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.

In cases where the application fee presents a financial hardship for an applicant, WCGS will consider a request for a fee waiver.

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 months
• 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

WCGS is pleased to offer application fee waivers to participants of select institutional programs:

• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) 
• Advancing Cornell Career Experiences for Science Students (ACCESS)
• ASPIRE program/ PREP program
• Biology Scholars Program (BSP)
• BMRI summer scholars program
• Consider Cornell: Experience
• Engineering and Imaging Summer Program (EISP)
• Gateways to the Laboratory
• GSK Mechanistic Biology Summer Program (formerly SURP)
• Leadership Alliance
• McNair Scholars
• MSK Bridge
• MSK Engage
• NIH Graduate School & Professional Fair 
• Posse Scholars
• Quantitative Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience (QSURE)
• RU Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference
• Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Summer Program (ChBSP)
• Tri-Institutional Computation Biology & Medicine Summer Program (CBSP)
• Tri-Institutional Mentorship Initiative
• Upward Bound
• Weill Cornell Medicine Summer Research Fellowship (WCM-SRF) formerly known as Travelers

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. Fee waiver requests must be submitted by November 22nd. Requests will not be honored after that date. 

No. A master’s degree is not required for entry into the program. 

Under limited circumstances, the Program may permit students to transfer credits gained from another institution. Students cannot waive out of the required courses. To apply, a student must submit syllabi and official transcripts for the relevant coursework. The Program and Faculty Director will evaluate the request to determine whether the student has previously satisfied the requirements for a certain course.

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.

Domestic Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts from U.S. institutions may be submitted for application review. Official transcripts will be requested from accepted students prior to matriculation. 

Foreign Transcripts - Transcripts from institutions outside of the U.S., including Canada, must be transcribed and evaluated by an approved evaluation service. Please request your transcript evaluation early so that it arrives before the application deadline. Official foreign transcript evaluations are required. To be considered official, evaluations must be sent to WCGS via electronic transmission directly from the credential agency. Evaluations uploaded by the applicant are not official. 

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.

International applicants are required to provide proof of English language proficiency.

Accepted Exams:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (WCGS ETS Code: #2119)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Duolingo English Test (DET)

TOEFL, IELTS and DET scores are valid for two years after the test date

For admissions purposes, Weill Cornell Graduate School does not require TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores from applicants who meet one of the following standing exemptions.

1. Speak English as a first language and are a citizen or permanent resident of a country where English is an official language (including but not limited to Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan). 
2. At the time of enrollment at Weill Cornell, will have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university located in the U.S. (Please note that you must have been physically present in the U.S. for the majority of your enrollment.) 
3. At the time of enrollment at Weill Cornell, will have earned the international equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university located in a country where English is an official language, and where English is the language of instruction (including but not limited to Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan). The medium of instruction must be indicated on the transcript or easily verified on the institution’s website. (Please note that you must have been physically present in the exempt country for the majority of your enrollment.) 
4. At the time of enrollment at Weill Cornell, will have studied and/or worked full-time for at least 2 consecutive years* within the last 10 years in a country where English is an official and widely spoken language. This experience must be noted on a transcript and/or described on a resume or CV. We will accept a combination of study and work—e.g., an applicant who completed a 1-year master’s degree in the U.S. followed by 1 year of OPT. If you are or were a student, the full-time study must have been for at least 2 consecutive academic years (potentially slightly less than 24 months) AND English must have been the language of instruction for your studies. (Please note that you must have been physically present in the exempt country for the majority of your enrollment.)

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.

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).