Course Description
Introduces students to the world of epidemiology, the basic science of public health, and helps them understand how it affects all of our lives. It presents epidemiology as a scientific way of thinking applicable to a wide range of fields, and offers current, tangible examples from today's headlines.
Athena Title
DISEASE DETECTIVES
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EPID 4070
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students in the course will have the opportunity to: •Become familiar with the history of epidemiology and the epidemiologic perspective on determining causes of disease occurrence •Learn the basic principles underlying descriptive epidemiology, analytic epidemiology, and social and behavioral epidemiology •Learn how epidemiologists investigate disease outbreaks •Examine how epidemiologic findings influence health policy •Be able to differentiate between association and causality •Become acquainted with basic epidemiology methods and measures •Be able to find online information and databases to retrieve information on health and disease
Topical Outline
• History and uses of epidemiology • Epidemiologic measures and disease occurrence • Databases and retrieval of disease information • Descriptive epidemiology • Association and causality • Analytic epidemiology and study designs • Epidemiology and public policy • Infectious disease and outbreak information • Social and behavioral epidemiology • Applications of epidemiology in real life