Epidemiology 

Oregon MPH at Oregon State University

The Epidemiology track within the Department of Public Health at Oregon State University is a partner in the Oregon Master of Public Health Program, a collaborative of Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon State University, and Portland State University. The goal of the Epidemiology Track is to prepare graduates for work in local, state and federal Public Health agencies, for profit and not for profit health related agencies, industrial and commercial epidemiology programs. For those who wish to continue their training, graduates will be prepared to pursue doctoral degrees in epidemiology or related public health fields.

Graduates will be trained in the general principles of public health, with specific training in the applied methods of epidemiology.  Graduates will be able to work in practice-based settings where programs may focus on assessing the health status of populations, conducting research using the methods of epidemiology, increasing the knowledge of the natural history of disease, identifying the determinants of disease (including risk and protective factors), identifying factors that contribute to health promotion and the use of health services, and communicating epidemiologic findings and recommendations.  

Track Learning Competencies

The objective of the Epidemiology Track is to combine comprehensive training in public health with specific instruction in the principles and methods of epidemiology to prepare theoretically grounded, culturally competent, and technically skilled public health professionals.  The Track curriculum builds on the core epidemiology competencies developed by the Association of Schools of Public Health and incorporates those established by the CDC Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists for applied epidemiology.

Upon satisfactory completion of the MPH Epidemiology Track, students should be able to:

1.  Recognize public health problems pertinent to the population and identify key related sources of data.
2.  Understand, calculate and apply the basic terms, measures, and methods used in epidemiology.
3.  Apply principles of good ethical/legal practice and cultural competency as they relate to study design and data collection.
4.  Draw appropriate inferences from epidemiological data including indentifying strengths and limitations of reports
5. Apply epidemiologic skills in the formulation or application of public health programs or policies.
6. Assist in communicating findings and developing recommended evidence-based interventions and control measures in response to epidemiologic findings.

The Epidemiology Track complements the existing tracks at other OMPH participating institutions. A blended Epidemiology & Biostatistics Track is offered at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland; in contrast, this track focuses on epidemiology. The OHSU track is designed primarily (but not exclusively) to train future researchers, while the OSU track is designed primarily (but not exclusively) to train public health practitioners and leaders.  The OHSU track is housed at an academic medical research institution located in an urban setting, with public health students there trained alongside medical students. OSU is a land grant university, and therefore has connections with communities throughout the state, as well as formal ties to other applied fields not formally represented at OHSU (e.g. veterinary medicine, pharmacy, extension).  The OSU epidemiology track is in the same college with departments of nutrition and exercise science, and human development and family sciences—departments unique to OSU in Oregon.  Students at OSU also have access to unique research centers: the Linus Pauling Institute, Center for Healthy Aging Research, Center for Healthy Children and Families, Institute for Climate Change Research, Center for Oceanographic and Atmospheric Studies (COAS), OSU Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC), and the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing (CGRB.)  Finally, the OSU epidemiology track, in keeping with its emphasis on the public health practice of epidemiology, requires a field internship, while the OHSU program requires a thesis, reflecting its relatively greater emphasis on research methods.

The MPH in  Epidemiology is currently offered at Oregon State University OSU.

• Epidemiology Track Curriculum and Course Competencies 
•  Link directly to Epidemiology OSU
• Epi Student Handbook (coming Fall 2010)
  
• How to Apply

The application deadline has been extended to September 1, 2010 for Epidemiology track.

Contaction Information

Ellen Smit, PhD
Oregon State University
Department of Public Health
Ellen.Smit@oregonstate.edu

• Department of Public Health
• College of Health and Human Sciences
• Oregon State University Home Page