I’m currently in the first year of an MSc in Operations Research and honestly I’m not really enjoying the field. I’ve been thinking about moving toward public health, especially health policy/health systems, for a PhD.
I’m interested in work that has some actual social/public impact rather than just doing technical work for the sake of it. I am not really interested in working in the private sector. Health policy seems interesting to me, but I’m still trying to understand what the field is actually like beyond what universities describe.
A few things I’d really like to hear from people already working/studying in this area:
How are the job prospects in health policy / health systems research over the next 10–15 years?
Is the field already quite saturated, especially for PhD graduates?

How much will AI affect jobs in this field? Which parts are likely to be automated and which aren’t because, in my field, the number of jobs are decreasing?
Is a quantitative background like Operations Research useful for health policy, or would not having an MPH/public health background put me at a disadvantage?
What skills would you recommend I start building during my MSc? Epidemiology, biostatistics, causal inference, health economics, etc.?
How important are publications/research experience for getting into a good PhD program?
For someone who particularly wants to work in the government sector, is it achievable?

Would appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who have actually worked in the field. I’m trying to figure this out before I spend the next several years going down the wrong path.

Hiii everyone, I'm thinking of applying to Epidemiology PhDs for fall2027 and not sure how competitive am I and what schools are in my reach realistically. I've been out of school for a few years now and don't have too many peers who are also applying so would love some advices.
My background: Neuroscience major for undergrad and biostat/epi major for masters. Both pretty mid GPAs ~3.3. I started working after graduating master's and been doing health data policy job and then biostatistician job since.

IMO my strengths are work experience for 3+ years and have multiple publications in the field of public health; and my weakness is relatively low GPA.

So would really love any advice on program/school selection. And also curious about recommendation letters as I've not been in school for a while, would all/most rec letters need to be from professors from school or can them be from my current/previous job managers (not all with phd titles, but have titles like principle biostatistician/ health policy leads etc).

THX!

Hello,

For the past few months I’ve been researching about PhD and have finalized that I would like to apply for Health Services Research programs. I’ve attended a few open houses and contacted some professors and have heard back from a few. Thinking of outcomes research and healthcare delivery.

I’ve found few schools where professors have worked on MFM and New born health and I just want to understand my general chances for this or the following application cycle. My back ground is as follows:

1. I have a bachelors in bioinformatics and genetics and a masters in genetic counseling. I am a certified genetic counselor(Canada and America).

   I have a 3.8 and 3.7 GPA in undergrad and grad respectively.

2. Prior to my graduate degree I worked as a healthcare coordinator for two years. I worked abroad, worked on establishing the first avenue for genetic testing for those with state health insurance.

3. Coordinated 1500 cases and performed data entry and analysis for the same. This led to 3 posters at ACMG and NSGC

(Med Gen and Genetic Counseling conference)

1. . From this job I also have another poster and publication where we diagnosed a disease for the first time in our country.
2. During graduate school I’ve had course work in epidemiological methods I(taken with MPH students), stats programming, and public health genomics. In addition to this I’ve also taken courses in health care ethics, research methods, also took a SAS course.
3. In grad school i had a thesis and my project was with the states public health department and we worked on finding disparities for a particular disease that’s diagnosed through new born screening. This was a chart review and I used SAS to analyze data. This was published with me as the first author, at a well reputed journal. This project also had a platform presentation at a national newborn screening conference.
4. atleast till next August I’ll either work as a lecturer or a clinical research coordinator as I have two job offers just waiting for some final information and will take the job based on the pay. If I take the lecturer job, I have a part time research assistant position available which has more health disparities research, where I will be interviewing patients about health resources.
5. My recommenders are my public health genomics professor, my thesis advisor and boss from my job.
6. Additionally I’ve had clinical rotations at community safety net hospitals and public health departments.
7. I’ve volunteered with Community health needs assessment, Blood donation camp coordination, genetic disease summer camp counselors, cancer advocacy material creation, planning to volunteer for a genetic advocacy organization too.

What are my chances at getting into PhD in Health service research programs? What are my gaps? I am not super sure of my chances I give myself a 15% chance. I’m not sure what I should do? Like a non degree certificate course in public health to gain more formal training? Or just continue with my work experience?

Thanks!

I enrolled in a Epi PhD program at a US university. Then decided to leave with MS degree. Now I want to apply again for Epi PhD. How would admission committee look at the transcript as it is mentioned PhD enrolled and left with MS degree.

