Degree Programs - PhD

We are not accepting applications to the PhD program for the 2010-2011 academic year at this time. To apply for 2011-2012, please check back in the fall of 2010. For those without a prior Master's degree who are interested in the PhD program, you may want to consider applying to the MS or MPH program at the Institute. Please check out those degree programs on our website.

The Dartmouth Institute's Doctor of Philosophy program is designed for those pursuing a career involving major research or leadership roles in the areas of health policy and clinical practice. The PhD Program offers in-depth, multi-disciplinary training in the conduct of research and teaching in the areas of special expertise at The Institute. The doctoral program is designed so that each student-researcher works closely with a faculty advisor to design a course of study and participate in ongoing research. The doctoral program typically takes three-five years to complete.

The doctoral program involves a multi-disciplinary approach which integrates relevant theories, methodological strategies, and evidence from a variety of fields. Disciplines represented by the faculty include clinical medicine, decision science, economics, epidemiology, health services research, geography, political science, psychology, public health and sociology; coursework capitalizes on TDI's academic strengths in outcomes research and health policy, quality improvement, and health care decision making with special emphasis on the role of the patient as an active participant in choice of treatment.

PhD students are encouraged to investigate a specialized area in depth while also gaining an informed appreciation of other core areas. They are trained in independent and team-based strategies to integrate these perspectives into research. Our PhD graduates are expected to further the development of these core areas, to lead in the design, initiation, and management of effective change in health care, and to contribute to the education of future scholars in health policy and clinical practice. Graduates of the doctoral program go into academic, government, and corporate positions involving health services research and health policy.

To complete the Ph.D. program at The Dartmouth Institute, students must do the following:

• » satisfactorily complete all required coursework,
• » satisfactorily complete two teaching assistantships,
• » pass all written exams,
• » pass the oral defense for the proposal for dissertation research, and
• » pass the oral defense for the dissertation.

PhD students also work closely with an approved advisor, who is identified upon admission. Applicants are not admitted without an approved faculty advisor. To see a listing of PhD faculty, please click here.

Classroom-based Courses: The following are required courses for PhD students in Health Policy and Clinical Practice:

• ECS 147 (Advanced Methods in Health Services Research)
• ECS 245 (Advanced Statistics & Methods)
• ECS 290 (Doctoral Seminars) - for six terms

At least 12 credits (or equivalent of Dartmouth College's credits) of coursework at the graduate level other than doctoral seminars or courses reflecting teaching or directed research.

A minimum of the equivalent of 12 graduate level credits (or more if student has not fulfilled the minimum required for establishing residency at Dartmouth).

PhD students may also enroll in MS or MPH courses, particularly as they relate to the student's research and educational goals. For a full listing of TDI courses, please click here.

Directed Readings/Research: Directed Readings courses, similar to independent studies, are typically literature reviews on a specific topic with a paper due at the end of the term that provides an overview of the topic(s) to be reviewed, the references read and the process used to identify readings and that summarizes the theory and evidence found in the literature review. Directed Readings are supervised by an approved faculty member, most often the PhD student's advisor.

Exams: Each PhD student must satisfactorily complete the PhD written exams, which are generally completed by the end of the first year of the PhD program. Exams are offered annually, during the summer term. There are four areas of examination, each of which has an integrative component. The four areas include: decision making, health policy, epidemiology and statistics, and quality improvement. All four areas of the exam must be passed in order for a student to successfully complete the written exams.

Teaching and Research Assistantships: PhD students often serve as teaching assistants (TAs) to the MS and MPH-level courses, where they gain experience in teaching and evaluating master's level students. Course faculty and the TA work closely to develop and evaluate discussion assignments and associated homework. Students receive six credits for their TA work.

Supervised Research is integral to the PhD program and the general intent of the Research Assistantship is to foster students to become members of a research team at TDI, usually with the PhD Advisor's research. To that end, students throughout their training should generally be expected to engage as a Supervised Research Assistant for up to 50% FTE as a maximum.

Dissertation: At The Dartmouth Institute, PhD students complete two main research products - the dissertation proposal and the dissertation. The dissertation proposal is typically the written completion of the first three chapters of a dissertation and is defended orally in front of the student's proposal committee and members of the community. To successfully complete the dissertation, students must submit and receive approval of the written dissertation by his or her dissertation committee and pass an oral defense given to the committee and members of the community.

Career Services: Through our Core Skills Development Series, Alumni Networking, Medical and Graduate School Application and Admissions Preparation, and Employer Visits, TDI's Center for Education offers several ways for students to prepare for and plan their careers in the delivery and practice of health care. We will help you find a challenging and fulfilling career. Our graduates find careers in a variety of settings - health care systems, health care think tanks, health care consulting firms, non-profit organizations, government, health advocacy groups, and so on.

Other Career Services Resources at Dartmouth:

• » Dartmouth College's Graduate Career Office
• » Dartmouth's Undergraduate Career Services