MPH Degree
The MPH in Epidemiology prepares students for careers in public health practice or research. A minimum of 46 credit hours is required for the MPH degree.
BIOS 6100 and EPID 6210 must be taken prior to or concurrently with other school of public health courses. Health professional students are those who are enrolled in or have graduated from veterinarian, medical, nursing, or dental schools.
| Epidemiology Required Courses (19 Credits): | Credits | ||
| EPID 6211 Intermediate Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6226 Epidemiologic Design and Analysis | 3 | ||
| EPID 6213 Epidemiology Seminar | 1 | ||
| BIOS 6102 Biostatistical Methods II | 3 | ||
| EPID Electives | 9 | ||
Suggested MPH Epidemiology course sequencing and course advising forms are located on the SPH Epidemiology website. The three required Epidemiology core courses (EPID 6210, EPID 6211, and EPID 6226) are taken in sequential semesters, with EPID 6210 and Bios 6102 taken in the first semester. Prior to participating in the Practice Experience students must have completed 10 credit hours of the required school-wide core courses, including BIOS 6100 and EPID 6210.
| Epidemiology MPH Electives | Credits | ||
| EPID 6214 Infectious Disease Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6217 Database Management | 3 | ||
| EPID 6218 Spatial Analysis | 3 | ||
| EPID 6219 Nutritional Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6220 Molecular Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6222 Cancer Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6223 Chronic Disease Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6228 Survey Design | 3 | ||
| EPID 6301 Epidemiology of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases | 3 | ||
| EPID 6351 Public Health Surveillance System Theory and Methods | 2 | ||
| EPID 6350 Epidemiology for Public Health Practice | 3 | ||
| EPID 6352 Social Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6362 Environmental Epidemiology | 3 | ||
| EPID 6400 Independent Study | 1-3 | ||
| EPID 6450 Cardiovascular Epidemiology | 3 | ||
PhD Degree
The PhD is a research degree, granted on evidence of overall proficiency in epidemiology, and particularly on the ability to apply the skills in an independent investigation as demonstrated in a dissertation presenting original research with a high degree of literary skill. The degree is awarded jointly by the School of Public Health and the School of Graduate Studies.
Curriculum: Students must complete at least 61 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. The curriculum includes a required sequence of coursework in epidemiologic methods and electives. Students gain teaching experience through a teaching practicum. Students also can take elective courses in the other core disciplines in the School of Public Health and School of Graduate Studies. Four to five years of full-time study are generally needed to complete the 61-credit minimum for the PhD in Epidemiology, and all students must complete work toward their PhD within eight years.
A minimum of two epidemiology courses (i.e., Principles of Epidemiology [EPID 6210] and Intermediate Epidemiology [EPID 6211]) and two biostatistics courses (i.e., Biostatistical Methods I [BIOS 6100] and Biostatistical Methods II [BIOS 6102] at the master’s level are required prior to entering the doctoral program. If these courses or their equivalents have not been obtained, students must enroll in these courses as additional requirements.
| Epidemiology PhD Core Course Requirements: | Credits |
| EPID 6226 Epidemiologic Design and Analysis | 3 |
| EPID 7200 Advanced Epidemiologic Methods I | 3 |
| EPID 7201 Advanced Epidemiologic methods II | 3 |
| EPID 7410 Teaching Practicum in Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 7700 Epidemiology Journal Club (Doctoral Seminar) | 3 * |
| PUBH 6221 Foundations of Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| BIOS 6210 Categorical Data Analysis | 3 |
| EPID 7900 Dissertation Research | 15 ** |
| EPID Content Electives | 6 |
| EPID Methods Electives | 6 |
| BIOS Electives | 6 |
* Maximum of 3 credits count towards degree, but must register for it every semester the student is in residence.
** Maximum of 15 count toward the degree but more credit hours may be taken
| Suggested Epidemiology Content Electives: | Credits |
| EPID 6214 Infectious Disease Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6220 Molecular Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6222 Cancer Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6223 Chronic Disease Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6301 Epidemiology of STDs | 3 |
| EPID 6352 Social Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6362 Environmental Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6450 Cardiovascular Epidemiology | 3 |
| Suggested Epidemiology Methods Electives: | |
| EPID 6217 Database Management | 3 |
| EPID 6218 Spatial Analysis | 3 |
| EPID 6219 Nutritional Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 6228 Survey Design | 3 |
| EPID 6351 Public Health Surveillance [2 Credits] | 2 |
| EPID 7202 Grantsmanship and Proposal Development for Epidemiologic Research | 3 |
| EPID 7214 Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases | 3 |
| EPID 7350 Evolution of Epidemiologic Theory and Methods [2 Credits] | 2 |
| Suggested Biostatistics Electives: | |
| BIOS 6202 Applied Linear Models | 3 |
| BIOS 6212 Survival Analysis | 3 |
| BIOS 6302 Longitudinal Data Analysis | 3 |
| BIOS 6314 Clinical Trials Methodology | 3 |
| BIOS 6312 Sampling Methods | 3 |
Other Electives: Additional credits come from elective coursework offered at the School or elsewhere in the Health Sciences Center and Dissertation Research credits. Courses from the LSUHSC School of Graduate Studies, Nursing, or Medicine with approval from the advisor. Courses from other Louisiana State University campuses with approval from the Program Director.
In addition, students without adequate biology or clinical training may be required to complete relevant coursework in biology, pathobiology, or clinical sciences as additional requirements. All of the courses toward the PhD program with the potential exception of research credits [EPID 7900], independent study [EPID 7400], and Journal Club [EPID 7700], must be taken for a letter grade and cannot be taken pass/fail.
Minor: Each student must complete a minor in another discipline, such as Biostatistics. A minimum of 9 credit hours in courses within this discipline must be completed to meet the minor requirement.
Qualifying Exams: All PhD students will be required to pass a written comprehensive examination before being formally admitted to candidacy or registering for dissertation research credits. The written exam is based on materials covered in the PhD core courses and is thus taken after completion of these courses. Also, doctoral students are required to satisfactorily develop and defend their research proposal in the form of a written dissertation prospectus and oral prospectus examination.
Dissertation: All doctoral candidates are expected to complete and defend a dissertation that consists of three publishable manuscripts that represent a significant contribution to the field, suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journals.