Students will learn the fundamentals of epidemiology. Areas of
emphasis include epidemiology definitions and practical
applications, measures of morbidity and mortality, descriptive
epidemiology, observational and experimental study designs, data
interpretation issues, and selected areas of epidemiology.
Athena Title
Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EPID 4070E
Prerequisite
Second year and above student standing
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be familiar with the definition, scope, and history of epidemiology.
Students will be able to define and calculate common epidemiologic measures of disease frequency.
Students will be able to describe and appraise different epidemiological study designs.
Students will be able to identify and characterize types and sources of epidemiological data.
Students will be able to identify concepts such as bias and confounding.
Students will be able to compute basic epidemiological measures of association such as risk and odds ratios.
Topical Outline
The history and scope of epidemiology
Practical applications of epidemiology
Measures of morbidity and mortality used in epidemiology
Descriptive epidemiology: person, place, and time
Sources of data for use in epidemiology
Study designs
Ecologic studies
Cross-sectional studies
Case-control studies
Cohort studies
Experimental study designs
Clinical trials
Measures of effect
Data interpretation issues
Sources of error in epidemiologic research
Selected topics in epidemiological research and practice
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
