The college-wide Ph.D. program emphasizes an interprofessional orientation to research and practice as students work with graduate faculty members from across the college. The Ph.D. prepares students from a wide range of health and human sciences fields to function effectively as scholars and researchers within academic and practice settings. Doctoral students participate in shared learning across online seminars and research tools courses by making connections to health topics from the perspectives of multiple disciplines. Students complete an individualized program of study that is tailored to individual needs before taking the candidacy examination and conducting a dissertation under the supervision of a dissertation director(s). The residency requirement is fulfilled through limited face-to-face meetings for core program courses. Admission and course requirements are detailed under the program page.
Admission
Applicants for the PhD in Health Sciences program should demonstrate experience in the health sciences and a capacity to conduct research in the interdisciplinary health sciences.
Applicants should submit the following:
Personal statement that includes the following information:
Description of attainable career goals, steps that the applicant has already taken to achieve those goals, and how this program can support achieving those goals
Specific research interests (or possible research question) and a proposed plan of action
Description of unique perspectives and passions for interdisciplinary work that the applicant will bring to the program
Description of any achievements
2nd document outlining research contact
List 1-3 research faculty members with the following information:
How does the faculty member’s research align with the applicant’s interests?
Describe whether the applicant has reached out to any faculty members and what responses the applicant has received.
Three letters of recommendations that address the applicant’s potential to complete a doctoral degree in the health sciences
Professional resume or CV that includes pertinent experiences, credentials, and/or licensures
Applicants should also provide evidence of the following:
Prior to matriculation into the program, either
An earned entry-level graduate degree in a health sciences discipline (nursing, physical/occupational therapy, etc.) or
An earned master’s degree or higher in a related field (applications from individuals with non-health science backgrounds such as sociology, history and biology will also be considered)
Applications from students with at least 15 credit hours of graduate work will be considered provided the degree will be awarded prior to beginning the program.
Evidence of academic abilities for graduate level work
The program requires a minimum graduate GPA of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. A GRE score may also be sent to supplement this requirement but is not required
Interpersonal and communications skills as evaluated through their writing submissions and personal interviews with the admissions committee
Course requirements
Completion of this degree requires a minimum of 45 semester hours of graduate course work at NIU beyond the graduate credits earned toward the student’s master’s degree.
All students are required to complete an individualized program of study related to their professional areas of interest. Proposed course work must be pre-approved by the student’s advisor. Additional course work may be required.
Additional Requirements
All students must complete a research ethics milestone prior to admission to the candidacy examination. Students fulfill the requirement by demonstrating competency with ethical decision-making in the context of designing and implementing research for scientific and clinical communities. The research ethics training and assessment are available online.
Candidacy Examination (1)
A student must receive approval from their graduate committee to take the candidacy examination. The candidacy examination is a written examination based on the core courses and the student’s individual program of study. Upon satisfactory completion of the candidacy examination the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The examining committee may allow a student who fails a candidacy exam to repeat it after a period of time determined by the committee. A student who fails the candidacy examination a second time or is not granted permission for a second attempt will not be permitted to continue work toward the doctorate and admission to the doctoral program is terminated.
