Health Sciences Program

Program Director: Barbara Brockevelt, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA

Lee Medical Building #302
Phone: 605-658-6500

FACULTY

Professor:

Mike Avoseh, Ph.D., University of Ibidan, Nigeria.

Barbara Brockevelt, Ph.D., M.A., OTR/L, FAOTA, Nova Southeastern University.

Ann Brunick, M.S., University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Archana Chatterjee, M.D., Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Moses Ikiugu, Ph.D., OTR/L, Texas Woman’s University.

June Larson, Ed.D., M.S., RN, ANEF, University of South Dakota.

Michael J. Lawler, M.S.W., Ph.D., University of California Davis.

Robin Miskimins, Ph.D., University of Arizona.

Mary Nettleman, M.D., M.S., M.A.C.P., Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Lana Svien, PT, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Associate Professor:

Haifa AbouSamra, Ph.D., MSIM, RN-NIC, CNL, South Dakota State University.

Karen Card, Ph.D., Ohio State University.

Patti Berg-Poppe, PT, Ph.D., NCS, University of South Dakota.

Julie Johnson, M.D., Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Jay Memmott, Ph.D., M.S.W., LCSW, University of Kansas

Wade Nilson, Ed.D., MPAS, PA-C, Bethel University.

William Schweinle III, Ph.D., University of Texas.

Assistant Professor:

Musheera AnisAbellatif, Ph.D., M.A., University of South Dakota.

Shana Cerny, O.T.D., M.S., OTR/L, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Diana Feldhacker, O.T.D., OTR/L, Creighton University.

Scott Killian, Ph.D., M.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles.

John Korkow, Ph.D., LAC, SAP, University of South Dakota.

Sabina Kupershmidt, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University.

Angela MacCabe, PT, D.P.T, University of South Dakota.

Kimberly Nerud, Ph.D., South Dakota State University

Ranelle Nissen, M.S., OTR/L, University of South Dakota.

Soonhee Roh, Ph.D., University of Arizona.

Ramu Sudhagoni, Ph.D., South Dakota State University.

Kory Zimney, PT, D.P.T, CSMT, Des Moines University.

Instructor:

Jessica McHugh, Ph.D., M.S. OTR/L, Texas Woman’s University.

Whitney Lucas Molitor, O.T.D., M.S., OTR/L, University of South Dakota.

Chelsea Wesner, M.S.W., M.P.H., University of Oklahoma.

Frank Zavadil, M.A., LAC, University of South Dakota.

DEGREE

Health Sciences (Ph.D.)

Program Description:

The interprofessional PhD in Health Sciences is designed to prepare practicing health care professionals to assume leadership roles in academia, research, and/or health and human services practice settings. Designed for working professionals, features of the program include:

Minimum of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree;
Core curriculum comprised of four content threads: teaching, leadership , advanced practice, and scholarship;
Ability to tailor learning to meet individual career aspirations and research interests through elective coursework, projects completed within courses, and the dissertation;
Online course delivery with limited expectations for face-to-face contact. Resident experiences include an initial orientation, a one-week Dissertation Boot Camp, and defense of the dissertation;
With advisor approval, dissertation research can be completed off-campus in most instances.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://apps.usd.edu/academic/gradapp/login.cfm and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
One official transcript verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation) must accompany an application. Official transcript of all academic work at the undergraduate and graduate levels are required for international students. The USD Graduate School and/or academic departments retain the right to require an Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES) evaluation for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per University policy.
Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited American college or university are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, or a minimum PTE score of 53 is required for graduate admission. Applicants from or who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from these English-speaking countries (UK, Australia, Canada [except Quebec], Ireland, or New Zealand) are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score if their academic records indicate that English was the classroom language for the majority of their schoolwork.
Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose or goal statement. The statement of purpose should reflect why their program of study will specifically meet their personal and professional goals, and research interests. The statement of purpose should be concise (no longer than 5 pages double-spaced) and address the following:
1. Describe your career goals on completion of the PhD in Health Sciences at USD. Tell us about your academic interests and reasons for pursuing this degree.
2. The PhD in Health Sciences program of study consists of 4 threads: Practice, Scholarship, Teaching, and Leadership. Describe your interest and current experience in each of these areas. How will the knowledge and skills developed in each of these threads contribute to your career goals?
3. Identification of research interests, and the selection of potential chair of their dissertation committee. This potential chair must hold a PhD, EdD, or ScD. Biographical sketches of professors in the USD School of Health Sciences are available at http://www.usd.edu/health-sciences/.

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required.
Successful completion of a criminal background check upon acceptance.

Those students who meet all of the admission requirements and who submit their application along with all required materials (including transcripts, LORs, personal statements etc.) by the firm March 1st deadline, will move to Phase 2 of the application process. Phase 2 includes a writing sample and identification of research goals and a potential dissertation mentor. Instructions will be sent to the applicant via email approximately one week after the deadline date.

The selection process is competitive. A limited number of seats are available annually based on the availability of faculty to serve as dissertation mentors in the area of applicants’ interests.

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the above criteria may be admitted on a provisional basis.

Programs

Health Sciences (Ph.D.)