Chronic Disease Epidemiology MS

With the growth of biotechnology and medical research in the pharmaceutical industry there is a high demand for well-trained graduates in chronic disease epidemiology. This concentration provides intensive training in epidemiology and research methods for medical and health care professionals, or others seeking the skills necessary to conduct epidemiological research in their professional practice.

Many students have been successful in obtaining admission to medical school upon completion of this degree.

Applicants should have a basic understanding of quantitative science and statistics. It is recommended that candidates have strong science backgrounds and demonstrated competency in statistical analysis and logical thinking. Applicants from rigorous programs in the biological or social sciences will be given preference. At a minimum, applicants should have one year of coursework in statistics or the equivalent prior to enrolling in this program.

This program does not require the General GRE test scores of MCAT scores. Students whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS examination unless they qualify for a waiver. The policy that allows you to be exempt from submitting TOEFL or IELTS scores is:

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

The length of study for the MS in Chronic Disease Epidemiology is one year. Full-time or part-time enrollment is permissible.

All courses count as 1 credit unless otherwise noted.

MS Required Courses (4 course units)

• EPH 508 Foundations of Epidemiology for Public Health
• CDE 516 Principles of Epidemiology II
• Capstone: CDE 617 Developing a Research Proposal OR EMD 625 How to Develop, Write, and Evaluate an NIH Proposal OR CDE 600 Independent Study *
• EPH 608 Frontiers of Public Health
• CDE 525 Seminar in Chronic Disease Epidemiology- 0 units
• CDE 526 Seminar in Chronic Disease Epidemiology – 0 units

MS Required Quantitative Courses (3 course units)

Three of the following: (alternate courses must be approved by the student’s adviser):

• BIS 536 Measurement Error and Missing Data
• BIS 537 Statistical Methods for Causal Inference
• BIS 575 Introduction to Regulatory Affairs
• BIS 621 Regression Models for Public Health
• BIS 630 Applied Survival Analysis
• BIS 633 Population and Public Health Informatics
• S&DS 530 Data Exploration and Analysis
  
• S&DS 563 Multivariate Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences

MS Required Chronic Disease Epidemiology Courses (2 course units)

Two of the following (alternate courses must be approved by the student’s advisor):

• CDE 502 Physiology for Public Health
• CDE 532 Epidemiology of Cancer
• CDE 534 Applied Analytic Methods in Epidemiology
• CDE 535 Epidemiology of Heart Disease and Stroke
• CDE 545 Health Disparities by Race and Social Class: Application to Chronic Disease Epidemiology
• CDE 551 Global Noncommunicable Disease
• CDE 562 Nutrition and Chronic Diseases
• CDE 572 Obesity, Prevention and Lifestyle Interventions
• CDE 582 Health Outcomes Research: Matching the Right Research Question to the Right Data
• CDE 588 Perinatal Epidemiology
• CDE 597 Genetic Concepts of Public Health
• CDE 650 Introduction to Evidence-based Medicine and Health Care

* In this capstone, the student is required to develop a grant application that is deemed reasonably competitive by the instructor. An alternative to this capstone is an individualized tutorial (CDE 600) in which the student will work on an original research project with a faculty member throughout the spring semester. The research project is designed in collaboration with a faculty member, and it is recommended that these discussions begin before the start of the spring semester. A typical work product for this tutorial is a first draft of a manuscript that is suitable for submission for publication in a relevant journal.

**Students entering the program with an MPH or relevant graduate degree may be exempt from this requirement.

1. Evaluate the scientific merit and feasibility of epidemiologic study designs.
2. Review, and evaluate epidemiologic reports and research articles.
3. Analyze data and draw appropriate inferences from epidemiologic studies.
4. Write an epidemiologic research proposal