phd health sciences niu

College of Health and Human Sciences

Ph.D. in Health Sciences

Huskie Spotlight – Andrew Notebaert

Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Health Professions, College of Health and Human Sciences What year did you start working at NIU? 2023 Where is your hometown? and where do you live now? My hometown is Hemlock, New York, and I live in DeKalb now.

Paris Thomas named as part of the 2023 IMPACT Leadership Development Program

Paris Thomas, who graduates in December 2022 with a Ph.D. in Health Sciences, has been named as one of 44 emerging leaders for the Chicago Urban League IMPACT Leadership Development Program. The intensive, nine-month program helps Black professionals advance in their careers

Huskie Spotlight – Harold Nii-Aponsah

Hometown: Accra, Ghana Year: Expected graduation: 2024 Major: Health sciences Ph.D. program What scholarships did you receive and why did you receive them? How has the financial support impacted your experience at NIU? I gratefully received a graduate assistantship that came with a tuition waiver for my entire

Hana Hinkle, ’18 Ph.D., Named Presidential Leadership Scholar

The experience of growing up in the small town of Oregon, Ill., helped pave the path for Hana Hinkle’s, ’18 Ph.D., current positions advocating for healthcare in rural areas and in underserved populations. For that work, she was recently named a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Presidential

Debra Kimberlin, Ph.D. ’19, Instructs Next Generation of Dietetic Students

Completing a doctorate degree while excelling in a full-time career is never simple, but Debra Kimberlin, who earned a Ph.D. in health sciences from NIU in 2019, felt prepared for the challenge. After nearly two decades of diverse experience in dietetics, including

Doctoral student earns two-year grant for important research

Jerian Dixon-Evans Jerian Dixon-Evans, a Health Sciences doctoral student in NIU College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS), was recently awarded a $138,000 R36 Dissertation Grant from the National Institute on Aging for her project, “The Impact of Race on Quality of

CHHS fosters transdisciplinary research during inaugural fall showcase

Dozens of people gathered in Wirtz Hall Atrium on Oct. 27 for the inaugural College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) Research and Scholarly Activity Showcase. With presentations about health and human science, engineering and the fine arts, the event was a

Associate Dean Beverly Henry, ’83, counts on NIU community to help her ‘stretch and grow’

Associate Dean Beverly Henry, ’83, has dedicated to NIU for 35 years. NIU Associate Dean for the College of Health and Human Sciences Beverly Henry, ’83, wears her Huskie Pride like a badge of honor. After 35 years in health care education,

A good read gets even better

Members of the 2021 Ph.D. in Health Sciences cohort proved they have a sense of humor along with impressive credentials. When diving into one of their required reading assignments for Professor Beverly Henry’s graduate course (UHHS 710), they invited some furry friends

CHHS doctoral student earns significant award

NIU College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) doctoral student, Alexis Briley, was selected as the recipient of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation’s 2021 Commission on Dietetic Registration Doctoral Scholarship. The award includes $10,000 to be used for the 2021-2022 academic

NIU students named to Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Jerian Dixon-Evans Three College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) doctoral students were recently named as inductees to the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Alexis Briley, of Greenville, North Carolina; Jerian Dixon-Evans, of Plainfield, Illinois; and Marisol Perez of Chicago, will join

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Ph.D. in Health Sciences gets new leadership

The NIU Ph.D. in Health Sciences program welcomes a new director who is a familiar face at the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Beverly Henry

Beverly Henry, formerly associate dean for the college, formally began leading the Ph.D. in Health Sciences program January 2020. However, Henry has always been affiliated with the program, serving as its interim director from 2014-2016, recruiting the first cohort in 2015.

“I am very excited to assume the full-time faculty role as director, interacting with students, academic advisors, and committee members,” Henry said.

Henry said her goals for the program are two-fold: continue building on the program’s success, and, expanding its role in the national landscape of interdisciplinary health sciences doctoral programs education.

“Our blended program is a model of interprofessional education that meets the needs of professionals who seek doctoral education to meet career goals, develop research skills, and work alongside individuals from many other disciplines,” Henry said.

School of Interdisciplinary Health Professions Chair Paul Priester said the doctoral program is extremely fortunate to have Henry at its helm.

“She embraces the interdisciplinary perspective that makes the program so unique. The students will benefit from her extensive experience in interdisciplinary health research,” Priester said.

Henry began an NIU in 2003 as a faculty member in the nutrition and dietetics program. She became an associate dean for the CHHS in 2013. Henry holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Loyola University, an M.S. in Nutrition and Medical Dietetics from the University of Illinois, and is an NIU alumna with a B.S. in Food Science.

NIU’s Ph.D. in Health Sciences emphasizes an interprofessional orientation to research and practice, seeking to educate a wide range of individuals to teach, conduct research and practice in an ever more complex interprofessional world.

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Health Sciences at NIU Bachelor of Science

Your career as a physical therapist or health care professional starts here.

