Interdisciplinary Health Sciences PhD Program
Welcome to the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Thank you for your interest in our program. Our vision is to be recognized nationally as a leader in training interdisciplinary researchers to accelerate solutions to address complex and chronic health issues.
The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences PhD Program is a 60-credit hour program beyond the master's degree, emphasizing the depth of learning that results from the interaction among and between multiple health professions. We provide pedagogical and research experiences that teach advanced skills in research design, methods, statistics, grant writing, and writing for publication, while providing models for the conceptualization and development of interdisciplinary research programs in health and disease prevention. As the name implies, the degree encompasses classes taught by faculty from the various disciplines within the College of Health Sciences, and by professors in various departments across the university.
Local, Regional, State, National and International Needs
The degree is designed to respond to the growing national shortage of doctorally-trained professionals in health-related fields and to address significant health research needs related to communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Program graduates will be able to fulfill local, regional, and national shortages in academic positions at community colleges, undergraduate institutions, and doctoral research-intensive universities. The program adds research acumen and expands existing content knowledge individualized to each student's interests so that graduates are prepared to fulfill faculty and other professional leadership positions in clinical, research, or other professional settings.
To date, approximately 70% of our graduates are in academic positions (post-doctoral, lecturer, tenure-track, and tenured professor) at institutions such as UTEP, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Southern Illinois University, University of Nevada at Reno, and Arizona State University, with the remainder assuming clinical and leadership appointments at healthcare, government, and nonprofit agencies.
Research Areas
The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program includes faculty from across health sciences and health-related fields. Our faculty conducts community-informed and translational research that clusters mainly in the areas of cardiovascular and exercise science; diabetes, nutrition and obesity; clinical and interdisciplinary education; gender studies and sexual health; mental health; motor function and rehabilitation sciences; border, community and global health issues; and healthy aging and geriatric studies.
Financial Support
Interdisciplinary research poses many special challenges. To ensure that students receive individualized attention and high quality mentorship, we maintain low student to faculty ratios throughout the program. Financial support is available through a variety of sources including financial aid, loans, fellowships and scholarships. Assistantships exist for teaching and research, giving students the opportunity to assist with courses, or to assist faculty members in research.
Application Process
If your goal is to become a highly productive researcher in the rapidly emerging field of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, you should carefully consider the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program at UTEP. APPLY NOW - applications for the fall 2025 cohort are due by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2025.