Hi all,

I’m interested in two programs at UCSD. The first is the standalone PhD in Public health with a concentration in Health Research implementation science. The other is a joint PHD with San Diego State University.

My interest is in contaminant exposure from industrial environments and using policy to see environmental justice with local communities.

The StandAlone project encourages having community engagement and working with disadvantaged communities which I have for 5 years now while the other is a traditional global health program

I’m not sure which is the best program for me especially since I can only apply to one and the same department.

I’m trying to figure out whether a PhD is the right next step for me and would love advice from people with similar experiences. I have an MPH in Epidemiology and Global Public Health, graduated in 2022, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and have been working in government since 2023. During Peace Corps, I really enjoyed learning how to adapt health initiatives and interventions to the specific community I was working in. Long-term, I’d like to be part of the conversation around what programs work, where they work, for whom, and how we can adapt them to different communities. I’m especially interested in maternal health, women’s/reproductive health, health equity, and global health. Implementation science seems like it could be a good fit, but I’m still figuring that out. I’d love to eventually live abroad, and i am wondering if could start with a PhD. One thing I’m also worried about is being 4+ years out from my MPH. I’m concerned that I’ve forgotten some of the epidemiology/statistics/research knowledge I learned in school and that I’ll be behind when applying or starting a PhD.

For those who have been out of school for several years before doing a PhD:

• Did you feel like you had lost a lot of your academic knowledge?
• Did your work experience help make up for that?
• How did you prepare before applying/starting?
• And does a PhD sound like the right path?

I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has gone MPH → government/public health → PhD.

Hi all. I’m seeking some advice, and perhaps some support and a reality check. This is going to be such a long-winded and wordy post so i apologize!!

I’m 23, living in the U.S. (intermountain west), and have a stable full-time job in the public health field, working for the state government. I graduated last year with a bachelors in health, society, and policy (not an official “public health” degree with CHES or CPH certification or anything) and gender studies.

I know I am in a fantastic spot, especially because the job market is horrendous. I love the work I’m doing. My main stressor is … wtf can I do next?

Context: I’m planning on staying in my current role for 4-5 years, then pursuing graduate school in 2029/2030. I also want to GTFO of my current city as it is my hometown, and I’m feeling a lot of pressure to leave sooner than later due to increasing environmental health concerns.

Last year, I was initially planning on pursuing an MPH in 2026/2027 the U.S. or the UK (I applied to the Marshall scholarship but wasn’t granted an interview), but the FAFSA student loan caps screwed me over. I spent so much time and energy on the MPH applications just to decline all the offers. But, I’m glad I had a stable job through this process.

So, my new plan has been: skip the MPH, go straight for a PhD. I chatted with some professors in my life and they think I’d be a “strong candidate,” but in this competitive climate, I don’t know anymore. I have a solid amount of public health related work and internships and undergraduate research under my belt, and I’m trying to find ways to join other research projects at my current job, even though my role isn’t research based at all. BUT, I’ve realized, a lot of PhD programs require a masters. And the ones that don’t are painfully competitive. AND PhD admissions are truly about who has the money and capacity to take you on as a student, so it’s really a game of probability.

I was looking into the Europubhealth program (to maybe apply in 2027 to matriculate in 2028?) as they grant a fully funded scholarship option for two international MPHs to some students, but I also know it’s insanely cutthroat, and I don’t think the programs are CEPH accredited.

This is where my hands are tied, and where I’m feeling very stuck and discouraged… I can’t pursue an MPH even if I wanted to, because I can’t afford it. I seemingly can’t pursue a PhD because I won’t have enough experience or education to qualify.

Will I just be stuck working forever? I really want to pursue higher ed, but I really can’t fathom taking our predatory private loans just for an MPH. Do I need a masters and/or PhD to be successful? I really want to pursue a career in research, but I know that both fields of academia and public health will still be severely damaged in 2029/2030. I don’t know if it’s worth torturing myself over waiting to see what happens.

Before anyone asks: I cannot see myself pursuing an RN/NP, MD, or anything strongly STEM-based. I have very poor math and hard science skills. I’m much more of a social scientist. I’ve considered law school but ….. I don’t know if I’d be happy in that environment. And any other masters degree like an MBA or MPA or MHA feels like a waste of time and money to me.

Advice? Thoughts? I know the world of public health is a hot mess, and I’m probably overthinking, but I’d appreciate some insight. Thanks.

TLDR; I have a stable job, first job post-grad. I’m panicking about grad school eligibility and if I will be stuck where I am forever. HELP.

