Additionally, all candidates will complete not less then 21 dissertation credit hours, as specified in the student's advising plan.
Program Completion Requirements
1. Credit Hours and Grade point Average
A minimum of 72 graduate coursework in public health is required. Up to a maximum of 24 credits may be transferred in from a masters degree, subject to faculty approval. Approved courses will include those taught in other disciplines and must relate to the student's area of research.
A grade point average of at least a 3.0 must be maintained in all courses required for the degree; no grade less than a B in any course is acceptable for curricular completion of the program.
2. Qualifying Examination: Test of Subject Matter of Program
All students are required to complete a written/oral Qualifying Examination upon completion of the core courses of the program. The examination is designed to assess the student's ability to synthesize knowledge, as demonstrated by the selection and integration of information from several doctoral courses and is evaluated by written discussion in response to examination questions. The Qualifying Examination may only be repeated once and must be repeated within a year of the initial attempt. Students unable to pass the Qualifying Examination after a second attempt will be separated from the program.
After successful completion of the Qualifying Exam the student will identify a Dissertation committee. The committee will include at minimum, a Chairperson with expertise in the student's Area of Emphasis; two additional committee members from the School of Community Health Sciences; and, an approved external committee member with expertise in the student's selected area of emphasis.
3. Comprehensive Examination
Upon completion of all required course work other than dissertation, each student must take a written/oral Comprehensive Examination that will focus on those areas of knowledge most relavent to the student's dissertation topic. Comprehensive examinations may only be repeated once and must be repeated within a year of the initial attempt. If a student fails a second attempt, the student will be separated from the program.
4. Dissertation Prospectus
Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student will submit a dissertation prospectus to his/her committee for approval. The student advances to candidacy and can register for dissertation credits and begin their independent research.
5. Final Oral Examination
Upon completion of the dissertation, the student must pass a final oral examination which involves the successful defense of their dissertation study. All advisory committee members must be present for this examination and may question the student following presentation of the study. The defense will be scheduled and conducted in accordance with the Graduate College/ School's policies for thesis and dissertation completion. It is the student's responsibility to file the required "Notification of Oral or Written Examination" form with the Graduate College School in a timely manner.
Admission Requirements-UNLV
Admission into the Public Health PhD Program through UNLV will require applicants to meet the standards of criteria of the UNLV Graduate College, applicable to all graduate students, both domestic and international, and contigent upon the qualifications of the applicant and the availability of positions. Students will be admitted once a year, for the fall semester. Applicants must have submitted all required materials by the April 1 deadline for admission in the following fall semester. Students will be admitted directly into the doctoral program and all admissions will require the final approval of the Dean of the UNLV Graduate College. In addition to the generic requirements of the UNLV Graduate College applicants will be expected to meet the following criteria:
1. Earned a bachelor's and master's degree in an appropriate field from an accredited university. Applicants educated outside of the United States will need to demonstrate proof of equivalent education and advanced degrees. Outstanding candidates without masters' degrees may be provisionally admitted at the discretion of the selection committee with the understanding that they will complete the masters' degree prior to advancement to the Ph.D. program.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0=A) earned in a masters' program of study.
3. Applicants must present competitive Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores on verbal, quantitative and analytical measures. GRE scores will be assessed realative to other applicants in the pool, as well as relative to other graduate programs at UNLV. The exam must have been taken with the institutions' graduate school/college requirements.
4. Language Competency-Applicants from countries where English is not the native language, or who do not receive a degree from an institution where English is the language of instruction must show competency in English, meeting the Graduate College or Graduate School requirements: "a minimum score of 550 on the written or 213 on the computerized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 85 on the Michigan Test" (UNLV Graduate Catalog, 2003-2005, p. 20)
5.Letters of Reccomendation- Three (3) letters of reccomendation are required from individuals who can evaluate the applicant's motivation, academic capability, scholarship potential, and personal goals for doctoral study.
6. Written Self-Presentation- Applicants must submit for review a written statement of personal career, educational and scholarship goals including identification of research interests.
7. Interview-Applicants will participate in an interview with member(s) of the Admissions Committee, either in person or by telephone. |
