Karen Edwards, Ph.D., Doctoral Program Director
https://sites.uci.edu/publichealthepibio/doctoral-programs/
The Ph.D. program is intended to train well-qualified students to be independent contributors to epidemiology or related fields. Students are expected to finish in four to six years, and maximum time permitted is seven years. The first year is largely devoted to required course work and developing research interests, with the guidance of the faculty. There is a comprehensive exam at the end of the first year, to ensure the first-year content has been mastered. In the second and third years, students are expected to participate in faculty research, including manuscript preparation and presentation of results in public forums. The Ph.D. student is strongly encouraged to apply for fellowships and grants, as well as assist with teaching. Toward the end of the third year, the student is expected to defend a thesis proposal to the faculty. The remaining time with the program is largely devoted to completing the thesis. The formal defense of the thesis is a public event. Graduates typically go on to post-doctoral positions, faculty positions, or positions in government or industry.