Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Epidemiology

This program may be of interest to students from the natural or quantitative sciences (e.g., microbiology, computer science, statistics, economics, geography), quantitative social sciences (e.g., sociology, psychology), or the health professions (e.g., medicine, nursing, social work, nutrition). Applicants must have an interest in health research, along with strong conceptual, analytic, and quantitative skills (e.g., differential and integral calculus, statistics) at the undergraduate and master's levels.
The Ph.D. program prepares students with the advanced epidemiological research skills needed to undertake original contributions to new knowledge related to the determinants of health and disease, prevention, prognosis, treatment, and outcomes. The program is generally completed in four to five years. Graduates will be prepared to engage in scientific collaboration, and communicate results to other scientists and diverse audiences. They will go on to careers in public health, health planning, and quality monitoring in local, regional, federal, and international health authorities, statistical and technology assessment agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, and in clinical and academic research organizations. McGill graduates are known for their methodological and quantitative rigour and quantitative analytic independence. While their core training is in methods, rather than specific substantive areas, students learn about substantive areas in the context of their research and through elective courses.