Health Education & Promotion, Ph.D.

Admissions

In addition to meeting the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, applications must include the following materials to be considered for regular admission as part of a holistic admissions process:

• Completion of a master's degree program at the time of initial enrollment;
• An unofficial GRE score (an official score will be required on admission);
• Updated CV;
• Submit at least one relevant course paper or graduate-level scientific writing project where the applicant is the primary contributor (e.g., Master’s thesis, literature review, capstone project, research proposal, grant proposal); 

• Statement of Purpose limited to 800 words that addresses the following items:

  (1) How have your prior research and teaching experiences prepared you for a PhD in health education and promotion?

  (2) How do your research interests align with the research interests of Health Science PhD Program faculty?  

  (3) What are your future career goals related to health education/promotion research?

• Clear alignment with the research agendas of Health Science PhD Program faculty;
• Three letters of recommendation from faculty or other professionals capable of judging the applicant’s ability to be successful in a PhD program. At least one letter must come from a faculty member with a doctoral degree who taught the applicant in a graduate-level course; and
• A zoom interview with select PhD Program Faculty and the PhD Program Coordinator.

See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.

 Curricular Requirements

Code and Title		Hours
Health Education and Promotion Core Courses		12
HHE 604	Seminar In Health
HHE 605	Theor Sci Basis Hlth Edu
HHE 606	Plan Admin Hlth Ed Prog
HHE 667	Ad Eval Health Ed & Hlth Promo
Advanced Research and Statistical Methods		12
HHE 626	Adv Biostatistics in Hlth
HHE 627	Multivariate Meth in Hlth
Courses may include the following:
HHE 628	Qual Research Meth in Hlth
NHM 648	Secondary Analysis Survey Data
Other Courses with Approval
Social and Behavioral Science Coursework		12
Courses may include the following:
HHE 530	Health Promotion Techniques
HHE 586	Environmental Health Promotion
HHE 587	Health Disparities
HHE 588	Sex Ed: Theory & Practice
HHE 589	Women and Health
Other Courses with Approval
Directed Research		12
Courses may include the following:
HHE 596	Independent Study
HHE 602	Readings In Health
HHE 603	Spec Projects In Healt
HHE 685	Field & Lab Experience
HHE 698	Research
Other Courses with Approval
Dissertation Research HHE699		18
Total Hours		66

The PhD program in Health Education & Promotion has additional graduation requirements, including a comprehensive examination and dissertation. See below: 

Dissertation: Students are required to complete an acceptable dissertation that shows their ability to conduct independent research. The dissertation should also demonstrate skills in organization, writing, and presentation on a particular topic in the field of health education and promotion. It should make an original contribution to knowledge and be approved by the dissertation committee and Dean of the Graduate School. A final oral dissertation defense is the culminating experience. A minimum of 18 hours of HHE 699 Dissertation Research hours must be completed.

Transfer Credit

The PhD Program in Health Education and Promotion allows students to transfer up to 6 semester hours of elective graduate courses completed previously into the program (no more than six years old). Only graduate lecture coursework with grades of B or higher may be considered for transfer. Transfer decisions are based on (1) equivalence of a previous course to a similar course offered here and (2) how the transfer course would support the student’s program of study. However, students must complete a total of 66 credit hours of Doctoral work above the Master’s level. In addition, students may not transfer graduate coursework to satisfy the health education/health promotion core or research and statistical methods requirements. 

Transfer of elective courses occurs on a case-by-case basis, assuming that the course has some relationship to the student’s overall career goals. Transfer credits often go toward the research focus or social and behavioral sciences.  The Department accepts transfer courses they consider equivalent in rigor and content to similar courses offered in the department.  The PhD Program Coordinator may request that students provide syllabi, course outlines, textbooks, and catalog descriptions for any courses they request to transfer.

See the Graduate School link below for more information about the UA Graduate School-wide transfer policies.

Doctoral Plan of Study Requirement

Graduate School Information on the Doctoral Plan of Study can be found here.

