improve human health, to increase the

understanding of the development of nutrition-related diseases and disorders, and/or improve existing

medical treatments. This specialization may include training to support a multitude of hypothesis-driven

research topics associated with health outcomes. Examples include nutritional effects on vaccine

113

responsiveness; eating behaviors related to weight regulation; microbiome effects on behavior and

weight regulation; the role of clinical nutrition as part of personalized nutrition for specific health

conditions; the natural history of diabetes in youth and young adults; and bridging preclinical research

(cell and/or animal models) with clinical trials or epidemiologic studies. Students may wish to consider

additional training to become a registered dietician. Graduates with these interests may go on to

conduct research in academic or other settings including industry, government or research institutes,

non-government organizations, or health care systems. This area of study may include completion of the

Translational Medicine Certificate: http://www.med.unc.edu/transmed. A minor in Health Behavior is

available.

Community or Behavioral Interventions: This program of study emphasizes theory-based interventions

at the individual, community, or environmental levels to improve health and nutrition outcomes. This

includes interventions related to diet, physical activity, and behavior change for the prevention or

treatment of malnutrition or chronic diseases. Training in qualitative and quantitative methods provides

students with the skills to develop and evaluate programs. Graduates with these interests conduct

intervention and evaluation research in academic and other settings such as state and federal

governments, industry, non-government organizations and public health administration. Courses of

study include training in general intervention methods and specific nutrition intervention content. A

minor in Health Behavior is available.

Global Nutrition: This program of study focuses on global health, including issues such as health

disparities, maternal and child health around the world, food insecurity, obesity or other nutrition-

related non-communicable diseases, and strategies for creating a healthy global food system and food

environment. Training prepares doctoral students in rigorous and innovative methods for work in

academic and other settings including governmental and non-governmental organizations. Students

may develop a specialization in global nutrition by taking International Nutrition (NUTR 745) and may

choose from a wide variety of global health courses offered in other departments. For a comprehensive

listing of UNC global health-focused courses, see https://sph.unc.edu/global-health/global-health-

content-courses/. Our NIH-funded Global Cardiometabolic Disease T32 training grant offers an

opportunity for eligible students to complete global internships with mentors in many different research

settings around the world.

Nutritional Metabolism and Nutrigenomics. For students interested in the basic science of nutrition,

the program of study would focus on mechanisms of nutrient action in human health and disease from a

biochemical, cellular and/or molecular perspective. Ongoing research focuses on epigenetics;

nutrigenetics; one-carbon metabolism; essential fatty acids; lipid metabolism; cellular physiology and

signaling; nutritional influences on brain development; genetics of obesity and exercise; nutritional

influences on immune function; and the molecular biology of nutrient-related diseases like obesity,

diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer. Graduates of our department with these interests are currently

research scientists and professors at universities and scientists in government and industry research

laboratories. In addition to courses in the Department of Nutrition, students in this area often take

courses in other basic science departments. The Department of Nutrition is part of the Biological and

Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP) and therefore students can take advantage of their services and

courses as well, http://bbsp.unc.edu/

114

Nutrition Epidemiology. This program of study would focus on protective and detrimental effects of

diet- or obesity-related factors to the development of diseases, analyzing the role of nutrition in growth

and development, understanding the determinants and consequences of nutrition-related trends, and

trying to intervene at the population level to change diets and/or reduce obesity and/or other nutrition-

related diseases. Relevant areas of research may include genetic epidemiology and interactions of food

and genetic factors, microbiome and metabolomics studies, environmental and chemical exposures as

they relate to diet and diet-related health consequences. Work in this area often includes sophisticated

analytical methods to investigate nutrition-related exposures and outcomes. Students will typically

complete formal requirements for the UNC Department of Epidemiology minor. Upon graduation,

students with these skills conduct epidemiological research related to nutrition in academic, research,

and government centers at the national and international level. Epidemiology Minor:

http://sph.unc.edu/epid/epid-minoring-in-epidemiology/

Nutrition Policy. This program of study would emphasize basic principles of nutrition and health policy,

including topics such as influences on national dietary intake, impact of taxation, food labeling, or school

feeding programs on food purchases and consumption, or food security and sustainable food systems.

Students in this area must have methodological expertise in an analytic area such as nutrition

epidemiology, health economics, economics, sociometrics, psychometrics or measurement, and analysis

related to one of several methodological subspecialties related to health behavior. Graduates with these

interests conduct research in academic settings and advise policy makers in state and federal

governments, industry, and public health administration. Students may also be interested in the work of

the Global Food Research Program founded by members of the UNC Faculty.

https://www.globalfoodresearchprogram.org/

Degree Requirements / Curriculum

Coursework and Research Requirements

Students typically meet core and specialization course requirements during the first 5 semesters of

graduate study. These are combined with research experience and/or elective courses. Care should be

taken in Year 1 to complete prerequisites for further courses. Students should consult with the

Academic Coordinator and their mentoring committee to determine the sequence of courses that will

best meet their goals and requirements. Students with prior coursework equivalent to required courses

may request transfer credit or an exemption from that core course. Exemption from SPHG 600 must be

granted by the Gillings School of Global Public Health based on the criteria posted here:

https://sph.unc.edu/students/academic-and-policies/. Additional transfer or exemption requests

require approval by the Department of Nutrition Doctoral Committee and must adhere to the policies

set forth by The Graduate School.

