• Write an original research paper based on an epidemiologic research question formulated to help fill the gaps in a given substantive area.
• Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of study designs commonly used in epidemiologic research for answering epidemiologic research questions.
• Use causal diagrams to identify threats to study validity and approaches to minimize such threats.
• Develop and implement the most appropriate analysis plan to analyze data to answer a specific epidemiologic research question.
• Evaluate scientific evidence regarding a specific epidemiologic research question.
• Justify the design and analysis for their own epidemiologic study.
• Write and present the findings and implications of their own epidemiologic study.
• Select the most appropriate epidemiologic study design that can be used to answer a specific epidemiologic research question.

Non-credit activities to be completed by the end of the first semester after enrollment:

•  Online course offered by the SAS Institute,  SAS Programming 1: Essentials

Non-credit activities to be completed by the end of the second semester of enrollment:

• Online course offered by the SAS Institute - SAS Programming 2: Data Management    

Non-credit activities to be completed each semester:

• Epidemiology Student Journal Club
• Department of Epidemiology Seminar series

Core Requirements

Students in the Epidemiology Concentration should complete the following courses for the Biostatistics and Applied Data Analysis and Epidemiology core requirements:

• PHP2150, Foundations in Epidemiologic Research Methods ​(Fall)
• PHP2510, Principles of Biostatistics and Data Analysis (Fall)
• PHP2511, Introduction to Applied Regression Analysis (Spring)

*If a student completes PHP2120 or PHP2507 or PHP2507 & PHP2508 before deciding on the Epidemiology Concentration, the student must meet with the Epidemiology Concentration Advisor and the MPH Program Director to request that PHP2120 or PHP2507 or PHP2507 & PHP2508 meet(s) the relevant core requirement(s). Based on an assessment of the student’s background, course performance, and knowledge base and other Department of Epidemiology requirements, PHP2120 or PHP2507 or PHP2507 & PHP2508 may be able to substitute.

Complete all of the following concentration courses

• PHP2180, Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology (Spring)
• PHP2200, Intermediate Methods in Epidemiologic Research (Spring)
• PHP2260, Applied Epidemiologic Data Analysis (Fall)

Complete one of the following methods courses

• PHP1895, Mindfulness Epidemiology** (Spring)
• PHP2030, Clinical Trials Methodology (Fall)
• PHP2040, Survey Research Methods (Spring)
• PHP2220B, Nutritional Epidemiology** (Fall)
• PHP2250, Advanced Quantitative Methods in Epidemiologic Research (Fall)
• PHP2440, Introduction to Pharmacoepidemiology (Spring)
• PHP2455A, Health Services Research Methods I (Fall)
• PHP2465A, Introduction to Health Decision Analysis (Fall)
• PHP2515, Fundamentals of Probability and Statistical Inference (Fall)
• PHP2516, Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis, and PHP2517, Applied Multilevel Data Analysis  (Both half-credit courses must be taken to count as the methods requirement) (Spring)
• PHP2530, Bayesian Statistical Methods (Spring)
• PHP2550, Practical Data Analysis (Fall)
• PHP2560, Statistical Programming in R (Fall)
• PHP2602, Analysis of Lifetime Data (Spring)
• PHP2610, Causal Inference and Missing Data (Fall)
• PHP2620, Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics I (every other Spring)
• PHP2650, Statistical Learning and Big Data  (Spring)

Complete one of the following substantive area courses

*Students take 1 full-credit substantive course at the 1000 or 2000 level chosen so that the student will develop greater knowledge of human biology or expertise in applying epidemiologic methods to substantive areas (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious diseases, or environmental health). Substantive courses may be offered every year or every other year. The below list includes substantive courses that meet this requirement. However, other courses may meet this requirement with written approval from the Epidemiology Concentration Lead.      

• PHP1700, Current Topics in Environmental Health (Fall)
• PHP1720, Environmental Exposure Assessments in Practice
• PHP1854, Infectious Disease Epidemiology (Spring)
• PHP1895, Mindfulness Epidemiology** (Spring)
• PHP1900 Epidemiology of Disorders and Diseases of Childhood and Young Adulthood (Fall)
• PHP1920, Social Determinants of Health (Fall)
• PHP1964, Cancer Epidemiology (Fall)
• PHP2015, Foundations of Spatial Analysis in Public Health
• PHP2018 Epidemiology of Cardio-Metabolic Health (Spring)
• PHP2130, Human Biology for Public Health (Spring)
• PHP2220B, Nutritional Epidemiology** (Fall)
• PHP2220F, Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology (Fall)
• PHP2220H, HIV Epidemiology
• PHP2220E, Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
• PHP2440, Introduction to Pharmacoepidemiology (Spring)

**Can be used as either a substantive or methods course, but cannot count towards both.