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    Public Health Policy, Online Doctorate (EdD)

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    The Doctor of Education, with a focus on Public Health Policy, will develop leaders who can influence change through population and public health initiatives and health policy. This program will enhance your skillset to be the change agent that positively influences public health, program development and higher education at a systems level.

    The EdD in Public Health Policy is a study into leadership and program planning to address public health issues and population health issues. Combining public health and health policy together, the curriculum focuses on translating research and evidence-based practice in communities. It will provide graduates with the skill set to advocate in a policy arena at local, state, regional or national level.

    No Dissertation Required - The arduous dissertation process has been streamlined into the widely accepted scholarly practice project, where the student demonstrates effective application of the program’s theories and concepts to address an education or practice issue.

    With its unique scholarly Doctoral Practice Project and accelerated program length, the EdD program at Nebraska Methodist College is the preferred choice for professionals who want to become effective community and educational leaders while completing their studies in a reasonable timeframe.

    Want to learn more? Watch our most recent Virtual Information Session.

    Program Perks
    • No dissertation required. Gain real-world experience through our Doctoral Practice project.
    • Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) optional
    • Complete the program in 24 months with full-time participation, or 36 months with part-time study.
    • Institutional healthcare focus provides expertise that allows graduates to work as leaders in both academic and health related settings.
    • A dedicated writing coach to assist doctoral students in the design, structure, language, and flow of their writing needs.
    • An on-staff statistician is available to assist students in planning and evaluation of their scholarly doctoral project.
    • The Director of Student Counseling who engages our online graduate students with resources to promote health, work-life-school balance, and provides individualized support.
    • Flexible online format allows you to advance your educational goals while balancing personal and professional responsibilities.
    • Students will participate in two intensive learning sessions over the course of two days on campus during the program.
    • Download the Inquiry Packet for more details

    Accreditation & Licensure

    Nebraska Methodist College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    Admissions Information

    Criteria

    In order to be eligible for admission into our EdD program, you must meet all of the following criteria.

    • Master's degree required, preferably in a healthcare-related field, from a regionally accredited institution.
    • Master's degree GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
    • Admissions essay rubric score.
    • Interview rubric score.
    • Meet State Authorization requirements, if not a Nebraska resident.

    Requirements

    To be considered for admission, the following items must be submitted to the Admissions Office:

    • NMC online application form
    • Official college transcripts from graduating institutions and/or official transcripts containing completed doctoral or in-progress coursework
    • Résumé or curriculum vitae
    • Application essay
    • Select qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a phone interview with two NMC faculty members using a standardized interview process and scoring method
    • Health and safety requirements

    Deadlines

    Application to the Doctor of Education program at Nebraska Methodist College is a competitive process. In order to be considered, applicants must have all application materials submitted by the posted application deadline.

    Starting Term - Spring 2026

    Standard Deadline - 12/5/2025

    Starting Term - Fall 2026

    Priority Deadline - 1/30/2026

    Standard Deadline - 7/10/2026

    Costs & Financial Aid

    NMC is committed to helping you find every avenue to finance your education. View the Tuition by Program & Degree page for a comprehensive list of all fees.

    Cost Per Credit Hour

    $850

    Cost of Attendance

    Student Grants or Loans

    Visit our Financial Aid page to learn more about what's available and how to apply.

    Employee Education Benefits

    Employees of Methodist Health System can find details on the MHS Intranet.

    External Scholarships

    Visit our Scholarships page to learn more.

    Nurse Faculty Loan Program

    Aimed at increasing the number of qualified nurse faculty, NFLP loans cover the cost of tuition, fees and books for part-time or full-time enrollment.

    Following completion of the advanced education program, up to 85% of the loan may be cancelled if the borrower works as a full-time nurse faculty for a prescribed period of time.

    Calculate Your Net Price

    Nebraska Methodist College Net Price Calculator.

    Curriculum

    All students are required to complete specific coursework. This list below should only be used as a curriculum guide. Course listings and required curriculum are subject to change.