Core Requirements (minimum 26 credit hours required for all PhD students in the

Department of Nutrition)

School of Public Health Core Course

SPHG 600 Introduction to Public Health (3 credits; FALL or SPRING, typically FALL)

Department of Nutrition Core Courses

115

NUTR 600 Human Metabolism: Macronutrients (3 credits; FALL)

AND

NUTR 620 Human Metabolism: Micronutrients (3 credits; SPRING)

NUTR 714 Nutritional Biochemistry, Metabolism and Health (3 credits; FALL).

Most students take 600/620. For some students developing a behavior or population-focused

concentration, NUTR 714 may be substituted for the 6-credit NUTR 600/620 sequence. A request for

this substitution must be approved by the student’s advisor and mentoring committee and the

Nutrition Department Doctoral Committee.

NUTR 885 Doctoral Seminar (2 credits/semester, 2 semesters total; FALL Yr 1 and SPRING Yr 2)

NUTR 813 Nutritional Epidemiology (3 credits; FALL) Basics for those with limited background in

epidemiology

NUTR XXX Nutrition Epidemiology (3 credits; SPRING) For those with prior coursework in

epidemiology. Course number to be determined for Spring 2025

EPID 710* Fundamentals of Epidemiology (4 credits) for students minoring in Epidemiology

NUTR 770 Clinical Trials in Nutrition. (3 credits)

Choose one of the following Biostatistics Courses:

BIOS 545 Principles of Experimental Analysis (3 credits)

BIOS 600 Principles of Statistical Inference (3 credits)

BBSP 710 Biostatistics for Laboratory Scientists (2 credits)

The core courses listed above must be completed prior to taking the doctoral comprehensive

examinations (typically at the end of the Spring semester following the second year of study).

NUTR 880 Elements of Being a Scientist (3 credits; FALL, Year 3) PhD Comprehensive exams must

be passed prior to taking this course.

Other course requirements:

NUTR 785 Graduate Teaching Experience (1 credit)

Specialization Requirements (minimum of 25 credit hours)

These include a minimum of 9 credit hours in courses that develop a specific substantive or

methodology expertise and a minimum of 16 credit hours in research rotations or mentored research

with faculty taken as NUTR 910.

116

During the term in which the dissertation proposal defense occurs and each semester thereafter,

students enroll in NUTR 994: Dissertation (3 credits). Per Graduate School policy, 3 credit hours of NUTR

994 constitutes full time enrollment, and students must complete at least 2 full semesters of NUTR 994

before they are eligible to graduate.

Depending on their funding source and/or timing of examinations, proposal and final thesis defense,

students may need to enroll in a summer session. Students should consult the Academic Coordinator to

determine if/when this is necessary.

Other requirements

Ethics, human subjects, animal studies and responsible conduct of research.

All doctoral students are required to successfully complete the Collaborative Institutional Training

Initiative (CITI) training during their first year along with the National Institute of Health “Responsible

Conduct of Research (RCR) ethics training, which is required at least every four (4) years. CITI training is

required before a student can engage in research; thus, this should be completed immediately if the

student plans to work with data or on research projects at UNC. CITI and RCR training must be

completed before taking the doctoral comprehensive examination.

http://research.unc.edu/offices/human-research-ethics/getting-started/training/

Students conducting laboratory animal research must complete the relevant training requirements

prior to beginning any work involving animals. https://research.unc.edu/iacuc/getting-started/

Teaching Experience.

Students gain teaching experience by serving as a teaching assistant for a 3-credit nutrition course (or its

equivalent). This involves: 1) assisting with syllabus preparation; 2) assisting with class administration

(e.g., class websites, scheduling guest lectures) (3) preparing and giving at least two lectures, (4)

preparing the reading list for these lectures, (5) attending all course lectures unless otherwise agreed

upon with the teaching faculty, and (6) assisting student evaluation with the course instructor. The

course instructor provides a written performance evaluation to the TA’s and the academic coordinator.

All students are required to register for NUTR 785 (1-credit) to earn credit for their teaching experience.

The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE: http://cfe.unc.edu/ ) offers help for students who desire

additional instruction on teaching. During orientation each fall, CFE offers various workshops on leading

discussions, making up exams, grading, slides, etc.