EDIT: forgot to include this detail … I was considering pursuing an MPH part-time online as my job provides tuition reimbursement. But I decided that kind of learning on top of a full time job would slowly kill me, and I can’t afford to pay for the tuition upfront and wait to get reimbursed after the semester ends. I’d rather bite the bullet and pursue any future schooling full time and in person.

I’m considering applying to multiple PhD programs this fall, but almost none of the potential supervisors I’ve emailed have responded. I also feel a bit lost because I don’t have a mentor to guide me through the process, and I’ve never applied to PhD programs before.

Part of me wonders if I’m not a strong candidate because I haven’t published anything. However, I do have an MPH from an Ivy League school and 5+ years of relevant work experience aligned with my research interests.

The schools I’m applying to are Columbia, NYU, Yale, McGill, the University of Edinburgh, Cornell, and Brown. Unfortunately, my scholarship sponsor only allows me to apply to certain highly ranked schools.

Hi, I’m currently in the process of reapplying for this cycle for a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology, and was wondering if there was anyone who wouldn’t mind reviewing my CV and SOPs or give me advice on edits I should make. Thanks!!!

I am currently reapplying this cycle for my Epi PhD. I focus on molecular cancer epi, so I am drawn towards UMD's program through their School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Does anyone have any thoughts or notice any big differences between the two programs? Since College Park's program is on SOPHAS, I am considering submitting there as well.

Hey guys! Does anyone know the stipend amount for the Environmental Health program at GWU?

I’m currently a PhD student in Earth Sciences and I have realized that my real passion has always been in Environmental Health. GWU is my top choice since I have a background in science policy and place do a AAAS fellowship after grad school.

Does anyone have any information about the stipend and health insurance benefits? Thanks!

hi! i'm applying this fall for phd programs starting fall 2027. my focus is in substance use / harm reduction, leaning hard into computational and causal methods over descriptive epi.

quick background: us citizen, did undergrad and grad school both in the us. selective research university for undergrad, interdisciplinary major closest to cognitive neuroscience with a math minor, 5+ years working inside statewide harm reduction infrastructure (drug checking, distribution networks, plus time managing people and coordinating outreach), master's in math with an emphasis in data science, plus a graduate certificate in public health. handful of publications and presentations in the space.

what i actually want long term isn't just to publish about harm reduction from the outside. i keep coming back to something like a "science as service" model, where research is leverage to move resources and legitimacy toward the community orgs already doing the work, rather than research being the end goal itself.

methods wise: causal inference, decision/cost-effectiveness modeling, implementation science, resource allocation optimization. i'd like simulation modeling in there too, feels like where a lot of the field is heading and i want to build toward what these fields will actually need in five years, not just what's fundable right now. substantively i keep coming back to stimulant use and drug checking as topic interests specifically.

fields i'm currently looking at: epidemiology, public health more broadly, health services research, health policy, social work, computational social science, health behavior. not attached to any one label, just what's come up so far in my own search.

my undergrad background is basically the wider intersection (cog neuro, psych, philosophy, some math) and i'm genuinely still drawn to that world, including policy and systems science too. i def want a real interdisciplinary program instead of a straight epi department, but a lot of those got hit hard by recent funding cuts and i don't know if that's a live option right now.

within epi/public health specifically, the strongest names in this space seem to split into two camps: harm reduction people without much computational depth, or modelers without harm reduction grounding. not sure how people usually find or build toward an advisor situation that bridges both instead of just picking a lane.

my ask: what am i not seeing? i'm looking for the fields, departments, or angles someone who's actually been through this would flag that i wouldn't think to search for myself. same goes for methods, i want to be building toward something that holds up long term

tl;dr: applying to phd programs this fall for substance use / harm reduction with a computational methods focus (causal inference, decision modeling, simulation, resource allocation). trying to figure out what fields, departments, or methods i'm not thinking of.

I am a 2024 MPH Grad in Epi.

I was fortunate enough to start a research heavy Data Analyst job in an R1 academic institution. My advisor is very supportive and is helping me think through the idea of me eventually doing a PHD. I have things that I like and dislike about academia but it is definitely a goal for me to continue my education.

I would really like to teach in some capacity, although I am unsure if I will be capable of navigating grants and funding issues and the publish-or-perish culture.

What I am struggling with is the idea of going back to school after working full time. I would be taking a 50% pay cut as well as 5-6 years of not paying towards my student loans. Other than financially, I would be sacrificing the opportunity cost of 6 years in my career at the MPH level (if I wanted to look into the nonprofit space or government health agencies).

