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.
Description: Social epidemiology course with a focus on global population and health trends, health equity, and the social determinants of health in a global context.
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).
Prerequisites: Basic epidemiology methods (EPID 600 or equivalent)
Advisory Prerequisites: Basic competencies in epidemiology research methods (EPID 600 or equivalent), including biostatistics (e.g., BIOSTAT 523); advanced knowledge of research methods preferred
Description: This doctoral-level course will cover basic information on and skills in writing effective grant applications. It will provide extensive opportunity to practice grant writing skills in a positive and inclusive environment with instructor and peer feedback. The course will also provide key information and resources on the different types of grant mechanisms available to researchers in public health sciences, and introduce students to the grant review and funding process. The course will be offered seminar-style. Individual classes typically include a brief presentation on grant mechanisms, grant application structures and formats, and grant review processes. All students will be required to develop a research question for an application and write the Specific Aims page as part of the class. They will participate in the peer-review of the drafts of the Specific Aims drafts of the other students.