Examinations and Dissertation

Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

The two-part doctoral comprehensive exam tests student competency and critical thinking skills across

all areas of nutrition. It contains two sections:

The integrative exam tests ability to put a research question in a broader context and demonstrate

understanding of the basic biology, epidemiology and intervention/policy implications of a nutrition

issue. While nutrition scientists need not be experts in all of these areas, they should know how to read

and effectively use the literature to integrate concepts to address a range of nutrition issues. The exam

117

is written and evaluated by an interdisciplinary Exam Committee. It is an open book, take-home exam

with a prescribed word limit. Students have 4 days to complete the exam, which tests their ability to

integrate and interpret information from multiple relevant sources. All students complete the same

exam. If the exam committee judges that any portion of the exam is inadequate for a passing grade, the

student is given feedback and an opportunity to respond to critiques in an assigned time period. If, after

revision, the exam is still deemed inadequate for a passing grade, the student must retake the

examination the next time it is offered (typically in the following academic year). A student who fails the

second attempt may petition the Graduate School to retake the exam, but must document support from

the Nutrition Department Doctoral Committee and the Department Chair.

The specialization exam is a 3-hour closed book written examination followed several days later by an

oral exam. The student’s mentoring committee writes and evaluates the specialization exam, designed

to test knowledge and critical thinking skills in the individual program of study. Students should discuss

the scope and content area for the exam with their mentoring committee well in advance of the

scheduled examination. Mentoring committees may coordinate to write shared specialization exam

questions for students with similar focus areas. The student’s primary mentor contributes to exam

development and review, and participates in the oral exam, but the final outcome of the exam is

determined by the other mentoring committee members. The oral exam, completed after the

committee’s assessment of the written exam, is designed to probe further in areas that may be

deficient. A pass/fail decision is based on the written and oral examinations. A student who fails the

specialization exam is required to retake the exam at a future date determined by the exam committee.

A student who fails the second attempt may petition the Graduate School to retake the exam, but must

document support from the Nutrition Department Doctoral Committee and the Department Chair.

For the integrative and specialization exams, reviewers may note that while performance is adequate to

pass the exam, additional work to address weaknesses may be beneficial. For the integrative exam, the

review committee will report to the student’s advisor. For the specialization exam, the mentoring

committee will propose and implement a remediation plan to improve specific skills and competencies.

The committees may also recognize exceptional performance by reporting a “pass with distinction”

result to the Doctoral Committee, which is included in the student’s record.

The Comprehensive Examining Committee includes 3-4 faculty with diverse expertise. It is responsible

for (1) Communicating with faculty advisors about the specialization exam requirements, dates, and

policies; (2) Reviewing rigor across all specialization exams and (3) Developing, administering, and

grading the integrative exam.

Eligibility to take the comprehensive exams. All students must enroll full-time in the Department of

Nutrition for at least one academic year before taking the comprehensive exams. To be eligible to take

the comprehensive exams, students must have completed and earned a grade of “P” or higher in all

required core courses courses listed above (Not including NUTR 880, NUTR 785 or research hours). A

course may be retaken to earn the required grade.

Timing of the exam: Students are expected to take comprehensive exams in the second year of the

doctoral program. In rare circumstances, students who have completed all core course requirements

may be eligible to take the exam at the end of the first year, with support from their faculty mentor and

approval from the doctoral committee. Such requests for an early exam should be sent to the doctoral

committee by the end of January in the year the exam is to be taken. Exams are usually given at the end

118

of the spring semester. Per Graduate School policy, students must be enrolled during the term in which

the comprehensive exam is administered. It is the students’ responsibility to seek clarification on the

timing, dates, and locations of these exams and to be available for all components, including the oral

exams. The usual schedule for the integrative exam is to distribute it on a Monday morning, with a due

date of Thursday at 4 pm. The written and oral sections of the specialization exam are individually

scheduled by the student with the mentoring committee.

Students with special needs should work with Accessibility Resources & Service (https://ars.unc.edu/)

for consideration of accommodations several months in advance for their comprehensive examination.

Students must pass the specialization and integrative sections of the comprehensive exam before

enrolling for NUTR 880 and becoming eligible for doctoral candidacy, which is required before students

can defend their dissertation proposal.

The Dissertation

Dissertation Committee Composition. After passing the comprehensive examinations, the student, with

advice from the faculty advisor(s), will choose a dissertation committee. Committee members are

selected because their fields of expertise are relevant to the student's research.

The dissertation committee must have at least five members. Ordinarily, one faculty member serves as

primary advisor and committee chair. With approval by the Doctoral Committee, the dissertation

committee may include co-chairs with equal mentoring roles. When there are co-chairs, one will be

designated as the chair of record to meet administrative responsibilities. Please refer to The Graduate

School Handbook (https://handbook.unc.edu/phd.html) for policy regarding the Dissertation Committee

Composition. Tenured and tenure track Nutrition faculty, and fixed-term faculty approved by the

Doctoral Committee may serve as primary or co-primary advisors and doctoral committee chairs.

The chair and at least two other members must hold a primary or joint appointment in the

Department of Nutrition. Each dissertation committee must include at least one nutrition faculty

member from a different main lab or research group than that of the primary advisor or co-

advisors. Students are encouraged to include at least one member from outside the Department of

Nutrition. If the student is completing a formal minor, the dissertation committee must include a

faculty member from the department providing the minor.

All dissertation committee members must be members of the UNC Graduate Faculty.