Comprehensive Exams

Doctoral students in the Health Education and Promotion Program are required to successfully complete the comprehensive examination. Passing the comprehensive exam is required for proceeding with other program requirements (e.g., prospectus, dissertation) and obtaining the doctoral degree. The examination should be completed at least nine months before the degree is to be awarded. The comprehensive exam is offered on the first Tuesday/Thursday of the Fall semester, first Tuesday/Thursday of the Spring semester, and the last Tuesday/Thursday of the Spring semester each year. This exam should be prepared for by individual study expanding on the content covered in the courses listed below:

• HHE 605: Advanced Theoretical and Scientific Basis of Health Education and Health Promotion;
• HHE 606: Planning and Administration of Health Education and Health Promotion Programs;
• HHE 626: Advanced Biostatistics in Health;
• HHE 627: Multivariate Methods in Health; and
• HHE 667: Advanced Evaluation in Health Education and Health Promotion.

The exam must be passed unconditionally before the student can submit their dissertation prospectus and defend their dissertation proposal. Prior to taking the exam, students must have completed the courses listed above with a grade of at least a B. At least two weeks prior to the exam, each student will receive more information about the exam.

Students should NOT assume that “A” level performance in their coursework is adequate preparation for the comprehensive exam. Students must be registered for at least one semester hour of graduate work during the semester(s) the comprehensive exams are taken. To prepare, students should review all materials from listed coursework as well as other related courses and supplementary material. Each student must demonstrate the highest levels of learning including application, synthesis, analysis, and evaluation of material covered throughout the core courses. PhD comprehensive exam responses must be written in an essay or textual format and should not include bullet points or other list-based formatting.

Failed comprehensive examinations can only be retaken once. Failing the comprehensive exam twice results in dismissal from both the PhD program and the Graduate School.

Once a student has passed the comprehensive exam, the Doctoral Qualifying Exam Form in Slate must be submitted to the UA graduate school.

Admission to Candidacy Requirements

The requirements for advancing to candidacy include passing the comprehensive examination; completion of all core coursework; receiving dissertation committee approval of the dissertation prospectus during a mandatory meeting of all committee members, and having the committee recommend the student for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The completed candidacy form is submitted to the Graduate School well in advance of the final semester.

Continuous Enrollment Policy

Graduate School information on Continuous Enrollment.

Dissertation Requirements

Prospectus Meeting

The prospectus meeting is a key milestone for PhD students, conducted prior to admission into candidacy. This meeting involves the student and five prospective dissertation committee members, serving to establish a shared understanding of the proposed dissertation research.

The prospectus document should summarize the research idea, questions, and proposed methodology in no more than 20 double-spaced pages, excluding references. The document must include the following:

• Abstract providing a concise overview of the research purpose, methods, expected results, and significance
• Introduction: Reviews background information, articulate the problem being addressed, and explain the rationale for the study, culminating in research questions or hypotheses.
• Method: Describe participants, procedures, and data analysis plans with enough detail to ensure feasibility and replicability
• Expected Outcomes & Implications: Reviews the study’s connection to the field of health promotion.

Prior to the meeting, the student must obtain approval from their Dissertation Chair and share the completed prospectus with all committee members at least two weeks in advance.

During the meeting, the student is required to give a formal presentation summarizing their prospectus. This presentation should not exceed 20 minutes and must provide an overview of the key elements of the document, including the purpose of the study, research questions or hypotheses, proposed methods, anticipated outcomes, and their potential implications for the field of health education and promotion. The presentation is followed by a discussion during which committee members provide feedback, ask questions, and offer guidance. The meeting is expected to last no longer than two hours in total.

The committee will evaluate the prospectus and assign one of three outcomes: high pass, pass with edits, or resubmission necessary.

The Dissertation Chair is required to notify the PhD Program Coordinator and Department Chair of the meeting’s outcome. Students may only advance to candidacy after their prospectus has been approved. If the prospectus is not approved, the student must revise it based on committee feedback and schedule a follow-up meeting.

Appointment/Change in Doctoral Dissertation Committee

Around the same time that your Dissertation Committee Chair submits the Doctoral Candidacy Form, you, as the student, should submit the “Appointment/Change in Doctoral Dissertation Committee Form.” The process for setting up or changing your dissertation committee is an electronic process. This paperless process will generate emails to each committee member so that they can accept or reject the invitation to serve on your committee. Members of the committee should be selected along with your Dissertation Committee Chair. This online form officially establishes the student’s doctoral committee.

