DHSc Program Census: How 24 Doctor of Health Science Programs Compare

We pulled every DHSc program in our data into one place and counted. Here is what the 24 DHSc programs say about campus visits, credits, tuition, length and the dissertation.

Edited by Taylor Rupe, Founder & Editor, B.A. Psychology (UW-Seattle)

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DHSc programs that name how the degree ends use an applied project instead of a dissertation. The other 4 require a full dissertation.

How Many DHSc Programs Are Fully Online With No Campus Visits?

23 of the 24 DHSc programs are delivered online. That number hides the more useful split. This count is stricter than our no campus visits ranking, which also lists online programs that never mention a residency. Here only written rules count. Of the 11 programs whose own pages state a residency rule, 6 say you never need to be on campus and 5 schedule required visits, from a single on-site week to recurring residencies.

If you need a degree you can finish from home, start with the DHSc programs with no campus visits and check each school's residency wording before you apply. The wider online DHSc ranking also covers schedule and start dates.

Do DHSc Programs End in a Dissertation or an Applied Project?

Most end in an applied project. 13 of the 17 programs that name their ending use a capstone, practicum or applied research project, and 4 require a full dissertation. Schools use their own names for the applied version, including Innovation Project, Scholarly Experience and Doctoral Research Project with oral defense.

The two choices travel together. Of the 9 programs that state both a residency rule and an ending, the 5 with no campus visits all use an applied project. The two dissertation programs in that group, Indianapolis and Jefferson's Population Health degree, both require residencies. See every DHSc program with no dissertation and what each one puts in its place.

How Many Credits Does a DHSc Require?

The same three letters cover a 35 credit gap. MGH Institute asks for 35 credit hours and ATSU asks for 70. The median across 15 programs is 45. Credits set both your tuition bill and how many terms you stay enrolled, so this is the number to compare first.

The shortest DHSc programs by credit hours are ranked on their own page.

How Much Does a DHSc Cost?

The one cost figure defined the same way for every school is annual graduate tuition from IPEDS, the federal education data system. It ranges from $7,716 at East Stroudsburg to $85,000 at MGH Institute. Public universities have a median of $8,528 (n=5) and private ones $41,379 (n=18). It is a yearly institution-wide figure, so use it to compare schools, not as the degree's price.

To estimate your own total, multiply a program's credit hours by that school's per-credit rate. Our most affordable DHSc programs page orders them by this tuition figure.

How Long Does a DHSc Take?

Of the 13 programs with a published length, 9 start at three years. Chatham quotes 16 to 20 months, MGH Institute 20 months, and Touro Worldwide and Bay Path two years. Those are the fastest paces the schools publish, so plan on the longer end if you study part time.

What Do DHSc Programs Require to Apply?

Every program that names an entry degree wants a master's or another graduate degree. Arcadia accepts equivalent preparation, and MGH Institute lists a bachelor's and master's. Seven programs publish a minimum GPA, from 2.5 at ATSU to 3.4 at Touro Worldwide. Radford, Touro Worldwide, MGH Institute and Nova Southeastern say no GRE is required.

Radford asks for 3 to 4 years in a health-related field, and Purdue Global asks for 7 years' experience if your master's is not in health.

Touro Worldwide and Bay Path both state that their DHSc leads to no licensure or certification. Compare the full DHSc admission requirements before you apply.

All 24 DHSc Programs in the Census

Every program in the data, A to Z. 2 are not taking a new cohort and are marked. A blank cell means the school's page does not settle that item. Browse by location in the DHSc directory.

Download the data as a CSV file.

What the DHSc Program Census Means for You

Decide on campus visits and the dissertation first, because they split the field in ways credits and tuition do not. If you work full time and cannot travel, the programs that say none in writing, mostly applied-project programs, are your list. If you want a dissertation, expect residencies and a longer finish.

Then compare credits, since a 35 credit spread moves your bill more than a small per-credit difference. Ask each school for its current per-credit rate and residency schedule before you apply. The full DHSc ranking puts all of this into one score.

How We Built the DHSc Program Census

The census covers 24 programs at universities in 10 states (19 private nonprofit, 5 public), pulled October 2026. A program is included only when the school's own page calls it a Doctor of Health Science. Credits, length, delivery, residency, dissertation and entry rules come from that page. Tuition and control come from IPEDS.

Every figure uses only the programs that state the item, and the n is shown beside it: residency 11, ending 17, credits 15, tuition 23, length 13. Length is the lowest figure a school publishes. Our no campus visits ranking also lists online programs with no residency rule on their pages, while this census counts only the ones that state it. Scoring is explained in the methodology.

Sources: NCES IPEDS and each program's page on its university's website.

Cite This DHSc Program Census

Keep Comparing DHSc Programs

• All DHSc programs, ranked
• The DHSc directory, by state
• Is a DHSc worth it
• DHSc vs PhD