Committee members who are not currently listed as Graduate Faculty (e.g. some fixed term UNC

faculty and/or individuals from other institutions) may be appointed with approval of the

Graduate School. The Academic Coordinator will assist with this process.

The Nutrition Doctoral Committee and the Graduate School must approve the initial composition

and any subsequent changes to the dissertation committee. Students should send a written

request to the Academic Coordinator and Nutrition Doctoral Committee Chair and attach (1) the

completed form (https://gradschool.unc.edu/pdf/wdcomm.pdf). (Note that part II signatures are

added after the dissertation defense). The request should include the tentative dissertation title, a

119

brief description of the dissertation (1-2 sentences), a brief description of the expertise and a CV

for any proposed committee member who is not a full member of the graduate faculty.

Meetings with the Dissertation Committee. Doctoral students should meet with members of

their dissertation committee at least once each semester during the research and dissertation

writing stage.

The first formal meeting should be held when the dissertation committee is established. The

agenda usually includes a review of the student's Individual Development Plan (IDP) and

previous educational and work experiences, courses taken while in the doctoral program, planned

specific aims of the dissertation research, a timeline and plan for meetings, and expectations for

feedback from committee members. During this meeting, additional ways to develop the

student’s area of expertise should be discussed and agreed upon. The second formal meeting

would be an oral defense of the dissertation proposal. Subsequent meetings should include

discussion of the progress of the dissertation. One of these meetings each year should include a

review of the updated IDP. The last formal meeting is the dissertation defense.

The Dissertation Proposal. Once prior requirements have been met, students will write and

defend a dissertation proposal. The proposal must include a survey of the research literature and

significance of the work, a statement of research aims, a detailed description of the research

methods, and a timeline. The exact format of the proposal will be decided upon by the student

and the dissertation committee.

The doctoral candidate should not begin work on the dissertation (e.g., collecting, data, formal

analysis of data) until the dissertation committee has approved the dissertation proposal. The

collection of pilot data or preliminary analyses might be completed prior to the proposal defense.

The student is responsible for obtaining required signatures on official paperwork

(https://gradschool.unc.edu/pdf/wdcomm.pdf). In addition, before any data are collected,

research involving human subjects must have the approval of the student's faculty advisor(s) and

the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB). Animal studies must

be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IUCAC).

The selection of a dissertation topic should be a joint decision between student and advisor(s). The

doctoral program is an important opportunity to pursue research with the guidance and help of a

mentor. Students usually learn the most if their research area is one in which their mentor is an expert.

The Dissertation Proposal Defense is typically completed during academic year 3 or the summer

following year 3. The proposal should be developed with input from the dissertation committee

members. The draft dissertation proposal should be submitted to the committee members for review at

least two weeks before the oral defense of the proposal. The student should assume responsibility for

communicating with committee members and scheduling of the defense. All members of the

dissertation committee must be present for the oral examination (remote participation is acceptable). A

pass will be based on the presentation of an acceptable proposal and demonstration of a satisfactory

level of knowledge in the subject matter of the dissertation and related areas. The student must receive

a “pass” from a 2/3 majority of the members of the dissertation committee. A student who fails the

proposal defense will be given a second opportunity. Students who fail a second time are ineligible to

120

continue in the Graduate School. Students should register for NUTR 994 (Doctoral Dissertation) credits

during the semester in which they plan to defend their proposal, and each semester thereafter. If,

during the course of the dissertation research, the student must make changes that result in a

substantial difference in the dissertation, a 2/3 majority of the members of the Dissertation Committee

must approve. A substantial difference includes use of different data, different research questions or

aims (including addition or depletion of an aim), and/or substantially different methods. To make such

changes, the student should send a memo to the dissertation committee (no more than 1-page) that

lists and provides a rationale for all changes. Approval is required before any work on the revised

dissertation proposal begins.

Once constituted, changes to the dissertation committee membership require review and approval by

the Doctoral Committee and the Graduate School. A request to change the committee composition

should be sent from the dissertation committee chair or co-chairs to the Nutrition Academic

Coordinator and the Doctoral Committee Co-Chairs, stating the reason for the change and describing the

role and qualifications of the new member. Such changes should not occur close to the time of the final

dissertation defense as the role of the committee is to guide the student’s dissertation research,

although exceptions may occur in the event that a committee member leaves the university.

Final Dissertation Defense and Application for Degree

Through conceptualizing, planning and executing research and through the experience of writing a

proposal and dissertation, the doctoral student learns some of the most important skills of a modern

scientist. Scientists need these skills to succeed. The learning that is done through completing the

dissertation distinguishes a doctoral student from a master’s student. The dissertation documents that

the candidate has mastered research methodology and accompanying analytical skills, has a grasp of the

historical and theoretical aspects of the research topic, has contributed new knowledge, and has

successfully accomplished the goals and objectives outlined in the dissertation proposal.