Dissertation Committee Membership

All dissertation committee members must hold Graduate Faculty status at UA and represent at least two academic departments. The chair of the committee must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty. Our Department requires that the Dissertation Committee Chair (or its lead Co-chair) is a PhD Program Faculty member in our department. The doctoral dissertation committee must include a minimum of five (5) faculty members.  We also require a minimum of three (3) individuals from our Departments’ PhD Program faculty serve on the dissertation committee. There should be at least one committee member from outside of our department. These individuals should be selected along with your dissertation committee chairperson.  You and your Dissertation Chairperson should ensure that they have (or will have) Graduate Faculty Membership. Students should try to form a dissertation committee by the end of their second semester of doctoral study. 

Dissertation Proposal

Having received guidance from the dissertation committee, the formal dissertation proposal can be developed and generally completed after all or most of the course work is completed, and the comprehensive examination has been successfully completed. The dissertation proposal aims to show the appropriateness, manageability, and significance of the projected research. The department defines a dissertation proposal as the first three chapters of the traditional dissertation (note: the format will look different for an article-style dissertation). The student formally presents the written proposal to the dissertation committee and defends it in a meeting with the committee. The proposal normally includes an introduction giving an overview and stating the proposed research's significance, literature review, and methodology. Each student will work closely with their Dissertation Chair and committee to develop a dissertation proposal. 

Once the student and dissertation chair have developed a proposal and the graduate Dean has approved the dissertation committee, the student schedules the dissertation proposal meeting that includes all committee members. The student cannot propose a dissertation and have its final defense in the same semester.

Proposal presentations typically last about 30-50 minutes.  They often include a brief handout of the presentation outline and main points and electronic presentation formats such as PowerPoint presentations.  Dissertation Chairs help students decide on an appropriate presentation package. The Dissertation Chair invites all PhD students and department faculty to attend the public portion of dissertation proposal meetings.

An email announcement about a student’s dissertation proposal should be sent to the Department Chair and College for inclusion in the CHES Newsletter.  Posting for the Dissertation Proposal must be made public two weeks prior to the proposal.

In preparing for dissertation proposal meetings, PhD students will work closely with their dissertation committee at all stages in developing a dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal format will be distinct depending on the dissertation style selected by the student.

Students who elect to pursue the Traditional Dissertation Format option will prepare a dissertation proposal that includes three (3) fully developed chapters consisting of the:

1. Introduction,
2. Comprehensive Literature Review, and
3. Proposed Methodology

Students who elect to pursue the Article-Style Dissertation Format option will prepare a dissertation proposal that includes:

1. An introduction with:
   1. Theoretical foundations,
   2. Comprehensive literature review,
   3. Statement of the problem, and
   4. Proposed methods for each of the three planned papers that will be written as part of the dissertation.

The proposal should be presented to the Dissertation Committee no later than 2 weeks (10-15 workdays) before the proposal meeting.  Electronic copies can also be provided to other department PhD students and other faculty members, specifically as follows:

• Dissertation Committee –1 electronic copy (by email) as MS Word file. 

After conferring with their Dissertation Chair, students traditionally take responsibility for contacting committee members and arranging a date, time, and location for proposal meetings.  During the period of doctoral study, the faculty expects PhD students to attend the public portion of dissertation proposal meetings of other PhD students. 

The initial proposal of the dissertation to the student’s committee should be a formal presentation.  A polished and professional quality proposal should be the standard. Students will be expected to present their formal research proposal to the graduate faculty, graduate students, and other auxiliary faculty and guests. Directly following the proposal, the student’s dissertation committee will convene to approve the proposal or recommend that a student resubmit a modified proposal later.

Dissertation

A dissertation showing the ability to conduct independent research and skill in organization, writing, and presentation must be prepared on a topic in health education and promotion. It must constitute an original contribution to knowledge. Early in the process, the subject of the dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee and by the Dean of the Graduate School. The doctoral dissertation is designed to provide students with a significant research experience. Students may choose from 2 formats to conduct a dissertation:  the typical 5-chapter format and the article-style dissertation format.  The Dissertation Chair and committee members will assist the student in selecting a format.