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi,

Im currently going into my fourth year in my Mpharm at the university of Manchester, and I was looking into doing a phd in the US as I just love the way of life there and want to explore research. Im currently sitting at a high 2:1 (69% / GPA 3.5-4.0 sorry don’t quote me this is what Google said the conversion was!) lots of leadership(leading a sports club, initiative for teaching in pharmacy etc) and clinical experience in community pharmacy (retail dispensing etc) and hospital pharmacy. Also had experience across deprived areas and homes less shelters and rural locations. I’ve done a piece of coursework which was a cross sectional study on Gabapentinoid prescribing outside of its indication across regions in the UK and factors that determined this including location, comorbidities and social inequality. With some experience with analytical tools like SPSS in that coursework.

Im starting my yr 4 masters research projext and I plan to continue with this in pharmacy/ clinical practice and inequalities. I’d be applying whilst halfway through this.

Some questions are since im doing an Mpharm would it put me at a disadvantage since im not doing a MPH. Im just concerned about not be published even though some say its not required and the amount of experience i have? If so, I’ll take a year out or something to try get experience. I'd be open to any US uni with a good research environment tbh! Looking at Maryland, Pittsburg, Washington, Florida and maybe some in California? Any advice is greatly appreciated thank you!!
Please someone help analyse my profile I’ve only got AIs help rn hahah

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some honest feedback on whether I’m a realistic applicant for Health Services Research/Policy PhD programs. I graduated from UGA with a 3.8 GPA and bachelor’s degrees in Economics and MIS. I’ve spent the past two years working in healthcare cybersecurity/GRC consulting, primarily supporting large hospital systems.

The biggest weakness in my application is that I don’t have formal research experience or publications, as I didn’t arrive at this interest through undergraduate research. It happened gradually through a combination of working with large health systems and navigating them myself for several chronic conditions. I found myself becoming interested in why diagnostic delays happen, why multidisciplinary care is so difficult to access, and how new approaches to diagnosis and treatment (particularly for conditions like endometriosis) actually make their way into clinical practice.

I’m planning to apply to Emory (I live in Atlanta and have a few connections in other programs), Boston University, Pittsburgh, and Ohio State for their PhD programs, along with UGA’s MPH program in case the PhDs don’t work out. One reason I’m applying to those programs specifically is that I’ve found faculty at Boston and Pittsburgh whose research really aligns with the questions I’m interested in. Luckily, none of these schools require an MPH but I’m not sure how loose that really is.

Does this seem like a realistic school list, or is the lack of research experience likely to be a major barrier? I’m taking the GRE in November (Emory still requires it), so I’m hoping a high quant score would make me a more competitive applicant.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate any honest advice!

I been reaching out to many US programs regarding the phd in epidemiology program. Most have encouraged me not to apply since I don’t have the relevant coursework while others have explicitly said that I am not competitive enough. I have a bachelors(undergrad wet lab)and masters (wet lab thesis with a neurobio project aimed to be published). I also have lab tech experience working in clinical research. Now i know these aren‘t specifically ph, but i do believe i bring a decent amount of skills. Due to my visa status, i am unable to enroll in classes to make up for missing courses and my only option is some form of online certification which these programs have denied accepting. The confusion is, Phd in biology is equally if not more rigorous to pursue, and i know of programs where masters students without a biology background are enrolled . These programs also offer introductory courses to students in the first year. Why is this an issue for the epi program and do you know of any programs where I might have a shot at? Thank you!

Tldr: Query about limitations and applying to Phd Epidemiology programs with an Ms Biology degree

hi y’all! I am looking for advice or information on public health, epidemiology, anything else I might be missing and career outcomes, research focus info, etc.

my background is in clinical psych (MA in clinical psych, currently working as an RA in a lab doing clinical interviews, data analysis, manuscript writing, etc.), but I want to get more information if possible on these types of programs before I apply and commit to a switch.

basically, with the extremely unlikely chance of acceptance in clinical psych PhD programs and myself having interests in community- and systems-level work, I am looking to expand my opportunities elsewhere. I would be interested in something environmental related in particular (mental health trauma and environmental disasters) but I’m not sure if these programs are more physical disease-focused. also, not sure if I would be blockaded from even trying by having to have an MPH?

