Description: Application of epidemiological methods and concepts to analysis of data from epidemiological, clinical or laboratory studies. Introduction to independent research and scientific writing under faculty guidance.
Prerequisites: Enrolled in Epidemiology MS programs
Description: This capstone research project course is designed for Epidemiology MS students (30-credit or 48-credit CESM programs). Working with their mentor, students are expected to develop an original research project to address public health problems using epidemiologic methods.
Students will have the opportunity to apply what they learned in their coursework to important public health questions. Students will work with a faculty mentor to conduct a literature review, develop a research project, develop and implement an analysis plan, write up the results and discuss the implications of the findings, and present their work in the annual Epidemiology Poster Day.
Students are expected to begin their capstone project in their first term and complete it in the second term of their final year (or only, for one-year programs) of training (three credits per term, for a total of six credits). The Epidemiology Master’s committee will help students find an appropriate mentor. Details regarding the structure of capstone writing products and evaluation guidelines will be provided in the MS Student Handbook.
Learning Objectives: The learning objectives of and skills employed in this course are determined by the specific research project. The list below (which is not exhaustive) provides examples of learning objectives for this course:
1. Assess knowledge gaps in the scientific literature;
2. Develop a scientific research question designed to address a gap in the scientific literature
3. Identify appropriate data sources to address a research question;
4. Better understand the role of data in understanding public health problems;
5. Create a data collection instrument and/or collect data;
6. Analyze data (quantitative or mixed data – including both quantitative and qualitative) to test research hypotheses relevant to public health in a manner that reflects principles of epidemiology (e.g., study design, measurement, confounding, etc);
7. Generate appropriate data visualizations and/or presentations;
8. Communicate the significance, approach, and implications of epidemiological research in a written format appropriate for the target audience;
9. Complete research ethics training through the Program for the Education and Evaluation of Responsible Research and Scholarship (PEERRS). Two modules are required: Human Subjects Research Protections and Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship (RCRS).
Description: This class will trace the history of the U.S. healthcare system from post-civil war to the present, and how racism shaped an unfair system. The history is troubling and continues today with efforts to repeal the ACA, and to continue as a country that does not offer universal healthcare.
Learning Objectives: Students taking this course are expected to learn about:
1. The social and economic factors resulting from racism that affect healthcare organization in the U.S.
2. The history of the post-civil war U.S. healthcare system and racial influences on its organization.
3. The effects of a racist healthcare system on the health of U.S. citizens.
Description: This class explores how crucial public health issues are viewed within the political pluralism lens in the U.S. and
aims to suggest ways to find compromise that will enable solutions to serve all populations in the U.S.
Learning Objectives: Students taking this course are expected to learn about:
1. The role of public health in the two-party political system in the U.S.
2. The importance of debate, compromise and consensus in law making to improve the health of population in the U.S.
3. Understanding the diversity of thought around public health issues in the U.S.
Description: The class studies evidence-based medicine. It begins with a thorough review of study design, and then uses these skills to explore relevant issues to Public Health and medical practice. The first half of each class is interactive lecture; the second half is a flipped classroom with activity-based learning.
Learning Objectives: Students taking this course are expected to learn about:
1. Evidence-based medicine
2. The scientific underpinnings of diagnosis and treatment
3. The ethics of medical decision making; strategies for communication and special populations
This course is cross-listed with MEDPREP 470. Additionally Kinesiology and Biology are considering cross-listing. in the Medical school department.
