 |
|
|
SELECT A TOPIC:
What are the differences between the graduate degrees offered by IDM?
- The PhD is a professional degree that results from novel scholarly research involving the testing of hypotheses by extensive laboratory experimentation. The PhD degree prepares individuals to obtain leadership positions and perform independent research in academia, industry or government positions.
- The MS degree is a research degree similar in concept to the PhD, laboratory-based but only takes 2 years to complete. The MS degree prepares individuals to perform sophisticated research that is generally supervised by a doctoral-level laboratory head in academia, industry or government institutions.
- The DrPH degree is a professional degree that combines coursework with scholarly research designed to support the student’s interest in an important aspect of infectious disease research. The DrPH degree prepares individuals to obtain leadership positions and perform independent research in academia, industry or government positions.
- The MPH degree will prepare students to practice in such areas as public and private health agencies, clinical practice, academic or instructional settings in the community and in other teaching organizations. Two concentrations are offered: Bioscience of Infectious Diseases and Community and Behavioral Intervention of Infectious Diseases. The Bioscience concentration is designed to provide students with an understanding of the biological basis of infectious disease as well as the epidemiologic basis of disease prevention. Community and Behavioral Intervention focuses on the behavioral aspects of infectious disease and application to community settings. It prepares individuals to function within private, public, or governmental organizations, agencies, and programs that provide prevention, care, or treatment services for individuals with infectious diseases.
How long will it take me to get a graduate degree from IDM?
It has taken recent graduates of the IDM doctoral programs an average of 5 years of full-time study to complete their degrees, including:
- 1 ½ years of course work
- 3 ½ of laboratory research and dissertation preparation and defense
To learn more about the courses and requirements of the doctoral programs visit the Degrees and Requirements page
Recent graduates of IDM’s MS program have taken about 2 years to complete their degrees, including:
- 9 months of coursework
- 15 months of laboratory research and thesis writing and defense on lab-based research.
To learn more about the courses and requirements of the MS program visit the Degrees and Requirements page
Recent graduates of IDM’s MPH program have taken about 2 years to complete their degrees, including:
- 12 to 15 months of course work
- 3 to 4 months for essay writing and defense
To learn more about the courses and requirements of the MPH program visit the Degrees and Requirements page
In what areas of research could a new student expect to be involved?
IDM has established programs in a number of areas of public health importance, involving basic and applied research being conducted by our primary and secondary faculty that are available for graduate student projects. These include:
- HIV-including: mechanisms of sexual transmission of HIV, models of SIDS in non-human primates, the Pitt Men's Study on the natural history of HIV infection, new experimental therapies for HIV infection
- AIDS Education and Prevention
- Complications of antiretroviral therapy
- Development of HIV vaccines and immunotherapies
- Herpesvirus
- Malaria and tuberculosis
- Emerging infections
- Clinical and molecular epidemiology
- Genetic basis of innate immune response
- Latency and immunopathogenesis of human herpesviruses
For more information and in-depth profiles of research being conducted by our faculty please visit the Faculty Web page.
What types of professions will IDM programs prepare me for?
As a graduate of our program you will be prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and community service sectors. Our graduates have obtained professional positions with prestigious employers in the USA and worldwide. Examples include the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health departments, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and major universities and other academic institutions.
Graduates of our Doctoral Programs
The conventional progression of doctoral students in the biosciences and public health is to postdoctoral fellowships that prepare them to compete for and obtain a permanent position in academia, industry, foundations or government.
- IDM students receiving a PhD or DrPH are highly sought after fellowships by many prestigious, basic science and public health research investigators and institutions. In recent years, these have included UCLA, Yale University, and the National Institutes of Health.
- After completing postdoctoral training, our alumni are ready for full-time positions in academia, industry, foundations, and government.
- Academic positions usually involve conducting teaching, research and service at a University with graduate-level programs.
- Industry positions range from developmental research in smaller biotechnology companies, to large research projects such as development of vaccines and antimicrobial drugs in major commercial entities.
- Foundation positions for recent doctoral graduates are less common, but may involve review and management of support for public health projects.
- Government positions can be state or federal, and range from basic research positions at the NIH or CDC, to leadership positions in state and federal public health laboratories.