Article-Style Dissertations

At the doctoral level, "article-style” dissertations are unified works that include several distinct but closely related research or creative activity studies, each of which is of publishable quality. This approach is intended for doctoral students whose dissertation will consist of a number of related manuscripts or articles that represent independent research or creative activity. This option is strongly encouraged for students enrolled in the PhD Program in Health Education and Promotion.

Article-style dissertations must be based upon research completed while the student is enrolled at The University of Alabama. The student must be the first author, or equivalent, as defined by the discipline for each article used. As with traditional dissertations, the article-style dissertation must be the student's original idea. It must be a unified work and include a sequence of three articles of publishable quality around a cohesive theme, with a comprehensive review of literature demonstrating an in-depth understanding of the unifying framework.

In Article-style dissertations, there will be:

• introductory material to describe the studies, show how they are related, and explain their significance;
• connecting language to bridge each study to the next; and
• a summary clarifies the importance of the studies, integrates the major findings, and discusses the implications for the overall topic.

These components do not have to be separate sections or chapters. They may be parts of the manuscripts or may be accomplished in an abstract. The manuscript will be one of the sets of tables, figures, and reference lists for the document.

All parts of article-style dissertations must conform to the provisions set forth by the UA Graduate School, except when the circumstances of a specific project or discipline’s style manual require deviation. Doctoral students who choose the article-style dissertation will write a final, completed dissertation that will consist of at least three (3) journal-style manuscripts or articles. Students considering the article-style approach should contact the Graduate School before beginning their work about specific article-style guidelines or deviations from traditional procedure.

Authorship Guidelines for Article-Style Dissertations

The student should be the primary author on all of the published or publishable works. Committee members are typically included on the papers produced by the dissertation work since they are working in a collaborative relationship with the graduate student. The decision regarding authorship should be based on the degree to which a given committee member contributed to each paper. Serving on the committee does not guarantee authorship.

If an article(s) is multi-authored, you should justify or clarify the contributions of the other authors in relation to the research project. Issues of clarification should include the origins of the conceptualization and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, and other significant areas of contribution. The student will be involved with every aspect of the dissertation.

General requirements for assigning authorship credit to the manuscripts generated during the dissertation process include:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

For more details on peer-reviewed journal article authorship expectations.

The doctoral student will consult with the committee members to decide on the fate of unpublished papers at the time of graduation. Time limits should be established, so that publication of papers is not held up if the graduate does not submit papers following graduation.

Traditional Dissertation

A dissertation consists of three main parts: the preliminary pages, the text, and the reference matter. Each part contains several sections. Some sections may be omitted, but the order of the following outlines must be observed.

Preliminary Pages

• Title page includes Committee Chair and list of committee members (required; see Appendix A. Do not number this page)
• Copyright page (required; see Appendix A. Do not number this page)
• Abstract (required; number this page ii) - must not exceed 350 words
• Dedication page (Optional)
• List of abbreviations or symbols (required when symbols used are not self-explanatory)
• Acknowledgments (required)
• Table of contents (required; titles of each section listed must concur exactly with body of the paper. Do not list this page among the contents)
• List of tables (required when tables are used)
• List of figures (required when figures are used)
• List of illustrations (required when illustrations are used)

Main Manuscript

• Body of paper (with 5 chapters or sections formatted following the template available from the UA Graduate School)
• Bibliography or References (choose one, depends on accepted practice within the discipline)
• Appendices
• IRB Certificate (where applicable)

Illustrative Materials

• Drawings, graphs and colored images may be included only if they are of high quality. All materials must conform to the margin requirements outlined in this manual.
• Photographs, charts, maps, drawings, and similar items can be included.

Supplementary Files

• Supplementary materials, e.g. audio, video, and Spreadsheet, may be included as supplementary files as part of your electronic submission, however, you MUST follow the formatting and submission requirements set out in ProQuest's instructions for supplementary files.

