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MPH in Public Health: Epidemiology

Concentration in Epidemiology

The Master of Public Health program with a concentration in epidemiology provides training in the principles and methodology of epidemiological research and practice. Students in this program explore the theories and methodologies underlying the basic science of public health and learn how to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret research studies in such areas as genetic epidemiology, cardiovascular epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology. Graduates pursue advanced degrees in research or management careers in the public, private, or academic sectors.

Concentration Requirements

Epidemiology concentrators are required to complete 16 credits within the department in addition to the epidemiology core requirement, EP 713.

All concentrators must take:

  • BS 723 Introduction to Statistical Computing
  • EP 813 Intermediate Epidemiology

Students who are unable to take EP 813 due to scheduling conflicts must meet with their advisor and the EP 854 instructor to be approved to take EP 854, Advanced Epidemiology, instead of EP 813. EP 854 is offered in the fall only.

The remaining 8 credits may be taken from any of the courses listed below. However, only 4 credits of 900-level EP courses may be applied to the concentration requirements.

  • EP 721 Survey Methods for Public Health
  • EP 730 Epidemiology of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
  • EP 740 Introduction to the Epidemiology of Aging
  • EP 745 Pharmaco-Epidemiology:  Topics and Controversies
  • EP 751 Cardiovascular Epidemiology
  • EP 752 Cancer Epidemiology
  • EP 753 Cancer Prevention as a Public Health Problem
  • EP 755 Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  • EP 758 Nutritional Epidemiology
  • EP 759 Reproductive Epidemiology
  • EP 762 Clinical Epidemiology
  • EP 763 Genetic Epidemiology
  • EP 764 Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the Developed and Developing World
  • EP 771 Special  Topics in Epidemiology
  • EP 775 Social Epidemiology
  • EP 780 The Epidemiology of  Diabetes and Its Complications
  • EP 784 The Epidemiology of  Tuberculosis in the Developed and Developing World
  • EP 800 Microbes and Methods: Selected Topics in Outbreak Investigation
  • EP 815 Epidemiologic Modeling
  • EP 817 A Guided Epidemiologic Study
  • EP 830 Drug Epidemiology
  • EP 854 Advanced Epidemiology
  • EP 855 Advanced Epidemiology Seminar: Issues in Study Design
  • EP 856 Selected  Topics in Epidemiologic Methods
  • EP 857 Design and Conduct of Cohort Studies
  • EP 858 Design and Conduct of Case-Control Studies
  • EP 871 Advanced  Topics in Epidemiology
  • EP 911 Directed Studies in Epidemiology
  • EP 912 Directed Research in Epidemiology
  • EP 915 Research Methodology and Medical Literature

Note: The following courses outside of the epidemiology department carry epidemiology concentration credit. Only 4 credits of these courses in addition to BS 723 may be counted toward the 16 required epidemiology concentration credits.

  • BS 722 Design and Conduct of Clinical  Trials
  • BS 735 Quantitative Methods of Public Health Surveillance
  • EH 757 Environmental Epidemiology
  • EH 804 Exposure Assessment
  • IH 805 Controversies in Global Control and Eradication of Infectious Diseases
  • MC 759 Perinatal Epidemiology
  • PH 825 Role of Human & Environmental Factors in Emerging & Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
  • PM 811 Health Services Research Methods
  • SB 822 Quantitative Methods for Program Evaluation

Culminating Experience

Epidemiology concentrators must pass a 4-hour comprehensive exam prior to graduation. This exam should be scheduled after the student has completed Intermediate Epidemiology (EP 813) or Advanced Epidemiology (EP 854). In addition, the student must have completed at least 16 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or better and be registered for at least 24 credits, including all core courses. The exam is offered every year in April and November. Students are encouraged to take the exam the semester prior to their last semester.

Areas of Emphasis

Within the epidemiology concentration, students are able to take courses that fulfill their interests in certain areas of emphasis to help prepare themselves for the specific field of epidemiology in which they would like to work. The following are emphasis area that students may take; for more information, see the Concentrators’ Guide in Epidemiology.

  • Clinical Trials
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Non-Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmaco-Epidemiology
  • Epidemiologic Research Methods

Related Bulletin Pages

Beyond the Bulletin