    Program Specific

    EDD 700
    PROGRAM ORIENTATION
    DETAILS
    This course provides the doctoral program orientation for Nebraska Methodist College. Emphasis will be placed on program delivery modalities, resource utilization, and scholarly writing. Students must complete this course on campus.

    Prerequisites: Admission to EdD Program.

    Education

    EDD 694
    TEACHING, LEARNING, & INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS
    DETAILS
    This course provides the foundation in educational principles for the student. Learning theories and best practices provide the basis for analyzing the concept of learning in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. Teaching strategies to facilitate student learning in the classroom, clinical, practice, and online environment will be examined. Legal, ethical, and professional faculty responsibilities in higher education are explored.

    EDD 698
    CURRICULUM PLANNING & EVALUATION
    DETAILS
    This course focuses on curriculum planning, design, implementation, and evaluation. The concept of curriculum will be explored at the individual course and program level.  Best practices in education will be incorporated into curriculum design while considering the influence of regulatory and accrediting bodies.

    Public Health Policy

    IDS 754
    HEALTHCARE POLICY
    DETAILS
    This course provides the foundation for analyzing the social and political forces that influence healthcare policy decisions. The relationship between health policy, social justice, and practice will be explored. Students will examine current healthcare policy and factors which influence policy development. The healthcare policy making process will be investigated

    IDS 760
    Environmental Health Policy
    DETAILS

    This course examines the environment as a social determinant of health for individuals and populations. Students will gain understanding of the intersectionality of health disparities and environmental health. Students will examine environmental public health scientific and foundational concepts of importance to the health promotion practitioner. This course focuses on the skills, tools, and approaches needed to address environmental health problems through policy processes and practice of population health.

    IDS 780
    ADVANCED PUBLIC HEALTH
    DETAILS
    This course lays the framework for the advanced public health role with an emphasis on public health policy. This course explores conceptual models and frameworks to examine complex public health issues, systems, policies, and practice. Students evaluate community issues and integrate clinical health practices emphasizing a health promotion and prevention approach while addressing health disparities of vulnerable and diverse populations.

    IDS 784
    PUBLIC HEALTH ETHICS
    DETAILS
    This course provides a foundation for a systematic process to clarify, prioritize, and justify ethical principles and values that guide public health action. Students will compare and contrast public health ethics to bioethics and medical ethics that guide biology and clinical medicine which are individual or patient centered. Throughout this course students will distinguish public health ethics as a population-based approach to public health as a field of study.

    IDS 788
    CIVIC HEALTH
    DETAILS
    This course uses the Culture of Health framework to examine the role of civic health in the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Students will examine civic health indicators (i.e. volunteering and giving, group membership, trust in institutions, social interactions, neighbor connectedness, voting and registration, and political involvement) in relation to population-based care, health policy, ethics, and finance. Examination of social change leadership, analysis of civic-related research, and exploration of civic identity will further student civic and public purpose as a health care professional and educated citizen.

    Healthcare Leadership

    EDD 832
    POPULATION HEALTH
    DETAILS
    This course provides the theoretical foundation for role development and skills required to identify health needs at a population level and strategies to improve population outcomes. The course focus is on translational research and the application of evidence-based concepts essential to the advancement of population-based health. Analysis of the impact of social, cultural, and ecological systems across various populations will be emphasized throughout the course.

    Corequisite: EDD 880

    IDS 750
    HEALTHCARE FINANCE
    DETAILS
    This course focuses on the fundamentals of healthcare finance and its relationship to financial and managerial accounting practices. Through examination of the basic foundations of health care finance, students gain practical knowledge and apply financial management theory and principles in facilitating decision-making that promotes the financial well-being of organizations.

    Research

    EDD 880
    Doctoral Scholarly Project I
    DETAILS
    This is the first of a four-course series that provides an opportunity for the doctoral student to participate in the completion of a scholarly project. This course will focus on identifying a practice problem and appropriate intervention within a specific population upon which to focus a doctoral scholarly project.