Graduates of our Masters Programs
MS students become high level lab persons and/or lab supervisors in academic, government, and industry settings. In addition, our MS students have nearly 100% acceptance into medical schools.
- Students receiving an MS in IDM are highly sought after for well-paying, supervisory positions in academic, industry, and government research laboratories. Government positions can be state or federal, and range from basic research positions at the NIH or CDC, to leadership positions in state and federal public health laboratories.
- Students receiving an MS degree that would like to progress to a higher, more independent level in infectious diseases are encouraged to apply to the IDM doctoral program or other doctoral programs, as well as some students decide to apply to other types of professional schools, such as medical, veterinary, and dental schools.
MPH students are eligible for mid-level positions in industry and government.
- Students receiving an MPH in IDM are well prepared for careers in public health settings in state or local health departments, federal agencies such as the NIH or CDC, industry, or the non-profit sector where they are ready to apply to skills they have learned at GSPH to make a difference.
- MPH graduates have continued their education in doctoral programs, such as the IDM DrPH program or apply to professional schools, such as medical, veterinary, and dental schools.
What are the titles of jobs your alumni have held?
Our doctoral graduates, DrPH and PhD, have held positions such as:
- Assistant Professor - Eastern Michigan University School of Health Sciences
- Assistant to US Congress Representative - Office of US Senator Snowe (ME)
- Department Chair - Duquesne University, Rangos School of Health Sciences
- Director - Virus Reference & Surveillance Lab, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health
- Research Associate - Dartmouth Medical School
- Senior Principal Scientist - Pfizer
Our master level graduates, MPH and MS, have held positions such as:
- Human Services Specialist - South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
- Medical School Student - Rosalind Franklin University, University of Rochester, Wright State University
- Research Technician - Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
- Prevention Specialist/PHPS Fellow - Centers for Disease Control
- Staff Virologist - Merck & Co
- Training Specialist - PA/Mid Atlantic AIDS Education Training Center
What is the deadline for applying to IDM graduate programs?
All applications are expected to be complete and ready for review by January 4 for consideration for entrance in the fall. Please carefully read below about how to meet this deadline.
What steps can I take to ensure that my application is not delayed in its review?
There are a number of key steps that will work to your favor:
Most importantly, plan ahead and act early, as your application will not be reviewed by the IDM Admissions Committee until the application is complete.
Applications that are incomplete, and therefore delayed in the review process, usually are lacking some or all of the following:
- official GRE scores (SOPHAS code 5688)
- official TOEFL scores (for foreign applicants only) (SOPHAS code 5688)
- official undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts
- letters of recommendation
All of these materials are to be submitted directly to SOPHAS. It is essential for each applicant to initiate requests for these materials early in the process of assembling their application to avoid any delays.
Additional resources, such as a check list and overview of the application process, for assistance in completing your application are available on the SOPHAS Web site.
Do I need to take the GRE?
Yes, applicants must take the GRE general test within the three years preceding their application date, unless you fall into one of the two categories listed below.
1. Applicants who hold doctoral degrees such as a PhD, JD, MD, DO, or PharmD from an accredited US institution will be permitted to waive the GRE requirement and must contact IDM or GSPH Student Affairs to request a waiver. Applicants who have completed a doctoral degree different from those listed above are to contact IDM to verify whether they are eligible for a waiver.
2. Applicants who hold a Masters level degree, and have taken the GRE, can re-submit those scores as long as they are not more than five (5) years old and must contact Educational Testing Service (ETS) to have official scores sent to SOPHAS (code: 5688) as part of the application for admission to IDM. These applicants must also contact IDM or GSPH Student Affairs to request a waiver.
What is the GRE reporting code?
The reporting code will make sure that an official copy of your GRE scores will be sent to SOPHAS and be included along with the rest of your application. The SOPHAS code is 5688.
What is the TOEFL reporting code?
The reporting code will make sure that an official copy of your TOEFL scores will be sent to SOPHAS and be included along with the rest of your application. The SOPHAS code is 5688.
Can I apply for admission beginning in the spring term?
