Degree Programs
Doctoral Minors
A doctoral minor in a public health discipline can do a lot for you, it’s an excellent way to:
- Enhance your knowledge of population health
- Prepare you to successfully collaborate with colleagues in health-related disciplines
- Make you a more competitive candidate for research and teaching jobs in a variety of industries, including academia, health care, pharmaceuticals, law, environmental services, and business.
A doctoral minor is just 12 credit hours, making it easy to fit into most schedules.
Doctoral Minor in Biostatistics
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in biostatistics that teaches advanced statistical analysis that goes beyond the competencies required by most PhD programs. People who possess these special health-focused analytical and database management skills are in high demand due to the value they add to research projects.
The doctoral minor in biostatistics is comprised of a minimum of 12 credits and serves as a useful complement to many major areas of study. You will learn both the theoretical concepts that underlie the scientific method and how to apply these concepts to perform effective data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results.
This minor emphasizes the design and analysis of experimental and observational studies, the theory of probability and statistics, and statistical computing, making it particularly valuable to students in health-related doctoral programs. The minor is ideal for students from many schools, including the IU schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine, Health and Rehabilitative Sciences, and Public and Environmental Affairs.
Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor. Faculty in the department of biostatistics will serve as advisors for students choosing this minor.
Biostatistics Minor curriculum
The Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in biostatistics with a minimum of 12 credit hours that will provide significant additional statistical analysis competencies over those required as part of the PhD requirements. The discipline of biostatistics is growing in national and international importance, is integral to many areas of pursuit, enhances analytic and databased management skills that are desirable for many doctoral level research projects, offers population-based research perspectives, offers skills that are of interest to the private and public sectors, and formally acknowledges the quantitative course work that doctoral students often take as electives through the department of biostatistics.
Students who pursue a minor in biostatistics will complement their major area of study with concepts underlying the scientific method and applications of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. The minor in biostatistics emphasizes the design and analysis of experimental and observational studies, theory of probability and statistics, and statistical computing.
The curriculum for the PhD minor in biostatistics provides students with a rigorous grounding in the application of biostatistics in health-related research. This minor requires a strong quantitative aptitude and an interest in biomedical and public health applications.
Prerequisites for Minor in Biostatistics
Minimum of two semesters of biostatistics.
- PBHL-B 551 – Biostatistics I for Public Health or PBHL-B 561 – Biostatistics I or Equivalent
- PBHL-B 562 – Biostatistics II for Public Health
Required courses
Four (4) required courses
- PBHL-B 571 Biostatistics Method I: Linear Regression Model (4 hours)
- PBHL-B 572 Biostatistics Method II: Categorical Data Analysis (4 hours)
One of the following two options
Option 1
- PBHL-B 573 – Biostatistics Methods III: Applied Survival Analysis (4 hours)
Option 2 (two of the following electives)
- PBHL-B 574 – Biostatistics Methods IV: Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis (3 hours)
- PBHL-B 582 – Introduction to Clinical Trials (3 hours)
- PBHL-B 583 – Applied Multivariate Analysis for Public Health (3 hours)
- PBHL-B 585 – Analysis of Observational Studies (3 hours)
- PBHL-B 586 – Technical Reporting and Scientific Writing (1 hour)
Other courses may be taken if approved by the student’s minor advisor. Students who have already completed any of the required courses as part of their MPH or PhD requirements cannot apply these courses toward their minor in biostatistics. In this case, students must work with their faculty advisor to identify alternate courses in biostatistics.
The student’s minor advisor will monitor satisfactory completion of the requirements for the minor in biostatistics. Doctoral students must notify the Fairbanks School of Public Health before beginning their course of study for the minor.
Doctoral Minor in Epidemiology
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in epidemiology that provides students with a foundation in the concepts, principles, and practice of epidemiology. People who possess these specialized skills are in high demand because their enhanced analytical and data management skills are desirable for many doctoral-level research projects.
The doctoral minor in epidemiology is a rigorous, highly focused 12-credit hour minor that serves as a useful complement to many major areas of study. You will learn both theoretical concepts of epidemiology and how to apply these concepts. By completing this minor, you will be able to:
- Use epidemiology methods to collect data and to study, analyze, and report the patterns of disease in human populations for diverse audiences
- Use biostatistics to analyze and report public health data
- Understand and apply descriptive epidemiology to assess health status and the burden of disease in populations
- Understand, apply, and interpret epidemiologic research methods and findings to the practice of public health
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and use existing sources of epidemiologic data at the local, state, national, and international level
- Understand the key components of public health surveillance and public health screening programs
- Develop written and oral presentations based on epidemiologic analysis for both public health professionals and lay audiences
- Demonstrate a basic level of SAS programming for data set creation, data management, and data analysis
Because you can choose two of the courses from a list of options, you can easily customize this minor to your unique interests and needs. This minor is ideal for students from many schools, including the IU schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine, Physical Education and Recreation, Health Rehabilitative Sciences, Law, and Public and Environmental Affairs.
Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor. Faculty in the department of epidemiology will serve as advisors for students choosing this minor.
Epidemiology Minor curriculum
Required courses (6 credits)
- E601 Advanced Epidemiology (3 credits)
- E715 Design & Implementation of Observational Studies (3 credits)
Choose two courses from the following list (6 credits):
- E609 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3 credits)
- E618 Global Cancer Epidemiology (3 credits)
- E635 Foundations of Public Health Informatics (3 credits)
Other courses may be taken if approved by the student’s minor advisor. Students who have already completed any of the required courses as part of their MPH or PhD requirements may not apply those courses toward their minor in epidemiology and must instead work with their faculty advisor to identify alternate epidemiology courses.
The student’s minor advisor will monitor satisfactory completion of the requirements for the doctoral minor in epidemiology. Doctoral students must notify the Fairbanks School of Public Health before beginning their course of study for the minor.
Doctoral Minor in Global Health
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in global environmental health that provides students with a foundation in the identification and control of global Factors that can adversely affect human health and environmental quality. This minor provides the skills to prevent or attenuate the impact that an increasingly interconnected world exposed to a rapidly changing climate exerts on the health of the environment and population. People who possess these specialized skills are in high demand due to the ever-growing focus on how climate change and globalization impact the environment and population health.
The doctoral minor in global environmental health is comprised of a minimum of 12 credits and serves as a useful complement to many major areas of study. You will learn both theoretical concepts of global and environmental public health and how to apply these concepts in assessing environmental health risks at the global and local level, collecting, and analyzing data, and developing policy. Because you can choose one of the courses from a list of options, you can customize this minor to your unique interests and needs. This minor is ideal for students from many schools, including the IU schools of Nursing, Medicine, Science, Business, and Public and Environmental Affairs.
Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor. Faculty in the department of environmental health science will serve as advisors for students choosing this minor.
Global Health Minor curriculum
Choose four courses for 12 credit hours.
- PBHL-A 641 Introduction to Global Health and Sustainable Development (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 643 Water and Sanitation (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 644 Sustainable Production and Consumption (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 646 Preservation and Restoration of Land and Sea (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 550 London Study Abroad (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 551 Sweden Study Abroad (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 558 Israel Study Abroad (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 553 Geneva Study Abroad (3 credits)
*A maximum of (2) study abroad courses can be applied toward the 12-credit hour minor.
For students who started the Doctoral Minor in Global Health prior to fall 2023
Three required courses (9 credits).
- PBHL-A 661 Fundamentals of Toxicology (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 662 Human Health Risk Assessment (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 623 Management and Leadership in Health Protection (3 credits)
Plus one 3-credit hour course from the following list.
- PBHL-A 609 Air Pollution and Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 614 Water Quality Management (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 617 Environmental Epidemiology (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 628 Public Health Sanitation (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 633 Occupational Health & Safety (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 640 Public Health Applications of GIS (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 675 Regulatory Affairs for Product Stewardship (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 676 Product Stewardship Strategy and Management (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 677 Product Hazards, Exposures, and Risk Assessment (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 678 Product Improvement and Sustainability (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 680 Fundamentals of Product Stewardship (3 credits)
Other courses may be taken if approved by the student’s minor advisor. Students who have already completed any of the required courses as part of their MPH or PhD requirements may not apply those courses toward their minor in global environmental health and must instead work with their faculty advisor to identify alternate GEH courses.
The student’s minor advisor will monitor satisfactory completion of the requirements for the doctoral minor in global environmental health. Doctoral students must notify the Fairbanks School of Public Health before beginning their course of study for the minor.
Doctoral Minor in Health Policy and Management
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in health policy and management that provides students with a foundation in the concepts and methods of health policy and management research. These concepts and methods draw on many disciplines, including economics, organizational theory and behavior, informatics, sociology, psychology, and statistics.
Therefore, this minor is ideal for students from many schools including the IU Schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine, Liberal Arts, Physical Education and Recreation, Health Rehabilitative Sciences, Law, and Public and Environmental Affairs. Students in other School of Public Health doctoral programs are also welcome in the minor.
The doctoral minor in health policy and panagement is a rigorous, highly focused 12-credit hour minor that serves as a useful complement to many major areas of study. You will learn theoretical concepts and how to apply them. Accomplished and research-productive faculty in the department of health policy and management will serve as advisors and instructors for students choosing this minor. By completing this minor, you will be able to:
- Critically appraise research streams in healthcare management, health policy, and health services research and identify important new research questions
- Understand foundational theories and concepts used in healthcare management, health policy, and health services research and apply them to novel research studies
- Identify and understand the strengths and weaknesses of study designs frequently used in healthcare management, health policy, and health services research
- Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to answer critical healthcare management, health policy, and health services research questions
Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor.
