Indiana University Bloomington

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DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HEALTH BEHAVIOR

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND INFLUENCE

Conduct research. Teach. Innovate. Lead. Serve. A doctorate in health behavior from Indiana University’s Department of Applied Health Science prepares you to investigate health issues in the public or private sectors, teach others how to make a difference, and/or influence community health in professional leadership positions.

Graduates from our highly regarded doctoral program are leading scholars, professors, and department chairs at various academic institutions. They are also directors of health programs in government and voluntary health organizations at the national, state, and local levels, such as the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indiana Department of Health, and the IU Health Center.

Program Emphasis

Individually tailored to your needs and career goals, our health behavior doctoral program emphasizes research skills. You will acquire advanced analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to design, organize, and implement investigative studies, preparing you for a research and teaching career.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in health behavior requires a minimum of 99 credit hours for graduation, including:

  • A declared major fi eld of study within the Department of Applied Health Science (minimum 30 credit hours)
  • One required minor field outside of the Department of Applied Health Science (12-15 credit hours)
  • Elective credits or an optional second minor (up to 20 credit hours)
  • Dissertation (20 to 30 credit hours)
  • Research or foreign language skills (minimum 9 credit hours)

In addition to your required minor (outside of the Department of Applied Health Science) you may choose a second minor, which can be from within the department areas of: addictive behaviors, gerontology, health promotion, human development and family studies, human sexuality education, nutrition, public health, safety management, or school and college health programs.

Admissions

Acceptance for admission to the doctoral program is based on several factors, including strength of undergraduate and graduate academic record, letters of recommendation, professional work experience and, preferably, GRE scores that meet or exceed the 50th percentile ranking. Previous research experience is desirable. International students whose native language is not English must have a a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper version, 213 on the computer version or 79-80 on the Web-based version. Admission to the doctoral program depends upon the availability of a faculty advisor in the proposed area of study.

Although most applicants have backgrounds in the area of specialty, possession of a degree in a related field is not necessary. Qualified applicants who have academic or professional defi ciencies may be required to take specific courses or acquire specific experience as prerequisites to course work.

Admission applications for the doctoral degree should be submitted online. Complete details and links to forms are available at www.gradapp.indiana.edu. International applicants must first apply for admission to Indiana University through the Offi ce of International Admissions (visit www.indiana.edu/~iuadmit for details).

For more information, contact:

Dr. David Lohrmann, CHES, FASHA
Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator
Telephone: (812) 856-5101
E-mail: dlohrman@indiana.edu

Department of Applied Health Science
Indiana University
HPER Building 116
1025 E. Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405-7109

For detailed information about degree requirements, options, and courses, visit the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation academic bulletin at www.indiana.edu/~bulletin/iub/hper.

Click for program brochure (PDF)