Doctor of Health Science

Description and Outcomes

The Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) is a professional doctoral, versus a research doctoral (PhD), program designed to advance the competencies, knowledge, and skills that health and health care leaders need in order to foster solutions and innovation in the challenging and ever-changing health and health care environment. The program provides a high level of personalization and flexibility based on the learner’s professional goals and interests. The building blocks of the program include a variety of graduate health and health care micro-credentials and electives along with a set of core doctoral-level advanced courses and a doctoral project oriented toward addressing a challenge or need in health/health care policy, administration, higher education, or clinical practice.  

A micro-credential is a course or grouping of courses that represent a focused skill or area of knowledge. The Micro-credential Bulletin contains available micro-credential offerings that can be utilized to personalize the DHSc. For more information about the different types of micro-credentials and the policies governing micro-credentials, please see the Additional Offerings section of this Catalog.

Program Length

The Doctor of Health Science program consists of 88 quarter credit hours, depending on your prior degree. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a professional doctorate degree.

Program Outcomes

  1. Critical Thinking: Evaluate health-related research, trends, issues, policies, and programs.
  2. Problem Solving/Innovation: Generate evidence-based, innovative solutions to health issues for diverse populations at the national, international, and global levels.
  3. Communication: Effectively communicate with key stakeholders to advance health research and practice.
  4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within the health-related environment.
  5. Leadership/Organizational Effectiveness: Contribute to building ethical, people-centered organizations that positively impact health delivery.

Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the professional competencies associated with your academic program in the Professional Competencies section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.

A transcript indicating completion of a master's degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher must be submitted.

If your master's degree has a major in health, health care, or a related field, to apply you must submit the following documents at least 4 weeks prior to the desired start date:

  • A transcript indicating completion of a master's degree in a health, health care, or a related field.
  • A current, professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that verifies you have 3 years of relevant professional experience in a health, health care, or related setting.

If your master’s degree has a major outside of a direct health or health care field, to apply you must submit the following documents at least 4 weeks prior to the desired start date:

  • A transcript indicating completion of a master's degree. 
  • A current, professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that verifies you have 7 years of relevant professional experience in a health, health care, or related setting.

If you wish to reenter the Doctor of Health Science after having previously withdrawn from the program, approval by the Dean of the School of Health Sciences is required.

Progression Requirements

  1. You may transfer in up to 28 credits of electives from your master’s degree.
  2. You must successfully complete IRB training, and IRB approval is required for the development of your scholarly project.
  3. You may not use credit for prior learning to fulfill any 800-level course.
  4. You must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 prior to starting HS860 Doctoral Project I: Project Proposal.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certification and licensure boards have state-specific educational requirements for programs that lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.