Syllabus
Graduate Programs in Public Health
GPH 712: Principles of Epidemiology – Summer B 2024
Credits - 3
Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic principles of epidemiology as they apply to public health practice among various human populations. Students will learn about the biological, behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental factors impacting the distribution of health and disease. Content includes a historical perspective on epidemiology, descriptive epidemiology, analytic epidemiology, effect measures, study designs, bias, surveillance, and screening for disease. Emphasis will be placed on investigative techniques, epidemiological methodology, and critical thinking about epidemiological studies.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
CEPH Foundational Competencies
FC 1: Apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice.
FC 2: Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
FC 3: Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming, and software, as appropriate
FC 4: Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
Assignments
Discussions
Each student is expected to post at least twice each week in response to discussion questions on that week’s topic and to their classmates (1 initial post and 1 response post, minimum). Posts that count toward the minimum must be between 250 and 500 words. Because this is an online course, the online discussion portion is an important way to exchange ideas with your classmates. Students will be graded on their participation and effort of their posts. These posts will take time to complete but they are an essential part of this online course and a great way to get to know your colleagues. Please be familiar with the course material (readings/lectures) before posting each week. Full marks will be given to those who ask questions, bring in new data from the literature or other resources, and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topics for the week.
Case Studies
Case studies are where students will principally exhibit their ability to apply epidemiological methods across of breadth of settings and situations. Each case study emphasizes different epidemiological tools in response to different real-world situations. You will apply the tools to calculate the data needed for evidence-driven interventions.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will be a combinatory assessment of the epidemiological principles, concepts, methods, and terminology covered during the course. You will be asked to make some calculations as well. The final exam is due on Friday of the final week.
SAS Assignment
In this course, you will compute epidemiological measures discussed in the textbook and lecture using SAS software. You will be using data from one of the epidemiological studies, running a basic analysis, and outlining your thoughts on SAS as a tool.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Point Value |
|---|---|
| Week 1 Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement Quiz | 1 |
| Discussions (4 total, 2.5 or 3.5 points each) | 13 |
| Week 1 Case Study | 10 |
| Week 2 Case Study | 10 |
| Week 2 Quiz | 5 |
| Week 3 Case Study | 10 |
| Week 4 Case Study | 10 |
| Week 5 SAS Assignment | 7 |
| Week 6 Case Study | 10 |
| Week 7 Case Study | 10 |
| Final Exam | 10 |
| Week 8 Discussion | 4 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Dates
Week 1: Jul 3 – Jul 10
Week 2: Jul 10 – Jul 17
Week 3: Jul 17 – Jul 24
Week 4: Jul 24 – Jul 31
Week 5: Jul 31 – Aug 7
Week 6: Aug 7 – Aug 14
Week 7: Aug 14 – Aug 21
Week 8: Aug 21 – Aug 25
The assignment and discussion descriptions mentioned below are summaries. Please make sure to review the full prompts in Brightspace.
Week 1: Foundation, History, and Disease Concepts in Epidemiology
Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss historical developments in epidemiology
- Apply fundamental epidemiological concepts
Assignments:
- Discussion: Introduce Yourself
-
Please post an introduction to your classmates.
- Initial Post:
- Some basic information about you- where you live, what you do, a fun fact about yourself.
- Identify and describe an epidemiological event or person that occurred within the past 5 years. Explain how it contributes to the field of epidemiology and how it relates to a historical epidemiological event or person included in this week’s readings and videos. Describe the event and how it influences present-day epidemiology.
- Response Post:
- Pick a peer’s post. What can we learn from this event for current epidemiological practice?
- Initial Post:
-
- Case Study: Classifying Diseases, Epidemiological Triangle, Prevention, and Control
- In this case study, you will apply basic epidemiological principles to classify and define the agent, person, and environment of three different health conditions. You will then identify prevention strategies for those health conditions.
- Week 1 Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement Quiz
Week 2: Descriptive Epidemiology
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply key epidemiological measures to the health status of a population
- Describe and discuss a public health issue in terms of person, place and time
Assignments:
- Highly recommended practice activity
- Case Study: Using public health descriptive data to describe a community/population
-
- In this case study, you will compile descriptive epidemiological data and health indicators to create a community health assessment for a state of your choice. You will then analyze the compiled data from your assessment to identify, and justify, a priority health issues for that state’s population.
