PhD, DrPH students also take advanced courses to gain analytical skills in leadership, management, systems thinking, enabling change, communications, and health policy. Public Health Leadership Practice Experience DrPH students are also required to complete a public health practice experience as a critical part of their DrPH program. Students apply the skills learned in public health practice to gain leadership experience and hone their skills through hands-on and a field-based culminating public health experience. Most universities require a rigorous comprehensive exam at the end of first two-years of coursework and a public health practical experience before a candidate may be advanced to the capstone project phase. For example, the DrPH programs at Tufts and Harvard require a qualifying exam taken at the end of the first year. Capstone Projects DrPH students are required to complete and defend an applied public health practice-related capstone project during their candidacy phase, usually after the comprehensive and qualifying exams. DrPH Completion Time The typical time to complete a DrPH is 3–4 years, depending on the curriculum, previous experience, and education. It is recommended that one have a MPH (Master of Public Health) degree to shorten time in the DrPH program. Universities Offering the DrPH Degree United States Some of the universities offering DrPH in the USA are listed below. Boston University School of Public Health Capella University City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center Claremont Graduate University School of Community & Global Health Colorado School of Public Health Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Drexel University School of Public Health East Carolina University at the Brody School of Medicine East Tennessee State University College of Public Health Florida A & M University Institute of Public Health Georgia Southern University Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Georgia State University School of Public Health Harvard School of Public Health Georgia Southern University Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Jackson State University College of Health Sciences Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Loma Linda University School of Public Health Medical College of Wisconsin Mercer University Morgan State University School of Community Health and Policy New York Medical College School of Public Health New York University School of Global Public Health Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Ponce Health Science University Rutgers University School of Public Health SUNY Downstate Medical Center Texas A&M Health Science