Tulane University 42-credit Doctor of Public Health

Tulane's new online DrPh in Leadership, Advocacy, and Equity is 100% online with the exception of the required in-person orientation at the beginning of the program. The program ends with a 3-credit course that synthesizes work completed throughout the required courses into a portfolio to count for the integrated learning experience and applied practice experience required by CEPH. Students will come up with a 5-year plan to address a community problem. Some courses will have synchronous, live sessions, but attendance will be optional. The sessions will be recorded.

Applicants are not required to have a master's degree to be admitted. Those without a master's degree, without an MPH, or without equivalent foundational courses in public health will have to complete up to 15 additional foundation credits for a total of 57 credits. Applicants are required to have three years of work experience, but it doesn't have to be in public health. A graduate admissions test is not required, but three letters of recommendation are required.

https://sph.tulane.edu/online/drph

 

The orientation has been switched from in-person to online. You can only take one course at a time every 8-week term, so you'll only be completing two courses per semester. They plan to admit students during fall, spring, and summer, but there might end up being a cap of 25 students per cohort. There is a practicum that is required by CEPH. Based on what the enrollment advisor stated, there doesn't appear to be a culminating research project. Students will put together a grant proposal for their organization of choice. Students will be responsible for identifying the practicum site, but the enrollment advisor did not know how many hours will be required. CEPH doesn't require a minimum number of practicum hours.

 

I forgot, they want three professional letters of recommendation. I think it says somewhere on the website that only one of the letters of recommendation have to be from a professional source.

 

Sounds interesting and something my daughter (MPH graduate from Univ of Washington) might be a fit for. Did you get the cost of attendance for the program? It sounded like roughly $50K/year (based on 12 units each semester).

 

I spoke with an advisor today and cost for those with a MPH or equivalent is about $65K. Classes will be in the evening live (6pm CST) but also recorded for those unable to attend. As mentioned no thesis but a culminating experience centered on developing grant proposals.

 

It looks like when they say professional letters of recommendation, they mean letters from people who are not personal friends or family members. I don't know. It's kind of a strange way to use the terminology. Schools usually specify whether they want academic recommendations from former professors and instructors or professional letters of recommendation from supervisors at paid work, shadowing, and volunteer experiences.

Anyway, if one doesn't mind the cost, this would be a great opportunity to earn a doctorate from a top public health school. However, the progression of the program is too slow, in my opinion. Right now, they seem to be willing to admit more than 25 students, but admissions could become more competitive as the program attracts more applicants.