Leadership and Faculty Representation in DrPH Programs

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is the terminal practice doctorate in public health, designed to prepare leaders who translate evidence into policy, systems change, and public health action. Yet leadership of DrPH programs is disproportionately held by faculty without DrPH training: a May 2026 review of CEPH-accredited programs found that only 43 percent were led by a DrPH-trained director, while 57 percent were led by faculty holding a PhD or MD. CEPH standards reference practice experience but are broadly defined and unevenly applied. This misalignment between the degree's applied mission and the training of those who lead it weakens program identity and risks defaulting DrPH education to research-centered academic models.