Time Limitation. A minimum of 12-months must lapse between successful defense of the dissertation

proposal and the final defense of the dissertation unless an alternate timeline is approved by the

Doctoral Committee. All requirements for the degree must be completed within eight years from the

date of first registration in the Graduate School. An extension of the degree time limit may be granted

upon petition to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Format of the Dissertation. The dissertation should include related manuscripts united by an

appropriate review of the literature, an expanded methods section (if warranted), and an overall

synthesis of the research findings and discussion of significance and direction for future research.

Guidelines for preparation of a dissertation.

1. Each manuscript should be of the quality and length usually expected for publication in a peer

reviewed scientific journal.

2. A minimum of two manuscripts must be included, but three are recommended. These may

include methodological papers, but must include at least one paper presenting major new

substantive research results.

121

3. A high-quality review paper of sufficient merit for publication may substitute for the literature

review, but unless special justification is provided this will not count as one of the two required

papers.

4. An expanded methods section may be included if the manuscripts do not contain details of the

methods or if the student needs to show additional validation of the methods that were used.

Additional detailed methods and results may be presented in appendices.

5. The introduction should reflect the entire body of research covered in the dissertation and

include background and relevant literature review.

6. The synthesis should provide:

a. An overview of the major research findings

b. A discussion of significance: how the research contributes to the field, how it confirms

previous work or breaks new ground, the context in which the research should be

placed and/or where appropriate, a discussion of the health/nutrition/public

health/policy significance of the work.

c. A discussion of the major strengths and weaknesses of the work

d. Directions for future research.

The dissertation should include at least two first-authored papers, which must be submitted to journals

before the dissertation defense. If the student’s research is part of a project with a publication

committee that must approve all journal submissions, submission to this committee is acceptable in lieu

of submission to the journal. A student’s committee can petition the Doctoral Committee for deviations

from this policy when the deviation is scientifically justified. The doctoral candidate is expected to

assume the role of lead author, exercising responsibilities and decision-making with advice from the

dissertation committee chair. Authorship recommendations from the scientific editors of the major

health sciences journals serve as the guidelines for this process. The primary advisor is responsible for

assisting in negotiating authorship issues, particularly in the case of multi-site collaborations, and for

studies that have established publication and authorship policies. (see “authorship”, link under the PhD

section at https://sph.unc.edu/nutr/unc-nutrition/student-life/nutr-degrees/).

Final Dissertation Defense. When all other degree requirements have been met, and the student

has completed a draft of the dissertation, the dissertation defense may be scheduled. The draft

dissertation should be sent to committee members at least two weeks prior to the defense date.

However, students should submit drafts of their manuscripts for review by committee members

prior to the assembly of the final dissertation draft. When dissertation committee members are

co-authors of dissertation papers for journal submissions, review and approval for submission is

required from all co-authors.

The final dissertation defense includes a 40-50 minute public seminar followed by a question and

answer period, and a private meeting with members of the dissertation committee. The relative

timing of these events may be decided by the dissertation committee (e.g. private session

immediately following the public presentation or entirely separate events).

It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the dissertation defense and notify the department at

least 2 weeks prior to the defense date so that it may be advertised appropriately. Students must

work around the scheduling of required nutrition courses to avoid scheduling conflicts with the

122

public presentation. Students should submit the title of their dissertation, time, date, and location

of the defense, the abstract, and a list of their committee members via email to the Academic

Coordinator. The student should assume responsibility for obtaining needed forms which can be

found at: https://sph.unc.edu/students/academic-and-policies/. All committee members must

sign the final dissertation form. The committee may, at the time of the final defense, but not

later, require revisions to the dissertation before it can be submitted to the Graduate School. The

Graduate School will accept only dissertations produced according to the standards in A Guide to

Theses and Dissertations. http://gradschool.unc.edu/academics/thesis-diss/ Dissertations must be

prepared in a form consistent with approved methods of scholarly writing and research. On

matters of form, the student should also consult published manuals of style. It is suggested that a

draft copy of the dissertation be pre-approved by Graduate School staff well before the

submission deadline. Dissertations must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School

according to the schedule in the University Registrar’s Calendar.

Application for Degree

When a student nears the end of their research and can anticipate final approval of the dissertation,

they must complete an online application for graduation. The student must file a new application for the

degree if they do not graduate as planned. Applications must be filed by the deadline provided by the

Registrar. Students will notify the Graduate School of their plan to graduate by applying online through

the ConnectCarolina student portal. Students must submit their dissertation to the Graduate School

following the School’s formatting and timing requirements. Students should monitor applicable

deadlines for completion and submission of the dissertation according to the Graduate School,

consulting the Academic Coordinator as questions arise.

Mentoring: Advisors and mentoring Committees

Assignment of Advisor. At the time of admission to the doctoral program, students will have identified

the faculty member(s) with whom they plan to conduct their dissertation research. That faculty member

will be assigned as primary advisor. Students may also identify and work with co-primary advisors as

long as all agree to the arrangement.

