American University of Beirut

The mission of the PhD program in epidemiology is to provide advanced training in epidemiology, statistical skills, and cutting-edge research methods. Graduates of the program acquire competencies to undertake high quality independent research, to assume professorial positions at universities, and to obtain leadership positions in research units in Ministries of Health and healthcare institutions in Lebanon, the region and beyond.

The PhD in epidemiology aims to:

To be eligible for admission to the PhD program, candidates must:

​Following the review of applications, shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.

The department offers, on a selective basis, substantial support which fully covers tuition and includes a monthly stipend. There are also some funds available to support participation in international conferences; these funds are awarded on a competitive basis. In return, students help in teaching (preparing and delivering) introductory courses, proctoring, and correcting exams among other related tasks.

The PhD in epidemiology program requires the completion of 27.5 credit hours of coursework beyond the master’s degree and 24 credit hours of thesis work. The credit load for the PhD in epidemiology program is detailed below:

After taking and passing all core and required courses, students should register in two zero credit courses, the thesis proposal preparation, and the comprehensive exam. They should pass both parts of the PhD Qualifying Exam: Part 1 which is the written comprehensive exam, administered by the department; and part 2 which is the oral exam involving defense of the thesis proposal, administered by the thesis committee (please refer to the graduate General University Academic Information section of the catalogue for details about the PhD Qualifying Exam).

Students have to defend their thesis within at most three years following passing Part 2 of the PhD Qualifying Exam.

One of the competencies of the PhD program is for doctoral students to develop experience in teaching. This is accomplished by: (a) serving as a teaching assistant in one or more courses (minimum of 3 credits in total) taught by departmental faculty, and (b) registering, and successfully completing the requirements of two zero-credit courses-EDUC 401 and EDUC 402, as required by the Graduate Council.

The program completion time frame for the regular track is 3 to 5 based on AUB residency requirements. Extension requires Graduate Council approval upon recommendation by the faculty Graduate Studies Committee. Authorized leaves of absence, approved by the PhD Program Committee/Department are the only means of waiving the residency and registration requirements. Policies concerning statute of limitations (for program completion) and leaves of absence are identified in the graduate General University Academic Information section of the catalogue.

Core courses of the program should be taken at AUB, while further required or elective courses could be taken at a recognized institution of higher learning, preferably CEPH accredited, amounting to at most 12 credits that are transferable upon departmental approval. Courses are eligible for transfer only if they are taken beyond master’s degree requirements and fulfill the criteria for type of eligible courses as outlined in the graduate General University Academic Information section of the catalogue for PhD transfer of credits. Students will be encouraged to spend a full term or a shorter duration in a School of Public Health in the US, Canada, or Europe to take courses or engage in research.

To fulfill the minimum residence requirements for the PhD degree, students must register for at least six terms beyond the completion of the master’s degree.