Social and Behavioral Sciences, PhD

Overview of PhD Program

The PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences program is designed for students seeking training for careers in social and behavioral sciences, health education, and health communication, most often in academic or research settings. The curriculum emphasizes the application of social and behavioral science perspectives to contemporary health problems. The training in this program focuses on the theoretical perspectives and methods of the social and behavioral sciences that enable scholars to understand and influence the social contexts and behaviors relevant to health.

The PhD degree represents outstanding scholarly achievement and the accomplishment of independent research. The University’s Doctor of Philosophy Board oversees the granting of all PhD degrees.

The following two areas are examples of significant work in the PhD program:

Social and Psychological Influences on Health

This area focuses on social and psychological factors and processes in the etiology and prevalence of disease, in healthcare-seeking behavior, adaptation and coping, and disease prevention. Students are exposed to current research on contextual factors and their relation to health knowledge, attitudes and beliefs; social and psychological factors in disease etiology; risk reduction; and cultural influences in public health, including cross-cultural studies.

This sociological and psychological conceptualization of health and illness, theories of stress and coping, and the special problems in the design and measurement of social and psychological variables are emphasized in the training of the PhD student. The interactive and independent roles of psychosocial factors for disease, with a focus on the social context in which illness is defined and treated, are emphasized. Major social structural divisions such as gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity are influential in health outcomes. The basic structure and function of health care systems of societies are also considered in their social-political context.

Health Education and Health Communication

Research and practice in this area focus on how principles from educational, behavioral, social, psychological, and communication theory influence health practices and behaviors conducive to optimal health in individuals, groups, and communities. Students are exposed to current research on health education and communication, with a particular focus on ecological models of health, evaluating multi-faceted intervention programs, and patient-provider communication.

Health education and communication programs are laboratories for the study of effective intervention strategies. Students in this area focus on needs assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive health promotion programs with an eye toward improving both theory and practice. Specific intervention strategies of interest may include individual behavior change strategies based on learning theory and theories of psychosocial dynamics; use of mass media communication; interpersonal communication; mobilization of social and community support; and advocacy. Program implementation issues such as administrative and staff development and support are also considered. Interventions studied include those directed at patients, health care professionals, administrators, legislators, the general public, or combinations of the above.

PhD Student Employee Union and Collective Bargaining Agreement

Information about the TRU-JHU PhD Student Union and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be found on this website: https://provost.jhu.edu/education/graduate-and-professional-education/phd-union/.

• PhD students in the Health, Behavior and Society (HBS) PhD program who receive work appointments and/or health insurance premium subsidy through Johns Hopkins University are defined as PhD Student Employees under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dated March 29, 2024-June 30, 2027.
• This agreement has established regulations regarding stipends and wages, work hours, benefits, and conditions of appointment.
• Eligible PhD students will be contacted by the Union and may elect to join the union and pay dues or pay agency fees if they do not join the union. All eligible PhD students are under the CBA, regardless of Union membership.
• The CBA only covers work, which is limited to a max of 20 hours per week on average for stipend funding. A PhD Student Employee may voluntarily elect to participate in supplemental-funded activities beyond the 20 hours per week on average, in alignment with their funding sources and visa guidelines (for international students).
• Academic policies for your PhD program are not part of the CBA and are defined elsewhere.

Program Requirements

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

Our doctoral curriculum is designed to help students master a set of program competencies through corresponding required and recommended courses. Courses listed as required must be taken by all doctoral students. Students should meet with their advisers prior to registering for courses each term to discuss the selection and sequence of HBS-recommended courses, as well as courses offered by other departments and divisions appropriate for their individual areas of interest.

Students are expected to take methods and topical courses relevant to the field of their dissertation research. At the end of the first year of coursework, first-year doctoral students take the qualifying exam. This exam tests whether the student has mastered the basic knowledge of the field (as exemplified by the competencies) and whether the student is ready to specialize in a specific area of study.

Students take the Departmental and School-wide Preliminary Oral Examinations in sequence by the end of their third year in the PhD program. In these exams, the goal is for faculty members to examine the student’s readiness to conduct independent research. Upon passing, students pursue a research topic under the guidance of an academic adviser and faculty committee. The student’s written dissertation is presented in a formal public seminar and then defended at a closed oral examination. Most students complete the PhD within four to five years, and the School requires that students complete it within seven years.