The selection of an advisor should be based primarily on the interest of the student, the faculty

expertise that can be provided in the research area, and a willingness by the faculty member to

accept the student as a mentee and to provide financial support according to Nutrition

Department guidelines. The advisor(s) will help students choose courses and other learning

opportunities appropriate for their specialization and to identify a dissertation research topic. It is

the mentor’s responsibility to assist the graduate student in obtaining financial support for

dissertation research. If the lead advisor holds a primary appointment at >50% in a different

department, a faculty member with a primary appointment in Nutrition must be appointed as co-

chair of the dissertation committee. When there are co-advisors, the primary nutrition faculty

member has the responsibility to convey information about departmental expectations and

procedures.

123

The 3-person mentoring committee (formed in Fall Yr 1). All doctoral students will have an

initial pre-dissertation mentoring committee which includes the primary advisor(s) and two

additional faculty members. The student is responsible for selecting and engaging members of

the committee, guided by advice from the primary advisor(s). Committee members may meet

different mentoring needs. Criteria for selecting mentoring committee members may include

expertise in the area of the student’s research interest, mentoring experience and style, and ability

to provide additional types of support as needed.

The mentoring committee is responsible for reviewing student progress in the program and

discussing future plans; identifying and discussing any concerns with an eye toward successful

and timely progress in the program; providing feedback on the student’s academic progress;

answering any questions the student might have; hearing the student’s assessment of their

experience; and discussing overall student well-being. The mentoring committee also serves as

the specialization examination committee.

The mentoring committee should be chosen, and the first mentoring meeting should occur in the

first semester of study. Subsequent meetings should be held after each Spring semester. Format

of mentoring committee meetings should include: 1) discussion among committee members

without the student; 2) discussion with the student and all members of the committee; and 3) a

discussion with faculty committee members and the student without the student’s primary

advisor. The mentoring committee will assess whether the student is progressing well in

coursework, research, professional development, and the student-mentor relationship. To assist

in reviewing progress, see (“checklist”, link under the PhD section at

https://sph.unc.edu/nutr/unc-nutrition/student-life/nutr-degrees/). The checklist should be

regularly updated and reviewed with the mentoring committee.

Once a dissertation committee is formed, the mentoring committee will disband or become part

of the dissertation committee.

Reporting Student Progress

The primary mechanism for monitoring student progress is through the IDP. Each student will

complete an IDP, update it annually and send it to their advisor(s), committee members, and the

Academic Coordinator. The template is available online through

http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/. This will become an evolving document that reflects each

student’s stage in the training program. Following each mentoring committee meeting, a

Committee Report Form, updated IDP, and Course Plan should be submitted to the Academic

Coordinator. See the “PhD Mentoring Committee Report Form”under the PhD section at

https://sph.unc.edu/nutr/unc-nutrition/student-life/nutr-degrees/). The Doctoral Committee will

review student progress annually.

Suggested Milestones for Progression Through the Nutrition PhD Program

(Note that individual paths may vary for many reasons: this is a suggested timeline only:

See Handbook sections for Requirements)

124

Year

Courses and requirements

Meetings and Paperwork

Research

Other (suggested)

Year 1

Fall

Full course schedule to

meet core and

specialization

requirements

Sign a mentoring agreement

with your faculty advisor(s).

Form and meet with

mentoring committee early

in the Fall. Complete and

submit your IDP.

Declare minor, if applicable.

Engage in research

with your mentor

Year 1

Spring

Full course schedule to

meet core and

specialization

requirements

Meet with advisor(s),

Engage in research

with your mentor

Year 1

Summer

End of Spring semester or

during the summer: Update

IDP, meet with mentoring

committee, submit IDP and

mentoring committee report

before classes start.

Full time research

Year 2

Fall

Full course schedule to

meet core and

specialization

requirements

Submit an abstract

for presentation at a

scientific meeting

Complete TA

requirement

Year 2

Spring

Full course schedule to

meet core and

specialization

requirements

Comprehensive exams at the

end of the Spring semester

Year 2

Summer

Update and submit IDP and

meet with mentoring

committee before Fall

classes start

Identify dissertation

aims

Submit a paper for

publication

Year 3

Fall

NUTR 880 and any

remaining specialization

courses

Form a dissertation

committee, submit form

Further develop

dissertation aims

Complete TA

requirement.

Attend relevant

scientific meeting.

Submit F31 or

other grant

proposal

Year 3

Spring

Meet with dissertation

committee

Defend dissertation

proposal

Year 3:

Summer

Dissertation

research

Year 4

Update IDP and meet with

dissertation committee

Dissertation

research: complete

at least 1 required

paper for the

dissertation

Explore postdoc

and job

possibilities

Year 5

Application for degree, all

paperwork for final defense

and graduation

Final Defense

Graduate!

The Student/Advisor Relationship

Student/faculty communication is a mutual responsibility. The advisor and mentoring committee

serve as the major source of guidance until the dissertation committee has been chosen. A formal

mentoring agreement should be developed and signed by the student and faculty advisor prior

to or at the beginning of the first semester in the program and then be reviewed annually. The

125

mentoring agreement should be tailored for each student-advisor relationship and type and place

of work, and should be reviewed and discussed prior to signing. Mentoring agreements should

include expectations about work hours and time off. Frequency of student-advisor meetings

should also be established in the mentoring agreement. As a general guideline, students should

meet at least monthly with their primary advisor. Guidance for students may be found at:

https://cfe.unc.edu/mentoring/resources-for-graduate-student-mentees/.

