Advancement to Candidacy
A dissertation is required to be awarded the degree. This must meet requirements articulated by State of California Title V and those of SDSU. To advance to candidacy, students must:
- Complete all courses through the second spring semester with a GPA of 3.0 or better and no less than 2.5 in any given course.
- Complete 3 credit hours of applied practice experience (PH 950)
- Prepare a student portfolio (selected assessments throughout the program courses) approved by their academic adviser.
- Propose a dissertation topic and receive approval
- Select a mentor and a thesis committee
- Complete an oral exam, consisting of a presentation and explanation of their proposed dissertation.
- Receive approval from their committee and the DrPH Program Director to proceed with the thesis.
After completing these parts of the program, the student may advance with their culminating integrated learning experience dissertation (PH 899). The expectation is that students will advance to candidacy at end of Summer Year 2 or Fall Year 3.
Process to Completion
The format and timing for submission of the dissertation are governed by SDSU requirements outlined by Montezuma Press. The approval must be gained from all dissertation members and the DrPH Program Director. A student must be enrolled during the term in which the degree will be awarded (i.e., for most students, Spring, Year 3).
Doctoral students who have not completed their dissertation after nine semester units must maintain continuous enrollment in the university by registering for at least one unit per semester. The maximum credits allowed for the dissertation is 12 units.