    Prerequisites: SSC 730, SSC 734, IDS 742. Corequisite: EDD 880

    EDD 882
    Doctoral Scholarly Project II
    DETAILS

    This is the second of a four-course series that provides an opportunity for the student to participate in the completion of a scholarly project. The student will incorporate the essentials of scientific writing in the completion of a Doctoral Scholarly Project proposal.

    Prerequisite: EDD 880

    EDD 886
    Doctoral Scholarly Project III
    DETAILS
    This is the third of a four-course series that provides an opportunity for the doctoral student to participate in the completion of a scholarly project. The student will refine, implement, analyze data, and evaluate results of the Doctoral Scholarly Project.

    Prerequisite: EDD 882

    EDD 890
    Doctoral Scholarly Project IV
    DETAILS

    This is the last of a four-course series that provides an opportunity for the doctoral student to participate in the completion of a scholarly project. This course will focus on translation and dissemination of scholarly project findings.

    Prerequisite: EDD 886

    IDS 742
    RESEARCH
    DETAILS
    This course provides an in-depth study of the design and conduct of health care research with emphasis on identifying researchable clinical, educational, and health care delivery problems. Analysis and interpretation of data from qualitative and quantitative research designs will be emphasized. Students will begin to investigate and develop their project question and complete a systematic literature review to support the doctoral scholarly project.

    Prerequisites: Graduate statistics course

    SSC 730
    BIOSTATISTICS
    DETAILS
    This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to understand and apply bio-statistical methods needed in the design and analysis of biomedical and public health investigations. The major topics to be covered include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, sampling distributions, inferences (point estimates and confidence intervals), hypotheses testing (one-sample tests, two-sample tests), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), as well as simple linear regression and multiple regression analysis. The course emphasizes the application of statistical concepts to analyze research for best available evidence to support quality nursing practice. The course also provides students with hands-on experience in using statistical software (SPSS) to assist in making effective decisions.

    SSC 734
    EPIDEMIOLOGY
    DETAILS
    This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to understand the clinical and public health aspects of basic epidemiology. It provides a comprehensive study of epidemiology in relation to healthcare practice, public health and health policies. The major concepts of study will include health and health risks, disease causality and strategies to reduce the incidence and prevalence of health problems with specific populations.

    Prerequisite OR Corequisite: SSC 730, or evidence of graduate-level statistics course

    Meet the Faculty

    Our doctoral-level faculty are highly experienced and credentialed in their own fields, giving you constant real-world insight you can use.

    Instructors here care as deeply about their students as they do about the subject matter, and it shows.

    Meet the Faculty

    Additional Information

    Example Plans of Study

    August Start

    January Start

    Potential Career Paths

    • Higher education
    • Public health education or program specialists
    • Operations management or executive directors of public health non-profits
    • Health system leaders in population health initiatives
    • Health policy advisor
    • Public Health Consultants

    Program Outcomes

    1. Display leadership skills as an effective communicator, collaborator, educator, and change agent.
    2. Demonstrate professional skills to develop and sustain systematic change in health care, academic,
      and community settings.
    3. Navigate emerging information technology in health care, academic, and community settings.
    4. Serve as an active and effective interdisciplinary team member in health care, academic, and
      community settings.

    Program Handbook

    Doctor of Education Application Essay

    Please develop a thoughtful and organized response to the two questions below. The admissions committee is looking for responses that are not only well supported but that also use appropriate style and grammar.

    Each question response should be approximately 250-400 words using APA format and citations where applicable and will be critiqued using the following criteria: purpose, organization, content, individuality and conventions.

    Instances of plagiarism within an applicant’s personal statement will disqualify them for acceptance to Nebraska Methodist College due to the College’s commitment to academic integrity and stringent plagiarism policies.

    Describe your role aspirations and what you expect to derive from your doctoral studies at Nebraska Methodist College.
    What impact should graduates of the EdD program have on the delivery and scope of healthcare in your community and in the United States?

    Be sure to include your name and program on the document itself.

    Please submit your completed Admissions Essay to admissions@methodistcollege.edu.