Any concerns noted by the advisor or committee (mentoring or dissertation committee) should

be documented in writing. If a serious concern exists, the committee could meet more often,

introduce a mediator, and/or suggest another mentor. If student progress or mentor involvement

is not satisfactory, the student will be presented with defined milestones and benchmarks to be

clearly met to mark progress. The purpose of monitoring is early identification of problems, so

that they may be remediated in a timely fashion.

As students prepare for their final defense, they will schedule an exit interview with the

Department Chair to take place following completion. The goal of the exit interview is to collect

candid feedback from each graduate that will help the department to improve the doctoral

program.

Changing Advisors

On rare occasions, a change in the primary advisor may be necessary and may be initiated by the

student or the advisor. When the student desires a change in the research advisor, the student

must: a) notify in writing the current research advisor and the Doctoral Committee Chair about

their interest and reasons for making such a change; b) obtain an agreement on funding source;

and c) complete a change of mentor form (available from the Academic Coordinator). No

change in research mentor can occur without clear communication among those involved.

An advisor may wish to terminate that role owing to leaving UNC, retirement, inability to fulfill

the advisor role, loss of funding, or because they no longer wish to mentor a student for personal

reasons or because the student is not making acceptable progress. In the latter case, when the

research mentor suggests such a change, the student must be given written information on the

deficiencies noted and be provided sufficient time (at least one semester) to remediate these

deficiencies. The notification of deficiencies and student progress toward remediation will be

monitored by the Nutrition Department Doctoral Committee. If the student is unable to remediate

deficiencies as determined by the research mentor and the Doctoral Committee, the student will

be terminated as a PhD student in the Department of Nutrition. If a research mentor can no

longer serve in that role, the student will be offered the opportunity to work with another faculty

member but without a guarantee of continuing the original research topic area. If the loss of the

research mentor occurred following the first two years of PhD training, funding is not

guaranteed.

126

Financial Support

Information about financial support and work for PhD students may be found through the “Funding” link

under the PhD section at https://sph.unc.edu/nutr/unc-nutrition/student-life/nutr-degrees/).

127

General University Academic Information and Policies

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar contains important dates, deadlines, holidays, and exams per academic year at

the University of North Carolina. Please visit: https://registrar.unc.edu/academic-calendar/.

Course Credit Guidelines

Individual program credit hour requirements are established by the student's academic program and

must be satisfied. Doctoral students are required to complete a minimum program residence credit of

four full semesters, either by full-time registration, or by part-time registration over several semesters.

At least two of the required four semesters of residence must be earned in contiguous registration of no

fewer than six credit hours at UNC-Chapel Hill. While summer session registration is not required to

maintain consecutive registration, any credits of three to six hours per session will be computed on the

usual basis as part of the required two-semester contiguity.

Grading Basis

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s official Explanation of Grading System is located on the

Office of the University Registrar’s website. Grade points are assigned as outlined in the university Grade

definitions.

Transfer Credit

Please refer to the general guidelines for Transferring Course Credit and Doctoral degree guidelines.

Pass/ Fail/ Auditing Courses

The Pass/Fail option provides students an opportunity to enroll in an additional course (beyond the

usual load of five academic courses) or to reduce their concerns about competing with prospective

majors in a course in which they have considerable interest. Students who declare a course on the

Pass/Fail option will receive the grade of PS (pass) when a letter grade of H through L is recorded on the

official grade roster and F when the course is failed. For the purpose of computing a grade point

average, a PS grade does not count as hours attempted; therefore, a PS grade does not affect a

student’s grade point average. However, an F under the Pass/Fail option counts as hours attempted and

is treated in the same manner as F grades earned in any other course.

Auditing of courses is permitted only in lecture-based courses and never in courses that include

laboratories or performances. Auditing is not permitted in courses that focus on the development of

written or oral communication skills or that rely heavily on class participation.

Registration

Credit Hours

Individual program credit hour requirements are established by the student's academic program and

must be satisfied. Doctoral students are required to complete a minimum program residence credit of

four full semesters, either by full-time registration, or by part-time registration over several semesters.

At least two of the required four semesters of residence must be earned in contiguous registration of no

fewer than six credit hours at UNC-Chapel Hill. While summer session registration is not required to

maintain consecutive registration, any credits of three to six hours per session will be computed on the

usual basis as part of the required two-semester contiguity.

128

Adding/ Dropping

Changes in course registration schedules should be made during the first five days of classes. During this

time, students may add courses using the registration system. After the first five days of classes, the

addition of a course to a student’s registration schedule requires permission of the course instructor or

the department concerned.

Students may drop courses using the registration system during the first eight weeks. After the eighth

week of classes and before the end of the twelfth week of classes, graduate students must obtain a

Registration/Drop/Add Form with signatures from their academic adviser or program. Forms should

then be sent to The Graduate School for the required Dean’s signature.

