Required Courses:
SPH Core Courses (7 semester
hours)
BSTT 400 Biostatistics
I (4 sh)
EPID 403 Introduction
to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods (3 sh)
Epidemiology Requirements
(16-17 semester hours)
EPID 406 Epidemiologic
Computing (6 sh)
EPID 404 Intermediate
Epidemiologic Methods (4 sh)
EPID 410 Epidemiology
of Infectious Diseases (2 sh)
EPID 411 Epidemiology
of Chronic Disease (3 sh)
EPID 591 Current Epidemiologic
Literature (2 sh)
EPID 595 Research Seminar
(1 sh)
BSTT 401 Biostatistics
II (4 sh)
BSTT 505 Survival Analysis and Logistic Regression (2 sh) (This course is required for the Cancer Epidemiology Track)
Or
BSTT 506 Design of Clinical Trials (3 sh)
Or
BSTT 507 Sampling and Estimation Methods (3sh)
Electives (19 semester
hours)
Epidemiology Courses (12 sh)
- At least 7 semester hours of these must be at the 500 level
Other Electives
(7 sh)
- At least 3 semester hours should be one of the following: EOHS 400, CHSC 400, CHSC 401 or HPA 400
Thesis Research (8 semester
hours)
Cancer Epidemiology Track (Starting Fall 2008)
Minimum credit hour requirement: 50 semester hours
Any specific course requirement
may be waived on the basis of previous course work or
experience. Please refer to the section on Academic
Policies and Standards for course waiver rules and procedures.
Standards of Performance for Epidemiology MS Program
Epidemiology majors must
achieve a grade of A or B in epidemiology and biostatistics
courses. If a grade below "B" is achieved
in such a course, it may be repeated once. Failure
to maintain this standard will be grounds for dismissal
from the epidemiology program.
Research in the Public
Health Sciences - MS (IPHS 598)
The MS Dissertation in
Epidemiology at UIC SPH is intended to prepare the
student to conduct epidemiology studies as a part
of a research team. The thesis process involves
a) developing a thesis proposal in conjunction with
a thesis advisor and committee, and b) completion
of the research, writing, and defense of the dissertation.
With the assistance of the advisor, the student
should select appropriate faculty for his/her thesis
committee. The committee must be comprised of three
members at a minimum, with at least one member a
tenured faculty. The members of the thesis committee
will meet with the student to approve the thesis
proposal, and to determine that the student is adequately
prepared to undertake it.
The student may generate
his or her own research hypothesis or work with
a faculty member who outlines a research hypothesis.
The use of existing data to test a hypothesis using
standard epidemiological study designs and analytic
techniques is recommended. However, other formats
(e.g. descriptive studies and studies with limited
field work), may be acceptable. It is anticipated
that the thesis results will be suitable for publication
in a peer reviewed scientific journal.
IRB: Institutional Review
Board
All students must undergo
Institutional Review Board (IRB) training and training
on the protection of health data by the end of their
first year of study. For research involving human
subjects, students must submit IRB review or exemption
forms prior to beginning their research. Students
should consult the SPH Student Reference Guides
available in the division, and speak with their
advisors. Research involving human subjects cannot
be undertaken without first obtaining IRB review
or exemption.
Note: The written and
defended thesis is required for submission mid-semester.
Students are recommended to plan their program completion
and graduation accordingly.
Additional MS learning
objectives for students in epidemiology:
For students pursuing the MS degree in epidemiology, in addition to the specific learning objectives for students pursuing an MPH in epidemiology, the following objectives apply:
- Exhibit the ability for problem conceptualization and study design.
- Demonstrate critical reading skills and the ability to synthesize epidemiological and related biological information.
- Illustrate the ability to write reports from studies that are suitable for publication in scientific journals.
Additionally, the Cancer Epidemiology concentration is intended to provide specialized training to enable MS students:
- to describe and characterize the major known determinants of cancer;
- to describe, locate, analyze and interpret existing data relevant to cancer;
- to understand the strengths and weaknesses of alternative epidemiologic study designs in the context of cancer research; and
- to work within a multidisciplinary team to study behavioral, environmental, infectious, nutritional and/or genetic factors involved in cancer etiology.
- PhD students will further be able to design, conduct and analyze epidemiologic studies testing hypotheses relevant for cancer
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Biostatistics
Minimum credit hour requirement:
48 semester hours
Note: Biostatistics students
should not take BSTT 400 or EPID 400
as an SPH course requirement. EPID 403, Introduction
to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods (3 sh) is the
required SPH core course.
Required Courses
EPID 403 Introduction
to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods (3 sh)
BSTT 502 Applied Biostatistics I (4 sh)
BSTT 503 Biostatistics Tools (2 sh)
BSTT 504 Applied Biostatistics
II (4 sh)
BSTT 512 Survival Analysis
(3 sh)
BSTT 511 Categorical Data
Analysis (3 sh)
STAT 401 Introduction
to Probability (4 sh)
STAT 411 Statistical Theory
(4 sh)
BSTT 507 Applied Sampling (3 sh) -OR- BSTT 506 Clinical Trials (3 sh)
BSTT 513 Longitudinal
Data Analysis (4 sh)
BSTT 514 Biostatistical
Consulting (2 sh)
BSTT 522 Biostatistical
Investigations (4 sh)
* Students must take EPID 403 (3 sh) in lieu of EPID 400.
Electives (minimum requirement)
8 sh
Electives: At least one elective course must be selected from the SPH core courses not given in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division: CHSC 400, EOHS 400, HPA 400, or HPA 401.
Standards of Performance
for Biostatistics MS Program
Biostatistics majors are
allowed only one grade of C in required courses.
A student who receives two Cs in required courses
will not be allowed to graduate from the program.
A student may re-take a course one time and attempt
to replace the C with a higher grade; however it
should be noted that nearly all of the courses required
for the MS in Biostatistics are offered only once
a year and must be taken in a particular sequence,
so re-taking a course is likely to delay graduation
by a full year.
MS Comprehensive Examination
All MS students in biostatistics
take a comprehensive exam at the end of their second
program year. This exam consists of two parts. The
first part, a three-hour written exam, will cover
basic methodological material from the required
biostatistics and mathematics courses. The second
part will be a seven day take-home exam in which
the student is tested on the ability to perform
data analysis and to describe and discuss the results.
Additional MS learning objectives for students
in biostatistics:
Students pursuing the MS degree in biostatistics will develop an understanding of, and skills in, applying biostatistical methods for work in private sector (often in the pharmaceutical industries) or public sector (academic setting, nonprofit research groups and government) employment. The following learning objectives for the MS student in biostatistics apply:
- Apply methods and gain knowledge of the theoretical basis for these methods, including their underlying assumptions.
- Know how to work with data files and statistical packages.
- Understand standard diagnostic tools for statistical analysis.
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