Listed below are summaries of the degrees offered by the Department of Epidemiology here at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Links are provided for each Degree that will explain degree expectations and courses offered.
MPH in Epidemiology 45 Credit-Online
This degree is a rigorous part-time, two-year degree program that combines online, in-person, and in-the-field learning to provide public health and healthcare professionals with advanced research and epidemiological skills. This degree is designed for individuals who cannot take a full year of classes but wish to continue their education in the Public Health and Epidemiological Methods and Application. A Culminating Experience Project is required for this degree.
This degree is typically completed over 2 academic years. The 80-credit SM program is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree. Applicants should have a strong background in a relevant discipline (e.g., biology, chemistry, genetics, physiology, bioengineering, and related social and computational sciences) and mathematics, excellent quantitative GRE scores and clear research goals. A Thesis is required for this degree. Program Competencies.
Master of Science in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics 80 Credit
The 80-credit Master of Science in Computational Biology (SM2) degree, offered jointly by the Department of Epidemiology and the Department of Biostatistics, provides students with the rigorous quantitative training and essential skills needed to successfully meet the challenges presented by large-scale public health data — “Big Data” — in biomedical research. It is intended as a terminal professional degree which will enable you to launch your career in bioinformatics. It can also provide the foundation for further doctoral studies in biostatistics, epidemiology, computational biology, and other related fields. Program Competencies.
Master of Science 42.5 Credit- Academic Year
The 42.5 credit SM is typically completed over Fall and Spring semesters of one academic year and is designed for applicants with a medical degree or master’s-level background in relevant disciplines (e.g., biology, chemistry, genetics, physiology, bioengineering, and related social and computational sciences). Some students begin the program by also completing one of the Summer programs in Clinical Effectiveness or Public Health Studies. Program Competencies.
Master of Science 42.5 Credit- Summer Only
The Summer Only 42.5 CR is designed for applicants with a medical degree or master’s-level background in relevant disciplines (e.g., biology, chemistry, genetics, physiology, bioengineering, and related social and computational sciences) and can be completed over 2 summer sessions. Thesis proposal and local mentor is required for application. A Thesis is required for this degree. The program begins with either the Summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness or the Session for Public Health Studies. Program Competencies.
PhD in Population Health Sciences
This full-time degree program is a joint collaboration between the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to offer a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Population Health Sciences. It is designed to encourage students to benefit from connections between public health disciplines and a broader range of academic disciplines represented across the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
The program offers advanced doctoral-level research training that builds on multiple disciplinary perspectives to understanding origins and determinants of health and disease across populations. Students in this program will be based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and belong to one of the following Fields of Study associated with the departments of:
- Environmental Health (EH)
- Epidemiology (EPI)
- Global Health and Population (GHP)
- Nutrition (NUT)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)
This degree is primarily intended for students likely to pursue careers in academia in these Fields of Study or in departments related to Population Health, or in research-related positions outside of academia. In addition to nurturing the development of the next generation of population health researchers and scientists, the program will provide opportunities for students to build scientific communication, mentoring and teaching skills, and thereby become educators in their field.
At the end of the 80 Credit Master of Science program, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate basic skills in core public health sciences of epidemiology and biostatistics as listed in the MPH Curriculum Guide
- Develop comprehensive knowledge of the role of epidemiology as a basic science for public health and clinical medicine to provide a quantitative approach to addressing public health and clinical problems.
- Interpret descriptive epidemiologic results in order to develop hypotheses of possible risk factors for a disease.
- Critically evaluate public health and medical literature through knowledge gained of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology, including disease (outcome) measures, measures of association, study design options, bias, confounding, and effect measure modification.
- Apply quantitative skills to analyze and synthesize epidemiologic data related to public health issues.
- Develop quantitative skills needed to analyze and synthesize epidemiologic data.
- Apply knowledge of the physiology and pathophysiology of human disease to epidemiologic studies.
- Develop the skills to interpret the methods for disease screening.
- Develop substantive knowledge of the epidemiology of infectious and chronic disease and apply this knowledge to public health issues.
- Design an epidemiologic investigation (Master’s Thesis) resulting in a publishable manuscript or grant application.
Master of Science in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics 80 Credit
At the end of the 80 Credit Master of Science in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics program, the student will be able to:
- The biological background needed to understand and interpret data
- A bioinformatics background providing familiarity with essential tools and data resources
- Computational skills used to for analyze and manage “Big Data”
- Statistical skills required to appropriately analyze large quantitative datasets
- Epidemiological skills necessary for the design, conduct, and analysis of experiments
Master of Science 42.5 Credit- Academic Year
At the end of the 42.5 Credit Master of Science program, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate basic skills in core public health sciences of epidemiology and biostatistics.
- Develop comprehensive knowledge of the role of epidemiology as a basic science for public health and clinical medicine to provide a quantitative approach to addressing public health and clinical problems.
- Interpret descriptive epidemiologic results in order to develop hypotheses of possible risk factors for a disease.
- Critically evaluate public health and medical literature through knowledge gained of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology, including disease (outcome) measures, measures of association, study design options, bias, confounding, and effect measure modification.
- Develop a foundation for designing valid and efficient protocols to address public health and clinical problems.
- Apply quantitative skills to analyze and synthesize epidemiologic data related to public health issues.
- Design, implement, analyze and/or summarize an epidemiologic research project.
Master of Science 42.5 Credit- Summer Only
At the end of the 42.5 Credit Master of Science Summer program, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate basic skills in core public health sciences of epidemiology and biostatistics.
- Develop comprehensive knowledge of the role of epidemiology as a basic science for public health and clinical medicine to provide a quantitative approach to addressing public health and clinical problems.
- Interpret descriptive epidemiologic results in order to develop hypotheses of possible risk factors for a disease.
- Critically evaluate public health and medical literature through knowledge gained of the basic principles and methods of epidemiology, including disease (outcome) measures, measures of association, study design options, bias, confounding, and effect measure modification.
- Develop a foundation for designing valid and efficient protocols to address public health and clinical problems.
- Apply quantitative skills to analyze and synthesize epidemiologic data related to public health issues.
- Design, implement, analyze and/or summarize an epidemiologic research project.