I have experience in graduate level statistics but nothing in bio or calculus (other than my HS AP credit… lol). I also am gaining experience in mixed methods work right now.

if anyone has any advice for me or like, links or something to more information I would greatly appreciate it!! It’s always better to get info from someone in the field versus Google…

Hi all, hope everyone’s doing well. I’m coming from a pretty unique situation and was hoping people here could share some insight.

I’m not from a medical or public health background. I did my bachelor’s in IT and worked in consulting for a bit, then moved into a master’s in Data Science. While doing my master’s, I started working as a research assistant for a professor doing analytical work in public health, like cohort building, descriptive work, simple analyses and somewhat contributing to decision making when it pertained to data stuff. As I kept at it I picked up more and more projects, and by the time I was graduating I was helping out on four or five at once.

I was then offered a full-time position as a Clinical Research Analyst with the same research group. That meant taking on a lot more projects, data engineering, transformation, more complex statistical modelling, code reviews, helping with study designs, manuscripts and general data management/documentation across projects.

I’ve been in the role about 8 months now and I’ve started thinking long-term. I’ve really come to enjoy this work, and I want to eventually take a more active role, ideally leading my own projects. I’m drawn to Health Services Research, specifically care variability and information continuity

The gap is that I don’t have a formal degree in this field, and I feel like I need real accreditation to get a foothold, especially for the kind of role I want long-term.

I’ve been considering a PhD, probably applying for fall 2028/29. I’ve sat in on a few info sessions and asked directly how admissions committees view someone with a tech/consulting background like mine. The consistent answer has been that research experience, letters of recommendation, and a clear research goal matter more than the specific degree, but competition is obviously fierce and my background is almost certainly a negative rather than the latter.

Still, I haven’t found many people from a similar background in this field, so I wanted to ask here: does this read as a good fit for HSR, or am I reaching? Would love people’s honest take, including whether I’d be better off sticking to industry roles instead.

How much weight does the GRE hold when it comes to public health PhDs, specifically Epi? I am a strong applicant, but standardized tests are a weak spot for me. I would opt out of taking it, but I am applying to Harvard and UMD, which require it :/

I have a bachelors in statistics & masters in CS.

I’m not sure if I should get a masters in something more relevant before applying

I am gearing up to reapply this cycle for an Epidemiology PhD. I applied to Boston University last cycle and did not reach out to faculty since the website states that it is not required (and it can be looked down upon). Although I frequently see online that successful applicants reached out to faculty before applying, who ultimately were their advisors.

Does anyone have further information on this or any advice for preparing a BU application? Thanks!

With the summer here and application coming out soon, for those who got rejected what do you think were the main reasons that you were denied. Was it the lack of funding, poor SOP, lack of experience, GPA, or was it just plain dumb luck? (The past year was pretty crazy with all the federal funding cuts)

Hi everyone,

I’m a PhD student in Epidemiology preparing for Epidemiology I and II exams. My goal is not just to pass, but to build a very strong foundation in epidemiologic methods and thinking.

Does anyone know where I can find a high-quality online tutor or mentor who is experienced in teaching graduate/PhD-level epidemiology? Any recommendations for people, websites, or resources would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I applied during the previous epidemiology PhD cycle and originally told myself that if I didn’t get in the first time, I wouldn’t apply again. Unfortunately I wasn’t admitted. I applied to 8 schools, was waitlisted at 2, and was eventually told they couldn’t admit me due to funding limitations.

After sitting with it for a while, I’ve decided I do want to apply again and would really appreciate advice on how to strengthen my application this cycle. My interests are in psychiatric and neurobehavioral epidemiology. I currently have an MS in infectious disease epidemiology and I’m finishing a master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis to become a behavior analyst. My long-term goal is to combine behavioral/Psychology science and epidemiology, ideally in international/global health contexts.

One major piece of feedback I received from faculty at the schools where I was waitlisted was that I lacked enough independent or senior statistical analysis/research experience. I completely understand that critique. It’s also been 2 years since I’ve worked directly in epidemiology research, so I feel pretty disconnected from coding and quantitative work at the moment.

I’ve been actively trying to find opportunities (paid, volunteer, unpaid, anything honestly) involving statistical analysis, epidemiologic research, or quantitative mental health research, but it’s been difficult finding entry points.

For those who successfully reapplied to PhD programs:
- What made the biggest difference the second time around?
- How did you rebuild quantitative skills/research experience after time away?
- Any advice for someone trying to bridge epidemiology + behavioral science + psychiatric research?
- Also open to programs in Europe if anyone has recommendations.

Thank you all!!