We do not admit new students into the spring term as our graduate curriculum builds progressively upon courses that students take during their first term, which is in the fall.
What are key considerations in the review of applications?
Key factors we give consideration to are:
- applicant’s undergraduate performance (quality of institution, overall GPA, types of courses and grades, especially math and the sciences)
- GRE scores
- letters of recommendation
- previous research/work experience
- personal statement
Each applicant will have different strengths, so we do not use any one specific formula for evaluation and all components of an application are given consideration.
For foreign students it will be helpful if they provide us with a list of courses taken during their undergraduate and graduate degrees with the credit hours (assuming that 1 hour a week for 3 months is equivalent to 1 credit).
Do graduate students receive financial aid?
Only doctoral students receive full financial aid including a stipend (currently $23,500 per year), waiver of tuition and health insurance.
Master level students generally do not receive financial aid. Two IDM Public Health Scholarships are awarded, however, to one MS student and one MPH student in each year’s entering class, each scholarship being a onetime award of $1,000 based on academic merit. Numerous scholarships from the School and external sources are available to students. Information on these opportunities is available on the GSPH Web page.
Further information on financial aid is available on the IDM Financial Aid page.
What is it like to live in Pittsburgh?
Contrary to the lingering perception of Pittsburgh as a town of steel mills and smoke, Pittsburgh is remarkably free of this aspect of its wonderful legacy as an industrial center. Situated in scenic western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is surrounding by woods, hills and rivers. Numerous parks and outdoor adventure areas are close and easy to access. Pittsburgh also boasts a highly active cultural scene with multiple museums and show/concert/opera/theatre venues.
An agreement between the University of Pittsburgh and the Port Authority Transit organization, by which University students, staff and faculty ride buses and trolleys free of charge with their University ID makes getting around Pittsburgh very easy and inexpensive.
For more information on what Pittsburgh has to offer, visit …
City of Pittsburgh
~ one-stop place for information on entertainment in the city
~ offers interactive map of the city of Pittsburgh
~ searchable Web site
Cool Pittsburgh
~ see what there is to experience in Pittsburgh as a Pitt graduate student
~ includes lists of restaurants, free events, transportation, etc.
Pittsburgh Regional Alliance
~ provides information on what life is like in the Pittsburgh Region
~ read about the latest events taking place in Pittsburgh
Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau
~ provides photo and video tours of the top attractions in the city, such as the Pittsburgh Zoo, the Pittsburgh Ballet, including the Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus, with a special video allowing you to experience the city of Pittsburgh at 5:00pm, just as the city awakens with cultural activities
~ request a copy of the Pittsburgh Destination Planning Guide from the CVB
~ The Pittsburgh facts
MoGoes Video & Audio Tours of Pittsburgh
~ experience Pittsburgh even if you can't visit
~ view the tours online or download the audio & video tours to your Apple iPod
~ tours of Pittsburgh areas include: the Cultural District, Station Square, the Strip District, and the North Shore
Google 3D Maps of Pittsburgh
~explore downtown Pittsburgh, Oakland, and other neighborhoods of the city at street level
~Pittsburgh is one of the 14 other US cities to be featured as part of Google Maps' Street View
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Station Square, a local entertainment complex along the Monogahela River. |
|
 |
One of the few steel mills left in operation in Pittsburgh. |
| Copyright, Adam Green, 2003. |
|
|
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area |
|
 |
View of the Allegheny River from Mount Washington. |
|
 |
A true Pittsburgh establishment & a great place to eat, Primanti Brothers. |
| Copyright, Adam Green, 2003. |
|
|
Copyright, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2003. All rights reserved.
|
|
 |
One of the many activities available in the Pittsburgh region. |
|
 |
The Seventh Street bridge. One of three suspension bridges along the Allegheny River. |
| Copyright, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, 2003. |
|
|
Copyright, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2003. All rights reserved.
|
|
 |
World renowned artist Andy Warhol's childhood home is near the University of Pittsburgh. |
|
 |
Duquesne Incline, one of two inclines on Mount Washington. |
| Copyright, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2003. All rights reserved. |
|
|
Copyright, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2003. All rights reserved. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Last Updated: December 14, 2007
|
|
|
