School of Public Health Departments/Programs: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health   Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion   General Public Health   International Health   Maternal and Child Health Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology   Biostatistics   Epidemiology (M.P.H.)   Epidemiology (Dr.P.H.) Department of Disability and Human Development Department of Environmental Health Science Department of Health Policy and Management Department of Physical Therapy Department of Speech-Language Pathology

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Paul Visintainer, Ph.D.,
Department Chair

• M.P.H Program Curriculum
• Program Course Descriptions
• Dr.P.H. Program Curriculum

The Epidemiology program offers a master of public health (M.P.H.) degree. This degree provides students with the knowledge and quantitative skills necessary to participate in the fascinating areas of medical, clinical, and public health research. This program has been designed for those whose undergraduate degrees were in the fields of biology, mathematics, psychology, or other health sciences related areas, and for those with a keen interest in medical, clinical, and public health research.

Graduates in Epidemiology have gained employment in medical research institutions such as universities and hospitals, along with private foundations and governmental agencies.

Admissions requirements include a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; a course in college algebra within the last five years; and, additional courses in calculus, statistics, or research methods are desirable. Classes are offered in the late afternoon and early evening and most of our students are part-time. Part-time students complete their course work within three years. Full-time students complete the course work in two years or less. A thesis is required, which some students do concurrently with their advanced course work; others do it upon completion of course work. Students must complete the 46-credit M.P.H. within 5 years.

Student Housing

Limited on-campus housing is available for single and married students. A very capable Student Housing Office works with students to obtain housing either on-campus or at nearby, off-campus locations.

Financial Planning

Advisement concerning how to pay the cost of education is available to admitted students through the Student Financial Planning office. Generally, most students are eligible for loan programs that will be sufficient to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and, if needed, living expenses.

The following courses are all 3 credits, unless otherwise noted.

M.P.H. Curriculum - 46 credits

1. Required courses: 22 credits
   
   Health Care in the United States
   Health Economics
   Behavioral and Social Factors in Public Health
   Environmental Influences on Human Health
   Introduction to Biostatistics
   Introduction to Epidemiology
   Thesis
   Practicum (1 credit)

2. Required concentration courses:
   
   Intermediate Biostatistics I
   Intermediate Biostatistics II
   Applied Epidemiology
   Advanced Epidemiology
   Directed Research in Epidemiology
   Seminar in Epidemiology
3. For Practicum and electives: 6 credits
   See academic advisor

Health Care in the United States

This course provides a comprehensive overview of healthcare programs and policies in the United States. Lectures enable students to understand the major constituencies involved in healthcare and introduce them to current public health issues, healthcare delivery systems, and factors that determine health policy

Introduction to Biostatistics formerly Health Quantitative Sciences I

This course is an introductory graduate course that presents the fundamental statistical approaches employed in clinical research. Lectures cover basic probability, common distributions, samples and populations, interval estimation, and inferential statistical approaches. By reading medical literature, students learn how statistical techniques are applied to clinical data, and practice summarizing and interpreting analytic results.

Introduction to Epidemiology formerly Health Quantitative Sciences II

This course introduces students to the principles and practices of epidemiology and provides them a population-based perspective on health and disease. Students learn the basic measurements of frequency and association and the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and disease in populations.

Health Economics

This course explores the concepts of scarcity, social choice, rationing, resource allocation, efficiency, investment, and market forces and their relationship to health services delivery and health policy. A variety of analytical principles and methods are examined and applied to issues including healthcare financing, cost containment, regulation, access, insurance, productivity, and program evaluation.

Behavioral and Social Factors in Public Health

An overview and introduction to the way in which behavioral and social factors contribute to health. The course covers a wide range of topics: theories of behavioral science which have been applied to health behaviors; socio-cultural factors in disease etiology and the role of social conditions and social policy in addressing critical public health problems; individual, group, community, and technology-based strategies for health behavior change; and current issues in behavioral science for health promotion including its application to achieving the Healthy People 2010 goals.

Environmental Influences on Human Health

This survey of the major environmental determinants of human health covers physical, chemical and biological sources of exposure; routes of exposure in humans; etiology of environmental disease and mortality; and the complexities of environmental public policy. Topics include airborne pollution, contaminated water and food, solid and hazardous waste, and risk assessment as a tool for regulation. Students have the opportunity to tour a local public works facility.

Applied Epidemiology

While exploring epidemiologic methods in further detail, this course provides students with practical experience in study design, questionnaire and proposal development, data analysis, and critical review of literature. Lecture topics include measures of rates and risks, study design and analytic methods to control for confounding factors, and issues regarding measurement error in data collection. Prerequisites: Health Quantitative Sciences I and II

Advanced Epidemiology

This course provides a detailed examination of special problems in epidemiologic study design and analysis. Extensive exposure to the use of unconditional and conditional logistic regression as related to epidemiologic methods will be afforded. The course includes discussions of standardized mortality ratios, proportionate mortality ratios, trends in risk ratios and use and interpretation of multivariate models. Prerequisite: Applied Epidemiology

Topics in Cancer Epidemiology

This course focuses on the epidemiological, hereditary, and environmental factors in the major types of cancer and the mechanisms of initiation, progression and metastasis. The roles of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, viruses and environmental carcinogens are emphasized. The important aspects of cancer prevention, detection and treatment are discussed, along with the socio-economic and ethical problems surrounding genetic screening and cancer risk.

Human Biology and Health

This course introduces the student to the basics of cell structure and function and provides an overview of human physiology. Lectures and discussion lay the foundation for understanding general disease processes, with particular attention paid to the aging process. The relationship of human physiology to such health problems as, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, is explored. The interaction between environmental factors and human biology is emphasized and the influence of lifestyle on health is evaluated.

Applied Statistical Analysis

The objective of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to analyze large data sets using multivariate models, with a focus on data analysis and report writing for clinical research. Topic areas cover both parametric and non-parametric methods, emphasizing ANOVA, linear regression, logistic regression, and survival analysis. Specific techniques, such as, testing for moderation, adjustment for confounding, and stratified analysis in multivariate models are covered. Prerequisites: Health Quantitative Sciences I & II, Intermediate Biostatistics I & II

Seminar in Epidemiology

Contemporary trends and recent developments in an area of study not covered in other elective courses are examined. Topics may change each term. Consult with the track director to determine subject matter to be covered.

Field Experience in Epidemiology

This course requires students to apply theory by working in an approved public health organization or equivalent. Field work is supervised by a faculty member who serves as liaison to the health organization.

Directed Research in Epidemiology

An opportunity for advanced study and research in an area chosen by the student in consultation with the professor is provided. Students are also given opportunities to work on special problems.

Tutorial in Epidemiology

This course involves comprehensive individual study of a specific topic, guided by a professor.

Thesis

It is expected that the thesis will be an original scholarly work involving an analysis of new or existing data on a subject relevant to the field of public health. It should be noted that theses may require review and approval by the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to initiation of any thesis work. Students should work through their program director to determine whether their thesis topic requires IRB review. Further, students must maintain regular contact with their program director during their thesis work to insure that their activities continue to meet the standards and regulations governing health care research.

Practicum

Students must complete a practicum. This is to assure that students have practical experience to support academic skills and information acquired within the broad filed of public health before they enter the world of public health practice. To fulfill this requirement, students will generally register for a one-credit pass/fail course in excess of the 45 credits required for the degree. Students who can demonstrate appropriate practice experience prior to beginning their M.P.H. studies may apply for a waiver.