Public and Population Health

The Interdisciplinary PhD in the field of Public and Population Health at the Wits School of Public Health was launched in 2009 and has grown into a dynamic programme that nurtures the next generation of public health researchers and policy influencers.

Overview

The programme is designed to produce internationally recognised, well-rounded researchers who contribute significantly to population health and health systems through rigorous, policy-relevant research.

By the end of their PhD, students are expected not only to have produced a thesis that contributes substantially to their field but also to have built a broad professional skillset suited to academic, research, and policy environments.

Research Focus Areas

PhD students undertake research aligned to the School’s strategic strengths:

  • Health systems and policy
  • Epidemiology and implementation science
  • Environmental and occupational health
  • Maternal and child health
  • Social determinants of health
  • Health economics and financing
  • Climate change and health
  • Infectious and non-communicable diseases
  • Public Health responses to pandemics

Curriculum

The PhD is a research degree structured around three core components:

1. Enhanced Research Process and Thesis Writing

  • The degree culminates in a thesis, typically structured as a series of peer-reviewed publications.
  • Students may also choose the traditional monograph format.
  • Research quality and progress are tracked via key milestones:
  • Protocol presentation (Year 1)
  • Interim seminar (approx. two-thirds through)
  • Final thesis examination
  • Students are encouraged to present their work at the annual Graduate Symposium, where they also produce a policy brief.

2. Academic Programme

While there is no required coursework, students are encouraged to attend short courses offered by the School and Faculty in areas such as:

  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Demography
  • Data management
  • Research methods
  • Public health systems

A quarterly seminar series broadens exposure to public health research, methodology, and leadership. These cover:

  • Ethics in research and public health
  • Conceptual frameworks and scientific writing
  • Health leadership and governance

Annual Scientific Writing Retreat:

  • A 3-day residential retreat provides writing support, personalised feedback from senior researchers, and optional seminars on structure, writing style, and integrating narratives.

3. Professional Development

Graduates are expected to demonstrate capabilities across seven areas:

  • Research leadership
  • Tutoring or supervision
  • Scientific communication
  • Scientific and grant writing
  • Policy-oriented writing
  • Peer review of manuscripts
  • Academic citizenship and mentoring

Entry Requirements

  • A Master’s degree with a strong research component in a relevant field (e.g. MPH, MSc).
  • Demonstrated alignment of research interests with available supervisors.
  • Strong academic references and a well-developed research concept note.

Applicants must submit:

  • Online application
  • CV and academic transcripts
  • Letter of motivation and proposed research area
  • Two letters of reference

University Application Process

  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process. Refer to Wits Postgraduate Online Applications Guide for detailed guidelines. 
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. The University's Postgraduate Funding portal is a database of scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities available to Wits postgraduate students. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.