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Health Professions Education, Doctoral/PhD

See Program Details, Dates & Deadlines

Position Yourself as a Researcher in Health Professions Education.

The PhD in Health Professions Education provides the next generation of health professions faculty with advanced training in education. This program gives you practical skills to conduct educational research, lead educational programs, institutions, curricula, and organizations in the health professions. Learners will build on existing health professional competencies gained through advanced education and practical experience. Elevate your impact as an educator by exploring how people learn and how research can transform teaching in health professions. Your primary field is the lens through which you will explore educational theory and practice. After completing this program, you will have the tools necessary to contribute to educational research and to adequately prepare future health professionals to make a real difference in the health of diverse communities.

Details, Dates & Deadlines

Program Details

Class Format

Hybrid

Program Location

Predominantly online
UMB Campus

Program Length

36-60 months

Credits to Complete

60 credits

Cost/Credit Hour

In State: $798
Out of State: $997

  • Online application
  • $75 application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • 3 Letters of recommendation
  • Current CV or resume
  • Master’s degree or higher in the health professions or a related field
  • Proof of English language proficiency for international applicants
  • Statement of professional goals and proposed research interests
  • Proof of current professional license for applicants who are clinically practicing
  • At least 2 years of experience working in a clinical profession

Dates & Deadlines

Fall Deadline: February 1

 

Information Sessions

Program Overview

Each year, thousands of qualified students are turned away from programs because there aren’t enough educators to teach them. National studies show persistent faculty shortages across disciplines, from nursing and physician assistant programs to pharmacy, dentistry, and social work. With healthcare needs projected to rise significantly in the coming years, this gap threatens the future of patient care. Our Health Professions Education PhD program addresses this critical need by preparing experts who can lead, teach, and innovate. You will gain advanced skills in evidence-based teaching, research, and leadership, equipping you to design curricula, lead institutions, and influence policy. 

Program Structure 

The PhD in health professions education consists of a total of 60 credits. The instruction will occur predominantly online utilizing distance learning technologies in addition to a mandatory on-site residency to be taken in tandem with the beginning of years 2 and 3 in the program. The mandatory in person (residency require students to attend four consecutive days of face-to-face lectures, training, discussions, and presentations at UMB’s campus in Baltimore, MD. 

  • The degree is designed for completion within 3.5 to 5 academic years, and its online format increases its accessibility to students. 
  • Participants can start the program in the fall term only.

Graduates of the PhD in HPE program will be prepared to apply the skills that they have acquired to higher education employment in their profession, the private sector, as well as local, state and government positions in healthcare and education. 

Graduates of the PhD in HPE will:

  • Advance theory through the generation and dissemination of rigorous educational research and scholarship.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in curriculum design, delivery, and evaluation. 
  • Work effectively in interprofessional research.
  • Demonstrate academic and executive-level administration and leadership skills needed to lead higher education programs, institutions, agencies, and organizations in the health professions. 
  • Demonstrate evidence-based teaching and assessment methods at the course or program level.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply analytical skills to improve educational programs and institutional effectiveness.
  • Participate in the broader national and global health professions community to improve health professions education.

As the demand for health professionals continues to grow nationwide, so does the need for well-prepared health professions faculty who have advanced training in educational theory, instructional strategies in the health professions, and related assessment methods. The Health Professions Education curriculum is intentionally designed to formally prepare learners with the foundations needed to engage in educational scholarship, curricular design, assessment, program evaluation, and institutional leadership. 

Required Courses

  • HPE 610: Theoretical Foundations of Learning in the Health Professions (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 615: Foundations in Statistics for Social Sciences Research (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 620: Evaluation and Synthesis of Literature (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 625: Instructional Strategies in the Health Professions (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 660: Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 710: Leadership in Higher Education (3 credits) 
  • HPE 715: Quantitative Research Methods 1 (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 720: Quantitative Research Methods 2 (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 725: Qualitative Research Methods 1 (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 730: Qualitative Research Methods 2 (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 805: Impact Institute 1 (2 Credits) 
  • HPE 810: Impact Institute 2 (2 Credits)
  • HPE 840: Educational Program Evaluation (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 850: Advanced Teaching Seminar (3 Credits)   
  • HPE 851: Research Seminar (3 Credits) 
  • HPE 898: Pre-Candidacy Research (6 Credits) 
  • HPE 899: Dissertation Research (14 Credits) 

See Course Descriptions

Admission Requirements

Upload your transcripts as a supplemental item to the online application. 

You must submit transcripts from each college/university attended, including coursework in progress at time of application.  Unofficial copies may be provided for the application review process.  
If you are offered admission, you must then provide official transcripts from each college/university from which a degree was earned.  The transcript must be provided to the Graduate School directly from the prior, degree-granting institution in a sealed envelope in order for that document to be considered official.  Alternatively, it may be provided to the Graduate School electronically by way of a secure, encrypted platform.  Each transcript should bear the signature of the registrar and the seal of the granting institution. 

Transcripts (US only) may be obtained from/provided by one of the following secure, encrypted transcript services:
https://www.parchment.com/ 
https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/solutions/ed-transcripts/
Send encrypted, electronic transcripts from your issuing institution to: gradapply@umaryland.edu 

If provided by mail, send official transcripts in sealed envelopes to:
ATTN: Admissions
University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies
620 West Lexington Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1508

Essay
Your essay must be uploaded as a supplemental item to the online application.  The statement should be between 300- to 500-words and should address your academic and/or professional career goals and objectives in pursuing graduate study.   

CV or Resume
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume is required by most graduate programs.  Your CV or resume must be uploaded as part of the online application.

Letters of Recommendation
Applicants should provide three letters of recommendation from professors or others who can attest to the quality of your academic performance and scholastic potential.

English Language Proficiency (International Applicants Only)
The Graduate School accepts the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or the Duolingo English Test as a measure of English proficiency.  Minimum required scores are 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS, and 115 on the DET. Scores must be sent directly from ETS (for TOEFL, use institution code #5848), the IELTS agency, or Duolingo to the Graduate School.

Application for in-state status classification
Maryland residents only.  If you wish to be considered for in-state residency status for admission and tuition purposes, you must complete an Application for In-State Classification and submit it to the campus classification officer within the Office of the Registrar.

If you have problems with or questions about the application process, please contact us at 410.706.7131 or gradapply@umaryland.edu 

Contact Us

Admissions

Nina Jackson
Admissions Counselor 
nina.jackson@umaryland.edu
410-706-6489

Academics

Violet Kulo, EdD, PhD
PhD, HPE Leadership Certificate Program Director
vkulo@umaryland.edu 

Meet Your Faculty

Our distinguished faculty, composed of accomplished scholars and experienced health care professionals, will guide your educational journey. Drawing from their expertise, they'll steer you through our comprehensive programs, preparing you for success in educational research and leadership roles in health professions education.

View Faculty Bios
The HPE PhD program deepened my identity as a scholar by integrating educational theory, research methods, and practice. It continues to inform my teaching, mentorship, and scholarly leadership across health professions education.
David J. Bunnell, PhD, PAC, DFAAPA Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Maryland School of Graduate Studies

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620 W. Lexington St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 706-3100

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