Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – Public Health
Lusaka, Zambia
PhD
DURATION
6 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: A PhD in Public Health at Unicaf University prepares leaders to detect, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, strengthen disease surveillance and promote population health and policy change. The programme combines advanced theory, research methods and practical skills to drive systemic change, develop practitioners and support executive roles in national and international public health, with supervised doctoral research producing original scholarship in Zambia and beyond.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can work as public health researchers, epidemiologists, health policy analysts, programme managers, and academic faculty, qualifying them for leadership, management, research and teaching positions across government, NGOs, international organisations and academia.
A Ph.D. in Public Health is deemed essential, not only for Zambia but worldwide, as it enables its graduates to ensure alertness, prevention, and efficient response to disease transmission and outbreaks (pandemics) as well as support disease surveillance.
Furthermore, the degree will enable students to become efficiently equipped with all the necessary skills and knowledge in order to advance in public health related to international organizations and achieve positive results when operating in executive positions.
Aims of the Programme
The program aims at introducing current and emerging public health leaders who are looking to drive systemic change in their organization to new leadership styles, as well as to make sure they ensure the population’s health and well-being are maintained through relevant prevention and health promotion services. These leaders include individuals who currently hold or are seeking top positions in public health-related professional organizations.
Objectives of the Programme
The objectives of the program are to provide the student the opportunity to:
- Drive systemic change in their organization. These leaders include individuals who currently hold or are seeking top positions in professional organizations.
- Become the next generation of leading researchers.
- Apply practical and theoretical knowledge and enhance their employability prospects.
- Develop a sound understanding of the relevant conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of the student’s chosen area of research.
- Produce a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic and management enquiry.
- Strengthen their performance as a reflective practitioner program,
- Develop personal, consultancy, and research competencies progra to undertake rigorous research at an advanced level that contributes to theory and practice in business and management within the Public Health sector.
- Construct an individual programme of doctoral study. This will comprise an opportunity for students to propose their research study to complete a supervised dissertation at the forefront of doctoral research and professional and academic practice.
- Provide an overarching, individually supervised teaching, learning, and mentoring approach that will enable them to develop their role as an advanced researcher and/or professional practitioner in their field.
- Develop a comprehensive, contemporary, advanced knowledge of content, research methods, and theoretical context in an area-related, practice. Through this, students will make an important contribution to knowledge informed by original research and scholarship.
- Become professionals who will have a significant role in Zambia’s health, economic, social, and political endeavors.
Unicaf University is in partnership with the Unicaf Scholarship programme which is one of the most generous scholarship programmes available. The programme supports eligible students and provides opportunities for studies towards the programmes offered by Unicaf University at a fraction of the cost. Unicaf has already offered more than US $100 million worth of scholarships to students helping them to study towards internationally recognised qualifications. The primary objective of the Unicaf Scholarship Programme is to make high-quality education affordable and accessible. Supported programmes have a strong professional and vocational focus delivered with an international perspective to ensure that students are prepared for work in the global marketplace and receive a return on their education investment.
Foundation Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| UU-DOC-IND100-ZM | Induction Module | 0.00 |
Core requirements (required modules)
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| UU-DOC-801-ZM | Quantitative Research Methods | 30.00 |
| UU-DOC-802-ZM | Qualitative Research Methods | 30.00 |
| UU-DOC-803-ZM | Current Issues in Research | 30.00 |
| UU-DOC-804-ZM | Leadership | 30.00 |
| UU-DOC-900-1-ZM | Dissertation (Part 1) | 60.00 |
| UU-DOC-900-2-ZM | Dissertation (Part 2) | 60.00 |
| UU-DOC-900-3-ZM | Dissertation (Part 3) | 60.00 |
| UU-DOC-900-4-ZM | Dissertation (Part 4) | 60.00 |
| UU-DOC-995-ZM | Doctoral Dissertation Examination | 0.00 |
The key learning outcomes of this programme are:
- Shape the theoretical context of students’ original research and programme.
- Apply techniques for research and advanced academic and management enquiry.
- Analyse the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of the student’s chosen area of research.
- Analyse complex statistical data related to Public Health.
- Compare different theoretical frameworks and applications within the area of public health.
- Apply the knowledge and competencies of research methods within the area of Public Health.
- Utilise different theoretical managerial and leadership models/perspectives within the area of Public Health Management.
- Synthesise and interpret knowledge through original research.