Epidemiology M.S./Ph.D. Learning Outcomes

1. Define, calculate and interpret measures of disease frequency and measures of association between exposures and outcomes;
2. Describe the major epidemiologic research study designs and their advantages and limitations;
3. Describe the major sources of bias in epidemiologic research (confounding, selection bias and measurement error) and the ways to evaluate and reduce the bias;
4. Define and evaluate effect modification;
5. Understand and differentiate between commonly used terms in epidemiology, including chance, bias and confounding, and approaches to mitigate the effects of each;
6. Effectively communicate methods, assumptions and results of an epidemiologic study, both orally and in writing;
7. Competency to plan and conduct a review of the existing peer-reviewed literature and of other sources in order to describe the current evidence for a specific scientific question;
8. Apply regression, classical methods of analysis of categorical data, and other appropriate statistical approaches to analyze epidemiologic data;
9. Demonstrate proficiency with a statistical software package, such as SAS or R to analyze and interpret epidemiologic data; and
10. Develop a research proposal that presents the study aims, scientific background, public health significance, and the detailed methods for carrying out the epidemiologic study.

Additional Learning Outcomes for the PhD in Epidemiology:

1. Formulate study questions that will advance scientific knowledge about a topic of public health importance;
2. Develop study procedures for the protection of rights of human subjects;
3. Competency to responsibly conduct research and to align with all relevant ethical standards and laws;
4. Make a clear oral presentation on the design and results of an epidemiologic study;
5. Demonstrate expertise in a substantive area of disease etiology, disease prevention, or clinical epidemiology;
6. Perform all the steps of conducting a hypothesis-driven epidemiologic study, from developing hypotheses, to designing, analyzing, and interpreting results, to writing up findings in the form of a publication-quality manuscript, as demonstrated by the PhD dissertation, which encourages production of two to three manuscripts judged to be suitable for publication.