What is the difference in the DrPH and PhD (Public Health) scope of research?

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, is a leading academic institution committed to advancing public health through cutting-edge research, comprehensive training, and impactful community engagement. As part of its mission to develop future leaders in public health, the department offers two distinguished doctoral programmes in Public Health: the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programme is the highest professional degree for individuals focusing on Public Health practice. It is intended for leaders and future leaders in public health who want a flexible career that combines high-level leadership, management, and research. Their career pursuits would be to be a Public Health Medicine Specialist recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council and registered under with the National Specialist Registry.

The PhD (Public Health) programme is a research-intensive pathway designed for individuals seeking to contribute to answering research questions of public health importance. This programme nurtures critical thinking, methodological expertise, and scholarly independence, enabling graduates to pursue careers in academia, research institutions, and policy analysis.

Both the DrPH and PhD programmes require the candidates to undertake rigorous research projects that delve deeply into critical issues affecting public health. These research endeavours form the cornerstone of each programme and are designed to generate new knowledge, inform policy, and improve health outcomes at the population level. The following provides more detailed about the expectations of research projects for DrPH and PhD (Public Health) in the Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya:

Doctoral Research in DrPH Programme

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programme is a professional degree designed for individuals aspiring to lead in public health practice. The UM DrPH programme offers comprehensive knowledge of public health while allowing candidates to focus on their specific areas of interest. This programme emphasises applied research related to the management, implementation, and assessment of public health initiatives.

DrPH research is characterised by its applied, practice-oriented nature. The research component in the DrPH programme is designed to prepare leaders who is able to translate scientific knowledge into effective public health practice, policy, and programme implementation. When designing the research component of a DrPH programme, one needs to consider these attributes:

1. Primary Purpose	To translate evidence into practice and/or develop solutions to complex public health problems, including health systems strengthening, service delivery improvement and policy support
2. Research Questions	Driven by public health challenges and needs of communities or organisations
3. Intended Impact	Influence on public health practice, policy, programme and health systems performance
4. Methodology	Variety of designs – observational, experimental, implementation research and mixed methods.
5. Stakeholder Engagement	Involves engagement with practice communities and stakeholders
6. Time for Impact	Immediate or short-term practical application
7. Assessment Criteria	Evaluated on both scientific rigor and practical application
8. Skills Intended	Leadership, translation of evidence, programme implementation, policy development
9. Career Preparation	Prepares for leadership position in health organisations, government agencies, and/or non-governmental organisations

Research Focus

The research focus emphasises practical applications and solutions to public health challenges. The primary goal is to develop competencies in conducting research that has direct implications for public health practice.

Research methodology

The thesis should be designed to address complex public health challenges; it should accommodate a variety of designs tailored to the problem being addressed. Observational studies can be employed to explore public health issues in real-world contexts, such as examining social determinants of health or identifying disparities in the health of the population. This will provide valuable insights into existing conditions and inform evidence-based interventions. On the other hand, implementation research and experimental designs are increasingly utilised in DrPH theses to evaluate strategies aimed at improving public health outcomes. Implementation research focuses on understanding how interventions can be effectively integrated into specific settings, addressing barriers to adoption and scalability. Experimental designs, such as randomised controlled trials or quasi-experimental methods, allow researchers to assess the effectiveness of interventions or programmes.

DrPH research also includes health systems and policy landscape analyses, with the goal of identifying barriers, gaps, or opportunities for improvement within existing programmes, services, or governance structures. These studies may assess service accessibility, resource allocation or policy implementation gaps, and propose practical, evidence-informed strategies to strengthen system performance. Such research may use tools such as stakeholder mapping, SWOT analysis, Delphi consensus, and policy benchmarking to support the co-creation of locally relevant recommendations.

Leadership and Implementation Orientation

DrPH research often incorporates elements of leadership, management, and implementation science. This approach prepares graduates to synthesise, translate, and generate evidence-based practice, all aimed at advancing programmes, policies, services, and systems to address population health.

Interdisciplinary Methodology

Research in DrPH programmes employs interdisciplinary methods such as epidemiology, understanding of health and disease dynamics within populations, strategies for health promotion and disease prevention, as well as the management and organization of healthcare systems. In summary, DrPH research should be designed to equip candidates with the skills to conduct rigorous research while developing their capacity as public health leaders who can translate evidence into effective solutions.

DOCTORAL RESEARCH IN Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health

A PhD is the highest degree one can obtain on an academic track.  It emphasises research skills and scholarly accomplishments. PhDs generally prepare candidates to become scientists or scholars. 

A PhD project should aim to make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in its field (Public Health). It addresses an existing gap in the literature, proposes new methods, solves a practical problem, or challenges current assumptions in the field. 

The project should involve critical analysis and synthesis of information. This includes questioning current assumptions, evaluating the validity of existing research, and drawing connections between different sources. Analytical thinking is essential for interpreting results and deriving conclusions.

