PhD in Epidemiology

Degree Description

The Ph.D. in Epidemiology is constructed to meet the department’s philosophy of training. There is a substantial contribution from the Biostatistics Department and other departments in the College of Public Health so that the candidate is well-grounded in quantitative and analytical techniques, design and conduct of epidemiologic studies, demographic methods, and the management of large data sets. A course in medical physiology and pathology is required to provide a basic understanding of disease processes. In addition, each student works with an adviser to select courses that ensure substantive knowledge in a specific area which will generate important original research. Several recommended Plans of Study are available for students with the following research interests: chronic diseases, infectious diseases, clinical and health services, molecular and genetic epidemiology, and injury epidemiology. An independent but finite research experience is required aside from the dissertation. Finally, relevant courses elsewhere in the university are encouraged.

Learner Objectives

The primary goal of the doctoral program in the Department of Epidemiology is to prepare graduates for professional careers as scientists, teachers, and practitioners of epidemiological methods. Career opportunities in epidemiology exist in academic institutions, local, state, and federal health agencies, and commercial enterprises.

Graduates with a Ph.D. in Epidemiology will be able to:

Master the M.S. degree objectives.

Understand and be capable of using advanced statistical analysis methods appropriate for the study design and to control for confounding.

Manage data collection and quality control in research data, including the development of a questionnaire.

Understand and demonstrate specific risk factors and disease processes in a specialized area.

Review literature and conceptualize theoretical models of disease and causation and develop hypotheses building upon prior research.

Conduct independent research including design, data collection, analysis, and translation into applied and theoretical constructs.

Demonstrate the ability to write a proposal for grant funding.

Demonstrate in writing and oral presentation knowledge of epidemiological concepts and methods.

Demonstrate in writing and oral presentation the ability to explain research study design and results of student-initiated research and to defend the results and implications.

The founding of the College of Public Health blended new initiatives with long-established programs at the University of Iowa. The college’s roots originate in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health and the Graduate Program in Hospital and Health Administration, both formerly based in the UI College of Medicine. On July 1, 1999, these units were transitioned into the new College of Public Health. Today the college is composed of five departments: biostatistics, community and behavioral health, epidemiology, health management and policy, and occupational and environmental health.

The college builds on a rich tradition of public health teaching, research, and service that dates back to 1885 at the University of Iowa. Over the years, university entities such as the State Bacteriological Laboratory (now the University Hygienic Laboratory) and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health helped to address many of the most pressing public health needs in Iowa, including the control of communicable diseases, the safety of water and milk supplies, the health and safety of farmers and others living in rural areas, surveillance of cancer and birth defects, and emergency sanitation needs.

The training of graduates for leadership roles in all types of health care settings also has been part of the university’s commitment to public health, a role fulfilled by the four health science colleges as well as specialty training programs like the Graduate Program in Hospital and Health Administration.

The College of Public Health provides an educational and research focus to the many public health efforts taking place at the university. Building on these traditions and forging new collaborative arrangements on campus and throughout Iowa, the College of Public Health seeks to become a leading state-supported school of public health and to promote global leadership in the area of rural public health.