In a typical year, we receive 60 applications and admit six to eight new students.

The program does not accept transfer credits. There is a possibility to waive out of certain courses in the program. However, a waiver is not guaranteed. Arrangements are coordinated after the student is enrolled in the program.

Otherwise, incoming students’ coursework is determined by their past experience with statistics and epidemiology. If a student has already taken certain courses in those topics and did well, they start with the advanced courses. Sample schedules can be found on our website.

Please see the information on our admissions page.

No, our program does not offer admission deferrals. If applicants receive an offer of admission and are unable to attend, they will need to reapply for a future term.

Please Note: Receiving an offer of admission for one year does not guarantee admission in a later year. We therefore encourage applicants to think carefully about their timing before submitting an application and/or before deciding whether to accept or decline an offer of admission.

Most students in our doctoral program have a master’s degree of some kind when they enter the program. Although we have admitted some students with only a bachelor’s degree in the past, it is relatively unusual. Successful applicants whose highest degree is a bachelor’s generally have exceptionally strong applications, including significant research experience.

Please look into applying to graduate non-matriculated courses with the Health Services Master of Public Health program.

Most students graduate in about four and a half years. Students who have completed the core courses at entry may be able to graduate in three years. The time it takes a student to graduate is also dependent on the type of dissertation project the student pursues.

This program is full-time and in-person. We do not have part-time or remote options. It is particularly important for students to live in the greater Seattle area during the first two or three years of the program so they can complete required courses. Circumstances occasionally arise where students need to take time off or reduce their courseload to part-time. We work individually with students to help them succeed and meet their needs. After students complete the required, in-person classes, they do have some flexibility to move farther away, although this can be challenging to their progress and may slow down the dissertation phase.

Any UW medical student can seek to do a Health Services Ph.D. concurrently at UW.

The applicant would need to apply to the Health Services Ph.D. program and be competitive in all the usual ways. The Admissions Committee does not give preference for being enrolled at UW.

It is recommended that an advisor or mentor in the students’ M.D. program who supports their career goal helps them combine the two degrees concurrently. Students ultimately need approval of the M.D. program’s academic dean to pursue concurrent degrees if they are found competitive.

Students should talk about their plans with relevant Ph.D. faculty before applying.

It is not easy to pursue an M.D. and Ph.D. concurrently, so the Admissions Committee is usually only enthusiastic about admitting very strong candidates who are likely to do excellent research under the direction and support of our Ph.D. mentors.

The content of our Health Services Ph.D. program focuses on the organization, financing, and delivery of health care in the U.S. Coursework includes epidemiology, biostatistics, and advanced methods in health systems research within the U.S. There is relatively little content about health care in other countries. The program strives to produce graduates who are capable of independent research in the U.S., generally in academic, research, or federal institutions.

The required courses do not contain in-depth content on health care delivery in other countries. Most, if not all, of the financial support that we have for students come with the requirement that students focus their doctoral work on topics in the United States. We have admitted some students with global health interests into the program in the past, but finding financial support has always been challenging and this has limited our ability to admit students in this area.

The UW Department of Global Health offers a Ph.D. program.