MPH in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

Infectious diseases are leading causes of global mortality and morbidity. Therefore, advancing our understanding of the epidemiology of infectious diseases is crucial to public health. The Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) teaches students critical infectious disease epidemiological skills foundational to public health. The MPH curriculum gives students an understanding of the epidemiology of the major infectious agents, the diseases they cause, and the host response to those diseases. The interaction of the agent (virus, bacterium, or parasite) with the host and the influence of the environment and social context are studied. The curriculum considers the role of immunological response, genetics, the natural history of vectors, geographic distribution, transmission and transport of agents, and the behaviors and policies that can reduce disease burden.

EMD students acquire epidemiological knowledge, skills, and tools that are highly valuable for a broad range of career paths. With a low faculty-student ratio, EMD provides exceptional mentorship opportunities for each student. Students obtain critical applied experience, skills, and professional connections through the required applied practice experience. For the EMD thesis, students collaborate closely in meaningful research with the support and guidance of our internationally recognized faculty.

Areas of expertise include:

• Antimicrobial resistance
• Climate and disease
• Emerging infections
• Global health and tropical diseases
• Implementation science
• Infectious disease transmission and pathogenesis
• Modeling of infectious diseases
• One Health
• Population displacement and humanitarian health
• Public health ethics
• Public health surveillance
• Social determinants of health
• Vaccines
• Vector biology and ecology

• Arboviruses
• Emerging diseases (e.g., Covid, Zika)
• Enteric infections
• Hepatitis
• HIV/AIDS
• Healthcare-associated infections
• Leishmaniasis
• Leptospirosis
• Malaria
• Mpox
• Nutritional and infectious diseases
• Respiratory tract infections
• Soil-transmitted helminth infections
• Substance use
• Tick-borne diseases
• Trypanosomiasis
• Tuberculosis

• EMD is unique in that the entire department is focused on infectious disease epidemiology with a multidisciplinary faculty whose expertise span laboratory work, field studies, and quantitative sciences.
• Many of our faculty are associated with the Public Health Modeling Unit available to MPH students.
• EMD provides a very low faculty/student ratio, and faculty are deeply invested in every student’s learning and professional success.
• EMD has a vibrant sense of community, providing ample social opportunities to complement and balance the outstanding academic experience.
• Our flexible program provides diverse course offerings and myriad opportunities for global and domestic research and community engagement.

The MPH degree requires a total of 20 course units. The MPH in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) requires the student to complete or acquire an exemption from the following courses. Full-time students must carry a minimum of 4 course units each semester. If a course is waived, a substitute course must be identified. In addition, all 2-year MPH students are required to complete an Applied Practice Experience (APE). Please refer to the Applied Practice Experience Guidelines for more information.

• EPH 505 Biostatistics in Public Health 1 unit
• EPH 507 Social Justice and Health Equity 1 unit
• EPH 508 Foundations of Epidemiology for Public Health 1 unit
• EPH 510 Health Policy and Health Care Systems 1 unit
• EPH 513 Major Health Threats 1 unit
• EPH 100/EPH 101 Professional Skills Series 0 units
• EPH 521 Applied Practice Experience (APE workplans must first be approved by the Office of Public Health Practice. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the APE in the summer before their 2nd year. If not, students will have opportunity to complete the APE requirement in fall or spring terms using the APE course - internship or independent project, or a practicum course.) 0 units
• EPH 525 Thesis 2 units (Spring)

Required Courses for EMD (7 course units)

• EMD 517 & EMD 518 Principles of Infectious Diseases I and II (two terms) 2 units
• EMD 525/EMD 526 Seminar in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (two terms) 0 units

One of the following

• BIS 505 Biostatistics in Public Health II 1 unit
• CDE 534 Applied Analytic Methods in Epidemiology 1 unit

One of the following

• CDE 516 Principles of Epidemiology II 1 unit
• EMD 553 Transmission Dynamic Modeling of Infectious Diseases 1 unit

Elective Courses (6 course units)

When you graduate from YSPH, you have options! Our curriculum is closely mapped to the core and departmental competencies so that you will have a foundation in the skills you need for a successful career in public health. See our Career Management Center pages to see where our alumni live and work after completing their MPH studies.

The core curriculum of the MPH program focuses on competencies in evidence-based approaches to public health (1–4), public health and health care systems (5–6), planning and management to promote health (7–11), policy in public health (12–15), leadership (16–17), communication (18–20), interprofessional practice (21), and systems thinking (22).

Upon completing the core curriculum, the student will be able to:

1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.
   -----------
5. Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
6. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community, and societal levels.
   -----------
7. Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
8. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.
9. Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention.
10. Explain the basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
11. Select methods to evaluate public health programs.
    -----------
12. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
13. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
14. Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
15. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
    -----------
16. Apply principles of leadership, governance, and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration, and guiding decision-making.
17. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
    -----------
18. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
19. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
20. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.
    -----------
21. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.
    -----------
22. Apply systems-thinking tools to a public health issue.

Upon obtaining an MPH degree in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, the student will be able to:

• Describe the epidemiology and burden of major infectious diseases of humans worldwide
• Describe host-related factors, including behavioral, genetic and immunologic factors, which affect transmission and maintenance of pathogens in human populations.
• Describe pathogen-related factors that affect transmission and disease progression.
• Describe environmental and ecological factors that affect the emergence and transmission of zoonoses into human populations.
• Interpret and apply quantitative data to identify factors that influence infectious disease transmission and project disease risk in the future.
• Discuss approaches for the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
• Evaluate data and studies on the etiology, detection, prevention or control of infectious diseases.