DrPH Faculty Mentors and Committees

Work closely with your Faculty Mentor to plan your program progression and select elective courses that align with your professional goals and interests.

The DrPH program is designed to be individually tailored, allowing students to create a course of study that best meets their unique needs. This process occurs under the guidance of your Faculty Mentor(s) and doctoral committee. Students should develop mentoring relationships throughout their Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) experience.

Faculty Mentor Assignment

Students will be assigned one or more Faculty Mentor(s) by the end of their first year of the program. The Faculty Mentor must be a full-time COPH faculty member. Your Faculty Mentor is your primary advisor/major professor throughout your DrPH experience. Profiles of each faculty member, including their research and practice interests, are available here. If you click on an individual faculty, you will find their areas of specialization and more detailed information.

Doctoral Committee Formation

As you near completion of your coursework (typically in Year 2), work with your COPH Faculty Mentor(s) to establish your doctoral committee. This committee will guide your research and support your progress through the program.

Committee Requirements

Your doctoral committee must include:

Major Professor (or Co-Majors)
- Leads the committee
- Typically, your Faculty Mentor
- Must be a full-time COPH faculty member
Committee Member
- A second COPH faculty member
- If you have two Co-Majors, this requirement is fulfilled
External Mentor
- A senior-level public health professional
- Must hold a graduate degree and be active in the profession
- Can serves as your mentor for the Applied Practice Experience (APE)
- Required Documentation for Credentialing:
  - Justification statement detailing what the external mentor will contribute to your research
  - Current CV
  - Please note that credentialing can take several weeks to complete
Optional Members
- Additional members may be added with your Major Professor’s recommendation

Committee Approval Process

Submit your committee appointment request through Archivum
Instructions are available:
- Here
- On the DrPH Canvas site
Deadline: Forms must be submitted at least 10 weeks before your qualifying exam request

✅ Tip: Start identifying potential committee members early to avoid delays in scheduling your qualifying exam.

Practice-Based/External Mentor

The role of the mentor is to assist the DrPH student in developing professional and organizational leadership skills, setting goals, accessing resources, and connecting the student with an appropriate local and national network of colleagues and resources. A practice-based mentor on a doctoral project committee plays a crucial role in guiding a doctoral student, particularly in applied, professional, or practice-oriented research. This mentor typically brings industry or field-specific expertise, complementing the academic insights of the COPH faculty members.

Their role includes:

Bridging Theory and Practice – Ensuring that the research aligns with real-world applications, industry standards, and professional best practices.
Providing Subject-Matter Expertise – Offering specialized knowledge that enhances the practical relevance of the doctoral project.
Guiding Methodological Approaches – Advising on appropriate practice-based research methods, such as action research, case studies, or applied qualitative/quantitative techniques.
Ensuring Feasibility and Impact – Helping shape data collection and findings to be meaningful and applicable in professional settings.
Facilitating Access to Resources – Assisting in securing industry contacts, data sources, or organizational approvals needed for the doctoral project.
Supporting the Doctoral Project Process – Offering feedback on drafts, participating in committee meetings, and helping the student navigate challenges in completing the project.

Here are some ideas for developing a mentoring relationship with leaders in the field of Public Health.

Understanding your mentoring needs: Before approaching a potential mentor, identify what you hope to gain from a mentoring relationship and which type of mentor is best for helping you meet your objectives. The person who best meets your mentoring needs may or may not be in your area of expertise. That said, the best thing to do is to start by identifying your career goals. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you need to get there? What key experiences could a mentor provide that would benefit you most?
Choosing a mentor who is right for you: In addition to being able to meet your developmental needs, the best mentors are people who are excited about learning and who are continuing their own development. You'll want to seek out someone who possesses such traits and who also sets high standards for their work and can serve as an example for you. You may have different mentors at different stages of your career. Once you identify your mentoring needs, meet with your academic and practice-based advisor to discuss potential mentors who align with them.
Approaching your potential mentor: Initiation of the mentoring relationship is, and should be, done by the mentee. You need to have the self-confidence to approach a potential mentor and effectively present the merits of a mentoring relationship. Once you have identified an appropriate individual, approach your potential mentor and share your long-term goals, accomplishments, and significant developmental needs and objectives. Your potential mentor needs to know if he or she will be able to help you acquire the skills or competencies you want to develop. Please note that your potential mentor may feel that he or she is not an appropriate choice for you, or the individual may not have the time to commit right now. If the person agrees to begin a mentoring relationship, you'll want to have a focused conversation about what you both want to accomplish.