Health Policy and Management Minor curriculum
Choose any four of the following 3-credit courses:
- PBHL-H 747 Health Policy and Management Research Seminar (may be taken up to two times on different topics)
- PBHL-H 786 Healthcare Organizations Research
- PBHL-H 781 Research Design in Health Policy and Management
- PBHL-H 782 Health Services Empirical Methods (Quantitative Methods)
- PBHL-H 783 Qualitative Methods for Health Services Research
Other courses may be taken if approved by the student's minor advisor.
Doctoral Minor in Health Systems and Services Research
This minor provides a mix of substantive and methods courses in social science or related reference disciplines that are frequently drawn on by researchers who study health systems or health services.
The purpose of this minor is to provide PhD students with a new minor option that helps them develop conceptual and methodological depth in social science or related reference disciplines that are frequently drawn on by researchers who study health systems or health services, including economics, psychology, sociology, biostatistics, and communication studies. Because these areas of study often employ related concepts and methods, this minor will allow students to take minor courses that cut across departments and programs while still provide depth in a non-major area of study.
Health Systems and Services Research Minor curriculum
Students will complete 12 credits by choosing from the list of substantive and methods courses.
Students complete one or two of the following substantive courses:
Economics
- ECON-E 581 Applied Microeconomics I
- ECON-E 582 Applied Microeconomics II
- ECON-E 521 Microeconomics Theory
- ECON-E 583 Applied Macroeconomics
Psychology
- PSY-I 572 Organizational Psychology
- PSY-I 570 Staffing
- PSY-I 647 Attitudes and Social Cognition
Sociology
- SOC-R 515 Sociology of Health and Illness
- SOC-R 556 Advanced Sociological Theory I
- SOC-R 557 Advanced Sociological Theory II
- SOC-R 585 Social Aspects of Mental Health and Mental Illness
- SOC-R 560 Topics in Sociology
Communication Studies
- COMM-C 500 Advanced Communication Theory
- COMM-C 592 Advanced Health Communication
- COMM-C 528 Group Communication and Organizations
Students complete two or three of the following methods courses:
Econometric Methods
- ECON-E 570 Econometrics
- ECON-E 574 Times Series and Forecasting
Psychology Methods
- PSY-60800 Measurement Theory and the Interpretation of Data
- PSY-I 643 Field Methods and Experimentation
- PSY-I 583 Judgment and Decision Making in Organizations
Biostatistics and Epidemiology Methods
- PBHL-E 715 Design and Implementation of Observational Studies
- PBHL-B 585 Analysis and Interpretation of Observational Studies
- PBHL-B 571 Biostatistics Method I-Linear Model in Public Health (4 credits)
- PBHL-B 572 Biostatistics Method II-Categorical Data Analysis (4 credits)
- PBHL-B 573 Biostatistics Method III-Applied Survival Data Analysis (4 credits)
- PBHL-B 574 Biostatistics Method IV-Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis (3 credits)
- PBHL-B 581 Biostatistics Computing
- B552 Fundamentals of Data Management
- PBHL-B 582 Introduction to Clinical Trials
Other Social Science Methods
- OLS-53010 Mixed Methods Research
- E563 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in Health Sciences
Doctoral Minor in Population Health Analytics
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in population health analytics that prepares doctoral students to analyze patterns and trends in large data sets in the context of population health (e.g., health services research, public health). Students will learn both the theories and methods needed to be successful in the conduct of research across the health data sciences. Skills and methods taught in this minor are highly sought by employers, including governmental research agencies as well as academic programs across the spectrum of higher education.
While graduate students can take a single course on data science within their department to grasp the main concepts, one course is not sufficient to develop a core competency in applying a broad range of analytic techniques to population health data sets.
By combining a diverse set of related courses from multiple schools and departments, we offer a unique minor that adds value to the individual courses emerging across campus. When complete, students will be prepared for success in the population health sciences.
This minor is open to any doctoral student at IU Indianapolis and not just those in the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor. Faculty in the departments of epidemiology and health policy and management will serve as minor advisors for students pursuing this doctoral minor.
