The Master of Public Health program with a concentration in Epidemiology provides training in the principles and methodology of epidemiological research and practice. Students in this program explore the theories and methodologies underlying the basic science of public health and learn how to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret research studies in such areas as genetic epidemiology, cardiovascular epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology. Graduates pursue advanced degrees in research or management careers in the public, private, or academic sectors.

Concentration Requirements

Epidemiology concentrators are required to complete 16 credits within the department in addition to the Epidemiology core requirement of either EP 712 (recommended) or EP 711.

All concentrators must take:

• BS 723 Introduction to Statistical Computing*
• EP 813 Intermediate Epidemiology

Students who are unable to take EP 813 due to scheduling conflicts must meet with their advisor to get approval to take EP 854 instead.

The remaining 8 credits may be taken from any of the courses listed below. However, only 4 credits of 900-level courses may be applied to the concentration requirements.

• EP 721 Survey Methods for Public Health
• BS 722 Design and Conduct of Clinical  Trials*
• BS 735 Quantitative Methods of Public Health Surveillance*
• EP 740 Introduction to the Epidemiology of Aging
• EP 745 Pharmaco-Epidemiology:  Topics and Controversies
• EP 751 Cardiovascular Epidemiology
• EP 752 Cancer Epidemiology
• EP 753 Cancer Prevention as a Public Health Problem
• EP 755 Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• EH 757 Environmental Epidemiology*
• EP 758 Nutritional Epidemiology
• EP 759 Reproductive Epidemiology*
• MC 759 Perinatal Epidemiology*
• EP 762 Clinical Epidemiology
• EP 763 Genetic Epidemiology
• EP 764 Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the Developed and Developing World
• EP 765 Epidemiology of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
• EP 771 Special  Topics in Epidemiology
• EP 775 Social Epidemiology
• EP 780 The Epidemiology of  Diabetes and Its Complications
• EP 784 The Epidemiology of  Tuberculosis in the Developed and Developing World
• EH 804 Exposure Assessment*
• IH 805 Controversies in Global Control and Eradication of Infectious Diseases*
• EH 810 Surveillance Methods and Applications in Environmental Health*
• PM 811 Health Services Research Methods*
• EP 817 A Guided Epidemiologic Study
• SB 822 Quantitative Methods for Program Evaluation*
• PH 825 Role of Human & Environmental Factors in Emerging & Re-emerging Infectious Diseases*
• EP 830 Drug Epidemiology
• EP 854 Modern Epidemiology
• EP 855 Advanced Epidemiology Seminar: Issues in Study Design
• EP 856 Selected  Topics in Epidemiologic Methods
• EP 857 Design and Conduct of Cohort Studies
• EP 858 Design and Conduct of Case-Control Studies
• EP 871 Advanced  Topics in Epidemiology
• EP 911 Directed Studies in Epidemiology
• EP 912 Directed Research in Epidemiology
• EP 915 Research Methodology and Medical Literature

*Course outside of epidemiology department: only 4 credits in addition to BS 723 may be counted toward the Epidemiology concentration from these courses.

Culminating Experience

Epidemiology concentrators must pass a 4-hour comprehensive exam prior to graduation. This exam should be scheduled after the student has completed Intermediate Epidemiology (EP 813) or Modern Epidemiology (EP 854). In addition, the student must have completed at least 16 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or better and be registered for at least 24 credits, including all core courses. The exam is offered every year in April and November. Students are encouraged to take the exam the semester prior to their last semester.

Areas of Emphasis

Within the Epidemiology concentration, students are able to take courses that fulfill their interests in certain areas of emphasis to help prepare themselves for the specific field of epidemiology in which they would like to work. The following are emphasis area that students may take; for more information, see the Concentrators’ Guide in Epidemiology.

• Clinical Trials
• Infectious Diseases
• Non-Infectious Diseases
• Pharmaco-Epidemiology
• Epidemiologic Research Methods

The Master of Science (MS) in Epidemiology is a program primarily for health care clinicians interested in research careers. Exceptional students with other backgrounds may be considered. The program places particular emphasis on the science of epidemiology, as applied to medical and public health research.

