PhD in Community Health Education
Teach and conduct cutting-edge research in community health education.
Opioid abuse. Reproductive justice with and for historically marginalized communities. Immigrant health care access. Social inclusion and health. The range of topics that PhD students in community health education explore is vast — and specifically aimed to address health inequities experienced by historically marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Designed to prepare you for teaching and research positions in academic institutions and leadership positions in health and health-related agencies, our program offers both major and minor areas of concentration, as well as coursework in research methodology, a doctoral seminar, and a dissertation. You’ll apply our pioneering use of multimodal methods in your research, from digital storytelling to participatory action research.
PhD course requirements:
- Three to five major concentration courses (9-15 credits)
- Three to five minor concentration courses (9-15 credits)
- Three to five research methods courses (9-15 credits)
- Two doctoral seminar courses (6 credits)
- Dissertation (10-18 credits)
Benefits list
Support for Your Education
Doctoral students have priority in teaching assistant (TA) positions and tend to support themselves with these offerings during the first 1-4 years. Faculty assist students in applying for federal or foundation funding to support dissertation research.
Research Opportunities Await
You’ll find a wealth of opportunities to research health policy issues and explore field work through the Center for Community Health Equity Research, Center for Program Evaluation, and Institute for Global Health, all of which are led by our faculty members.
Make the Program Your Own
PhD students come to our program with a deep commitment to their studies and complex interests. Our faculty work one-on-one with doctoral students to help you select courses and research that fit your unique interests.
Featured class
Foundation for program planning in community health education and other public health areas. Provides basic planning principles, processes, and methods. A multidisciplinary approach integrating the use of theory and practice.
Featured faculty
Aline Gubrium
Program Head, Community Health Education
Focus on sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice; participatory digital, visual, and narrative research methodologies; health promotion
Kathryn Derose
Acting Director, Center for Community Health Equity Research
Focus on community partnerships, health inequalities, immigrants, Latin America, mixed methods.
Krishna Poudel
Director, Institute for Global Health
Focus on HIV/STI prevention; health promotion and disease prevention; global health; evaluation of behavior change interventions
Susan Shaw
Director, Center for Community Health Equity Research
Focus on racial and ethnic health disparities, structural racism and health, gender and sexuality, community-based and participatory research.
In the spotlight
My UMass studies and my work with Define American (a nonprofit organization dedicated to shifting the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in America) have led me to the intersection of a fresh, exciting field of research today, one in which I wake up every day feeling excited by the work and hopeful about its impact.
Application information & deadlines
Prospective students must apply first through the SOPHAS site and then the UMass Graduate School Supplemental Application, which will be emailed to you upon completion of the SOPHAS application.
Priority Deadline
To be considered for priority admissions, applications must be submitted by Dec. 1.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is Feb. 1.
Community Health Education
Addressing health inequity and improving community health for all.