Population Health Analytics Minor curriculum
Required courses
- PBHL-E 647 Introduction to Population Health Analytics (3 credits)
Choose two courses from the following list:
- INFO-B 573 Programming for Life Sciences (3 credits)
- INFO-B 585 Biomedical Analytics (3 credits)
- INFO-B 643 Natural Language Processing for Biomedical Records and Reports (3 credits)
- INFO-H 515 Introduction to Data Analytics (3 credits)
- INFO-H 516 Applied Cloud Computing for Data Intensive Sciences (3 credits)
- INFO-H 517 Visualization Design, Analysis, and Evaluation (3 credits)
Choose one course from the following list:
- PBHL-H 628 Health Information Systems (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 645 Information Exchange for Population Health (3 credits)
Doctoral Minor in Public Health
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in public health that provides students with a foundation in the concepts, principles, and practice of public health. People who possess these specialized skills are in high demand because of the population health perspective they can contribute to many doctoral-level research projects.
The doctoral minor in public health is a rigorous, highly-focused 12-credit hour minor that serves as a useful complement to many major areas of study. You will learn both theoretical concepts and how to apply them. By completing this minor, you will be able to:
- Use biostatistical methods to analyze and report public health data
- Specify approaches to assess, prevent, and control environmental and occupational hazards to human health and safety
- Use epidemiologic methods to collect, study, analyze, and report the patterns of disease in human populations for diverse audiences
- Identify and analyze the components and issues of leadership, including financing and delivery of public health services and systems
- Apply policy process, development, and analysis methods to address current national, state, and local public health issues
- Identify social and behavioral sciences factors, theories, and models, and develop, implement, and evaluate interventions designed to positively affect health behaviors in populations
- Collect and disseminate public health data through the use of technology and media
- Explain how human biology influences health and public health practice
- Exhibit high standards of personal and organizational integrity, compassion, honesty, and respect for all people
- Use systems methods to analyze the effects of political, social, and economic influences on public health systems at the individual, community, state, national, and international levels
- Demonstrate the impact of diversity and culture on public health across discipline areas
- Demonstrate an understanding of the basic ethical and legal principles pertaining to the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of public health data
This minor is ideal for students from many schools, including the IU schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine, Physical Education and Recreation, Health Rehabilitative Sciences, Law, and Public and Environmental Affairs.
Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor.
Public Health Minor curriculum
Choose four courses for 12 credit hours.
- PBHL-P 510 Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-P 500 Social and Behavioral Science in Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-P 551 Biostatistics for Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-P 519 Environmental Science in Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-P 517 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 credits)
- PBHL-P 504 U.S. Healthcare Sys. & Health Policy (3 credits)
Doctoral Minor in Social and Behavioral Science
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health offers a PhD minor in social and behavioral sciences that provides students with a foundation in the concepts, principles, and practice of the topic. People who possess these specialized skills are in high demand because of what they can contribute to many doctoral-level research projects.
The doctoral minor in social and behavioral sciences is a rigorous, highly-focused 12-credit hour minor that serves as a useful complement to many major areas of study. You will learn both theoretical concepts and how to apply them. By completing this minor, you will be able to:
- Identify the causes and conditions linked to social, cultural, and behavioral factors that affect the health of individuals and populations
- Use systems methods to analyze the effects of political, social, and economic influences on public health systems at the individual, community, state, national, and international levels
- Identify social, cultural, and behavioral science factors, theories, and models used to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions designed to positively affect health behaviors in populations
- In collaboration with others, prioritize individual, organizational, community, and societal concerns and resources for public health programs, policies, and interventions
- Apply evidence-based approaches in the development, implementation, and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions in diverse populations
- Specify targets and levels of intervention for social and behavioral science programs and/or policies
Because you can choose four of the courses from a list of options, you can easily customize this minor to your unique interests and needs. This minor is ideal for students from many schools, including the IU schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Social Work, Philanthropy, Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Law, and Public and Environmental Affairs.
Students who wish to obtain a doctoral minor from the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health must earn a grade of “B” or better in the coursework for the minor. Courses in which a grade of “B-” or lower is earned will not apply toward completion of the minor. Faculty in the department of social and behavioral sciences will serve as advisors for students choosing this minor.
Social and Behavioral Science Minor curriculum
Required course
- PBHL-P 510: Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
Choose any three of the following 3-credit courses:
- PBHL-S 615 Culture and Qualitative Methods (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 617 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 619 Health Disparities and Health Equity (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 620 Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Stress (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 622 Coaching for Health and Wellness (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 625 Applied Public Health Campaigns (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 630 Global Maternal and Child Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 635 Biosocial Approach to Global Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 640 Culture and Health (3 credits)
Other courses may be taken if approved by the student’s minor advisor. Students who have already completed any of the required courses as part of their MPH or PhD requirements may not apply those courses toward their minor in social and behavioral sciences and must instead work with their faculty advisor to identify alternate SBS courses.
The student’s minor advisor will monitor satisfactory completion of the requirements for the doctoral minor in social and behavioral sciences. Doctoral students must notify the Fairbanks School of Public Health before beginning their course of study for the minor.
Updated: April 2024
