MS in Epidemiology

Degree Description and Learner Objectives

This program is designed to prepare graduate level students for professional career opportunities in which specialized knowledge of epidemiologic methods and analytic techniques are useful. Placement possibilities include employment in local, state, or federal health agencies, academic departments within Schools of Public Health or Colleges of Health Sciences, or private enterprise.

Graduates of the MS program will be able to:

  1. Define the concepts and contents of epidemiology.
  2. Formulate a research hypothesis.
  3. Determine study aim, objectives and appropriate study design to address the hypothesis.
  4. Describe health and disease measurement in a clinical and community populations.
  5. Identify risk and/or preventive factors that may contribute to outcome to incorporate them into a research study.
  6. Use computers to collect, manage and analyze data for evaluation of hypotheses.
  7. Use questionnaires and measurement instruments in collection of data.
  8. Use existing databases to provide background or supportive data to address research questions.
  9. Analyze data and to compose an understandable and presentable report of the results.
  10. Perform ethical research.

Prerequisites

A baccalaureate degree is required. Undergraduate preparation must have included two semesters of biological sciences and mathematics through algebra. Coursework in statistics is highly desirable.

Required General Courses

NOTE: For more detailed information on MS requirements, consult the Student Handbook.

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students are required to attend 80 percent department seminars and Journal Club meetings. Also, each student must present one scientific poster at the department level, and the department recommends that they present at the international, national, regional, state, or University level at some point in the student’s program of study.

NumberTitleHours
CPH:6100Essentials of Public Health2 s.h.
BIOS:4120Introduction to Biostatistics3 s.h.
EPID:5610Intermediate Epidemiology Data Analysis with SAS and R3 s.h.
EPID:5241Statistical Methods in Epidemiology4 s.h.
EPID:4400Epidemiology I: Principles3 s.h.
EPID:5925Epidemiology Journal Club: Evaluating the Literature0 s.h.
EPID:5600Intro. to Epi Data Management & Analysis3 s.h.
EPID:6400Epidemiology II: Advanced Methods4 s.h.
CPH:7270Principles of Scholarly Integrity: Public Health(taken first year in the fall semester for 0 s.h. and in the spring semester for 1 s.h.)1 s.h.
PATH:8133Introduction to Human Pathology4 s.h.
 or 
PATH:5270Pathogenesis of Major Human Diseases3 s.h.

Choose one of the following two courses:

NumberTitleHours
EPID:6550Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
or
3 s.h.
EPID:6600Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases3 s.h.

In addition, students must select either Preceptorship
(for non-thesis degree students) or Thesis (for thesis degree students):

NumberTitleHours
EPID:5950Preceptorship in Epidemiology3 s.h.
EPID:7000 (may be taken twice)Thesis3-6 s.h.

Epidemiology Electives

A minimum of 5 s.h. of electives must be selected from any course offered by the Epidemiology Department (EPID). In addition, the student will work with her/his adviser in selecting at least 2 s.h. of elective coursework pertinent to educational goals and background. Selection may be made from among courses in the Epidemiology Department or from any graduate course in the university catalog provided approval is obtained from the adviser on the Plan of Study.

Students may need to do additional elective course work in order to complete the minimum 39 s.h. required for the degree.

Suggested College of Public Health Electives:

NumberTitleHours
BIOS:6310Introductory Longitudinal Data Analysis3 s.h.
BIOS:6210Applied Survival and Cohort Data Analysis3 s.h.
CBH:5220Health Behavior and Health Education3 s.h.
HMP:4000Introduction to US Health Care System3 s.h.
OEH:4240Global Environmental Health3 s.h.

Total Semester Hours Required for M.S. in Epidemiology (minimum): 39

MS Degree Without Thesis, Master’s Final Examination

The master’s examination is a written in-class exam that measures learning of epidemiological concepts and knowledge of epidemiological thoughts as presented in required courses. This exam is offered twice per year.

MS Degree With Thesis, Master’s Thesis Defense

The master’s thesis defense is an oral presentation of the purpose, methods, and results of the thesis research. A specially formed committee will thoroughly examine the student’s area of knowledge associated with the context of the work. The goal of the thesis is a document that is publishable in a peer-reviewed journal.