Online Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences

The interprofessional Ph.D. in Health Sciences is designed to prepare practicing health care professionals to assume leadership roles in academia, research, and/or health and human services practice settings. Designed for working professionals, features of the program include:

• Minimum of 75 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree;
• Core curriculum comprised of four content themes:
  • teaching
  • leadership
  • advanced practice
  • scholarship
• Ability to tailor learning to meet individual career aspirations and research interests through elective coursework, projects completed within courses, and the dissertation;
• Online course delivery with limited expectations for face-to-face contact. Resident experiences include an initial orientation, a one week Dissertation Boot Camp, and defense of the dissertation;
• With advisor approval, dissertation research can be completed off-campus in most instances;
• A maximum of 36 credits from a completed master’s degree or professional doctorate earned at USD may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Ph.D., subject to approval by the advisor and Ph.D. in Health Sciences Steering Committee;
• A maximum of 30 credits from a completed master’s degree or professional doctorate earned at a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a recognized degree-granting international institution in the country in which it operates may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Ph.D., subject to approval by the advisor and Ph.D. in Health Sciences Steering Committee.

View Curriculum

Admission Requirements

Application requirements can be found at Graduate School Admission Requirements and include:

1. Completed Graduate Application
   Apply Online
2. $35 application fee
3. Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit earned
4. Completion of a Master’s or higher degree in health or human services related field from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree and a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better for that conferred degree.
5. Three letters of recommendation
   Letter of Recommendation Form
6. Ph.D. Health Sciences Supplemental application
   Supplemental application
7. Successful completion of a criminal background check upon acceptance
8. Additional requirements exist for international applicants. For more information, visit International Admission Requirements

Top candidates who meet the application deadline may be selected for Phase 2, which includes a writing sample. They will receive instructions via email by mid-April.

For more detailed admission requirements, please refer to Health Sciences in the current graduate catalog.

Application Deadline

For admission Fall 2020: Applications due February 15, 2020 for committee review.

For more information about the online Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences, contact USD Online at 605-658-6200 or by e-mail at gradadmissions@usd.edu.