Graduate Committee
Dr. Ariane Rung (Graduate Program Director), Dr. Edward Peters (Department Chair), Dr. David Brett-Major, Dr. Julie Casani, Dr. Brittney Dickey, Dr. Joseph Fauver, Dr. Erika Fuchs, Dr. Sai Paritala, Dr. Julie Petersen, Dr. Kendra Ratnapradipa, Dr. Sarah Scales, Dr. Tom Sellers, Dr. Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Dr. Dana Verhoeven, and elected student representative
The Epidemiology PhD program is a full-time, on-campus (in-person) program that provides comprehensive methodological and interdisciplinary training, preparing students to become independent investigators equipped to succeed in PhD-level research positions in academia, government, and the private sector. Students entering the Epidemiology PhD program typically hold an MPH or an MS in epidemiology or have equivalent training or experience. Students enrolled in the Epidemiology PhD program must complete a minimum of 61 credit hours beyond the master’s degree, as follows:
- College of Public Health Required Courses: 3 credit hours
- Epidemiology Required Core courses: 28 credit hours
- Elective courses: 18 credit hours
- Dissertation: 12 credit hours
Students entering without a master's degree in epidemiology may need to complete additional prerequisite coursework.
Credit and Course Substitution Policy: Under certain conditions, students may request a transfer of up to 15 credit hours or a waiver of certain required courses. The full policy can be found at Graduate Studies Transfer & Substitution Policy.
PhD Curriculum
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 (Foundations of Public Health is required for students who have not completed a master’s degree from a CEPH-accredited unit.) | 3 |
| Epidemiology Required Core Courses (28 credit hours) | ||
| GRAD 800 | RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT IN RESEARCH TRAINING | 0 |
| EPI 910 | RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| EPI 945 | ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS I | 3 |
| EPI 947 | (ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS II) | |
| EPI 960 | EDUCATION THEORY AND APPLICATION | 3 |
| EPI 970 | SEMINAR | 1 |
| BIOS 815 | BIOSTATISTICAL COMPUTING | 3 |
| BIOS 822 | (APPLIED LINEAR AND GENERALIZED LINEAR MODELS) | |
| BIOS 824 | SURVIVAL DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| BIOS 825 | CORRELATED DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| Suggested Electives (Minimum 18 credit hours, at least 6 credit hours at the 900 level. At least three electives (9 credit hours) must be completed prior to taking the Qualifying Examination.) | ||
| EPI 812 | CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 824 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATICS | 3 |
| EPI 825 | THEORY AND METHODS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 826 | EPIDEMIOLOGICAL METHODS IN OUTBREAK INVESTIGATIONS | 3 |
| EPI 832 | DATA VISUALIZATION: METHODS AND APPLICATIONS | 3 |
| EPI 833 | PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS & DATA SOURCES | 3 |
| EPI 837 | SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 924 | INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING | 3 |
| EPI 928 | DISASTER EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 939 | SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS & META-ANALYSIS | 3 |
| EPI 940 | (IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE MODELS AND METHODS) | |
| EPI 953 | CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 955 | ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| EPI 957 | SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| EPI 996 | DIRECTED READINGS AND RESEARCH | 1-9 |
| EPI 998 | DOCTORAL SPECIAL TOPICS | 1-4 |
| BIOS 826 | INTRODUCTION TO CAUSAL INFERENCE FOR DATA SCIENCE | 3 |
| BIOS 829 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOSTATISTICAL MACHINE LEARNING | 3 |
| BIOS 835 | DESIGN OF MEDICAL HEALTH STUDIES | 3 |
| BIOS 863 | APPLIED DATA MANAGEMENT AND PREPARATION | 3 |
| BIOS 921 | ADVANCED PROGRAMMING SAS | 3 |
| HPRO 903 | MIXED METHODS RESEARCH | 3 |
| Doctoral Dissertation (12 minimum hours) | ||
| EPI 999 | DOCTORAL DISSERTATION | 1-15 |
Notes:
- Courses that must be completed prior to taking the Qualifying Examination: EPI 910, EPI 945, EPI 947, BIOS 822, BIOS 824, BIOS 825, GRAD 800
- To be eligible to take EPI 960 Education Theory and Application, students must first serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for at least one Epidemiology class. EPI 960 may be taken after the Comprehensive Examination is passed.
- Four semesters of EPI 970 Seminar are required; only two semesters are required prior to taking Qualifying Examination.
PhD Competencies in Epidemiology
| EPIPHD1 | Critically appraise and interpret epidemiologic literature and generate evidence-based and testable research hypotheses. |
| EPIPHD2 | Design rigorous epidemiologic studies and minimize potential threats to validity using methodological approaches and principles. |
| EPIPHD3 | Integrate subject-matter knowledge to inform epidemiologic study designs and interpretation of findings. |
| EPIPHD4 | Select, apply, and critically evaluate advanced statistical and epidemiologic methods appropriate to complex data and research questions. |
| EPIPHD5 | Communicate epidemiologic methods and findings clearly to scientific and non-specialist audiences. |
| EPIPHD6 | Design and implement evidence-based instructional strategies to teach epidemiology concepts. |
| EPIPHD7 | Conduct independent epidemiologic research and disseminate findings to advance scientific knowledge and impact. |
| EPIPHD8 | Apply principles of responsible conduct of research throughout all stages of the research process. |