Doctoral Programs
The College of Graduate Health Sciences has six programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy:
- Biomedical Engineering (joint degree with the University of Memphis);
- Biomedical Sciences;
- Health Outcomes and Policy Research;
- Nursing Science (a hybrid program relying on a combination of face-to-face and online instruction);
- Pharmaceutical Sciences; and,
- Speech and Hearing Science (located in Knoxville).
The program in biomedical engineering is a joint program with the University of Memphis for which students may apply through the websites of either institution. Students admitted to the biomedical engineering program take courses and do research on both campuses. Five concentrations or areas of study are available: bioimaging, biomaterials and regenerative technology, biomechanics, biosensors and electrophysiology, and an interdisciplinary focus. For more information, refer to http://www.uthsc.edu/bme/.
The biomedical sciences program has five concentrations or areas of study available: cancer and developmental biology; cell biology and physiology; microbiology, immunology, and biochemistry; molecular and systems pharmacology; and neuroscience. The pharmaceutical sciences program has four concentrations or areas of study available: medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, bioanalysis, and pharmacometrics. The health outcomes and policy research program has two concentrations: health policy and health services research, and pharmacoeconomics. Finally, the speech and hearing science program, offered in Knoxville, has four areas of study available: audiology; hearing science; speech and language pathology; and speech-language science. The research portions of some of the doctoral programs may be located at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital depending on the specific research interests of the student and primary location of the research advisor.
The course of study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is usually completed in five to six years. The exact sequence will vary from program to program (sample sequences in this bulletin). Generally, the first two years are spent taking various required courses and seminars and choosing a Research Advisor. Subsequently, four additional faculty are selected to participate on the student’s Faculty Committee. The student is admitted to candidacy for the degree after successful completion of an oral and/or written examination. The last two or three years are spent in actual research on a specific problem, taking other elective or specialty courses, and writing and defending the dissertation.
Combined AuD/PhD, DDS/PhD, MD/PhD, DNP/PhD, and PharmD/PhD curricula in conjunction with the colleges of health professions, dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy are available for exceptionally qualified students. Combined professional degree/PhD programs generally take less time to complete than each degree program individually as a result of the correspondence of course requirements between the programs.
Master’s Programs
The College of Graduate Health Sciences offers six programs leading to a Master of Science degree:
- Biomedical Engineering (a joint degree with University of Memphis);
- Biomedical Sciences;
- Epidemiology (a hybrid program relying both on face-to-face and online instruction);
- Health Outcomes and Policy Research;
- Pharmacology; and,
- Pharmaceutical Sciences1.
As with the doctoral degree program, the master’s level program in biomedical engineering is a joint program with the University of Memphis for which students may apply through the websites of either institution. Students admitted to the biomedical engineering program take courses and do research on both campuses. Five concentrations or areas of study are available: bioimaging, biomaterials and regenerative technology, biomechanics, biosensors and electrophysiology, and an interdisciplinary focus. For more information, refer to http://www.uthsc.edu/bme/. The biomedical sciences program at the master’s level has a concentration in laboratory research and management. In addition, the college offers a hybrid Master of Science in Epidemiology(relying both on face-to-face and online instruction) as well as an accelerated 11-month Master of Science in Pharmacology . Finally, the college offers a seventh master’s-level degree leading to a Master of Dental Science with concentrations in endodontics, forensic dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontology, and prosthodontics.
The course of study leading to the Master of Science or the Master of Dental Science degree is usually completed in two to three years. Generally, the first year is spent taking required courses and seminars and choosing a Research Advisor. Subsequently, two additional faculty are selected to participate on the student’s Faculty Committee. The student is admitted to candidacy for the degree after successful completion of an oral and/or written examination. The last one to two years are spent in actual research on a specific problem, taking other elective or specialty courses, and writing and defending the thesis or project.
Individuals enrolled in doctoral programs in Biomedical Sciences, Health Outcomes and Policy Research, or Pharmaceutical Sciences may be granted a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences, Health Outcomes and Policy Research, or Pharmaceutical Sciences under unique circumstances.
Graduate Certificates
In addition to the doctoral and master’s level degrees listed above, the College of Graduate Health Sciences also offers several graduate certificates.
The online 12-credit hour certificate in Clinical Research provides initial clinical research skills and training to healthcare professionals. All coursework is provided online, focusing on fundamentals of clinical investigation, biostatistics, epidemiology, and ethical and legal issues. The program is self-paced but requires at least two terms for completion due to staggered Spring/Fall course offerings. Information regarding safeguards to student privacy and means to assure student identity when enrolled in online courses is summarized in the distance education/online instruction policy section in this bulletin.
The 12-credit hour certificate in Healthcare Quality Improvement (HQI) prepares professionals in healthcare to implement quality improvement initiatives and to manage populations of patients to optimize efficiency and effectiveness of care and services. Participants learn to use the techniques of statistical process control, selected tools from operations research and quality improvement, information management technology, and qualitative decision-making applications to ultimately improve clinical health outcomes for patients and communities. Graduates will be prepared for positions within health care organizations or policy agencies requiring skills in quality and health outcome improvement and population health, and be able to:
- Develop, implement, and evaluate healthcare quality and outcomes improvement initiatives
- Translate national quality standards into daily operations
- Apply processes and tools to measure, analyze, and interpret quality improvement data
- Understand information technology systems to support quality improvement
The HQI certificate is a hybrid program that requires at least two terms for completion due to staggered Spring/Fall course offerings.
The Genomic Research Training Program (GRTP) Certificate is a 12-credit hour program designed to empower investigators to effectively use large genomic data sets individually or collaboratively. The program targets research-oriented MD/DO or PhD junior faculty, and senior postdoctoral fellows, who are not in a degree program but are seeking initial training on the methods and skills to conduct genomic research. The program can be completed in 2 years, with the second year primarily devoted to a mentored research project. The mentored research project (BIOE 810) will be 6 credit hours.
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