DrPH Frequently Asked Questions

Who should apply to the Doctoral Program in Environmental and Occupational Health?
The program is designed for mid- to senior-level public health and healthcare professionals with the potential and ambition to become senior leaders and who are committed to protecting and improving environmental public health.

What kind of jobs will the DrPH program prepare students for?
Many students in our DrPH program are already employed full time, and many aim to remain with their current employers when they finish the program. However, we expect our graduates to leverage their DrPH degrees to move into progressively higher-level positions in which they can have maximum influence on the public’s health.

Is a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science in environmental health degree (MSEH) a prerequisite for admission into the program?
Not necessarily. A graduate degree in public health or environmental health is not required. However, students must have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours of approved graduate- level, public health courses. A list of approved courses can be found on our website.

Must I have experience working in public health to be eligible?
Yes. The DrPH is a professional, practice-based degree. You must have worked at least two years in the field of public health, preferably in a health department setting to be eligible.

Where are the classes taught?
Classes are taught at ECU, both face-to-face and on-line.

Is a dissertation required in the DrPH program?
Yes. Students should begin planning their dissertation in the first year of their studies and then spend most of the third year completing it.

Will I be required to come to campus?
Doctoral students should plan to come to campus to take the 1) final qualifying examination and the 2) dissertation defense. However, given the current pandemic, exceptions are being made to accommodate students.

It’s been 10 years since I last took the GRE. Is that okay?
Your GRE scores must have been recorded within the past five years.

Is there a GRE waiver available?
Yes. See our website for our policy on the GRE waiver https://public-health.ecu.edu/drph/

How long does the program typically take to complete?
A full-time student (with a MPH) should be able to complete the required courses in approximately 5 semesters (Spring/Fall) and 3 semesters to complete the dissertation.

Is funding available to cover tuition or fees?
Competitive tuition remissions may be available. However, this does not apply to online students; a student must be on-campus. More information can be found here: https://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/Tuition-Remissions.cfm

Is health insurance available to doctoral students?
Yes, health insurance can be purchased through ECU for students who are registered for at least 3 credits of campus based courses. It is not available to students who register for only online courses. Information on student health insurance can be found on the ECU Student Health Service Website: https://studenthealth.ecu.edu/ship/

Are there assistantship opportunities within the program?
Competitive assistantships are available for eligible students.

How can I apply for financial aid?
Please use this link to connect: Financial Aid

What is the cost of tuition?
Tuition and fee schedules can be found here: https://financialservices.ecu.edu/tuition-fees/