Course Requirements - School

The School requires that at least 18 credit units must be satisfactorily completed in formal courses outside the student's primary department. Among these 18 credit units, no fewer than three courses (totaling at least 9 credits) must be satisfactorily completed in two or more departments of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The remaining outside credit units may be earned in any department or division of the University. This requirement is usually satisfied with the biostatistics and epidemiology courses required by the department and taken in Year 1 of the PhD program.

Students who have completed a master’s program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health may apply 12 credits from that program toward this School requirement of taking at least 18 credit units outside the department. Contact the Doctoral Program Coordinator for further information.

Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH) Requirements

All students matriculating into a graduate program in an accredited school of public health (such as BSPH) are required to take courses that expose them to content that covers 12 ‘introductory learning objectives’ before graduation. For PhD students in HBS, some of these exposures will come through regular program courses, and others will come through ½ credit “Cells to Society” (C2S) online modules developed by the school. The C2S modules will be offered at least twice a year and will be taken in the first 4 weeks of the term in which they are held.  Some courses fulfill more than one learning objective. These courses need to be successfully completed prior to graduation, and it may be advisable to take some of them in years 2 and 3.  HBS PhD students will fulfill the CEPH requirements by taking the following courses:

1. Explain public health history, philosophy and values: 552.601.81 Foundational Principles of Public Health 
2. Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 essential services of public health: 552.601.81 Foundational Principles of Public Health
3. 3a. Explain the role of quantitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health: 140.621 Statistical Methods in Public Health 3b. Explain the role of qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health: 410.710 Concepts in Qualitative Methods
4. Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.: 340.721 Epidemiological Inferences in Public Health
5. List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program: 340.721 Epidemiological Inferences in Public Health
6. Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge: 340.721 Epidemiological Inferences in Public Health 
7. Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health: 552.607.81 Essentials of Environmental Health
8. Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health. Choose 1 of the following: 552.608.81 Biologic, Genetic, and Infectious Bases of Human Disease, 380.604.01 Life Course Perspectives on Health, 550.631.81 Biological Basis of Public Health
9. Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health: 410.650 Persuasive Communication
10. Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities: 410.860 Graduate Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences
11. Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease: 552.611.81 Globalization and Health: A Framework for Analysis
12. Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (e.g. One Health): 552.612.81 Essentials of One Health

Example Curriculum - Social and Behavioral Sciences¹

Note: Minimum of 16 credits (including special studies and thesis research) is required each term throughout the first 4 years of the PhD program. After Year 4, most students will elect to go part-time and register for 3 credits per term.

Students must take the free, non-credit mini-course “Introduction to Online Learning (IOL)” before beginning their first term. 

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
First Term		Credits
PH.550.860	Academic & Research Ethics at BSPH (online-should be automatically enrolled in this course)
PH.140.621	Statistical Methods in Public Health I	4
PH.340.721	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I	5
PH.410.860	Graduate Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences	2
PH.410.863	Doctoral Seminar in Social and Behavioral Research and Practice	1
PH.410.600	Fundamentals of Health, Behavior and Society	4
PH.410.612	Sociological Perspectives on Health	3
	Credits	19
Second Term
PH.140.622	Statistical Methods in Public Health II	4
PH.410.860	Graduate Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences	2
PH.410.615	Research Design in the Social and Behavioral Sciences	3
PH.410.650	Introduction to Persuasive Communications: Theories and Practice	4
	Credits	13
Third Term
PH.140.623	Statistical Methods in Public Health III	4
PH.410.860	Graduate Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences	2
	Credits	6
Fourth Term
PH.140.624	Statistical Methods in Public Health IV	4
PH.410.860	Graduate Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences	2
	Credits	6
Second Year
First Term
PH.410.870	HBS Research and Proposal Writing Process for Doctoral Students I	2
PH.306.665	Research Ethics and integrity	3
	Credits	5
Second Term
PH.410.871	HBS Research and Proposal Writing Process for Doctoral Students II	2
	Credits	2
	Total Credits	51

¹

Students who have taken prior similar coursework should discuss this with their advisors to ensure that they have covered the course content and have met the learning objectives of this course in prior training. Students who would like to waive an HBS requirement and/or substitute another course must complete and submit the "Petition for Course Waiver or Substitution" which can be found in My Portfolio in CoursePlus. The course should be taken in 1st term by students who plan to take the course.

