Admission Requirements

This is a social science research program designed to train researchers to conduct cutting-edge investigation to reduce the national and global burden of substance use and misuse. Note that this is not a counseling-focused degree.

Admission Requirements

MA degree in related field
Minimum grade point average of 3.2 (undergraduate) and 3.5 (graduate)
Foundational research experience (e.g., peer reviewed publication and graduate level recommended research courses.)
GRE scores at the 55^th percentile or above taken within the last five years
TOEFL: Contact program office for minimum required scores.

“This joint doctoral program has been an incredibly rewarding and invaluable experience for me. The mentorship I gained through the program has been incomparable and I have grown so much as a researcher. I feel so lucky to have been immersed in a variety of topics related to substance use research (e.g., pharmacology, drug policy, and theoretical approaches to substance use) and to have been trained in a wide array of research methods and techniques (e.g., qualitative research, mixed methods research, longitudinal analyses, and scale development). Ultimately, I feel like I’ve been supported at every step of this program, that I’ve gained the skills necessary for my forthcoming postdoctoral scholar position, and made connections with fellow substance use researchers that I’ll have for the rest of my career!”

– Stephanie Meyers
IRSU Graduate, 2020

“The IRSU program’s interdisciplinary and collaborative approach offered me opportunities to learn from distinguished faculty in the fields of public health, psychiatry, social work, and global health. Core courses in research methods, policy, multivariate data analysis, and pharmacology provided me with a rich understanding of how to design and conduct research on substance use. The program also enabled me to tailor my elective courses to further explore my interests in genetic epidemiology and neurodevelopment. I am incredibly thankful for the immense support from faculty mentors who supported me to develop my dissertation on the biological and social impact of maternal substance use on maternal morbidity.”

– Natasia S. Courchesne
IRSU Graduate, 2020

“The program has definitely elevated my ability to design and evaluate research and programs and significantly improved my grant writing and leadership skills. With my training I am able to understand how to select, implement and evaluate evidence informed interventions for substance use in special populations (e.g. women and youth with HIV). What has been most invaluable is the relationships and connections the program has led to.”

– Nicole Pepper
JDP IRSU( 2015 Cohort)

Announcements

Final Dissertation Defense of Charles Marks – 6/1/2021
TITLE OF DISSERTATION: Addressing Cigarette-Related Health Inequities Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
DATE OF DEFENSE: June 23rd, 2021
TIME OF DEFENSE: 10:00 AM Pacific
LOCATION OF DEFENSE: Zoom

The Global Public Health HIV & Substance Use Research Seminar – Garland Gerber – 6/3/2021
TOPIC: Exploring legal professionals’ understanding of substance use disorder: preliminary findings and future directions
DATE: June 3rd, 2021
TIME: 2:00-3:00pm
LOCATION: Zoom Meeting

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