Description
The General Epidemiology Track combines broad training in public health with specific training in the principles and methods of epidemiology. The degree requirements include course work in epidemiology, biostatistics, health disparities, environmental health, and social and behavioral sciences, as well as a practicum experience in a public health agency; and completion of either a capstone project or a research-based master's thesis. Students may select the Epidemiology MPH General Track or the Epidemiology MPH Maternal and Child Health Track.
Likely Careers
Research Institutes and organizations, HMOs; Local, State and National government; non profit public health agencies, or PhD or MD plus MPH; Academia
Applying
The GRE has been permanently eliminated from admissions for all Department of Epidemiology graduate programs; goal statement demonstrating good understanding or Epidemiology and role of training in career; excellent references that speak to qualifications for training/career in epidemiology; Personal History Statement; Resume/CV; Transcripts. The program is competitive.
Concurrent Option: MD/MPH, MPH/MHA, MPH/MAIS, MPH/PhD Anthropology
Application Deadline: Dec. 1 for Autumn Quarter admissions
Competencies
Upon satisfactory completion of the MPH in Epidemiology, graduates will be able to:
- Meet the generic SPH learning objectives for the MPH degree;
- Meet the Core-Specific Learning Objectives for all MPH students;
- Define and calculate measures of disease frequency and measures of association between risk factors and disease;
- Describe the major epidemiologic research study designs and their advantages and limitations;
- Describe the major sources of bias in epidemiologic research (confounding, selection bias and measurement error) and the ways to evaluate and reduce the bias;
- Evaluate effect modification;
- Apply criteria to support whether an association is causal;
- Understand the basic terms and methods used in outbreak investigation, infectious disease epidemiology, chronic disease epidemiology, disease prevention trials and evaluation of screening tests;
- Critically review the scientific literature, synthesize the findings across studies, and make appropriate public health recommendations based on current knowledge;
- Design an epidemiologic study to address a question of interest;
- Interpret results of an epidemiologic study, including the relation to findings from other epidemiologic studies, the potential biological and/or social mechanisms, the limitations of the study, and the public health implications;
- Write a clear description of the rationale, methods, results and interpretation of an epidemiologic investigation;
- Apply epidemiologic skills in a public health setting, specifically in the formulation or application of public health programs or policies; and
- For those in the International Health track or the Maternal and Child Health Track, meet the additional learning objectives of those tracks.