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The PhD program is designed for students who plan to become independent researchers in epidemiology.  Emphasis is on the development and mastery of epidemiologic and biostatistical skills required for the highest levels of scholarship, investigation, and leadership in public health work.  Students design and complete their own investigator-initiated research projects, and are prepared to compete for research grant awards supported by the National Institutes of Health and other agencies that fund epidemiology research.  Learning experiences are pursued through coursework and readings, apprenticeships with supervising faculty and often in a research team, and completion of the dissertation research project.

Credits

51 credits beyond the Master’s degree are required

  • 2 epidemiology courses

  • 2 advanced biostatistics courses

  • 5 electives

  • 24 dissertation credits

Non-credit requirements

Doctoral students are required to participate in a monthly Ph.D. Journal Club for four semesters.  Students are also expected to attend the seminars presented in the Department of Epidemiology Seminar Series each semester.

2-8 years, after having earned a MS or MPH in Epi a student has up to 8 years to complete all requirements and defend their doctoral dissertation

Schedule

Of the required courses, only EPI 805 is offered every year.  The others are offered in alternating semesters every-other year (* denotes courses that you may choose between to fulfill requirements)
 

Fall & Spring Semesters
  • the year long 6 session non-credit workshops run by the Graduate School "Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) series".  A brochure can be downloaded from: http://grad.msu.edu/rcr/

 Fall:  
  • EPI 805 - every year - (Historical Roots of Epidemiologic Thought)
 Spring:
  • EPI 910 - every year - (Contemporary Epi)
  • * EPI 920 -even years- (Advncd Methods in Epi & Applied Stats)

 Variable:

  • * Choose one of the following advanced biostatistics courses: EPI 847, EPI 920, EPI 950 (Fall of even years), or an approved advanced biostatistics course from an outside department

Summer
  • Epi : every year, one-credit Research Ethics course

 
Copyright  2009 •  The Department of Epidemiology  •  B601 West Fee Hall  •  East Lansing, MI  •  48824