Epidemiology Subtrack (42 s.h.)

Objective

The MPH in Public Health Epidemiology is a degree for those students who desire to learn the fundamental concepts and methods of epidemiology. The degree provides the methodologic skills and knowledge and the practical experience oriented to the public health setting. The focus of the degree is public health data and methods and on their utilization in assessment of disease burden in the community. The student will also learn use of evaluation methods to assess the need and outcome of programs and interventions in the community. The student should be capable of performance in the public health department and healthcare settings.

Graduates of the MPH in Epidemiology will be able to:

1. Define the concepts and contents of epidemiology.
2. Use existing databases to provide background or supportive public health data to determine priorities and formulate public health investigations.
3. Use existing questionnaires and measurement instruments in collection of data to determine public health status and priorities and to evaluate interventions.
4. Create study aims and objectives needed to address a public health program or investigation.
5. Select the appropriate study design for interventions/investigations.
6. Describe health and disease measurement in a community population.
7. Identify risk or preventive factors that may contribute to outcome and to incorporate them into a preventive study.
8. Use computers to collect, manage and analyze data for analysis of basic associations.
9. Analyze results and compose an understandable and presentable report of the results.
10. Identify who to contact regarding additional clinical, biomedical, statistical and programmatic expertise.
11. Interpret results to guide public health policy.

Prerequisite

An undergraduate degree is required. The cumulative grade point average should be a minimum of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Although no specific major is required, prerequisite coursework includes one semester each of college algebra and biology.

MPH Core Courses (18 s.h.)

The following course work is required for all MPH students. Students are expected to earn ≥ B- (2.67) on each core course and must earn a ≥ B (3.0) cumulative grade point average on all core courses. When necessary, a student may repeat courses to achieve this standard.

Students are required to attend departmental seminars and journal club. They also must present one scientific poster at an international, national, regional, state, university, or departmental poster session.

Practicum Requirement (3 s.h)

The experience from this course, including a final written report and an oral presentation, constitutes the final examination for the MPH.

Pre-Requisite:

Students should complete all Core Courses prior to registering for the Practicum. In special circumstances, students may request to take a Core Course concurrently with the Practicum.

For additional information, regarding the practicum experience, please visit the official practicum website.

Bioscience Requirement* (3 or 4 s.h.)

Or elective if previous course taken in bioscience

Any of the following courses may be used to meet this requirement:

* If a student has had such coursework in the past, a bioscience course does not need to be taken, but the hours are replaced with more hours of electives.

Required Courses (11 or 12 s.h.)

In addition to these courses, students must present at least one scientific poster at the international, national, regional, state, university, or department level prior to graduation.

Elective courses (minimum of 5 s.h.)

An additional number of approved elective courses must be taken to complete the 42 s.h. total required for the MPH. At least 3 s.h. of this must be taken from among courses taught by the Epidemiology Department (department 173) or from the following Biostatistics courses:

Handbook Supplement (pdf)