Students not taking PH.410.600 FUNDAMENTALS OF HEALTH, BEHAVIOR AND SOCIETY in 1st term are required to select at least one 1st term HBS course in addition to PH.410.860 GRADUATE SEMINAR IN SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES and PH.410.863 DOCTORAL SEMINAR IN SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND PRACTICE (often this will be Sociological Perspectives/410.612). 

Recommended HBS Courses

Students should discuss the selection and sequence of recommended and other courses relevant to their research interests with their advisers. Students will select some recommended courses in their first year; other courses may be taken in their second and later years of the program. Note: methodological training requirements in the next section.

The Department offers a flexible PhD curriculum. Students are strongly encouraged to balance breadth and depth, theory, and methodology in pursuing training in the Department. The Department has a broad focus, incorporating health education/health communication as well as social and psychological influences on health.

HBS courses recommended for doctoral students and offered by term (list does not include required courses noted above):

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Term 1
PH.410.600	Fundamentals of Health, Behavior and Society	4
PH.410.620	Program Planning for Health Behavior Change	3
PH.410.653	Contemporary Issues in Health Communication	1
PH.410.656	Entertainment Education for Behavior Change and Development	4
PH.410.733	Communication Network Analysis in Public Health Programs	4
PH.410.861	Graduate Seminar in Community-Based Participatory Research	1
PH.410.690	Ethnographic Fieldwork	3
Term 2
PH.550.601	Implementation Research and Practice (extradepartmental)	3
PH.410.631	Introduction to Community-Based Participatory Research: Principles and Methods	3
PH.340.629	The Epidemiology of LGBTQ Health	3
PH.410.640	Global Tobacco Control: A Problem-Solving Seminar	3
PH.410.668	Policy Interventions for Health Behavior Change	4
PH.410.679	Decoloniality and Global Health Communication	3
PH.410.710	Concepts in Qualitative Research for Social and Behavioral Sciences	3
PH.410.861	Graduate Seminar in Community-Based Participatory Research	1
Term 3
PH.410.654	Health Communication Programs I: Planning and Strategic Design	4
PH.410.613	Psychosocial Factors in Health and Illness	3
PH.410.651	Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication	3
PH.410.638	Scientific Writing in Health Sciences: Developing A Manuscript for Publication I	3
PH.410.672	Organizing for Public Health with the Evidence Based Effective Advocacy: Turning Public Will into Public Policy	3
PH.410.721	Translating Research into Public Health Programs and Policy	3
PH.410.752	Media Impacts on Child and Adolescent Health	3
PH.410.755	Designing Health Communication Programs for Social and Behavior Change	4
PH.410.861	Graduate Seminar in Community-Based Participatory Research	1
PH.410.712	Theory and Practice in Qualitative Data Analysis and Interpretation for The Social and Behavioral Sciences	3
Term 4
PH.410.610	Housing Insecurity and Health	3
PH.410.611	Under Pressure: Health, Wealth & Poverty	3
PH.410.620	Program Planning for Health Behavior Change	3
PH.410.625	Injury and Violence Prevention: Behavior Change Strategies	2
PH.410.711	Doctoral Seminar in Mixed Methods for Public Health Research	3
PH.410.630	Implementation and Sustainability of Community-Based Health Programs	3
PH.410.640	Global Tobacco Control: A Problem-Solving Seminar	3
PH.410.655	Health Communication Programs II: Implementation and Evaluation	4
PH.410.657	Communication Strategies For Sexual Risk Reduction	3
PH.410.660	Latino Health: Measures and Predictors	3
PH.410.663	Media Advocacy and Public Health: Theory and Practice	3
PH.410.672	Organizing for Public Health with the Evidence Based Effective Advocacy: Turning Public Will into Public Policy	3
PH.410.680	Social Ecological Approaches to Health Regimen Adherence in Chronic Conditions	3
PH.410.617	Foundations of University Teaching and Learning	3
PH.410.639	Scientific Writing in Health Sciences: Developing A Manuscript for Publication II	3
PH.410.722	Translating Research into Public Health Programs II	2
PH.410.861	Graduate Seminar in Community-Based Participatory Research	1
PH.410.686	Advanced Quantitative Methods in The Social and Behavioral Sciences: A Practical Introduction	4

School of Public Health course listings for courses in HBS and other departments.

Students also have the opportunity to take courses in other divisions of the University. Contact Records and Registration regarding interdivisional course registration procedures.

