Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Virginia Commonwealth University

Students in the doctoral program in social and behavioral sciences will acquire the skills to become scientists, educators and scientists/administrators in a broad spectrum of positions and settings. Students will gain a progressive mastery of the current state of the subject matter in the social and behavioral sciences, an ability to synthesize the information and apply this foundation to the identification of key areas of investigation/experimentation and the ability to design and interpret studies that address the questions identified. In addition, students will develop the various means of communicating core social and behavioral science knowledge and particular study designs, results and interpretations to a variety of audiences. Student learning outcomes Critically evaluate social determinants of health through identifying gaps in literature and formulating strategies for improving health equity Recommend and apply community-engaged principles in research design Propose and justify analytical approaches for answering public health research questions assessed using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods Construct and critique theory-driven approaches for developing, implementing and evaluating health-behavior-change programs Design and produce an independent public health research project

School of Medicine