Epidemiology Concentration

Students may take courses leading to a concentration in Epidemiology. This is merely an option for students. Students may also opt to concentrate in other public health areas and should do so in consultation with their advisor.

The concentration in Epidemiology will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to collect, analyze, and interpret epidemiologic data for the solution of public health problems.  The concentration will prepare students for employment as a Master’s level Epidemiologist or Research Scientist in various settings such as the New Mexico State Department of Health, the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and other public health research and service organizations.  Questions about the Epidemiology Concentration can be directed to any of the three core Epidemiology faculty:  Drs. Lorraine Halinka Malcoe, Andy Rowland, and Kristine Tollestrup.

Learning Objectives

MPH graduates completing the Epidemiology Concentration should be able to:

  1. Describe theories of disease causation and criteria for causal inference that inform epidemiologic research.
  2. Formulate testable hypotheses and research questions, addressing both individual- and population-level factors, that can be assessed by epidemiologic studies.
  3. Describe the strengths, limitations, and issues pertinent to the proper application and execution of various epidemiologic study designs.
  4. Identify ethical issues and institutional review board requirements pertinent to epidemiologic research in diverse populations.
  5. Demonstrate understanding of appropriate primary and secondary methods of data collection for measuring individual- and population-level exposures and health-related conditions in epidemiologic studies and surveillance systems.
  6. Identify and be able to access sources of public health data, such as vital statistics records, disease registries, other surveillance databases, census data, national surveys, and medical records.
  7. Generate and interpret descriptive statistics and graphics for summarizing and displaying epidemiologic data.
  8. Analyze and interpret epidemiologic data using basic statistical tests, measures of disease occurrence and association, and statistical models such as logistic and linear regression.
  9. Use computer programs to manage, analyze, and present epidemiologic and public health data.
  10. Explain and assess the roles of bias, confounding, and effect modification when conducting and interpreting epidemiologic studies.
  11. Identify demographic, behavioral, social, genetic, and environmental factors that have an impact on disease distributions in populations.
  12. Demonstrate understanding of the epidemiology and public health prevention and control measures of various adverse health outcomes.
  13. Integrate epidemiologic and biostatistical knowledge in the critical evaluation of public health literature.

Requirements for the Epidemiology Concentration

In addition to the MPH core curriculum (which includes STAT 538–Biostatistical Methods I and PH 502–Epidemiologic Methods I), the Epidemiology concentration requires:

  • The completion of 15-16 credits in graduate-level course in epidemiology and biostatistics as outlined below; and
  • Completion of  a practical field experience (PH 598 - Public Health Practicum) in an epidemiologic setting; and
  • Demonstration of competencies in Epidemiology through the culminating experience.

In addition, for students concentrating in Epidemiology, the Chair of their culminating experience committee should be a core Epidemiology faculty member, or an epidemiologist or biostatistician agreed upon by the Epidemiology Concentration Curriculum Committee.

Required courses:

PH 520 – Epidemiologic Methods II (3) (Spring)

PH 522 – Seminar in Epidemiology (1)

PH 534 – Epidemiologic Data Analysis (2-3)

STAT 539 – Biostatistical Methods II (3) (Spring)

 

Elective Courses (need 6 credits):

Epidemiology electives are usually 2 credit courses. They are offered during first 8-weeks of Spring and Fall, and also in Summer. Common elective courses include:

PH 526 – Epidemiology of HIV Infection and Aids (2)

PH 527 – Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance(2)*

PH 528 – Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance(2)*

PH 529 – Nutritional Epidemiology (2)

PH 530 – Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (2)*

PH 531 – Perinatal Epidemiology (2)

PH 532 – Cancer Epidemiology (2)*

PH 533 – Public Health Research Methods (2-3)

PH 534 – Epidemiology Data Analysis (2-3)

PH 560 – SAS Module (2)

PH 560 – Epidemiologic Field Methods (2)*

PH 560 – Applied Health Epidemiology (2)*

PH 560 – Thinking Critically in Epidemiology (2)*

Stat 574 – Biostatistical Methods: (3)*

                  Survival Analysis and Logistic Regression

[* - likely to be offered at least once every two years.]

Additional elective epidemiology courses may be developed upon demand.