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Masters in Epidemiology Requirements & Courses

Open to graduate students in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics or approval of the department.

40 credits are required 

  • 30 course credits required
  • 6 credits electives
  • 4 thesis credits  

Additional Requirements

Length

2-6 years, core courses can be completed in 2 academic years, but a student has up to 6 years to complete and defend a master’s thesis

The program is available only under Plan A (with thesis).  The distribution of credits within the student's program is determined by the student's academic advisor and guidance committeee. The guidance committee determines the form, scope, and time of required examinations.

Students must complete 40 credits, with no more than 6 credits at the 400-level:

1. All of the following courses required (31 credits): 
EPI 808 Biostatistics I 3
EPI 809 Biostatistics II 3
EPI 810 Introductory Epidemiology 3
EPI 812 Foundations of Population Health 3
EPI 817 Epidemiology of Communicable Diseases 3
EPI 826 Research Methods in Epidemiology 3
EPI  828 Seminar in Responsible Conduct of Reserch 1
EPI  829 Principles and Methods of Epidemiologic Study Design 3
EPI 836 Practicum in Epidemiological Methods 3
EPI 851 SAS Programming I: Essentials 1
EPI 852 SAS Programming II: Data Management and Analysis 1
EPI 899 Master's Thesis Research 4
2. One of the following courses required (3 credits):
EPI 815 Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease 3
EPI 823 Cancer Epidemiology 3
3. An additional 6 credits of elective course work required from the following list of approved courses:
EPI 805 Readings in the Historical Roots of Epidemiological Thought 3
EPI 815 Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease 3
EPI 816 Perinatal Epidemiology 3
EPI 819 Spatial Epidemiology and Medical Geography 3
EPI 823 Cancer Epidemiology 3
EPI 835 Neuroepidemiology 3
EPI 890 Independent Study in Epidemiology and Biostatistics 1 to 3
EPI 910 Themes in Contemporary Epidemiology 3
EPI 920 Advanced Methods in Epidemiology and Applied Statistics 3
EPI 950 Advanced Biostatistical Methods in Epidemiology 3
EPI 952 Duration and Severity Analysis 3
EPI 953 Analytical Strategies for Observational Studies 3
EPI 977 Social Epidemiology 3
EPI 979 Advanced Topics of Infectious Disease Epidemiology 3
Additional elective courses may be chosen with advisor approval.
4. Attend all MSU Graduate School Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Workshops (human)
5. Pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis.

 

Typical 2 year schedule of courses is listed below (* denotes pre/co-requisite courses)

Fall & Spring Semesters  (For a description of classes see Core Courses)

1st Fall 

  • EPI 810* Intro to Epi
  • EPI 808* Biostatistics I
  • EPI 851* SAS Programming I
  • EPI 817 Epidemiology of Communicable Disease

1st Spring

  • EPI 829 Design of Epi studies and clinical trial
  • EPI 809 Biostatistics II
  • EPI 852 SAS Programming II
  • EPI Requirement or Elective

Summer

  • Epi elective
  • EPI 899 Thesis credits•

2nd Fall:

  • EPI 812 Foundations of Population Health
  • EPI 826 Research Methods in Epi
  • Epi 828: one-credit Research Ethics course
  • EPI 836 Practicum in epidemiological methods
  • EPI 899 Thesis credits

2nd Spring

  • Course(s) not completed during 1st Spring
  • EPI 899 Thesis credits

 

A graduate student is considered ‘full time’ with 9 credits.

For students enrolled as full time students in the MS or PhD, the recommended course registrations for Fall Semester are the following:

Recommended for Fall Semester:

  • Epi 810 Introductory Epidemiology
  • EPI 817 Epidemiology of Communicable Diseases
  • EPI 808 Biostatistics I
  • EPI 851 SAS Programming I: Essentials

 

Yearlong non-credit workshops run by the Graduate School "Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) series".  For more information and registration 

 

Recommended for Spring Semester:

  • EPI 829 Design of Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials
  • EPI 809 Biostatistics II
  • EPI 852 SAS Programming II: Data Management and Analysis
  • EPI requirement or elective

 

Epidemiology