Additional Requirements in Methodological Training

In addition to the specific required courses listed above, students are required to complete, prior to their preliminary oral examination, at least one HBS course in each of four areas of methodological training in the social and behavioral sciences: quantitative methods (QN), qualitative methods (QL), evaluation methodologies (EV), and methods applications specific to the social and behavioral sciences (SBS). HBS courses are easily identified by the 410-course number prefix. These courses should be taken for a letter grade and not on a Pass/Fail basis. From the menu of courses listed below, students should carefully choose methods training by considering both their previous training and future research goals. Departmental faculty should be consulted as needed.

One HBS course in each of the four areas is considered the minimum; students are encouraged to build their methodological expertise in all areas relevant to their proposed thesis activities and scientific areas of interest. It is valuable for students to seek both breadth and depth in methods training. Therefore, the department strongly recommends that students also elect an area of methodological focus and take multiple courses (3 or more) in this area.  Not all courses in an area of methodological focus need to be in HBS. Whatever one’s area of methodological focus, it is recommended that all students take at least two courses in the Qualitative area (with at least one being in HBS).

Students who would like to propose taking a methods course not currently listed in lieu of the listed courses may, with their adviser’s consent, request such a substitution in writing using the "Petition for Course Waiver or Substitution" form in My Portfolio. 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Qualitative (QL) **
PH.410.690	Ethnographic Fieldwork 1	3
PH.410.710	Concepts in Qualitative Research for Social and Behavioral Sciences 1	3
PH.410.712	Theory and Practice in Qualitative Data Analysis and Interpretation for The Social and Behavioral Sciences 1	3
PH.410.711	Doctoral Seminar in Mixed Methods for Public Health Research 1	3
PH.224.690	Qualitative Research Theory and Methods	3
PH.224.691	Qualitative Data Analysis	3
Quantitative (QN)
PH.410.686	Advanced Quantitative Methods in The Social and Behavioral Sciences: A Practical Introduction 1	4
PH.410.733	Communication Network Analysis in Public Health Programs 1	4
PH.140.640	Statistical Methods for Sample Surveys	3
PH.140.641	Survival Analysis	3
PH.140.655	Analysis of Multilevel and Longitudinal Data	4
PH.140.656	Multilevel and Longitudinal Models - Data Analysis Workshop	4
PH.330.657	Statistics for Psychosocial Research: Measurement	4
PH.340.606	Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses	4
PH.380.712	Methods in Analysis of Large Population Surveys	3
Evaluation (EV)
PH.410.721	Translating Research into Public Health Programs and Policy	3
PH.410.722	Translating Research into Public Health Programs II	2
PH.140.721 & PH.410.722	Probability Theory I and Translating Research into Public Health Programs II 1	5
PH.300.713	Research and Evaluation Methods for Health Policy	3
PH.380.611	Fundamentals of Program Evaluation	4
PH.380.612	Applications in Program Monitoring and Evaluation	4
PH.224.692	Methods in Formative Research and Human Centered Design for Intervention Development	4
SBS Research Approaches (SBS)
PH.410.631	Introduction to Community-Based Participatory Research: Principles and Methods 1	3
PH.221.638	Health Systems Research and Evaluation in Developing Countries	4
PH.340.677	Infectious Disease Dynamics: Theoretical and Computational Approaches	4
PH.340.717	Health Survey Research Methods	4
PH.380.603	Demographic Methods for Public Health	4
PH.380.711	Issues in Survey Research Design	3
PH.340.696	Spatial Analysis I: ArcGIS	4

**

Note: Qualitative Reasoning in Public Health (550.604) cannot count towards fulfilling the qualitative requirements for HBS PhD students

¹

HBS faculty instructor

Course/Credit Load

The Department strongly encourages doctoral students to register for fewer than 19 credits (including special studies and thesis research) in any one academic term. While a credit registration of more than 18 credits is possible through the registration system, departmental faculty think that the additional course burden prohibits doctoral students from dedicating the appropriate time needed for the educational activities being undertaken. Any decision to register for more than 18 credits should be carefully considered and discussed with the student’s adviser prior to registering. Doctoral students should register for a minimum of 16 credits each term; the maximum number of credits per term is 22.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Doctoral students in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society are expected to maintain satisfactory academic standards for the duration of the degree program. In the Department, satisfactory academic progress is defined as follows:

1. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. Any doctoral student who does not obtain the minimum 3.00 GPA by the end of the third term during the first year will not be permitted to sit for the written qualifying exams. In this situation, an appropriate course of action will be determined by the Department Chair. If students fall below a 3.0 GPA, they have up to 2 terms to regain at least a 3.0 GPA.
2. All courses required for the program must be taken for a letter grade. All HBS departmental courses must be taken for a letter grade except with prior consent of the adviser. The pass/fail option may only be used for elective courses and only with the consent of the student’s adviser.
3. No grades below a “B” in core courses. Any required course (or course taken to fulfill a methodological requirement) for which a grade of C or below is received must either be retaken, or an alternative mechanism for material mastery must be agreed upon between the PhD program director, the adviser and the student. This should be successfully completed before taking the schoolwide oral exam. 
4. All grades will be calculated into the student’s GPA.
5. All doctoral students will have their transcripts evaluated at the end of their first year. This evaluation will be completed in conjunction with the qualifying exam review process.

Milestones for the PhD Program

PH - Milestones for the MHS in Social Factors in Health Program

Key Dates	Task/Event
First Year
Term 1
Before 1st term registration	Introductory Advisor Meeting
	Course selections – Discussion of required and highly recommended courses, courses in area of interest, and special studies.
	Identify professional and educational goals. Review deadlines. Review the Individual Development Plan Procedures
Term 2
Before 2nd term registration	Advisor Meeting
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
	Discuss research plans. Identify faculty resources.
	Discuss the individual Development Plan (IDP)
Term 3
Before 3rd term registration	Advisor Meeting
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
	Submit IDP to Academic Coordinator
Term 4
Before 4th term registration	Advisor Meeting
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
By end of first year	Residency requirement met
	Student has discussed research hours requirement with advisor
	Departmental qualifying exam in June
Second Year
Term 1
Before 1st term registration	Advisor Meeting
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
	Discuss possible composition of oral exam committees.
	Review IDP and procedures
Term 2
Before 2nd term registration	Advisor Meeting
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
Term 3
Before 3rd term registration	Before 3rd term registration
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
	If student plans to take oral exam in 2nd year, committee members should be identified by 3rd term.
	Submit CV and IDP to academic coordinator
Term 4
Before 4th term registration	Advisor Meeting
	Course selections
	Satisfactory academic progress
Third Year
Terms 1-4
Before registration each term	Advisor Meeting
	After successful completion of school preliminary oral exam, student registers for PH.410.820 Thesis Research each term until completion of all degree requirements (see timetable at end of student handbook).
Prior to prelim exams	Research Hours form has been completed by student, signed by advisor, and submitted to Academic Office.
By 3 years from matriculation date	Successful completion of departmental and school preliminary oral examinations
Within 3 months of successful completion of school prelim oral exam	Student has identified a dissertation advisory committee and submitted the School’s Thesis Research Documentation form to the HBS Doctoral Student Coordinator via the appropriate touchpoint in My Portfolio in CoursePlus.
	Review IDP
	Submit CV to HBS Doctoral Program Coordinator via the appropriate touchpoint in My Portfolio
Fourth Year
Terms 1-4
At least once per term	Advisor Meetings to review thesis progress
Annually, post prelim oral exam	Dissertation Advisory Committee meets to evaluate progress and submits evaluation to HBS Academic Office
	Ensure that students who have an interest in an academic career have had some teaching experience as TA or the opportunity to apply for a Dean’s Teaching Fellowship.
	Review IDP
	Submit CV to Academic Coordinator

Timetable for Completion of Degree Requirements

Please direct questions regarding the timetable for completion of degree requirements to the Office of Records & Registration (bsph.registra@jhu.edu).

For a full list of program policies, please visit the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences page where students can find the handbook.

The program's curriculum is designed to help students master the following competencies:

• Design a research study using qualitative or quantitative methods to answer social science questions relevant to public health at a doctoral level
• Demonstrate that the theoretical perspective one begins with influences the scientific questions analyzed
• Critically discuss theoretical concepts and orientations in the social and behavioral sciences
• Integrate understanding of concepts related to multiple levels of determinants of health and inequality
• Demonstrate skills for oral presentation and defense of their research in both academic and professional settings
• Design public health interventions based on theoretical foundations to address health determinants outlined by the socioecological model
• Apply core methodological concepts and analytical approaches for social and behavioral sciences in public health 

According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type.