PhD in Population Health Sciences

In years one and two, students are required to complete required core coursework, participate in a credit-bearing colloquium, complete elective courses, and prepare for and complete their admission to candidacy exam (ACE). Students with advanced degrees may be able to complete the ACE after one year. Students will complete at least one 3-credit-hour research rotation directed by a faculty member before beginning their dissertation research, and can take up to 3 research rotations (9-credit hours) as appropriate. These research rotations will provide students an opportunity to broaden their understanding of population health sciences by participating in ongoing faculty research projects or completing an independent project under the guidance of a faculty member.

Students in the program take core and elective courses in their first two years of program. The core coursework includes:

• Biostatistics I with R Lab
• Biostatistics II - Regression Analysis
• Data Science I
• Data Science II
• Principles of Population Health Sciences
• Epidemiology
• Advanced Epidemiological Methods
• Introduction to Health Services Research
• Introduction to Health Informatics
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• PHS Colloquium series

Students are also required to take 7 elective courses, selected from existing WCGS advanced graduate coursework in biostatistics and data science (including artificial intelligence), health informatics, health policy and economics (including comparative effectiveness), and in computational biology.

Before beginning their dissertation research, each student will form a dissertation committee with a primary dissertation advisor and at least 3 internal committee members. The dissertation committee will evaluate the student's progress towards their dissertation every year during the dissertation phase.

The culmination of the student's successful progression through the program is the final examination (the "defense") and certification by the dissertation committee that the dissertation satisfies the requirements of the Graduate School for a PhD degree. Students are expected to complete this degree within five years of entering the program.

The application deadline is December 1.

Yes, students receive a multi-year funding package. During the first and second year of graduate training, WCGS will cover 100% of the stipend, tuition, health insurance, and student fees for all PHS students. Funding for Year 3 and beyond will be covered by the dissertation advisor.

There are no minimum GPA or minimum test scores required to apply. WCGS  embraces a holistic approach evaluating each application. Prior academic performance (especially in the sciences), research experience, scholarly achievements, and other factors are all considered.

There is an $80 application fee.

PhD Application fee waivers are available to US citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented applicants who have demonstrated financial hardship or participated in specific pipeline programs described below. 

Financial hardship must be established via documentation of need such as:

• An unemployment benefits statement or signed and dated caseworker statement verifying receipt of unemployment benefits within the previous three moths
• A copy of part one of your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) or letter signed by a financial aid representative at the college/university you are currently attending, which indicates your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• A copy of your most recent Federal Income Tax return, either your Form 1040 if listed as an independent, or your parent’s/guardian’s most recent Federal Income Tax return if listed as a dependent
• Letter sent directly from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, EducationUSA, or other U.S. government agency/entity attesting to the applican’ts financial hardship.

Pipeline Programs:

• Advancing Cornell Career Experiences for Science Students (ACCESS)
• Biology Scholars Program (BSP)
• BMRI summer scholars program
• Gateways to the Laboratory
• Tri-Institutional Mentorship Initiative
• Weill Cornell Medicine Summer Research Fellowship (WCM-SRF) formerly known as Travelers
• Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Summer Program (ChBSP)
• Tri-Institutional Computation Biology & Medicine Summer Program (CBSP)
• GSK Mechanistic Biology Summer Program (formerly SURP)
• RU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)
• Engineering and Imaging Summer Program (EISP)
• Quantitative Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience (QSURE)

To be considered for an application fee waiver, please complete the application fee waiver request form which is linked on the Other Information page of the application. Be sure to provide a brief explanation of your request and upload supporting documents.

A master’s degree is not required for entry into the program.

Individuals with a graduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., master’s degree) may transfer up to a maximum of 21 credits of coursework with a grade of 3.0 (B) or higher in each course from master’s programs at other institutions, which can be applied toward the 78 credits required for degree completion. Courses must meet our institutional standards and must be approved by the program director.

No. Identifying a potential advisor during the application cycle is not required. Admitted students will have the chance to explore research interests through faculty-guided rotations during the first two years of the program.

For post-secondary degrees from institutions outside of the U.S., an official transcript evaluation from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member organization is required for review. We cannot guarantee consideration of your application without this evaluation. Please plan and request your official evaluation in advance of the December 1 deadline.

Applicants who have studied in full-time status for at least two academic years and graduated within the last five years in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand are exempt from having to provide the English Language Proficiency exam test results. 

TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years after the test date. If you have taken the TOEFL iBT test more than once within the last two years, ETS will automatically include your MyBest scores. Results for the Duolingo English Test are also valid for two years after the test date.

If you have not formally taken courses in statistics or biostatistics, calculus and statistical programming languages, you may need to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about these concepts in other forms (e.g., reference letter, personal statement, authored manuscript etc.).

After your application has been submitted, please login to your application portal to track receipt of your materials.

Yes, there are two rounds of interview. Selected applicants will be invited to a first round interview via video conferencing. A shortlist of candidates from the first round of interview are then invited to a second round of interview which typically involves a campus visit. An interview is not guaranteed for all applicants.

Admissions decisions are typically made in mid- to late-February.

Incoming single PhD students are guaranteed subsidized housing on campus. Subsidized family housing is offered to students with partners and/or dependents, subject to availability.

You can review our housing options and costs on the WCM Housing website.

No, this is a full-time doctoral program.

The program is designed to be done in 5 years. Students entering with a master’s degree may be able to complete the program in 4 years.

Yes.

Graduates of the program are positioned for research careers in population health sciences, including postdoctoral positions and tenure-track faculty positions in population health at schools of medicine, public health, and public policy across the country. Population health scientists are also actively recruited by industry, including pharmaceutical, technology and consulting firms, as well as by governmental agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).