IRB Certification

• A copy of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) certification must be included in the appendix where a dissertation involves human subjects.

Dissertation Defense

When the student and the committee consider the dissertation to be complete, the committee will conduct the final oral examination of the dissertation. The final oral dissertation defense is the culminating experience in the doctoral program. Once the dissertation committee has agreed that the student is prepared for the final oral dissertation defense, the student and committee members will set the defense date. All doctoral candidates must give members of the dissertation committee a minimum of two weeks to read the dissertation before the date of the required final oral examination.

Final defense presentations typically last about 30-50 minutes. They often include a brief handout of the presentation outline and main points and electronic presentation formats.  Dissertation chairs help students decide on an appropriate presentation package. During the period of doctoral study, the faculty expects PhD students to attend the public portion of dissertation final defense meetings of other PhD students.

After conferring with their Dissertation Chair, students traditionally take responsibility for contacting committee members and arranging a date, time, and location for dissertation final defense meetings.  Refreshments are not required at the final defense. Dissertation Chairs announce the dissertation's final defense date, time, and the location at Department and College levels. Faculty Advisors invite all graduate students and department faculty to attend the public portion of dissertation final defense meetings. An email announcement should be sent to the Department Chair and College for inclusion in the CHES Newsletter.  

In preparing for dissertation final defense meetings, PhD candidates will:

Work closely with the Dissertation Chair and Committee at all stages in completing the dissertation.

Provide Committee members with one electronic copy (delivered by email) as an MS Word file of the final version of the dissertation.

All members of a student’s dissertation committee are expected to attend and participate in real-time, usually in person, in any oral examination as part of the student’s graduate degree program. Traditionally, oral examinations are conducted with the student meeting their committee while gathered in one physical location on campus. However, the need occasionally arises for virtual participation in the oral examination. Virtual attendance via interactive video or teleconference is permitted for off-campus external committee members, but the student and UA Tuscaloosa campus faculty should attend in person unless extraordinary circumstances dictate the need for virtual attendance. In addition, the dissertation must comply with the regulations of the UA Graduate School.

When the dissertation has been completed, the candidate will be given a final oral examination by a committee of not fewer than five members, one of whom must be from outside the student's major department and appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. This examination will focus primarily on the candidate's research work, as embodied in the dissertation and the dissertation's field, but it may encompass the complete program for the degree. The majority of the committee must approve that the student successfully defended the dissertation.  The results of the examination must be reported to the Office of the Graduate School at least six weeks before the commencement at which the degree is to be conferred.

Graduate School deadlines, including each semester's dissertation deadline, are available at the Graduate School's homepage, along with details of ETD submission, including information on what needs to be submitted to the Graduate School.  The graduate dean must approve the dissertation before the student can be cleared for graduation.

All Committee members must be present and sign the appropriate paperwork following successful defense of the dissertation.  Most dissertations, even in the final form for the meeting, require some follow-up work. The Doctoral Final Defense Form in Slate must be completed and submitted to the UA Graduate School once a student has passed their dissertation defense.

After the successful defense, the Committee Acceptance Form for Electronic Dissertation must be completed and submitted to the UA graduate school once the dissertation committee is ready to sign off on the final version of the dissertation. In other words, a student can pass their defense, but the committee may want them to make changes before the dissertation is submitted to the Graduate School. In this case, only the Doctoral Final Defense form would be submitted in Slate to acknowledge that the defense has taken place and the outcome of the defense, but the Committee Acceptance Form for Electronic Dissertation would be held until student has made the changes required by the dissertation committee. Thus, the PhD candidate’s program effectively concludes when all Committee members accept the dissertation and sign the appropriate paperwork.

Time Limits for Degree Completion Requirements

Graduate School information on Time Limits.

Student Progress Requirement

Annual Evaluation of Progress Toward Degree Completion by PhD Students

Faculty have a responsibility to evaluate students' competence across multiple aspects of performance, development, and functioning. Students should know that their faculty and department administrators will evaluate student competence in areas other than, and in addition to, their coursework, comprehensive examinations, and related program requirements. Students are expected to meet all academic requirements, possess discipline-specific knowledge, display professional competency, and engage in scholarship activities that are fitting of a PhD program.