Withdrawal

An official withdrawal occurs when you, as an enrolled student, decide you must leave the University in

a given term Once the term begins and you have attended at least one class. If you must leave, you are

required to notify the University through the withdrawal process and then cease attendance in all

classes and/or academic activities.

If you withdraw from a fall or spring term and wish to return to UNC-Chapel Hill in a future term, you

must submit the Return to Carolina survey. If you withdraw from a summer term, readmission is not

required. Contact your Academic Coordinator/ Faculty Mentor or Academic Dean’s Office for more

information.

Cancellation

A cancellation results in removal of all enrollments for the term. Cancellations are not noted on the

permanent record. No tuition or fees are charged, but other charges related to attending the University

are the responsibility of the student.

Post-Semester

Course changes after the last day of classes are permitted only in circumstances of documented

registration error or technical issues preventing registration changes from occurring within the term.

Course changes after the last day of classes for the most recent term must be submitted on a Post-

Semester Registration/Drop/Add form available through the student's academic program or the Office

of the University Registrar. Appropriate justification, documentation, and approval by the academic

program should be attached to the post-semester form prior to submission for processing by The

Graduate School.

Grading

Grading Policy

All doctoral programs administered through The Graduate School operate under the same grading

system. The graduate grading scale in use at UNC-Chapel Hill is unique in that it cannot be converted to

the more traditional ABC grading scale. Graduate students do not carry a numerical GPA.

129

Grading at the graduate level is intended to offer feedback to students on their performance in a given

course, including once students reach the thesis and dissertation stage. Faculty are encouraged to

specify course requirements and grading expectations for students. Students enrolled in courses

numbered 400 and above must receive one of the following grades.

H High Pass - Clear Excellence

P Pass - Entirely Satisfactory Graduate Work

L Low Pass - Inadequate Graduate Work

F Fail

Grade Changes

Course grades of H, P, L, F, and F* are permanent grades. A permanent grade may be changed upon the

initiative of the instructor, only in cases of arithmetic or clerical error, and then only with the approval of

the director, chair or dean of the instructor's academic program and of The Graduate School.

Such grade changes may be made no later than the last day of classes of the next succeeding regular

semester.

The Graduate School serves as the Dean's Office authorization for University Registrar forms.

Grade Appeals

Appeals should be submitted no later than the last day of classes of the next succeeding fall or spring

semester after the course or other official academic decision occurred.

Exams

UNC Exam Schedule

UNC’s final exam schedule is listed each term via the Chancellors Calendar.

Academic Eligibility

Under certain circumstances a student will not be allowed to continue in The Graduate School.

Registration in following semesters for academically ineligible students will be canceled automatically.

A student becomes academically ineligible to continue in The Graduate School for the following reasons:

1. Receives a grade of F, F*, XF, or nine or more hours of L.

• The computation of hours taken will include courses for which the student has received a grade

of H, P, L, or F, as well as equivalent grades for courses taken through inter-institutional

registration where other permanent letter grades may be assigned.

• Undergraduate courses taken as a graduate student will not be included in this computation.

• If a student completes or withdraws from one academic program and begins study in another

academic program, all grades remain part of the permanent record. The grades for any courses

to be credited toward the new program will be included in the calculation of academic eligibility.

• Students may refer to Graduate Grading for a more detailed description of grading policies.

2. Fails a written or oral examination for the second time.

• Once a student is notified of failing a written or oral exam for the second time, the student

automatically becomes ineligible for further graduate work.

• See Failure of Examination for Doctoral degree.

130

Tuition and Fees

All students must pay tuition and fees according to the schedule printed in the University Registrar's

Calendar unless they qualify for a deferment. Refer to the Office of the University Cashier for

current cost of attendance information.

Honors Court

The Honor System forms a bond of trust among students, faculty, and administrators. The University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill operates under a system of self-governance, as students are responsible

for governing themselves. As such, our University is transformed into a powerful community of inquiry

and learning. The Honor Code embodies the ideals of academic honesty, integrity, and responsible

citizenship, and governs the performance of all academic work a student conducts at the University.

Acceptance of an offer of admission to Carolina presupposes a commitment to the principles embodied

in our century-old tradition of honor and integrity.

Further information on the Honor Code and Honors Court can be found here.

Campus Health Requirements

All new, transfer, and readmitted students (who have not attended UNC-Chapel Hill for the previous two

years) must submit a completed immunization record and Medical History Form to Campus Health

Services to avoid registration cancellation.

Graduation

It is the responsibility of students to complete and meet the minimum number of courses required for

graduation. The School of Public Health holds its own May graduation ceremony, usually in Memorial

Hall (with ample room for guests) on Saturday afternoon before the Sunday University-wide graduation.

The SPH ceremony is a much smaller and more personal affair, each undergraduate gets to walk across

the stage and shake hands individually with the Dean, and there is a reception with light refreshments

afterwards in the Atrium of the School of Public Health.