The PhD program is typically completed over 4 years of full-time study.

VCU’s PhD in Epidemiology program is fully funded for four years contingent on satisfactory academic progress. PhD students receive funding for tuition and a stipend for working 20 hours a week in their faculty advisor’s research program.

Matching prospective students with faculty research programs is an important element of our admissions process. Please see our faculty research programs to learn about research programs within the Department of Epidemiology and to determine if your interests align with those of one or more of our faculty members.

The PhD in Epidemiology Program is accredited through the overall University accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The PhD Program accepts primarily full-time students and will occasionally consider applicants who wish to have a part-time student status.

At least one open house event is usually held in the fall for the MPH and Epidemiology PhD programs. Prospective students may arrange one on one visits by emailing the department.

See the VCU Graduate School policy for transfer credit. Note that courses not previously applied toward another degree may be accepted for transfer credit consideration. The transfer course(s) must be of graduate level, relevant to the field of public health, and be approved by the graduate program. Students who have been accepted into the program and who wish to transfer in courses must send a written request to the Graduate Program Administrator. The request must include an official copy of a transcript and a copy of the syllabus for each course being submitted for transfer consideration.

Yes, VCU coursework completed prior to matriculation may be considered for transfer. The curriculum of each graduate program has a specific sequence and students should not take numerous courses prior to matriculation as courses taken out of sequence may negatively impact their progression of learning once in the program. Courses taken in other disciplines at VCU may be considered for transfer, as well. All courses considered for transfer credit may not have been part of the requirements for a previously awarded degree. All transfer course(s) must be of graduate level, relevant to the field of public health, and must be approved by the graduate program.

PhD courses are almost exclusively offered face-to-face.

The Department of Epidemiology posts an orientation Canvas page in the summer that provides information to get students started on registration and preparation for the fall semester. If you are unsure of which courses you should take, it is acceptable to wait to register until you have attended the Program's Orientation session, which is scheduled in August, before classes begin. Our graduate programs typically give registration priority to our students to ensure their registration in required courses. Consult VCU's Schedule of Classes for listing of course offerings by semester and VCU Courses A-Z for course descriptions by offering department.

To take a course in a graduate public health program, you must apply to VCU to become a non-degree-seeking student. Prospective students may find instructions for becoming a non-degree-seeking student.

Applications are in two stages: a primary application through the SOPHAS (the centralized application service for public health) website. and a secondary, supplemental application to VCU Graduate Admissions (the secondary application requires a $70 fee to VCU). Both applications must be received for an applicant to be considered by the Admissions Committee. Once an applicant submits the SOPHAS application, VCU will send instructions on how to complete the secondary supplemental application.

Admission requirements are available in the VCU Graduate Bulletin.

Applications typically open in SOPHAS by late August of each year. Pay attention to the application deadlines listed in SOPHAS for each degree program. Applications must be complete (contain all required elements, including official transcripts and letters of recommendation) to be considered for admission.

The deadline for applications is the same for both domestic and international applications and is listed in SOPHAS for each program.

Consult the application portal in SOPHAS for the current year's application deadline.

Incomplete applications will not be considered and will receive a status of "rejected." SOPHAS offers applicants the option to continue an incomplete application to the next academic year. Applications that are submitted by the deadline but have outstanding elements (e.g., waiting for official transcripts or letters of recommendation) will be monitored by the program and reviewed once the application is complete, depending on timing of application completion and available space in the program for the academic year.

Due to the sequencing of courses in our graduate curricula, we admit students only in the fall.

Our admissions committee begins meeting in February, and decisions are sent out on a rolling basis beginning in March. Timing for an admissions decision depends upon the submission of the application and how long it takes for all elements to be complete (e.g., receipt of official transcripts or letters of recommendation). No decision can be made until a complete application is received. Applications are screened and grouped for committee review as they become complete; the admissions committee typically meets several times during the spring semester.

Competitive PhD applicants will be invited to a first-round phone or video interview with the Graduate Programs Director and potential advisor. Following the first-round interview, competitive students would then be invited to an on-campus (or zoom) second round interview with other faculty members and current PhD students. Admissions offers would follow a successful interview process.

There is only one level of acceptance, which is full acceptance. Full acceptance is unconditional acceptance and is the highest level of acceptance granted by the University.

For the PhD in Epidemiology Program: Students should respond with a decision by the deadline indicated in their offer of admission letter, usually 30 days from receipt of the formal offer of admission.

Yes, you may submit your application without materials such as transcripts or letters of recommendation, but follow the instructions on the SOPHAS website. Submitting the application online starts the admissions process, but you should be sure to follow up as soon as possible with the rest of the application materials, since the process cannot be finalized and your application cannot be fully reviewed until we receive your application fees and all required supporting documents.

All supporting documents are submitted through SOPHAS, according to directions provided on the SOPHAS website. Do not send application materials to any VCU address unless specifically directed to so by a program administrator

For the Epidemiology PhD program, scores at the 75th percentile or higher are preferred. The admissions committee will review each application as a whole, taking all elements into consideration, but applicants with scores at or above the 75th percentile will be more competitive.

Yes, GRE test scores are only accepted within five years of the test date.

Submit GRE scores through SOPHAS using the VCU SOPHAS GRE code: 7543.

Since lectures, laboratory instructions, and written and oral examinations are conducted in English, students must be proficient in the language. Guidelines for international students are available.