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Interim Head of the Department: Janet S. Reis
Mary Huls, Graduate Program Secretary
Department of Community Health
120 Huff Hall
1206 South Fourth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-6877
chlth-gp@als-nts.als.uiuc.edu
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of Community Health offers programs of study leading
to the Master of Science in Community Health, Master of Science in
Rehabilitation, Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.) in Community
Health, and Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health degrees. The
M.S. in Community Health has specializations in epidemiology, health
behavior, and health policy and administration. The M.S. in Rehabilitation
offers options in rehabilitation counseling (accredited by the Council
on Rehabilitation Education), rehabilitation administration, general
rehabilitation, and supported employment. The M.S.P.H. in Community
Health degree specializes in community health education. The Ph.D.
program is designed to prepare graduates for positions of leadership
in teaching, research, and service in universities, industries, and
private and government agencies in the United States and in other
countries. Opportunities are available for graduate students who desire
to concentrate in other public health areas through an intercampus
program with the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois
at Chicago.
Admission
Admission is for the fall semester only. The Graduate College admission
requirements apply for all applicants. Applicants whose native language
is not English, or who have not obtained a university degree from
an institution in a country where the native language is English,
must obtain a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based (250 on the
computer-based) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In
addition, if applicants whose native language is not English are seeking
an assistantship, they must also complete the Test of Spoken English
(TSE) and obtain a score of at least 50.
Candidates for admission to master’s degree programs must have
a grade point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 semester
hours of their undergraduate degree work (excluding fieldwork, student
teaching, and physical activity courses). In addition, satisfactory
scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required. Applicants
should have a bachelor’s degree in a health or disability-related
discipline and/or a strong background in social and biological sciences
and quantitative methods. A statement of education and career goals,
one example of professional writing with the date of its completion,
and three letters of recommendation are required.
Admission requirements for the Ph.D. program include the following:
a grade point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours
of undergraduate degree work (excluding fieldwork, student teaching,
and physical activity courses), a GPA of 3.6 for master’s degree
work with thesis, and acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination.
Candidates are required to have a personal interview with the coordinator
of graduate studies or other representative of the department. Preference
is given to students who have had at least two years of professional
experience.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience
in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience
in this program.
Master of Science in Community Health
The specializations in epidemiology and health behavior require a
minimum of 32 hous of graduate credit. 12 gh must be at
the 500 level, with 8 of these gh in community health courses.
The program includes completion of 12 gh of core courses, which
are intended to provide overall knowledge of the public health field
and the tools necessary for successful functioning as a health specialist.
A thesis (4 gh) is required. Students entering the program will
be expected to have completed undergraduate coursework in data collection
and processing, including issues of measurement and questionnaire
design, computerization, descriptive health measures, and statistical
analysis through regression. Courses must have been completed with
grades of B or better. Deficiencies in these areas will require additional
coursework, as necessary, for successful completion of the master
of science degree.
The specialization in health policy and administration generally takes
two years, depending upon prior education and experience. A minimum
of 48 gh of graduate credit is required; 24 gh must be at the
500 level, with 12 of these gh in community health courses.
The program includes 32 gh of required courses, which are intended
to provide an overall knowledge of the public health field and the
tools necessary for successful functioning as a health policy and
administration specialist, and a thesis (4 gh). Students entering
the program are expected to have completed undergraduate coursework
in economics, social sciences, and data collection and processing,
which includes issues of measurement, questionnaire design, computerization,
descriptive health measures, and statistical analysis through regression.
Courses must have been completed with grades of B or better. Deficiencies
in these areas will require additional coursework, as necessary, for
successful completion of the degree.
Master of Science in Rehabilitation
Candidates for the M.S. in Rehabilitation must complete at least 40 gh
of graduate work. At least 12 gh must be at the 500 level
and 8 of these must be in community health. A thesis is not required
but may be written for 8 gh of credit. Students entering the
program will be expected to have completed an undergraduate degree
in a rehabilitation-related discipline and/or have a strong background
in the social and biological sciences, and a course in introductory
statistics. A full-time student can complete the program in three
or four semesters. As with all programs, the Graduate College allows
students to petition to transfer up to three units of coursework completed
prior to admittance to the department. Any approved graduate courses
taken on campus, in the summer immediately prior to admission count
toward the degree and do not have to be transferred.
Master of Science in Public Health in Community Health
The program generally takes two years, depending upon prior education
and experience. A minimum of 48 gh of graduate credit is required.
12 gh must be at the 500 level, with 8 of these gh in community
health courses. The program includes 26 gh of required courses
that are intended to provide an overall knowledge of the public health
field and the tools necessary for successful functioning as a community
health education specialist; 4 gh of fieldwork experience in the
summer; and a thesis (4 gh). Students entering the program are
expected to have completed undergraduate coursework in data collection
and processing, including issues of measurement and questionnaire
design, computerization, descriptive health measures, and statistical
analysis through regression. Courses must have been completed with
grades of B or better. Deficiencies in these areas will require additional
coursework, as necessary, for successful completion of the degree.
Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health
A master’s degree with a thesis or equivalent is required for
applicants to the Ph.D. program. Graduate course experience in public
health and statistics with grades of B or better is expected prior
to admission. Before admission to the Ph.D. program, students may
be required to take up to three units of additional coursework to
remedy deficiencies. Candidates for the degree must complete a minimum
of 64 gh of credit beyond the master’s degree, including
the following: two community health 500-level courses in the area
of specialization; one community health 591 research seminar; one
500-level course in advanced quantitative methods; one minor for a
minimum of 16 gh, or two minors for a minimum of 8 gh each
(in both cases outside the major field); and completion of an acceptable
dissertation (32 gh). In addition, candidates must demonstrate
the ability to speak and read two foreign languages, complete four
units of research skill courses, or demonstrate the ability to speak
and read one foreign language and complete 8 gh of research skill
courses. The candidate is required to pass written preliminary examinations
covering community health and epidemiology, research methods and tools,
the major area of specialization, the dissertation topic, and the
minor field; to pass an oral preliminary examination on the area of
specialization and dissertation proposal; and to pass an oral defense
of dissertation research.
Medical Scholars Program
This program allows the student interested in medicine and community
health to earn both the M.D. and Ph.D. (community health) degrees
while gaining multidisciplinary research experience. Individually
tailored programs can be developed within the requirements of both
programs. Degree work will be arranged to accommodate the schedules
of both programs. However, the course of study in community health
will be equivalent to that of all other doctoral candidates. Write
to the program director of the Medical Scholars Program, College of
Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, 190 Medical Sciences Building, 506 South
Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, for further information regarding
the program.
Faculty Research Interests
Faculty research interests cover a wide range of subjects, including
aging studies, health education, community health development, health
behavior, health policy, health planning and management, epidemiology,
biostatistical and epidemiologic research methodology, health economics,
evaluation research, and rehabilitation and disability studies.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available on a competitive basis to qualified students
in the form of teaching and research assistantships, as well as tuition
and service fee waivers. |
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