PhD in Health Sciences

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Message from the Program Director:
As the program director of the PhD in Health Sciences, I want to thank you for your interest. We are excited by the opportunity to offer this degree option for health professionals in Northeast Ohio. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of many different health care professionals who are seeking a degree to allow them to perform research or to pursue an academic position in their profession of choice. If after reviewing the program documents available on our website you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me via email at klearman@ysu.edu. Thank you!

Ken Learman, PhD, PT
Director, PhD in Health Sciences
Professor, Physical Therapy

Mission:
To prepare the next generation of academics who are excellent researchers, instructors, and are prepared to serve Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Vision:
We aspire to become the premier choice for doctoral preparation of healthcare professionals seeking to transition from the clinic to the classroom or research lab by 2025.

Admissions requirements:

Adequacy of students

The Ph.D. in Health Sciences is designed to accept students who possess a bachelor’s, master’s or a clinical doctorate degree. The bachelor’s and master’s degrees considered should be health related, but will consider students with a basic science degree (ex. biology) if there is an established interest in healthcare. Additionally, there has been a track established for the current entry-level DPT students at YSU to enter a dual DPT/Ph.D. track at the end of their first year in the DPT program. All applicants to the program will be evaluated against the following admission criteria:

  • Student with an interest in the Health Sciences and an interest in pursuing employment in academia, research, or clinical practice.
  • Minimum overall 3.0 GPA from a bachelor's or master's degree.
  • Exceptions will be considered on an individual basis for a GPA of 2.7-2.99. This will mandate a provisional admission.
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores of 290 on parts 1 and 2, and 3.5 writing score are recommended.
  • If required by the field, a current license to practice.
  • 3 letters of reference.
  • Personal essay of why you are pursuing this degree.
  • A TOEFL score of at least 550 on a paper-based test, the equivalent score on a similar test, or an undergraduate degree from a university in the US.

Admissions will be completed by considering the student’s individual research agenda as well as compatibility and availability of faculty to serve on dissertation committees.


Sample curriculum: