Public Health Education, Ed.D.

Program Description

The Doctorate in Public Health Education (Ed.D.) is designed to prepare healthcare professionals and educators with the competencies necessary to address the public health issues of local, national, and international communities from a health education perspective. The dynamic connection between research, theory, and practice prepares graduates to be leaders and experts in public health education through research intensive coursework and dissertation.

Program Outcomes

Create, implement, and evaluate innovative programs to address public health across diverse communities.
Contribute to innovative solutions for complex public health concerns with actions based on theory, standards, and frameworks.
Interpret evidence-based research to develop and advocate for policies and programs promoting positive social change in the health of individuals and communities.
Collaborate with stakeholders within diverse communities to advocate, educate, and improve the health of individuals and communities.
Demonstrate best practices in leadership and serve as an expert resource in public health education.
Demonstrate evidence-based decision-making, integrating principles of cultural competence, leadership, equity, ethics, and social justice to address public health concerns and education in local, national, and global communities.
Contribute to public health education knowledge bases through the dissemination of applied research.
Utilize professional and ethical standards when engaging in research and evaluation of public health programs.
Demonstrate competence in the application of multiple research methods.
Apply, analyze, and promote best practices in leadership.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Ed.D. in Public Health Education program is to provide a research intensive, evidence based public health education curriculum to give students the necessary analytical, problem solving, theoretical, and leadership tools to bring about positive health change in diverse and evolving communities.

Focus of Study Options

Curriculum and Instruction

The Curriculum and Instruction focus of study prepares students for today’s educational environments. Today’s learning environments require understanding critical aspects of how learning happens for a diverse population spanning multiple ages. This focus of study examines how standards shape assessment while building needed skills in content areas each strengthen by the ability to read well.

Instructional Technology

The Instructional Technology focus of study supports candidates who seek to serve as technology leaders and emphasizes new ways of thinking about technology and the integration of applications. Learning how to design environments which enhance and support organizational goals are considered to maximize learning for both individual and corporate purposes.

Leadership

The Leadership focus of study supports candidates who seek to serve in leadership positions or grow in their leadership practice. Students expand their knowledge in key areas such as ethics, resource management, coaching, strategic planning and organizational culture to become more confident in their advanced leadership practice throughout diverse organizational settings.

Public and Nonprofit Leadership

Whether you want to assume a leadership role or learn more about a societal sector that stirs your passion, the Public and Nonprofit Leadership focus of study will sharpen your critical thinking, decision-making, and leadership skills and increase your societal and global awareness. The six courses in the sequence, including a culminating capstone, emphasize ways to make an impact on both local and global communities through public and nonprofit service. The courses address unique challenges facing public and nonprofit organizations, including societal service, structural variations, development, policymaking, funding, and political and advocacy activities.

Course List (64 Total Semester Credits)

Leadership Courses (3 Semester Credits)

LEAD6001 - Introduction to Advanced Studies (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format)(Initial Course)
LEAD6021 - Leadership Seminar (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format)
LEAD6011 - Leadership as a Reflective Practice (1 Semester Credit; 5-wk Format)

Health Courses (21 Semester Credits)

Research Courses (22 Semester Credits)

Choose a Six-Course Focus of Study (18 Semester Credits)

Customize this degree by choosing a six-course focus of study to fulfill the remaining 18 semester credits.

Curriculum and Instruction

Instructional Technology

Leadership

Public and Nonprofit Leadership

General Track

Any six courses selected from above, ACE graduate level courses, or doctoral courses transferred in.

Additional Courses (if required or desired)

Courses may be required if progression is not achieved in courses OR students can elect to take courses to support their progress. If an Ed.D. student is required to take either the Research or Dissertation Boot Camp (RES6223 or RES6233) course, they will be charged for the tuition and fees associated with the Boot Camp course and not the tuition and fees associated with the dissertation sequence course they are retaking with the boot camp (RES6512, RES6521, RES6531, RES6541, or RES6551).

CITI Training

All students pursuing advanced degrees are required to have completed a certificate of completion for the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) in Human Subjects Research. There will be no additional fee. This is strongly recommended for students who anticipate conducting dissertation research involving human subjects. The CITI offers training modules for a Social-Behavioral-Educational (SBE) track, as well as additional modules of interest. More information can be found in Student Commons. Scroll down under Doc Program Resources where you will find the CITI Program Guide.

This program also offers two additional pathways for students transferring in a completed Ed.S. degree or entering as an “All But Dissertation” (ABD) student.

A student with a confirmed 3.0 GPA in an Ed.S. program or has been confirmed to have completed all Ed.D. work besides their dissertation (ABD) at a 3.0 GPA are eligible to transfer their prior coursework/degree to ACE in its entirety and complete. Please see the Ed.S. or ABD to Ed.D. Pathway option.

Note

This program is neither designed nor approved (as of the publication date of this Catalog) to prepare students for licensure, certification, or endorsement in any state.
Check availability in your state on the Programs by State section of the ACE website.