The online, part-time DrPH in Leadership for International Health and Sustainable Development is dedicated to preparing mid-level career professionals for leadership roles in global health and sustainable development. By fostering an innovative, inclusive, and interdisciplinary learning environment, we aim to cultivate leaders capable of making evidence-informed decisions to address complex health challenges in low- and middle-income countries. Our graduates will be equipped with advanced analytical skills, the ability to use data-driven approaches, and practical leadership competencies to influence global health policies and programs, promoting optimal well-being worldwide.
The program serves two goals:
- Provide a comprehensive educational framework that combines instructional coursework, real-world case studies, and experiential learning opportunities, enabling students to apply leadership and analytical skills in global health practice, focusing on evidence-based decision-making and sustainable health interventions.
- Develop a network of public health professionals who will assume leadership roles in international health organizations, governmental agencies, and academic institutions to address global health challenges and promote sustainable development.
The curriculum emphasizes the use of case studies and discussions, enabling students to tackle real-world challenges. Course materials are delivered online asynchronously, while live sessions create engaging, interactive, and supportive learning experience. After coursework has been completed, students engage in practical learning experiences that showcase their doctoral-level mastery of competencies and specialized skills in leadership and evidence-informed decision-making in global health.
The IHSD DrPH program follows a cohort model, with students taking the same courses at the same time throughout their degree program. Key features of the cohort design include collaborative learning, community building, peer motivation, enhanced engagement, and networking opportunities.
In addition to the CEPH’s DrPH competencies, the IHSD program specific competencies are:
- Design implementation plans for strategies and interventions that are centered on individuals, communities and populations in LMICs.
- Recommend how a program can be adjusted, sustained or expanded based on findings from program monitoring and evaluation.
- Synthesize complex data and evidence to inform evidence-based decision-making.
- Recommend effective communication approaches to inform evidence-based decision-making.
- Design strategies and interventions to facilitate the use of relevant and timely data and evidence in health program and intervention design and implementation.
- Integrate human centered design, embedded research practices, and adaptive management approaches to improve relevance, responsiveness and effectiveness of interventions and programs.
- Assess how systems thinking tools can be used to explain the outcomes of complex health and sustainable development systems.
- Design a systems-informed health policy using systems thinking and policy analysis tools to address health threats.
- A previous MPH or a Masters degree in a related field is preferred.
- A minimum of 3 (three) years of work experience is required before matriculation into the program. Work experience may include but is not limited to health departments, government, non-profit, community-based organizations, higher education, private sector, healthcare services and settings, etc.
- Non-native English speakers: demonstration of proficiency in English to be able to study and communicate in English is required. In general, scores of 89 or higher on TOEFL or an IELTS band of 6.5 are desired. Language testing may be waived if the student has received a degree from an accredited U.S. institution.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended. Degrees earned abroad require a WES evaluation.
- Standardized test scores, e.g., GRE, are not required for application for the program and will not factor into final admission decisions.
The DrPH Degree in Leadership for IHSD requires a total of 57 credits (15 credits of pre-requisites and 42 credit hours of doctoral coursework) that includes:
DrPH Pre-requisite Courses
SPHL 6020 Foundations in Public Health (3 credits)
SPHL 6050 Biostatistics for Public Health (3 credits)
SPHL 6060 Epidemiology for Public Health (3 credits)
SPHL 6070 Health Systems Policy and Management (3 credits)
SPHL 6080 Design Strategies for Public Health Programs (3 credits)
Total credits: 15
DrPH Core Courses
IHSD 7250 Sustainable Health and Development Program Design (3 credits)
IHSD 7030 Health Systems and Policy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (3 credits)
IHSD 7450 Leadership and Strategic Management for International Health and Sustainable Development (3 credits)
SPHL 8010 Budget and Financial Management (3 credits)
IHSD 8050 Evidence for Decision Making (3 credits)
SPHL 8870 Strategies for Effective Workforce Development (3 credits)
Total credits: 18
Program-Specific DrPH Required Courses
IHSD 7300 Implementation Practice (3 credits)
IHSD 8100 Knowledge Management for Public Health Impact (3 credits)
IHSD 8300 Strategic Use of Data and Evidence in Global Health Programs and Systems (3 credits)
IHSD 8500 Systems Thinking in International Health and Sustainable Development (3 credits)
Total credits: 12
Elective and Portfolio Courses
Electives: Minimum of 9 credits
SPHL 9460 Applied Practice Experience (2 credits)
SPHL 9470 Integrating Learning Experience (1 credit)
Total credits: 12
Please see the model course schedules for students with a previous CEPH-accredited MPH degree and for students without a previous MPH degree.
Department Chair: David Hotchkiss, PhD
Program Director: Mai Do, MD, DrPH
Program Manager: TBD
Email: ihsd@tulane.edu
Phone: 504.988.5391
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