Distinguished by an interdisciplinary mentorship model approach to graduate study, the Ph.D. in Health Sciences, offered through the School of Graduate Medical Education, is designed as a professional education program for health professionals interested in pursuing an advanced research and scholarship-focused education at the doctoral level. Seton Hall is one of only two schools in New Jersey to offer the Ph.D. in Health Sciences, and it is the largest program, presently enrolling more than 100 doctoral students.
The program includes a broadly-based global health sciences core curriculum, allowing students to take courses with health science professionals in such varied professions as nursing, hospital management, pharmaceutical, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology. The program requires a minimum of 60 credits beyond a Seton Hall master’s degree (a minimum of 66 credits beyond a non-Seton Hall master’s degree), or 48 credits beyond the clinical doctorate. For students with a baccalaureate degree, 92 credits are required.
Three program specialization tracks allow healthcare professionals to assume leadership roles as advanced practitioners, researchers, managers and educators:
- Health Professions Leadership
- Movement Science
- Speech-Language Pathology
The core curriculum, taken by students in all tracks, provides an understanding of the healthcare delivery system and its role and importance within a variety of organizations. Additional courses in research design, again taken by all students, provide critical analysis of research and the scientific basis of investigation. Students select specialized courses in each track, and design an individualized plan of study that meets their needs and interest. Coursework is further enhanced through seminars, practica, scholarly projects, research forum presentations and teaching experiences. The program culminates in the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Past dissertation topics include:
- Patient Expectations of Full-Body CT Screening;
- Communication Skills in Girls with Rett Syndrome: Perceptions of Parents, Speech-Language Pathologists, Teachers;
- Kinematic and Kinetic Differences in the Trunk, Pelvis and Lower Extremities in Women with and Without Patellofemoral Pain Descending Stairs; and
- Student Learning Styles and Their Preferences for Online Instructional Methods.
Faculty members foster critical thinking skills, thereby providing students the foundational skills required to succeed as scholars and leaders. Critical thinking is promoted as a process rather than an outcome. Guided by academic and research advisers, students develop their research journey as they begin their health sciences coursework.
Laboratories are a key component of the program, especially for Movement Science students. Research labs contain the most up-to-date equipment necessary for innovative movement science and health science research. A one-semester faculty-mentored practicum enables students to use the practical knowledge they learn in the classroom and develop an educational experience for the community.
Innovative scheduling supports full and part-time studies. Courses are uniquely structured to meet once a week in the evening. Students can easily take two courses back-to-back. Small class sizes distinguish the classroom setting, allowing for positive faculty-student interactions.
For more information on the Ph.D. in Health Sciences, check out the admission and curriculum requirements and apply today.
Qualified students are admitted without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, natural origin, sexual orientation, ancestry or gender.
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