FAQ

Tuition remission and paid research assistantships may be available. Candidates who enroll in the program prior to April 30, 2025 will have priority in the review process for the funding opportunities. Final decisions on funding opportunities will be made by Early Summer 2025.

Yes, the Ph.D. in Rural Health Sciences follows a cohort model, with annual cohorts beginning each fall. Students are not admitted off-cycle.

Because of the rigor and accelerated pace of the Ph.D. program, which allows for the attainment of a Ph.D. in three years, students must possess a master’s or terminal degree to gain entry into the program.

Yes, comprehensive examinations will occur immediately following completion of academic coursework (e.g., summer of year two) and will involve an examination of: 1) knowledge of rural culture and rural systems; 2) research design and interpretation skills; 3) collaborative project development skills; and 4) an oral assessment of a cumulative portfolio assembled throughout coursework.

Student learning outcomes are assessed through course-based assignments, experiential assessments, a cumulative portfolio and comprehensive examinations. In course-based assignments, attainment of student learning outcomes is assessed through a combination of written assignments (for example, papers, grant proposals), products (for example, infographics) and examinations. During experiential courses (for example, practicum), students are evaluated both by their on-site and faculty supervisors on their performance using a rubric-based performance assessment. As the student progresses through the program and generates products (for example, papers and infographics), they will assemble these into a portfolio that is assessed during the oral phase of the comprehensive examination process.

The Ph.D. in Rural Health Sciences is offered at the Macon campus of Mercer University.