PhD Curriculum

The PhD is a terminal degree representing distinguished scholarly accomplishment in the field of epidemiology. It is designed primarily for those who plan academic or other careers involving teaching and/or research.  The PhD curriculum includes advanced coursework in epidemiologic theory, analytical and statistical methods, study design and data interpretation as well as research and instructional experience.  In addition to a series of core courses, including a formal teaching practicum, students will have the opportunity to take elective courses in epidemiology and other disciplines relevant to their chosen area of emphasis.  The curriculum will culminate in the development and completion of a dissertation generating new knowledge in the field of epidemiology based on independent research.

Why Choose LSUHSC School of Public Health for a PhD in Epidemiology?

It’s affordable tuition, high faculty to student ratio, nationally and internationally recognized faculty, and high quality service programs make the School of Public Health an ideal environment in which to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology. Moreover, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region have distinctive needs with regard to epidemiology due to our unique population and post-Katrina environment.  For example, at both the national and state level there is a growing appreciation of the need to reduce health disparities in an environment where there is increasing ethnic diversity.  Statistics have shown that not only do Louisiana residents rank among the highest in the nation for the prevalence of major diseases, but they also experience substantial racial disparities in disease risk, severity, and mortality.  The limited availability of preventive risk reduction programs as well as limited access to health care and poor insurance coverage are key obstacles in achieving improved health outcomes and reducing disparities.  Doctoral level epidemiologists, public health practitioners and researchers as well as academic faculty in Louisiana are critically needed if we are to address the issue of health disparities among medically underserved populations.  The academic curriculum and training at LSUHSC School of Public Health will include a focus on the effect of racial and ethnic diversity on public health, epidemiologic theory and methodology, designing innovative research projects, the study of effective responses to emergent diseases through research, education, prevention, and control, and the effective management of risk reduction in the epidemics of non-communicable health threats such as obesity and diabetes.

Funding

A limited number of assistantships are available to full-time students pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology.  Assistantships entail a commitment of up to twenty hours per week working with faculty on research projects or in a teaching capacity.

For more information about the PhD in Epidemiology at LSUHSC, contact:

Coordinator for Epidemiology Admissions:
Mei-Chin Hsieh, PhD, MSPH, epid_admissions@lsuhsc.edu

Director of Epidemiology Program:
Tekeda Ferguson, PhD, MPH, MSPH, tferg4@lsuhsc.edu