To fulfill the requirements for the MS degree, students are expected to complete 32 credits (eight courses) with a minimum grade point average of B (3.0) and grades of at least a B in all required courses. Required courses include:

• BS 703 Biostatistics
• EP 712 Epidemiologic Methods
• EP 813 Intermediate Epidemiology
• BS 723 Introduction to Statistical Computing

In addition, at least two of the following courses (8 credits) must be taken:

• EP 721 Survey Methods in Public Health
• BS 722 Design and Conduct of Clinical  Trials
• EP 762 Clinical Epidemiology
• BS 851 Statistical Methods in Clinical  Trials
• BS 852 Statistical Methods for Epidemiology
• EP 854 Modern Epidemiology
• PM 811 Health Services Research Methods

Students may request to have required courses waived on the basis of coursework performed elsewhere or through other avenues of learning. Waivers will not reduce the overall number of course credits to be taken.

The remaining credits will generally be taken from among the above list of required courses or other departmental courses but excluding EP 911 Directed Research in Epidemiology and EP 912 Directed Research in Epidemiology. The following courses may also be taken: PM 833 Health Economics, PM 837 Measuring and Evaluating Medical Care Processes and Outcomes, and SB 822 Qualitative Methods for Program Evaluation.

Students enrolled in the MS degree program are also required to complete a thesis. The completed thesis must constitute the equivalent of one epidemiologic paper that meets the current standards of publication in refereed journals. Thesis research will involve processing and analyzing data. The student is encouraged but not required to conduct original data collection. Once the thesis is complete, it must be approved by the thesis committee and one outside reader. After approval, the student will give an oral presentation of the thesis research.

The maximum time permitted to complete all of the degree requirements is four years. Students are required to complete at least 24 credits of coursework as degree candidates in residence. Students who have completed their course requirements must register each subsequent fall and spring semester for EP 980, and pay the continuing study fee, until they have completed all requirements for the degree.

For more information about the program, please contact Program Director Dr. Ann Aschengrau.

The doctoral program in Epidemiology provides advanced training to individuals already holding a graduate degree in public health or a related health science. To receive the PhD degree, students must complete and defend a doctoral dissertation based on original research and specific to a selected topic in epidemiology. Graduates of this program will be prepared to assume prominent positions in research, teaching, or health administration and are trained to address some of the most urgent public health issues facing us today.

Students complete at least 32 credits (8 courses) beyond the master’s degree. It is expected that most of these courses be from the epidemiology and biostatistics course offerings at the School of Public Health. Students may also choose from other courses offered at the School and pertinent graduate courses at Boston University, such as those offered by the departments of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The intent of the coursework is to provide a firm foundation in epidemiologic principles and methods, biostatistical methods, and general public health and medical knowledge.

Upon completion of coursework, students must pass a comprehensive written examination to evaluate their readiness to begin dissertation research and are required to develop a written dissertation proposal outlining the nature of the research. The proposal must be approved by each student’s advisor and dissertation committee; the dissertation is prepared and written under the direction of the candidate’s principal advisor. The research usually involves collecting, processing, and analyzing original data. When the dissertation is complete, the candidate defends his or her work before the dissertation committee and other faculty. Students must adhere to dissertation submission deadlines and requirements.

The postbachelor’s program must be completed within 10 years of the first registration for doctoral study. The post-master’s program must be completed within eight years of the first registration for the doctoral program.

Minimum residency requirements are the equivalent of two consecutive regular semesters of full-time graduate study at Boston University. Students who have completed their course requirements must register for EP 980 each subsequent fall and spring semester as continuing students and pay the continuing student fee and student health insurance until they have completed all requirements for the degree. Authorized leaves of absence, approved by the Epidemiology Doctoral Committee, are the only means of waiving the residency and registration requirements.

Students with questions regarding the doctoral program should contact Program Director Sherri Stuver.