Population Health

The DPhil in Population Health is a doctoral research programme intended to provide you with training in research, an in-depth knowledge and understanding of your doctoral research topic and will prepare you for a career in academia.

You are admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS) in the first instance and you will then seek transfer to DPhil status by the end of your fourth term after admission. Confirmation of status will usually be carried out in the eighth term after admission as a research student, and no later than the ninth term. Both transfer and confirmation of status will require an oral assessment. Having successfully confirmed your status you will then be able to apply for the appointment of examiners, submit your thesis and complete the viva voce examination.

Part-time study

A small number of part-time students may be admitted to the DPhil in Population Health. Candidates applying for admission to this part-time course are required to show that their DPhil research topic is suited to part-time study and the supervisor agrees with the part-time schedule. 

The attendance requirement will be a minimum of 30 days University-based work per year. This will be spread across the academic year to be a minimum of ten days based in the department each term.

However, attendance is likely to be higher and will be determined by the demands of the individual DPhil research project and will be agreed with the candidate at interview.

Pattern of teaching, learning and supervision

Research training will primarily be through day-to-day involvement in a research project and working with a research team. Your supervisors will be the main source of your research training; you will also be encouraged to strengthen your research skills by taking relevant taught courses. Research training will be within a multidisciplinary research environment which includes epidemiology, statistics, ethics, health economics, health promotion, health services research, law and big data.

You will be encouraged to make use of the range of skills training offered by the Medical Sciences Division through your study at Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH). These include statistics, data management, research ethics, writing academic papers and presentation skills. You are also expected to identify additional relevant courses that will support your research training.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in a subject relevant to population health.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent.

Applicants who hold a master's degree in a relevant subject will be at an advantage as this will prepare them for DPhil research.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Research proposal: Two pages
• Written work:One essay of 2,000 words 
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

• Global Education
• Hill Foundation Scholarships