-
- Week 2 Quiz
Week 3: Epidemiologic Study Designs I
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply concepts for cross sectional and case control studies
- Calculate and interpret an odds ratio
Assignments:
- Discussion:
- Initial Post: Pick a health issue. You are an epidemiologist designing a cross-sectional study to learn more about the issue. List 10 questions and response choices that you would include in the survey/questionnaire. Do not include demographic questions, nor questions that only provide a yes/no response.
- Response Post: Pick a peer’s health issue and questionnaire. Identify a cross sectional study or survey on this issue, provide the link/reference, and describe the study/survey and key findings.
- Case Study: Case-Control Study
- In this case study, you will define the function and application of a case control study. Then you will apply your understanding of case control studies to the analysis of an epidemiological issue. Then you will interpret the results, apply your interpretation to a proposed intervention, and then evaluate the whole process.
Week 4: Epidemiologic Study Designs II
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply concepts for cohort and experimental studies
- Calculate and interpret a relative risk
Assignments:
- Discussion:
- Initial Post:
Pick a public health issue. Describe an experimental study you would recommend related to learning more about the issue- causes, effects, prevention strategies, etc.
Include in your post: what is the research question? What is the intervention that you are researching? Who is the population of focus? What kind of study design would you use? How would you collect data? How would you share your findings?
- Response Post: Pick a peer’s post. Describe the ethical considerations for the experimental study and how they should be resolved.
- Initial Post:
- Case Study: Cohort Study
- In this case study, you will define the function and application of a cohort study, then apply your understanding of cohort studies to the analysis of an epidemiological issue. You will then calculate various ratios with your findings.
Week 5: Causal Inference and Hypothesis Testing
Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss causality
- Apply hypothesis development and testing framework
- Recognize SAS as an epidemiological data analysis tool.
Assignments:
- Assignment
- For this assignment, you will compute epidemiological measures discussed in the textbook and lecture using SAS software. You will be using data from one of the original epidemiological studies known as the Framingham Heart Study. This SAS assignment is meant to introduce and provide you with an exposure to a widely used epidemiological software. Include the following in your submission: a link to the PDF of your output; a document containing a brief comment on your initial thoughts of SAS and a hypothesis you would want to test related to a public health issue of your choice.
Week 6: Field Epidemiology
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply steps in conducting a field investigation
Assignments:
- Discussion:
- Initial Post: Pick a recent outbreak reported in a CDC MMWR. Answer the following questions: How did they know it was an outbreak? How did they define cases? How would you classify the epidemic (page 210)? How did they collect data/information? How did they confirm the source of the outbreak? How factors contributed to the spread of disease?
- Response Post: Pick a peer’s post. List 2 other public health disciplines/professions that were or should be a part of investigating and resolving the outbreak. Describe their roles and how they all work together.
- Assignment: Outbreak Case Study
- In this case study, you will read a report about an outbreak. You will then analyze and evaluate the details of the epidemic response as presented in the report.
Week 7: Clinical Epidemiology
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply different characteristics and evaluation methods to a screening test
Assignments:
- Case Study: Screening
- In this case study, you will create tools for screening. You will then apply those tools to calculate various values related to this specific application of epidemiological screening.
Week 8: Applications of Epidemiology
Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss the purpose and role of epidemiology in promoting public health
Assignments:
- Final Exam, due on Friday
- Epidemiology and Health Equity Discussion
- Review the Rhode Island Resource and other examples of health equity reports using public health data in this week’s module. You are an epidemiologist for your state or local health department and have been asked to develop a health equity report for your jurisdiction. How are you going to use public health data to describe health inequities?
Note: Responses are not required, and will not be graded for this assignment.
- Review the Rhode Island Resource and other examples of health equity reports using public health data in this week’s module. You are an epidemiologist for your state or local health department and have been asked to develop a health equity report for your jurisdiction. How are you going to use public health data to describe health inequities?
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Late Policy
Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.
Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.
Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.