• Description of Program
• Degree Requirements
• Special Opportunities
• Careers

Description of Program

The M.P.H. in Epidemiology prepares students to assume a leadership role in public health, academia or the private sector. Graduates can perform epidemiologic analyses that impact health and disease management by contributing to the understanding of disease etiologies. Epidemiology students will develop skills in study design and research methodology while gaining knowledge of the social and lifestyle determinants that affect health. The graduate will leave with extensive training in epidemiologic methods that will enable them to improve public health through excellence in research and practice.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 44 graduate credit hours is required for this program. A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. A minimum grade of C is required in each course. All electives for completing the degree must be approved by the advisor. Prerequisite courses may be prescribed for students lacking sufficient background for graduate study in public health.

Master of Public Health Degree Requirements (44–50 credits)

M.P.H. Degree Core (23 credits)

Public Health Foundations Requirement (0 credits)
All M.P.H. students must complete the Public Health Foundations online course no later than the end of their first semester of graduate study. Complete details and registration information for this course can be found at the following website: https://iu.instructure.com/enroll/MNG3L6

Integrated Public Health Core (15 credits)
Complete each of the following courses.

• SPH-E 651 Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• SPH-Q 501 Introduction to Statistics in Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 601 Assessment and Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 660 Population Health Determinates (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 685 Public Health Policy and Politics (3 cr.)

Professional Development and Practical Experiences (8 credits)
Complete each of the following courses.

• SPH-X 610 Professional Development Seminar 1 (2 cr.)
• SPH-X 611 Professional Development Seminar 2 (2 cr.)
• SPH-X 696 Professional Practice Experience in Public Health (4 cr.)

Epidemiology Concentration (12 credits) (Note:  courses offered online are synchronous)

Required Concentration Courses (12 credits)
Complete the following courses.

• SPH-E 658 Intermediate Epidemiology (3 cr.) (p: SPH-E 651)
• SPH-E 659 Intermediate Epidemiological Methods (3 cr.) (p: SPH-E 651)
• SPH-Q 611 Statistical Packages in Research (3 cr.)
• SPH-E 657 Social Epidemiology (3 cr.)

Option 1: Additional M.P.H. Concentration or Graduate Certificate (12–15 credits)

Complete all courses in one of the eight following choices.

M.P.H. concentration in Behavioral, Social, and Community Health (12 credits) (in-person only)
Successful completion of the following four courses earns the student a second M.P.H. concentration in Behavioral, Social, and Community Health.

• SPH-B 589 Theory & Conceptual Frameworks in Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 602 Intervention Design (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 562 Health Program Evaluation (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 662 Acquiring and Managing External Funds (3 cr.)

M.P.H. concentration in Public Health Administration (12 credits)
Successful completion of the following four courses earns the student a second concentration in Public Health Administration.

• SPH-H 661 Legal Issues in Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 662 Acquiring and Managing External Funds (3 cr.)
• SPH-P 680 Public Health Economics (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 561 Finance and Budgeting (3 cr.)

M.P.H. concentration in Physical Activity (12 credits) (this concentration is paused)
Successful completion of the following four courses earns the student a second M.P.H. concentration in Physical Activity.

• SPH-K 553 Physical Activity & Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-K 556 Physical Activity Assessment (3 cr.)
• SPH-K 557 Physical Activity Across the Lifespan (3 cr.)
• SPH-K 565 Physical Activity Behavioral Interventions (3 cr.)

Successful completion of the following requirements earns the student a second M.P.H. concentration in Environmental Health

• SPH-V 541 Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 542 Principles of Toxicology (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 546 Risk Assessment, Policy and Toxic Regulations (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 548 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (3 cr.)

Online Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health (12 credits)
Successful completion of the following four courses earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health.

• SPH-B 630 Sexual and Reproductive Health Surveillance (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 632 Sexual Health: Contemporary Discoveries and Controversies (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 634 Sexual Health Research and Evaluation (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 633 Advanced Instructional Methods in Sexual and Reproductive Health (3 cr.)

Note: SPH-B 589 Theories and Conceptual Frameworks in Public Health, which is required for this certificate, is already completed as one of the required BSCH concentration courses.

Online Graduate Certificate in Safety Management (12 credits)
Successful completion of the following four courses earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Safety Management.

• SPH-S 502 Instructional Strategies for Safety Education (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 513 Safety Management in Business and Industry (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 610 Occupational Risk Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 632 Safety & Health Program Design (3 cr.)

Online Graduate Certificate in Addiction Intervention (15 credits) (this certificate is paused)
Successful completion of the following five courses earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Addiction Intervention.

• SPH-H 664 Public Health Approaches to Substance Use Disorder Prevention for Adolescents and Young Adults (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 665 Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Adolescents and Young Adults in the Context of Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 670 Introduction to Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Disorders for Public Health Professionals (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 667 History of Public Health Approaches to Substance Use Treatment and Recovery for Adolescents and Young Adults (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 668 Motivational Interviewing (3 cr.)

Option Two: Other Electives (9 credits)

Complete 9 graduate-level credits of electives to be chosen in consultation with the student's M.P.H. advisor.

• XXX-X XXX (3 cr.) (p: Prior permission of advisor)
• XXX-X XXX (3 cr.) (p: Prior permission of advisor)
• XXX-X XXX (3 cr.) (p: Prior permission of advisor)

Complete six credits of graduate-level electives selected in consultation with the student's advisor (6 cr.):

Special Opportunities

Graduates with epidemiology degrees are likely to get hired soon after graduation. Emergent infectious diseases and the need to improve health of an aging nation require an understanding of the epidemiology of both infectious and chronic diseases. Moreover, as the emphasis of obesity reduction and other lifestyle related health issues continues to increase, there are special opportunities for epidemiologists who are familiar with health maintenance and wellness strategies. The relationships that epidemiologists identify among healthy lifestyles and positive outcomes will shape the wellness programs of the future. Epidemiology is a field that often has international opportunities, even for recent graduates.

Careers

Epidemiologists are everywhere and hold a variety of job titles. Many have learned the discipline on the job so candidates with formal training will have a competitive edge in the marketplace. The following is a list (not by any means exhaustive) of possible job settings:

• State, county and city health agencies
• Environmental consulting companies
• Private corporations
• Federal government
• International organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• Academia (colleges and universities)

Epidemiologists study patterns of disease. Epidemiology is an expanding field that also now includes the study of disease prevention and wellness. The variety of tasks in which an epidemiologist may be engaged is extensive. As a result, this is a career that can be flexible and continually evolving. Some typical job responsibilities include:

• Collection of disease outbreak data
• Study design development
• Data analysis
• Program evaluation design
• Study coordination