M.S. IN EPIDEMIOLOGY (EPIDEMIOLOGY)

Overview

Master of Science (M.S.) in Epidemiology

Emily Barrett, Ph.D., Department Vice Chair and Concentration Director

For more information about M.S. in epidemiology, please visit the program website.

At the School of Public Health in New Brunswick the M.S. in Epidemiology degree prepares students for public health, clinical practice, and population health research through comprehensive training in epidemiology theory, research methods, and analytical methods. Students can choose to concentrate their studies in either epidemiology or pharmacoepidemiology.

Competencies

Master of Science (M.S.) Competencies - Epidemiology

Each concentration identifies competencies for each degree offered. These competencies reflect the full range of knowledge, skills, and other attributes that a student will acquire as a result of completing the requirements for a particular degree.

Upon graduation, a student completing the M.S. curriculum in Epidemiology will be able to:

MS-EPID1: Identify and synthesize scientific literature on clinical and public health topics in order to generate hypotheses, conclusions, and recommendations;
MS-EPID2: Select and implement epidemiologic techniques to quantitatively assess patterns in disease occurrence;
MS-EPID3: Develop and test a specific hypothesis using an appropriate study design and analysis plan;
MS-EPID4: Evaluate strengths and limitations of health data for public health research and/or practice;
MS-EPID5: Design and implement data quality control and management methods during data collection and/or analysis;
MS-EPID6: Appropriately analyze and interpret epidemiologic data to extend the current knowledge of public health research or practice; and
MS-EPID7: Discuss study findings and their implications with professional audiences.

Curriculum

Master of Science (M.S.) Curriculum (36 credits) - Epidemiology

Students seeking the M.S. in epidemiology degree must complete 36 credits of academic work, including a research paper, with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0; earn no more than 6 credits bearing grades less than B; and complete the degree requirements within five years. Courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted.

CORE COURSES (12 credits)

PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
PHCO 0504 - Introduction to Biostatistics (Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment)
PHCO 0512 - Public Health Foundations
ENOH 0560 - Public Health Biology and Physiology

Note: students with a clinical background may be exempt from this 3-credit course, but are required to take an alternative 3-credit class.

REQUIRED METHODS COURSES (12 credits)
Note: Students should review the Course Descriptions in the School Catalog for specific information about prerequisites required for required courses and recommended electives. Semesters when the required courses will be offered are noted for your course planning.

EPID 0656 - Intermediate Epidemiologic Research Methods
EPID 0657 - Applied Methods in Epidemiologic Research
BIST 0535 - Biostatistical Computing
BIST 0551 - Applied Regression Analysis for Public Health Studies

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REQUIRED ADVANCED METHODS SELECTIVE (3 credits)
Choose one of the following six:

EPID 0621 - Survey Research Methods in Epidemiology
EPID 0753 - Advanced Epidemiologic Research Methods with Applications
Note: Doctoral-level course requires special permission from the instructor.
BIST 0615 - Applied Categorical Data Analysis
BIST 0627 - Applied Survival Data Analysis
BIST 0650 - Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis
HBSP 0726 - Intermediate Survey Methods
Note: Doctoral-level course requires special permission from the instructor.
UGPH 0605 - Qualitative Research Methods

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REQUIRED SUBDISCIPLINE SELECTIVE (3 credits)
Choose one of the following eleven:

EPID 0550 - Public Health Surveillance
EPID 0552 - Infectious Disease Epidemiology
EPID 0563 - Introduction to Outcomes Research
EPID 0601 - Cancer Epidemiology
EPID 0607 - Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology
EPID 0638 - TB: A View from the Trenches
EPID 0650 - Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
EPID 0652 - Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases
EPID 0672 - Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management
EPID 0673 - Social Epidemiology
EPID 0677 - Molecular Epidemiology: Integration of Biomarkers in Population-Based Research
UGPH 0560 - Maternal and Child Health

Note: With permission of advisor, students may choose a second advanced methods course instead of a sub-discipline selective.

RESEARCH (6 credits)

RESH 0620 - MS in Epidemiology Thesis Proposal Seminar
RESH 0621 - MS in Epidemiology Research

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

EPID 0602 - MS in Epidemiology Journal Club (0 credits; required 2 times)
Students must attend a minimum of 4 meetings per semester in their last two semesters; students must attend after completing EPID 0656.
Complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training on Human Subject Research Protections (For Students Enrolled Fall 2024 and After)

Epidemiology (M.S.) (SPH)