Students will be evaluated in the following areas:

ACADEMIC STANDARDS/REQUIREMENTS

1. Grades in Courses and Overall GPA:

Throughout the doctoral program, the student must maintain a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all coursework. Additionally, students must achieve a grade of “B” or higher on all courses listed in their Plan of Study (unless the class is for pass/fail credit, in which case the student must receive a “pass” grade). The student must re-take any course that does not meet this grade requirement.

EVALUATION STANDARDS

1. Engagement in Scholarly Activities (e.g., research, manuscripts, conference presentations, teaching, professional development):

Each year, students will be assessed on their engagement in scholarly activities. Sample activities that doctoral students might do to meet the annual scholarly engagement requirements are presented below. 

• Actively participate in a faculty-supervised independent research project.
• Engage in collaborative research and development activity with core program faculty and other faculty on campus.
• Present at a state, regional, national, or international conference (e.g., SOPHE, APHA).
• Collaborate with the research mentor or department professor as author or co-author of a scholarly manuscript for publication consideration to a peer-review journal.
• Complete HHE 596 (Independent Study) and/or HHE 602 (Readings in Health) with at least one written product (e.g., a literature review, secondary analysis, thematic paper) that could serve as the basis for a published article/research project, grant proposal, or dissertation topic.
  
  *Note. Prior to Enrolling in Dissertation Credit Hours, Students Must Have:

1. Conducted a minimum of one research or other scholarly activity under the supervision of a PhD program faculty member(s); and
2. Disseminated a minimum of two research or other scholarly activities via professional publication or presentation. The student must be the first author or primary presenter for at least one of these research projects.

Teaching

• For teaching assistants (TAs) or doctoral students those listed as instructor of a course(s), complete evaluations of teaching effectiveness in the classroom (e.g., SSOI results, student-initiated surveys to obtain student feedback on teaching.
• Attend a campus-wide teaching workshop (https://teachinghub.as.ua.edu/) to improve teaching strategies when in the classroom.
• Serve in a leadership role on a committee or hold an office in a professional organization related to health promotion.
• Review abstracts for a professional organization’s annual meeting (e.g., APHA, SOPHE, SEATA).

Professional Development

• Attend a campus-wide professional development research focused event (e.g., grant-writing workshop)
• Attend and/or volunteer to participate in Department/College/or UA research-related events (e.g., judge for URCA, attendance in Graduate Research Seminar).
• Attend a state, regional, national, or international conference.

1. NCHEC Competencies specified in the Eight Areas of Responsibility of a Health Education Specialist:

Students will self-assess their performance in profession-wide advanced competency areas, specifically, within NCHEC’s eight areas of responsibility of a Health Education Specialist (https://www.nchec.org/responsibilities-and-competencies). The assessment process will include pre- and post-program self-assessments conducted by the student which are then reviewed and evaluated by the faculty. Results will be used to identify program strengths and weaknesses, and will inform discussions around program changes.

1. Assessment of Needs and Capacity
2. Planning
3. Implementation
4. Evaluation and Research
5. Advocacy
6. Communication
7. Leadership and Management
8. Ethics and Professionalism

Additional Professional Standards:

In addition to adherence to ethics and the honor code described above, other evaluative areas include, but are not limited to, demonstration of sufficient:

1. interpersonal and professional competence (e.g., the ways in which students relate to peers, faculty, other professionals, study participants, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or histories);
2. self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-evaluation (e.g., knowledge of the potential impact of one’s own beliefs and values on clients, peers, faculty, health education/promotion professionals, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or histories);
3. openness to processes of supervision (e.g., the ability and willingness to explore issues that either interfere with or impede professional development or functioning); and
4. resolution of issues or problems that interfere with student/professional development or functioning in a satisfactory manner (e.g., responding constructively to critical feedback from supervisors or program faculty; the successful completion of remediation plans; participating in resolution of issues or problems).

The Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession      

Students are expected to adhere to rules, laws, and codes governing the academic training program and the field of health promotion, specifically the NCHEC Health Education Code of Ethics. Although students may not become Certified Health Education Specialists, doctoral students in this program are expected to adhere to the 2020 Code of Ethics, Articles I and II, for the Health Education profession (https://www.nchec.org/code-of-ethics).

