Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programs are designed to prepare graduates to become leaders in public health, tackling real-world challenges, and improving the health of the communities they serve. Programs cover an expansive array of subjects such as epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and equity, leadership, environmental health, women’s health, implementation science and more. The DrPH is distinct from both the Medical Doctor (MD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), with the MD focused on diagnosing and treating individual patients and the PhD focused on generating new knowledge through research. In contrast, the DrPH is designed to prepare leaders to translate research and evidence into public health action, policy and systems-level change. Despite the applied and practice-oriented design of DrPH programs, program leadership is disproportionately held by individuals without DrPH training, raising questions about alignment between educational mission and governance.

The Current Landscape of Leadership in DrPH Programs:

Individuals with a PhD or MD predominantly fill faculty and leadership positions in DrPH programs. In May 2026, the authors conducted a structured review of all 53 Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) using publicly available institutional websites and program materials. The review focused on faculty which held a DrPH program director or coordinator title. This review found that 60% of DrPH program directors did not hold a DrPH degree, with most leaders holding a PhD or ScD (43%), MD or MD/PhD (6%), or other degrees (EdD, MBA) (4%) instead; credential information could not be verified for 8%. Only 40% of programs were led by individuals with a DrPH degree. To contextualize this, leadership structures in these same schools’ PhD and MD programs were also reviewed. These programs showed complete alignment between program type and leadership training background.

CEPH accreditation standards for DrPH programs note the importance of faculty with professional experience outside academia and demonstrated competence in public health practice. However, these standards are broadly defined, and implementation varies widely across institutions. Prior work has suggested that limited representation of DrPH-trained faculty may contribute to ambiguity in program identity and curriculum design. Without sufficient practice-based leadership, programs risk relying more heavily on traditional academic models that emphasize research production over applied leadership development.

Why DrPH Faculty Representation Matters in DrPH Education

DrPH programs are designed to prepare practitioners for complex, real-world public health leadership roles. Faculty with DrPH training bring applied public health experience that strengthens classroom teaching by embedding practice-based perspectives into instruction. Mentorship grounded in implementation experience and complex public health systems navigation helps students develop multidisciplinary competencies needed for current and future roles. These experiences strengthen skills-based instruction through case studies, simulations, and applied community projects tied to real-world public health challenges.

Faculty who have followed the career paths DrPH students aspire to also provide tangible models of professional trajectories in practice-based public health. This visibility reinforces the applied nature of the DrPH degree and helps clarify its identity within public health education.

Moving Forward: Strategies to Strengthen Representation & Leadership Pathways

Targeted Hiring Practices: Universities should prioritize hiring DrPH graduates for leadership and faculty positions in DrPH programs. This may require revising hiring criteria to value practical experience and applied public health knowledge alongside traditional academic achievements.

Incentivize DrPH in Academia: Academic institutions should create training, pathways and incentives for DrPH graduates to join DrPH program faculty ranks. Teaching opportunities for students interested in pursuing academic careers, such as teaching assistant or guest lecturer opportunities could prepare students to teach the next generation of public health students. This would provide training opportunities while also recognizing some DrPH students may have no interest in academia and pursued the DrPH specifically for these reasons.

Foster Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between PhD and DrPH degree holding faculty. Joint teaching and research projects can enrich the learning experience by integrating theoretical and practical perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach can enhance the relevance and impact of public health education.

Provide Training for PhD Faculty on DrPH Programs: Develop onboarding materials and ongoing training to enhance PhD faculty’s understanding of the unique aspects and practical applications of the DrPH degree. This will improve their ability to effectively support and mentor DrPH students.

Improve CEPH Accreditation Requirements: CEPH should require schools of public health who wish to begin or maintain a DrPH program to employ at least one DrPH on faculty. This would further incentivize programs to hire DrPH practitioners and facilitate a systematic change in DrPH education.

Conclusion: Building A More Representative Model of Public Health Leadership Education

At a time when academia and public health institutions face growing political and societal pressures, strengthening the visibility and representation of practice-based public health experts is increasingly important for the public health workforce. The future of public health leadership in academia and beyond depends not only on producing DrPH graduates, but on fully integrating them into the leadership structures that shape the field.

_____________________________________________________

For NADrPH’s stance on this issue, read the policy paper Leadership and Faculty Representation in DrPH Programs.

__________________________________________________

Lauren Junge-Maughan, DrPH, MPH, PMP is the President of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health

Marissa Robinson, DrPH, MPH, RPCV is the Vice President of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health

Charanya Sundar, DrPH (C), MS, RDN/LDN is the Communications Director of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health

Kristi James, DrPH (C), MPH, CHES is the Career Development Director of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health

Brooke Swanson, DrPH, MS, MBA, DLM is a former Policy Committee Member of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health