Ph.D. in Health Studies

Program Contact

Jason Torres
940-898-2864
jtorres9@twu.edu

Application Deadlines

Fall and Summer - March 1
Spring - July 1

Admission Requirements

Unconditional admission indicates an applicant meets all requirements for admission. However, meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission.

1. As the Ph.D. is a research degree, interested applicants must identify and contact a potential graduate faculty advisor (with whom research interests and goals align) before applying.
2. A baccalaureate and master’s degree. The baccalaureate or master’s degree must be in health promotion, public health, kinesiology, or a related field from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional or general accrediting agency, or an equivalent degree from a foreign college or university.
3. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher for the last 60 semester credit hours of bachelor's degree coursework as evidenced by official transcripts and master’s GPA of 3.5 or higher as evidenced by official transcripts.
4. For Biomechanics specialization – Submission of GRE scores is highly recommended. For Exercise Physiology specialization - Submission of GRE scores is required. 
5. For international students, a test of English proficiency or exception. Please consult the School of Health Promotion & Kinesiology Graduate Advisor and the International Education Office prior to applying.

For applicants who submit all required application materials but do not meet the minimum requirements for unconditional admission to the doctoral program (including not having a master's degree), provisional admission may be considered dependent upon the composite strength of the application materials. When provisional admission is granted, the admission letter from the Graduate School will specify the prerequisites and/or provisions a student must satisfy to advance to unconditional admission status. It is the student’s responsibility to satisfy all requirements to remove the provisional admission status. Once the provisional requirements are complete, the student must inform and provide evidence of requirement completion to the Associate Director for graduate programs and initiate a status change to unconditional admission. All provisional requirements must be satisfied before a student is permitted to proceed to the comprehensive exam.

How to Apply

1. Apply for admission to the TWU Graduate School. In the application, specify degree and emphasis area.
2. If required, take the GRE General Test and submit your GRE scores to TWU. 
3. Collect and submit the following documents as separate PDF files in ONE email to jtorres9@twu.edu with the subject line (YOUR LAST NAME)-(YOUR FIRST NAME)-Degree Sought. Please attach all items as PDFs.
   • Personal Statement Letter which describes the applicant’s academic and professional background, research goals, personal growth and development, future goals, and reasons for applying to the doctoral program; identifies a preferred faculty mentor; and discusses how their research interests align with the identified faculty mentor’s research agenda.
   • Professional resume/curriculum vitae evidencing appropriate academic background and relevant experience for graduate study.
   • One original 500-word integrated summary of three primary research articles relevant to the applicant’s research interest with the article PDFs attached.
4. Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's ability to successfully complete a doctoral degree submitted by faculty members and/or employers as PDFs on institutional or organization letterhead to jtorres9@twu.edu. Recommenders should include student name and Degree Name (e.g. "Ph.D. in Health Studies") in the subject line.
5. The School of Health Promotion & Kinesiology personnel will review all application materials to select applicants for an interview.

Final admission decisions will be determined upon review of all application materials, successful interview completion, program capacity, and availability of graduate faculty mentorship.