Choose health sciences to build a strong foundation for your health care career. In addition to patient care and outcomes, you'll learn about health care management and finance with a global perspective. Whether you pursue graduate study or enter the workforce, you'll have the knowledge, skills and cultural competence to succeed.

Already licensed/credentialed in a related field? Learn about our online health sciences degree completion program .

My major is health sciences with an emphasis in pre-physical therapy and my minor is Spanish. Physical therapy is an excellent way for me to network and meet new people while helping them to feel better. Onique Bryson of  Aurora, Illinois Health sciences major, emphasis in pre-physical therapy

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What can i do with a health sciences degree from niu.

Our program will prepare you enter the workforce in a variety of health care roles, or to pursue further study in physical therapy or another area.

Top skills reported by alumni:

• Customer service
• Strategic planning

Top fields alumni work in:

• Health care
• Life sciences

Other Programs to Consider

Kinesiology

Nonprofit and NGO studies

Nutrition, dietetics and wellness

Career Potential for NIU Health Sciences Majors

Average mid-career salary :, top employers include:.

• ATI Physical Therapy
• DuPage Medical Group
• Northwestern Medicine
• Rush University Medical Center

Job titles include:

• Clinic director
• Registered nurse
• Occupational therapist
• Physical therapist
• Physical therapy director

Source: Steppingblocks, 2023

What to Expect as a Health Sciences Major at NIU

In addition to your health care knowledge, our science-based curriculum will build your communication and critical-thinking skills. Depending on your goals after graduation, you can choose one of two emphases:

• General health sciences: to start/advance your career or begin a medical laboratory science or nursing degree program
• Pre-physical therapy: to prepare for graduate study and become a physical therapist

Explore health sciences courses .

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College of Health and Human Sciences

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The college-wide Ph.D. program emphasizes an interprofessional orientation to research and practice as students work with graduate faculty members from across the college. The Ph.D. prepares students from a wide range of health and human sciences fields to function effectively as scholars and researchers within academic and practice settings. Doctoral students participate in shared learning across online seminars and research tools courses by making connections to health topics from the perspectives of multiple disciplines. Students complete an individualized program of study that is tailored to individual needs before taking the candidacy examination and conducting a dissertation under the supervision of a dissertation director(s). The residency requirement is fulfilled through limited face-to-face meetings for core program courses. Admission and course requirements are detailed under the School of Intedisciplinary Health Professions.

Check departmental information for additional requirements.

A student seeking admission to the Ph.D. program must be admitted to the Graduate School, submit three letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Scores on the GRE are waived for applicants who have earned a graduate degree with a GPA of 3.50 or higher from an accredited institution.

Course requirements

Completion of this degree requires a minimum of 45 semester hours of graduate course work at NIU beyond the graduate credits earned toward the student’s master’s degree.

Core seminars (8)

• UHHS 710 - Scientific Underpinnings and Seminal Readings in the Health Sciences Credits: 3
• UHHS 720 - Contemporary Health Science Topics Credits: 2
• UHHS 760 - Knowledge Integration in the Health Sciences Credits: 3

Research Tools Requirements (12)

• UHHS 730 - Research Design, Conduct, and Analysis in the Health Sciences I Credits: 3
• UHHS 731 - Research Design, Conduct, and Analysis in the Health Sciences II Credits: 3
• UHHS 740 - Data Analysis in the Health Sciences Credits: 3
• UHHS 750 - Research Positioning and Grantsmanship Skills Credits: 3

Individualized Program of Study (12)

All students are required to complete an individualized program of study related to their professional areas of interest. Proposed course work must be pre-approved by the student’s adviser. Additional course work may be required.

Additional Requirements

All students must complete a research ethics milestone prior to admission to the candidacy examination. Students fulfill the requirement by demonstrating competency with ethical decision-making in the context of designing and implementing research for scientific and clinical communities. The research ethics training and assessment are available online.

Candidacy Examination (1)

A student must receive approval from his or her graduate committee to take the candidacy examination. The candidacy examination is a written examination based on the core courses and the student’s individual program of study. Upon satisfactory completion of the candidacy examination the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The examining committee may allow a student who fails a candidacy exam to repeat it after a period of time determined by the committee. A student who fails the candidacy examination a second time or is not granted permission for a second attempt will not be permitted to continue work toward the doctorate and admission to the doctoral program is terminated.

• UHHS 798 - Candidacy Examination Credits: 1

Doctoral Research and Dissertation (12)

• UHHS 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation Credits: 0.5-12

Students must take 12 semester hours in this course.

Oral Defense of Dissertation

A final oral examination related to the dissertation is required and is conducted in accordance with the general requirements of the Graduate School.

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Health Sciences General (B.S.)

NIU’s Health Sciences General B.S. degree is designed to give you the knowledge and skills you’ll need to prepare you for professional health care careers in a global market. Coursework focuses on health care leadership skills, financial principles, management strategies and standards to improve patient care. You’ll take courses in the physical and social sciences giving you a well-rounded education to pursue careers in allied health roles or to prepare you for entry into medical laboratory science or nursing degree programs.

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