Graduate Committee
Dr. Ariane Rung (Graduate Program Director), Dr. Edward Peters (Department Chair), Dr. David Brett-Major, Dr. Brittney Dickey, Dr. Joseph Fauver, Dr. Patrick Maloney, Dr. Abraham Mengist, Dr. Kendra Ratnapradipa, Dr. Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, and Christopher Pierson (Graduate Student)
The PhD program in Epidemiology prepares practitioners and researchers for positions in government agencies, the private sector, and academia. Students learn to design, conduct, and analyze epidemiologic research studies, interpret research findings, and apply findings to solve public health problems or discover causes of diseases.
Students who enter the PhD program typically hold the MPH degree or have equivalent training/experience in epidemiology.
PhD Curriculum
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Epidemiology are required to complete a minimum of 48 credit hours in courses (36 credits) and dissertation (12 credits) in order to graduate.
- Students may request a transfer of up to 12 credits of epidemiology and biostatistics courses from a previous degree from an accredited graduate program. The transfer request will be reviewed by the Epidemiology Graduate Committee after the student has enrolled in the Ph.D. program. Students who receive approval for credit transfer will need to take additional courses as recommended by their Supervisory Committee to satisfy the 48-credit hour requirement.
Coursework
Students are expected to complete the courses listed below. These courses are subject to change and other courses can be substituted at the discretion of the Supervisory Committee.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College of Public Health Required Course ** | ||
| HPRO 830 | FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH * | 3 |
| Core Courses | ||
| GRAD 800 | RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT IN RESEARCH TRAINING * | 0 |
| EPI 845 | EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS 1 * | 3 |
| EPI 821 | APPLIED EPIDEMIOLOGY * | 3 |
| EPI 945 | ANALYTICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS II * | 3 |
| EPI 946 | EPIDEMIOLOGY IN PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE * | 3 |
| BIOS 818 | BIOSTATISTICAL LINEAR MODELS: METHODS AND APPLICATION * | 3 |
| BIOS 823 | CATEGORICAL DATA ANALYSIS * | 3 |
| BIOS 824 | SURVIVAL DATA ANALYSIS * | 3 |
| BIOS 825 | CORRELATED DATA ANALYSIS * | 3 |
| EPI 805 | HUMAN HEALTH AND DISEASE IN PUBLIC HEALTH (Human Health and Disease in Public Health) * | 3 |
| EPI 960 | EDUCATION THEORY AND APPLICATION | 1 |
| EPI 910 | RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT * | 3 |
| EPI 970 | SEMINAR (Total 2 credits; 1 credit required prior to Comprehensive Exam) | 1 |
| Selectives – Minimum 6 courses ≥4 at 900 level | ||
| EPI 812 | CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 822 | HOST AND PATHOGEN FACTORS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| EPI 837 | SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 835 | HEALTH INFORMATION AND SURVEILLANCE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE | 3 |
| EPI 810 | EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: PREVENTION | 3 |
| EPI 811 | EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: PROTECTION | 3 |
| EPI 813 | EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: RESPONSE | 3 |
| EPI 814 | EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: RESPOND AND RECOVERY | 3 |
| EPI 952 | MENTAL HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 953 | CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 955 | ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 957 | SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| EPI 958 | EPIDEMIOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF HEALTHCARE DATA | 3 |
| EPI 941 | EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS IN APPLIED CLINICAL GENETICS | 3 |
| EPI 924 | INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING | 3 |
| EPI 999 | DOCTORAL DISSERTATION (12 credits) | 1-15 |
| *Courses that must be completed, plus one credit of Seminar, and four selectives, prior to taking the Comprehensive Examination | ||
| ** Required for students who have not completed an MPH or taken a foundational course at a CEPH-accredited institution. | ||
PhD Competencies in Epidemiology
| EPIPHD1 | Summarize and evaluate the scientific literature critically to generate epidemiologic research questions that advance scientific knowledge for a public health topic. |
| EPIPHD2 | Develop an epidemiologic study to investigate specific research questions using contemporary epidemiologic study designs, methods, and approaches. |
| EPIPHD3 | Identify and utilize appropriate expertise in advanced statistical theories and epidemiologic methods to collect, manage, and analyze data from epidemiologic studies. |
| EPIPHD4 | Recognize threats to validity and demonstrate an understanding of causal inference, sources of bias, and apply methods to improve the validity of epidemiologic studies. |
| EPIPHD5 | Apply relevant mechanistic pathways (e.g., physiological, genetic, behavioral, social) to measure and advance an understanding of disease etiology or outcomes. |
| EPIPHD6 | Propose and develop a grant proposal for an epidemiologic study with the appropriate study design and methods. |
| EPIPHD7 | Prepare learning materials and teach epidemiologic theory and methods at the graduate level. |
| EPIPHD8 | Describe, apply, and evaluate ethical and legal principles involved in human subjects' research data collection, management, use, and dissemination for epidemiologic studies. |
| EPIPHD9 | Recommend and communicate the results of epidemiologic research orally and in writing to scientific audiences. |