PhD - Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences

Western Michigan University

The Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (IHS) is designed to prepare Health and Human Service professionals for careers in research, teaching, and leadership. Several national commissions, including the Pew Health Professions Commission and the National Commission on Allied Health, have challenged higher educational institutions to respond to fundamental changes in health and related systems by designing more flexible curricula, removing disciplinary boundaries, and increasing research. The College of Health and Human Services has met this challenge by developing a three-strand curriculum - research, policy and service delivery, and pedagogy - all with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. In order to meet the needs of working professionals, the courses are delivered through a hybrid of e-learning modalities and intensive on-campus weekend and summer sessions. Students enter the program as a cohort once every two years (in even years) and can complete the didactic sequence in two years. Comprehensive examinations and dissertation research can be completed in an additional two to three years.

College of Health and Human Services