Health Sciences Integrated PhD students must take coursework in several core competency areas. Track faculty may designate which courses fulfill each competency for a student in their track. A more advanced course can be substituted if the student already has the equivalent of introductory course.

To complete a track, there are track-specific requirements of approximately five to eight additional classes in that content area and related electives.

If a comparable course has been taken at another graduate institution, then a student may be able to waive a requirement. A minimum number of nine graded courses must be taken to fulfill the residency requirement of The Graduate School at Northwestern University.