Students who are interested in improving health conditions in countries around the world may considering pursuing study in the field of global health. In this field, students may examine various disciplinary perspectives to understand the causes of disparate health systems and seek to develop long-term healthcare solutions.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.