Degree Programs

The Department offers a Masters in Science degree in epidemiology, with concentrations in biostatistics and health policy. We also offer a PhD in Epidemiology in collaboration with the College of Public Health and Health Professions. In addition, we collaborate with the Advanced Post Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation (APPCI) and teach courses for that program that can lead to a Masters of Science Degree in Clinical Investigation.

The strength of our MS in Epidemiology program is the requirement that an epidemiologist minor in either biostatistics or health policy, thus exposing the epidemiologist to health policy and biostatistical concepts and applications. The student therefore becomes able to bridge the gap between the health field and the analytic process, providing functional interaction with other health professionals in solving complex health issues.

There is ample flexibility in the program to allow each student to develop his or her strengths and interests through elective courses, seminars, and tutorials. The proposed program is designed to prepare students for careers in health agencies and health-related institutions; for consultation, especially in biomedical fields; for independent research careers in the fields of epidemiology, and for academic careers in schools/colleges of medicine and public health. Overall, training in this program will provide a strong base for students wanting to pursue a PhD in epidemiology or health policy.

The Master of Science (MS) in Epidemiology through the College of Medicine is a two-year, 36-credit-hour degree program that requires a thesis. Three general tracts are available:

The MS in Epidemiology degree program is designed to produce graduates specializing in epidemiology with an emphasis on research methodology.
The MS in Epidemiology degree program with concentration in Biostatistics is designed to produce graduates who have a broad background in epidemiology with a concentration in biostatistics.
The MS in Epidemiology degree program with concentration in health policy is designed to produce graduates who have a broad background in epidemiology with an emphasis on health policy and outcomes and evaluation research.

The PhD in Epidemiology is a strong interdisciplinary and multi-college program, and is conducted jointly by research scientists and educators in the he College of Medicine http://www.ehpr.ufl.edu/default.shtml and the College of Public Health and Health Professions http://ebs.phhp.ufl.edu.

PhD epidemiology graduates are employed in a broad range of academic and research organizations, such as universities; federal, state and local public health agencies; private and government research institutes; pharmaceutical and other industries; healthcare organizations and medical settings; legal settings; and consulting firms.

Assistantships are available from the College of Medicine, the Institute for Child Health Policy, and the College of Public Health and Health Professions.

Epidemiology assistantship: The Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, College of Medicine. The awardee for this Department assistantship will be paired wit a faculty research mentor during their training. Faculty research interests are provided at http://ehpr.ufl.edu/. The assistantship requires research in each year and also opportunities to teach. Please contact Elizabeth Shenkman, PhD, for more information about this position (eas@ichp.ufl.edu 352-265-7220).

Epidemiology assistantship: The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions. The awardee for this Department assistantship will be paired with a faculty research mentor during their training. Faculty research interests are provided at http://ebs.phhp.ufl.edu/. The assistantship requires research or teaching service in each training year. Please contact Dr. Elena Andresen, PhD, for more information about this position (Andresen@phhp.ufl.edu 352-273-5359).

Child and adolescent health assistantship: The Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research College of Medicine and the Institute for Child Health Policy. The awardee for this assistantship will work with faculty affiliated with the Institute for Child Health Policy on research activities related to children and adolescent health. Research related to transition to adulthood is also included. Faculty research interests are provided at http://ichp.ufl.edu/. In addition, many faculty affiliated with the Institute for Child Health Policy have appointments in the Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, so reviewing the following website is also helpful (http://ehpr.ufl.edu/). Please contact Elizabeth Shenkman, PhD (eas@ichp.ufl.edu 352-265-7220) or Kelli Komro, PhD (kak@ichp.ufl.edu 352-365-7220) for more information.

Disability and aging assistantship: The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
College of Public Health and Health Professions. The awardee for this assistantship will work with the research activities of the Florida Office on Disability and Health (see website http://fodh.phhp.ufl.edu/) and related aging and disability projects conducted by Dr. Andresen and her research lab (see example projects at http://ebs.phhp.ufl.edu/grantscontracts.htm). The assistantship requires research service in each training year. Please contact Dr. Elena Andresen, PhD, for more information about this position (Andresen@phhp.ufl.edu 352-273-5359).