Department of Preventive Medicine
Master of Science in Epidemiology Program
Program Chair: Pamela D. Connor, Ph.D.
Program Director: Simonne S. Nouer, M.D., Ph.D.
Program inquiries: contact
Epidemiology is the basic science of public
health, community medicine, and preventive medicine. It deals with the
distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. Its
role has expanded over the past twenty years to involve all facets of
health care, disease prevention, and health promotion.
The Master of Science in Epidemiology program emphasizes methods, the "tool kit" of epidemiology. This program is designed to provide the necessary methodological skills to enable students to pursue epidemiological research independently in their chosen fields. As part of the program, students receive training in biostatistics, epidemiology, health research methods, health behavior, and health promotion. The program is offered to qualified applicants holding baccalaureate, masters' or professional degrees in a variety of disciplines, including physical, biological, and social sciences, as well as the health and medical sciences. The program also emphasizes training current health professionals to develop and enhance their research design, measurement methods, and data analysis skills. Through a K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Award from the National Institutes of Health, the program has expanded multidisciplinary clinical research training and mentoring for new clinical investigators.
What Students Like About Our Program: Individual attention from
instructors and program staff; interdisciplinary subjects integrated into
the curriculum; flexibility of electives; opportunity for independent
study and special-topic seminars; options for Master's thesis or project.
Minimum Degree Requirements for This Program
36 credit hours, consisting of the core required courses (21 credit hours including the 6 total credit hours for the Master's thesis or project), departmental elective courses (12-15 credit hours), and other elective courses (0-3 credit hours). Full-time students, taking at least 9 credit hours of courses per semester, can usually complete this program in two years, but part-time students typically need more than two years to complete the program.
Typical Curriculum |
List of Courses |
| Click HERE to view a brochure (pdf file) showing the typical curriculum for a full-time student who expects to complete the program in 2 years. |
Click HERE to view a list of courses (pdf file) in the program. Not all courses are offered each semester, and the list is subject to change. |
What
Graduates Say About Our Program
"The faculty
are engaged and interested in the students. The variety in the backgrounds
and interests of the students in the program was very useful and helped
with seeing the various uses for epidemiology."
"I am now
well versed in critical review of medical literature (study design, etc.)
and can be more self-sufficient when formulating research ideas and implementing
them."
"This program
has provided me with valuable information to work better as a clinical investigator.
I have a much better insight into the planning and design of clinical studies,
writing grant proposals and analyzing the data collected. During the course
of the program, a student is also exposed to various intellectual resources
(the faculty members), many of whom continue to remain valuable advisers
for projects in the future."
"Strengths:
Excellent quality of teaching, both inside and outside the classroom; collegial
environment; well-designed curriculum with both breadth and depth; ample
opportunity for independent study--I love the idea of the faculty helping
students develop ideas and projects which are individually relevant, and
this opportunity was presented in virtually every class."
"The training
was extremely valuable--I have used the methods and principles learned to
design several clinical trials, have been able to take an educational role
with colleagues in Central America, have felt more capable of communicating
with the statisticians at my institution, and have assisted colleagues at
other institutions with statistical analyses when they did not have ready
access to a statistician. Finally, my project led to a publication."
"The program
has been very useful to me in my day-to-day work. I have utilized most of
the material learned in class in projects. I think there are a number of
community-based agencies that would benefit from sending a staff member
through the program. I would encourage anyone seeking to deepen his/her
knowledge of research methodology to consider the program."
Minimum
Admission Requirements for This Program
Click HERE to view a list of minimum admission requirements (pdf file, size 16 KB).
Admissions will be determined based on strength of academic credentials, maturity of interest, and fit with faculty interests.
Application Process
Click HERE to view information about how to apply to the program (pdf file, size 9 KB).
Application
Deadline: April 15, 2010
for applicants to be considered
for fall 2010 enrollment.
The Master of Science in Epidemiology program is based in the College of Graduate Health Sciences (CGHS) at this university. For more details on CGHS requirements, visit the following website: http://www.uthsc.edu/grad.
Program Costs
Click HERE to view information on estimated costs of enrolling in a graduate program of the College of Graduate Health Sciences. Costs are subject to change; updates will be posted when available.
Applicants may check with the UT Health Science Center's Financial Aid Office for information on how and when to apply for financial aid. Click HERE to go to the Financial Aid Office website.
Other links:
