The M.S. program in Epidemiology is designed to prepare students for the Ph.D. program in Public Health Sciences with a concentration in Epidemiology.

Upon admission to the M.S. program, each student will be assigned a faculty advisor who will work with the student to develop a program of study. The program of study recognizes core elements of modern epidemiology as well as its breadth and multidisciplinary nature.

Students with a prior baccalaureate or more advanced degree in an appropriate field of study, from a regionally accredited university or college will be eligible for the M.S. program in Epidemiology. Previous coursework in mathematics and/or statistics and biological or health sciences (for example, biology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology) is strongly recommended. Applicants who are judged to not have sufficient prior coursework or experience in these areas may be required to take additional coursework.

The following are additionally required for admission:

• Undergraduate GPA at least 3.0 on 4.0 scale
• Minimum GRE at least 500 Verbal and 600 Quantitative.
• If applicable, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score in at least 60th percentile.

The M.S. thesis will follow formal Graduate School thesis guidelines and will be on one or more of the following:

1. a critical review of the contemporary epidemiologic literature on a specific disease, risk factor, or health related condition;
2. a meta-analysis of results from several epidemiologic studies of a specific disease;
3. a research report on analysis of collected data;
4. an evaluation of epidemiologic statistical methodology.

It is expected that the thesis will be original, professional quality, and be the basis for one or more potentially publishable papers.
In summary, the M.S. in Epidemiology is explicitly designed to prepare students for a career in research.

1. To graduate, students in the M.S. program in Epidemiology must demonstrate the following competencies:
• Mastery of the principles of epidemiologic, observational study design, including:
• The merits and limitations of cross-sectional, retrospective and prospective designs;
• Methods of disease surveillance and case ascertainment;
• Methods of population-based sampling;
• Sample size and statistical power calculation;
• Issues in the measurement of exposure and disease transmission;
• Identification and correct interpretation of potential biases in study design.
2. Knowledge of the socioeconomic and geographic distribution, risk factors, and etiology of major acute, infectious and chronic morbidity and mortality.
3. Mastery of basic methods of analysis of epidemiologic data, including:
• Measures of disease frequency, prevalence and incidence;
• Methods for adjusting rates for age, gender, etc.;
• Measures of association, odds ratio, relative risk;
• Control of confounding and effect modification through stratification and statistical control;
• Modeling in multiple logistic regression;
• Principles of survival analysis;
• Correct interpretation of results with regard to issues of error, bias and criteria for causality.

• 36 Total Credit Hours including:
• Six (6) credit hours in Biostatistics
• Three (3) to (6) credit hours in another Public Health discipline
• Six (6) credit hours of thesis research

PHEP 602 Epidemiologic Methods 3

PHEP 619 Biology of Disease in Populations 3

*PHST xxx 3

PHEP 618 Epidemiologic Methods II 3

PHEP 604 Epidemiology of Acute and Infectious Diseases 3

*PHST xxx 3

PHEP 607 Epidemiology of Cancer 3

PHEP 609 Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases 3

**PHxx elective 3

**PHxx elective OR

PHEP 650 Advanced Topics in Epidemiology 3

PHEP 666 Thesis Research in Epidemiology 1-6

* To be determined in conjunction with Department Bioinformatics and Biostatistics

** To be selected from course offerings of another SPHIS department.

• PHST 624 Clinical Trials I
• PHST 650 Advanced Topics in Biostatistics
• PHST 680 Biostatistical Methods I
• PHST 681 Biostatistical Methods II
• PHST 661 Probability
• PHST 662 Mathematical Statistics
• PHST 683 Survival Analysis
• PHST 684 Categorical Data Analysis
• PHST 682 Multivariate Analysis

• PHEP 606 Genetic and Molecular
  Epidemiology
• PHEP 611 Nutritional Epidemiology
• PHEP 612 Epidemiology and Bioterrorism
• PHEP 613 Epidemiology of Aging
• PHEP 615 Epidemiology of Maternal/Child Health
• PHCI 671 Preventive Medicine I
• PHCI 672 Preventive Medicine II
• PHCI 605 Survey Research Methods
• PHCI 611 Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology
• PHEH 650 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Occupational Health
• PHPB 650 Advanced Topics in Health Knowledge and Cognitive Sciences
• PHMS 650 Advanced Topics in Health Management and Systems Science

Additional courses may be added pending their development by other departments in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences.

Chair and Professor
Richard N. Baumgartner, Ph.D.

Professors
Carlton A. Hornung, Ph.D.

Associate Professors
Kathy B. Baumgartner, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors
Frank Groves, M.D.
Susan B. Muldoon, Ph.D.
Chenxi Wang, Ph.D.
Kristina Zierold, Ph.D.