The annual evaluation covers April 1 of the preceding year through March 15 of the current year.  The Faculty Advisor or Dissertation Chair informs the student, PhD program coordinator, and department chair that the student passed the annual evaluation.  If the Faculty Advisor or Dissertation Chair finds that the student is not making satisfactory progress, the Faculty Advisor works with the student and PhD program coordinator to resolve the problem.  If the process does not resolve the problem, and the Faculty Advisor or Dissertation Chair exhausts all reasonable options to reach a solution, then the Faculty Advisor or Dissertation Chair refers the matter to the Department Chair for resolution.  Depending on the chair’s assessment outcome, the Faculty Advisor/ Dissertation Chair may support the student (with a “pass”), ask the student to comply with corrective measures, or dismiss the student from the program.

Academic Misconduct Information

Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct. 

Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information

Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence. 

Academic Grievances Information

Graduate School information on Academic Grievances. 

Grades and Academic Standing

Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.

Graduate School Deadlines Information

Information on Graduate School Deadlines. 

Application for Graduation Information

Information on the Application for Graduation. 

Acquisition of Financial Support: A limited number of graduate assistantships (GAs) and fellowships are available to students in the Department of Health Science. These positions are awarded on a competitive basis and are contingent upon meeting performance expectations and remaining in good academic standing. Graduate assistantships are .50 FTE appointments, requiring 20 hours of service per week. In return, GAs receive a tuition scholarship, a monthly stipend, and health insurance benefits. Financial support is typically guaranteed through the first three to four years of the program for PhD students who meet performance expectations and who do not violate the conditions outlined below.

Applicants interested in a graduate assistantship must apply by November 1st for full consideration and no later than February 1st for admission for the following fall semester. Final decisions on graduate assistantship awards are made by the Department Chair, though faculty input and rankings play a significant role in the selection process. Employment outside of a departmental GA position is strongly discouraged.

Fellowship Nominations: Fellowships are offered through the UA Graduate School on a competitive basis. Exceptional students may be nominated for fellowships by the Department based on their research productivity, academic performance, and contributions to the Department. Fellowship recipients receive tuition, a stipend, and benefits comparable to those provided through GAs. Fellowship nominations are determined by departmental faculty through a voting process.

Performance Expectations for Continuing Financial Support: To continue receiving financial support, students must meet the following expectations:

• Good Academic Standing: Students must maintain good academic standing in the PhD program, which includes maintaining satisfactory grades and timely progress toward degree completion.
• Compliance with Policies: Students must complete all mandatory annual training and adhere to the rules and policies of The University of Alabama, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, and the Department of Health Science.
• Adequate Job Performance: Graduate assistants must perform assigned duties satisfactorily, whether related to teaching or research, as determined by their assigned supervisor.
• Continuous Research Progress: Beginning in their second semester, students must demonstrate continuous research progress under the direction of a department-approved research advisor.

Conditions for Termination of Financial Support: Financial support may be terminated if a student meets any of the following conditions, as determined by departmental review:

• Dereliction of Duty: This includes failure to comply with human subjects protection policies, instructional policies, absence from scheduled obligations without prior notification, or unsatisfactory completion of duties associated with the funded position.
• Academic Misconduct: Resolved findings of academic misconduct may lead to termination of financial support, as determined by university policies.
• Loss of Good Academic Standing: Students not in good standing have one probationary semester to improve their academic status. Failure to do so will result in termination of financial support.
• Insufficient Research Progress: Students who fail to make adequate research progress, as determined by their dissertation committee, may be given one probationary semester to address deficiencies. Continued lack of progress will result in termination of financial support.
• Delinquent Reviews: Students who fail to complete required annual reviews within the specified timelines may face probation and eventual termination of financial support.

In all cases of potential termination, the Department Chair and PhD Program Coordinator, with input from relevant faculty, will review the circumstances and provide students with appropriate notice of impending actions. Immediate termination may occur in severe cases, while other cases will provide the student with a probationary period to address deficiencies.