Public health is closely interrelated with the social, political and economic development of societies. The aim of public health is to maintain the health of the population and of particularly vulnerable population groups. This requires access to care that is needs-based, non-discriminatory and affordable. Public Health Nutrition, as a special field of Public Health, also focuses on population-related preventive and health-promoting approaches to solving nutrition-related problems.

Doctoral projects in Public Health at Fulda University of Applied Sciences must have a relevant connection to one of the subject areas:

• the frequency and spatial as well as social distribution of diseases in the population
  (socially determined inequality of health opportunities including nutritional poverty)
• the investigation of factors influencing health and disease, in particular social and environmental factors, and the possibilities of influencing them with decisions in all policy areas (Health in all Policies)
• the systematic planning, implementation and evaluation of political and lifestyle-related interventions to promote the health-related quality of life of the population
• the need for preventive, curative, rehabilitative, nursing, obstetric and palliative care in the population
• the effectiveness and the cost-benefit ratio of measures in health promotion and disease prevention as well as health care and nursing care measured by patient-relevant outcomes
• the design, management and financing of health systems that provide a high quality of care,
  needs-based, non-discriminatory and affordable access to care services
• the adequate participation of the population in the design of the health care system and in health-related decisions in all policy fields
• the education and training of health professions, their cooperation structures and the interfaces in health-related care
• the creation of evidence-based and decision-relevant expertise as a basis for health-related measures

Doctoral studies in Public Health are open to those who

- a subject-relevant (in the sense of health science relevant) Master 's degree after a course of study
with a total of 300 credit points according to ECTS and an overall result with at least the grade 2.0or
an ECTS rank of grade B;
or
- a subject-relevant
degree valid as equivalent according to the regulations of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.can present a degree from a German higher education institution,
or
- can present a degree from a foreign higher education institution comparable to the qualification according to item 1, which also
entitles the holder to a doctorate in the country of the higher education degree and is classified as equivalent.

If the doctoral committee of the Doctoral Centre Public Health classifies an alternative equivalent degree or a foreign degree as not sufficiently equivalent, it may individually impose conditions for acceptance as a doctoral candidate (e.g. additional performance records).

Further important information can be found in the Doctoral Regulations Public Health (see Quicklinks). The coordinator of the PhD Centre Public Health, Ms. Andrea Leipold, can advise you on this requirement. andrea.leipold(at)gw.hs-fulda.de

We advise you to first contact a research-strong professor at the Doctoral Centre Public Health via e-mail, as only these professors are authorised to provide initial supervision for a doctoral project in Public Health. Please prepare a project description (maximum two pages) for this initial contact.

Professors with a strong research background at the Public Health Doctoral Centre at Fulda University of Applied Sciences who are eligible for supervision in Public Health are:

In consultation with one of the above-mentioned professors, you will prepare a detailed exposé for the doctoral project. In the exposé, the proposed topic is explained in more detail in at least 15 to 25 pages of continuous text. This should contain the following content in particular: State of research, research objectives, contribution of the work in public health, classification in the current state of knowledge (degree of innovation), description of the methodological approach and selection of the intended methods as well as an outline of the expected results.

When the synopsis is final, please submit it (in writing and via e-mail) together with the supervision agreement (see quicklinks), which is considered a written commitment by the supervisors, and the application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate (see quicklinks) bundled in one *pdf to the Head of the Doctoral Centre Public Health, Attn: Prof. Dr. Daphne Hahn daphne.hahn(at)pg.hs-fulda.de. Please note the deadlines for submitting the application for acceptance.

The prerequisite for acceptance as a doctoral candidate in the Doctoral Centre Public Health is the approval of the doctoral committee for the exposé of the planned doctoral project.

If you have general formal questions about the process of a doctorate, please contact the Doctoral Coordination Office Department Fulda Transfer at Fulda University of Applied Sciences. Your contact person is Dr. Sebastian Mehl sebastian.mehl(at)verw.hs-fulda.de (+49 661 9640-1910).

If you have specific questions about doctoral studies at the Public Health Doctoral Centre, you can contact the coordinator Ms Andrea Leipold andrea.leipold(at)gw.hs-fulda.de (+49 661 9640-6087).

If you would like to contact the head of the Public Health PhD Centre, Prof. Dr. Daphne Hahn, please send a request via e-mail to arrange an appointment daphne.hahn(at)gw.hs-fulda.de