PhD in Epidemiology
Train as an independent epidemiologic scientist through rigorous methods training, personalized faculty mentorship, and impactful population health research.
Become an Independent Epidemiologic Scientist and Future Public Health Leader
Fully funded doctoral training. Personalized mentorship. High-impact research.
- Competitive funding for full-time students
- Individualized faculty mentorship
- Publication-based dissertation
- Small cohort, high faculty engagement
- Located within a major academic health center
Why choose VCU Epidemiology?
Personalized Mentorship
Unlike many larger programs, doctoral students work closely with faculty from the beginning of training.
Publication-Focused Training
Students complete a dissertation based on three publishable manuscripts, allowing graduates to enter the job market with a strong publication record.
Advanced Methods Training
Rigorous training in causal inference, epidemiologic methods, biostatistics, data science, and specialized analytic techniques.
Competitively Funded Doctoral Education
Full tuition, fees, and stipend support for funded full-time students.
Leadership Development
Students gain experience in teaching, grant writing, peer review, scientific presentations, and research leadership - all in a rigorous academic medical center environment.
Faculty Research Partnerships
Epidemiology students have direct access to investigators across the School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, and other VCU Health System partners.
Research Areas
- Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology
- Traumatic Brain Injury & Rehabilitation
- Social & Behavioral Epidemiology
- Global Health & Women’s Health
- Cardiovascular & Aging Epidemiology
- Cancer Epidemiology & Circadian Health
- Environmental & Lifestyle Epidemiology
Program Details
A minimum of 43 credit hours of coursework is required and at least 18 credit hours of directed dissertation research. Full details can be found on the VCU Graduate Bulletin.
The PhD Program enrolls both full-time and part-time students.