A PhD project typically focuses on a specific field, but interdisciplinary research is increasingly valued. Drawing on insights from different disciplines or incorporating methods from outside the immediate field of study can provide new perspectives and enhance the originality and impact of a PhD research. When designing the research component of a PhD programme in Public Health, one needs to consider these attributes:

1. Primary Purpose	Theoretical and focused on advancing knowledge in a specific field (Public Health). Contributing new insights or theories to the academic body of knowledge and is rooted in scientific inquiry and discovery.
2. Research Questions	Research question for a PhD is typically narrow, focused on a specific gap in the literature or theoretical framework within the discipline (Public Health).
3. Intended Impact	Contribute to academic theory and knowledge. May influence future research or lead to further theoretical developments.
4. Methodology	Advanced scientific or theoretical methods. May focus on biostatistics, epidemiology, informatics, etc.
5. Stakeholder Engagement	Optional, but valued.
6. Time for Impact	Academic, original contributions for future research.
7. Assessment Criteria	Evaluated on both scientific rigor and new knowledge generated.
8. Skills Intended	Emphasises research skills and scholarly accomplishments.
9. Career Preparation	As scientists or scholars.

Research Focus

A PhD project is typically theoretical and focused on advancing knowledge in a specific field (Public Health). PhD research is often aimed at contributing new insights or theories to the academic body of knowledge and is rooted in scientific inquiry and discovery.

Research methodology

PhD research often involves advanced theoretical research and rigorous quantitative or qualitative methodologies.  It tends to focus on innovating or developing new methods, theories, or models that can advance knowledge in the field of Public Health.

For quantitative research, the study designs can be observational or experimental, depending on the research questions of the study.  Implementation science is also emerging as one of the methods used. 

The project should involve critical analysis and synthesis of information. This includes questioning assumptions, evaluating the validity of existing research, and drawing connections between different sources. Analytical thinking is essential for interpreting study findings and deriving conclusions.

Comparing DrPH and PhD Research Components

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) are both the highest degrees in the field of public health, but they serve different purposes along a continuum of inquiry and application.

Rather than viewing these two degrees as completely separate or opposing choices, it’s more accurate to consider them as endpoints on a sliding scale. On one end lies the PhD, rooted in academic research, theory generation, and scientific discovery. On the other lies the DrPH, focused on translating evidence into practice, shaping policy, and leading public health programmes in real-world settings.

Each programme emphasises different competencies, research approaches, and career outcomes, yet both contribute critically to advancing public health knowledge and practice. The comparison below illustrates this spectrum across key domains.

Comparison of DrPH and PhD attributes in research:

Area	DrPH	PhD
1. Primary Purpose	To translate evidence into practice Develop solutions to complex public health problems	Contribute new insights or theories to the academic body of knowledge Rooted in scientific inquiry and discovery
2. Research Questions	Driven by public health challenges and community/organisational needs	Narrow, focused on a specific gap in literature or theoretical framework
3. Intended Impact	Influence public health practice, policy, and programme implementation	Influence future research or lead to theoretical developments
4. Methodology	Observational, experimental, implementation research Mixed methods	Advanced scientific or theoretical methods May focus on biostatistics, epidemiology, informatics, etc.
5. Stakeholder Engagement	Involves engagement with practice communities and stakeholders	Optional, but valued
6. Time for Impact	Immediate or short-term practical application	Academic, original contributions for future research
7. Assessment Criteria	Evaluated on scientific rigor and practical application	Evaluated on scientific rigor and new knowledge generation
8. Skills Intended	Leadership Translation of evidence Programme implementation Policy development	Research skills Scholarly accomplishments
9. Career Preparation	Leadership roles in health organisations, government, or NGOs	Positions as scientists or academic scholars

In conclusion, the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) represent distinct pathways in advanced public health education, and their research components reflect their distinct purposes. The PhD prepares researchers to generate new knowledge, while the DrPH prepares leaders to apply and translate research into practice, as well as focuses on solving public health problems.

Reference:

1. Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. DrPH vs. PhD: What’s the Difference? Retrieved: 08.04.2025, from https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/drph-vs-phd/
2. Universiti Malaya. Doctor of Public Health (DrPH). Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://spm.um.edu.my/academic/drph/
3. Park, C., Migliaccio, G., Edberg, M., Frehywot, S., & Johnson, G. (2021). Analysis of CEPH-accredited DrPH programmes in the United States: A mixed-methods study. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0245892. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245892
4. Lee, J. M., Furner, S. E., Yager, J., & Hoffman, D. (2009). A review of the status of the Doctor of Public Health degree and identification of future issues. Public Health Reports, 124(1), 177–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335490912400123
5. Universiti Malaya. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://spm.um.edu.my/academic/phd/

Article written by Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming and Prof Dr Noran Naqiah Mohd Hairi