The PhD in epidemiology is offered through Emory’s Laney Graduate School. This program trains students to become independent investigators and to obtain skills to be successful in PhD-level positions in academia, government, and the private sector.
PhD in Epidemiology
50 Primarily Appointed Faculty 60 + Jointly Appointed Faculty
40 Adjunct Faculty 55-65 Students Enrolled at any given time
What You Will Learn and Do
The Doctoral Program in Epidemiology at Emory University trains students in the methods of epidemiology and the application of these methods to a broad scope of public health and medical problems. Areas of study include, but are not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular disease, maternal and child health, diet/nutrition and physical activity, epidemiologic methods, infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS), genetics and molecular epidemiology, social epidemiology, and health disparities. The goal of the program is to graduate epidemiologists with the knowledge, skills, and philosophy to be influential lead researchers (principal investigators), teachers of epidemiology, and public health officials.
Our Alumni
Graduates of the department have gone on to find work at settings such as: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmaceutical companies (such as Humana, Amgen), nonprofit organizations (such as The Task Force for Global Health and American Cancer Society), and colleges and universities.
Our Faculty
Students learn from our department's faculty, as well as faculty from the Hubert Department of Global Health, the Department of Environmental Health, and the Emory School of Medicine. Students' dissertation committees often include faculty from organizations outside of the School and University, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Cancer Society.
Frequently Asked Questions
Application Deadline
Dec 1, 2023
The application for prospective students seeking to matriculate in Fall 2024 will open in September. The application is through Laney Graduate School (not through SOPHAS).
Admission Requirements and Instructions
To apply, applicants must have:
- Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
The application includes:
- Completed application + $75 application fee.
- 3 letters of recommendation.
- Graduate Faculty identification - on the application, applicants must identify at least two Epidemiology Graduate Faculty members with whom they would be interested in working. Faculty profiles are available here.
- Statement of purpose: In 500 words or fewer, please tell us about your previous research experiences or training leading you to apply to this program. Please share your research interests, how this program addresses your interests, and your long-term goals after earning a doctoral degree.
- Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended.
- Resume/CV.
- For international students: TOEFL scores are required.
- For applicants with post-secondary degrees from a non-US institution, a course-by-course credit evaluation is strongly recommended. We accept credential evaluations from Educational Credential Evaluators, Educational Perspectives, and World Education Services. For additional information, please visit the Laney Graduate School webpage for International Applicants.
- Optional: GRE scores.
- Optional Diversity Statement.
The Department receives more than 200 applications a year for ten to fourteen spaces. Admitted students most often have:
- An advanced degree in epidemiology or a related field
- A clear, concise statement of purpose
- Defined research interests
- Outstanding recommendations from faculty and supervisors
- Some professional/research experience
- Strong GRE scores
Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the interest areas of Rollins epidemiology faculty to ensure that there are faculty with similar interests.
In addition to these requirements, all departments require international students to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.
TOEFL scores should be at least 100 or higher on the Internet-based test. International applicants who earned an undergraduate or two year graduate degree from an institution within the United States are waived from the TOEFL requirement. If an international applicant is currently completing a two year degree in the United States at the time of application, the TOEFL does not need to be submitted. For example, if an international student is currently pursuing a two year MPH that will be completed prior to matriculation in the PhD program, the TOEFL is not required.
A World Education Service (WES) course-by-course report is STRONGLY recommended of all students who have received a baccalaureate and/or advanced degree from a non-US institution. This does not include students who completed a semester study abroad as part of a US degree. This process takes weeks to complete and applicants are encouraged to start this process very early.
After the Department of Epidemiology reviews applications, a portion of applicants will be invited for an virtual visit day. It is very unlikely that an applicant not invited to visit would receive an offer of admission. Visit day is most often Friday within the first two weeks of February.
Admitted students are later invited to an on-campus Admitted Student's Day hosted in Atlanta, GA in March.
All admitted PhD students receive merit-based support packages consisting of full tuition scholarships each year. The first two years students are typically funded from institutional support from Laney Graduate School or Training Grants (pending satisfactory progress in the program). In years three through five, students in good standing are funded through mentor grants, training grants, pre-doctoral training fellowships, etc. The stipends are set at the NIH pre-doctoral training level. As of 2023-2024, doctoral students receive annual stipends of $36,376.
Training grants currently support some EPI PhD students with the following interests and research areas: 1) Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology, 2) Molecules to Mankind (M2M), and 3) Health Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease. Laney Graduate School also offers Professional Development Funding and Training (to attend conferences and for research).
Degree Requirements
Through required coursework, students receive a strong foundation in epidemiological methods and biostatistics and become proficient on how, when, and why to use specific tools or methods. All students are required to select six hours of EPI electives to gain content knowledge and experience in applying epidemiologic methods within a particular area. The PhD Program Handbook may be viewed here.
TATTO
All PhD students must participate in the Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunities (TATTO) program. Students receive an orientation to effective teaching and a course on teaching techniques in the field and gain experience working as supervised teaching assistants and/or classroom instructors or co-instructors. More about TATTO
Research Assistantships
All EPI PhD students participate in two at least two, 200-hour research assistantships during their time enrolled during the program (usually during the first two years). Research Assistantships may include (but are not limited to) literature review, survey design, primary data collection, data management and analysis, and manuscript development.
Dissertation
All PhD students are required to complete and defend a dissertation. Students are encouraged to begin exploring potential research topics as soon as they enter the program by meeting with faculty.
The doctoral dissertation must meet the requirements of both the department and Laney Graduate School. In particular, the dissertation must make a new contribution to the student’s field of study, or present a unique new interpretation on existing knowledge. Students are required to pass an oral defense of the dissertation proposal.
Jones Program in Ethics
Students receive training in ethics in research both through the Department of Epidemiology and the Laney Graduate School. Within the required Epidemiology PhD coursework, students may gain exposure to topics such as ethics in human subject research, data management, and scientific writing. The Laney Graduate School sponsors numerous seminars and workshops on scholarly integrity.
Student Life
All EPI PhD students participate in a weekly doctoral seminar during lunchtime in the fall and spring semesters. This provides an opportunity not only to review and critique current literature but also to foster camaraderie among students and faculty. In addition, PhD student representatives organize social activities for students on a monthly basis.