MPH: Epidemiology

The Columbia MPH program in Epidemiology prepares students for careers in public health by providing the skills needed to conduct research into the causes, prevention, and control of human disease. The curriculum emphasizes mastery of methods of epidemiological research and is enriched by courses on important disease outcomes, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and cancer, and factors important in disease causation, such as genetics, nutrition, and the environment.

Upon satisfactory completion of an MPH degree, students are able to discuss the role of epidemiology within the broader field of public health and identify its relationship medicine, social and behavioral sciences, environmental science, and health policy. Graduates can explain and analyze the distribution and determinants of both chronic and infectious diseases in different populations, apply principles of disease prevention within populations, discuss contemporary issues in epidemiological research in at least three substantive areas (e.g., diseases, other health outcomes, exposures) and identify potential ethical problems in research studies, evaluate alternative approaches to solving ethical dilemmas, and apply the principles underlying ethical treatment of human subjects in research.

For detailed information about the components about the Epidemiology MPH degree, including coursework, advising, certificates, practicum, and thesis, consult the Department of Epidemiology Master's Guidelines.