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A graduate student is seen laughing with Dr. Charles Lang, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, center, and Kathy Simon, Director of Graduate Education, right, at the 2018 Faculty and Student Research Retreat. The three are pictured standing in front of a car in a museum.

PhD Programs

With small classes, one-on-one mentoring, and a strong connection with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the PhD programs at Penn State College of Medicine provide world-class training. Explore programs in anatomy, the biomedical sciences, neuroscience, biostatistics, epidemiology, as well as several combined degree options, including MD/PhD and clinical and translational sciences.

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Explore our PhD Programs:

PhD Program Anatomy

Prepare for an academic career in the biological sciences through specialty training and teaching experience.

You’ll conduct original research under the supervision of a faculty member, culminating in the oral defense of a written thesis. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain teaching experience in the medical gross anatomy course and/or neuroanatomy course.

Common Careers
  • Professional school faculty
  • Teaching hospital faculty
  • University faculty

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PhD Programs Biomedical Sciences

In this internationally recognized program, you’ll receive rigorous curricular and research training with a unique focus on human health and disease.

Students specialize in one of six tracks: biomedical sciences, biochemistry, genetics and genomics, cancer biology, cellular and integrative physiology, translational therapeutics, or virology and immunology. You’ll emerge with the skills needed to be a leader in biomedical research or another field such as business, education, or law

Common Careers
  • Management consultant for the medical industry
  • University faculty
  • Science writer

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PhD Programs Biostatistics

Technological advances in medicine have led to ever-growing datasets and constantly changing platforms and structures — and PhD-level biostatisticians are needed more than ever to help identify key scientific discoveries from these data.

At Penn State, you’ll have access to two newly established institutes that offer exciting opportunities to pursue research projects in biostatistics: the Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Institute for Personalized Medicine.

Common Careers
  • Pharmaceutical company biostatistician
  • University biostatistician
  • Hospital biostatistician

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PhD Program Epidemiology

The objectives of the PhD in Epidemiology program are to train students to master current quantitative methods, obtain broad knowledge of major human disease epidemiology, and become expert in a specific disease or health status topic.

The 28-credit (minimum) PhD in Epidemiology program is offered primarily as a full-time degree program, and can be completed in four years of full-time study.

Common Careers
  • Epidemiologist in federal and state agencies, such as NIH, CDC, EPA and Department of Health
  • Epidemiologist in large pharmaceutical company
  • University faculty

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PhD Programs Neuroscience

Understanding the workings of the nervous system — how it functions and what goes wrong in a wide array of neurological and psychiatric diseases — is one of the greatest challenges in biomedical sciences.

In this program, you’ll work alongside renowned faculty in clinical and basic studies of a range of neurological diseases and in translational studies aimed at developing novel diagnostics and therapies.

Common Careers
  • Investigator at a research institute
  • University faculty
  • Government program management

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Combined Programs MD/PhD

Integrated clinical and research training prepares students for careers as clinicians and translational biomedical researchers.

Students in our MD/PhD Program can pursue graduate studies in anthropology; bioinformatics and genomics; biomedical sciences; engineering sciences and mechanics; molecular, cellular and integrated biosciences; or neuroscience.

Common Careers
  • Investigator in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry
  • Academic medical school faculty
  • Academic leadership
  • Investigator at a research institute

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Dual-Title PhD in Clinical & Translational Sciences

The Penn State Clinical & Translational Science Institute has established a dual-title PhD program in Clinical and Translational Sciences that brings together a range of courses, from statistics and epidemiology to scientific communication and bioinformatics.

The coursework, combined with a required internship experience, faculty mentoring, and exposure to CTSI tools and resources, gives students the broad base of knowledge needed to launch a career in clinical and translational science. Students graduate with a PhD in a concentration of their choice with the dual title in Clinical & Translational Sciences.

 
Common Careers
  • Investigator at a research institute
  • Investigator in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry

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PhD Programs Health Policy and Administration (HPA) PhD in University Park

The PhD degree program in health policy in administration is offered through the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University Park and trains quantitative, multidisciplinary health service researchers.

The 53-credit PhD program consists of a core curriculum covering the organization and financing of health services and state-of-the-art statistical methods, as well as specialized training in either health economics, healthcare management and organizations, or population health and demography.

Common Careers
  • University faculty
  • Investigator at a research institute
  • Policy analyst in a governmental agency
  • Policy analyst in pharmaceutical or other health-related industry

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DrPH Landing Page Code

The logo for the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is a circle with the words Master's/Doctoral CEPH Accredited and an image of three red and gray interlocking circles.

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree is the terminal professional degree in Public Health and is designed to provide advanced public health education and training to prepare graduates for evidence-based practice and translational science leadership.

DrPH students must complete a minimum of 60 credits of graduate-level coursework beyond a master’s degree, including focused study in an advanced area such as evidence-based public health intervention, public health preparedness or social marketing and behavior, among many other topics.

Common Careers
  • Federal, state and local government
  • University or college faculty member
  • Nonprofit or non-governmental organization public health professional

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Graduate Education video

In this video, explore explore how Penn State College of Medicine does more than elevate medical education and research – we define the very meaning of medicine.