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Graduate Course Directory and Schedules

Summer 2024 Planning Schedule

Last updated 4.19.2024
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Fall 2024 Planning Schedule

Last updated 5.10.2024
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Winter 2025 Planning Schedule

Last updated 11.8.2024
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Spring 2025 Planning Schedule

Last updated 11.8.2024
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SPH Course Descriptions

Descriptions of all School of Public Health courses can also be found in the course catalog of the most recent edition of the PSU Bulletin.

EPI 512 / 612 – Epidemiology I Online

Course CodeCredit

EPI 512 / 612

Course Information

Epidemiology I introduces the concepts, principles and methods of epidemiology to graduate students in the School of Public Health. Epidemiology is one of the fundamental sciences used by public health professionals to identify, prevent and control health problems in communities. Specifically, epidemiologic methods are used to investigate the distribution of health-related states or events (e.g. disease, health conditions, etc.) in populations and identify the factors or characteristics that influence or determine these distributions. In addition, epidemiology is used to aide in the implementation and evaluation of public health programs and policies designed to control or ameliorate health problems in populations. In this course, students will learn how to apply epidemiological methods to address questions about the distribution of disease, death, disability and risk exposures in populations, as well as those relating to causal associations between exposures and health outcomes.

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered as Epi 612 and may be taken only once for credit

EPI 513/613 – Epidemiology II

Course CodeCredit

EPI 513/613

4

Course Information

This course is the second in a three-course sequence designed for the MPH Epidemiology and Biostatistics majors. Students will develop skills in recognizing strengths and weaknesses of various epidemiological study designs, describing sources of bias that can distort measures of effect/association, and designing case-control studies, cohort studies, and randomized clinical trials. The class will also explore additional study designs used less frequently, such as nested case-control studies and case-crossover studies. Students will gain experience in recognizing and evaluating the roles of bias, confounding, and interaction (effect modification) in data derived from epidemiological studies. Problem-solving exercises will focus on study designs and analysis. Written homework assignments and problem-oriented learning will occupy a central role in facilitating mastery of epidemiologic methods and issues.

Prerequisites

:

  • EPI 512/612 Epidemiology I
  • BSTA 525 Intro to Biostatistics

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered as Epi 613

EPI 514/614 – Epidemiology III

Course CodeCredit

EPI 514 / 614

4

Course Information

Will address the amount and types of data needed to establish and defend ideas of causation of community health problems. Will illustrate how data are most effectively translated into health agency policy, public testimony, and/or legislated regulation. Teaching will emphasize the problem-oriented seminar method.

Prerequisites

  • EPI 512/612 Epidemiology I
  • BSTA 525 Intro to Biostatistics

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered as Epi 614

EPI 521 / 621 – Injury and Violence Prevention

Course CodeCredit

EPI 521 / 621

3

Course Information

This course introduces students to the causes and consequences of traumatic injury and violence and the public health approach to injury and violence prevention. Conceptual frameworks that consider behavioral and environmental approaches to injury prevention will be discussed as well as the upstream socio-economic underpinnings of injury and violence causation. EPI 521 is primarily designed for students in a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) program, in EPI or related field, in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. EPI 621 is designed for PhD students from EPI or other related PhD program.

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered for doctoral students as Epi 621 and may be taken only once for credit.

EPI 525 / 625 – Biostatistics I

Course CodeCredit
Course Information

The goal of this course is to cover the broad range of statistical methods used in health sciences. Methods of summarizing data through graphical displays and numerical measures will be discussed. Basic probability concepts will be explored to establish the basis for statistical inference. Confidence intervals and hypothesis testing will be studied with emphasis in applying these methods to relevant situations. Both normal theory and non-parametric approaches will be studied. Course focus will be to understand when to use basic statistical methods how to compute tests to statistics and how to interpret results. Computer applications (using STATA) are included as part of the course.

EPI 536 / 636 – Epidemiological Data Analysis & Interpretation

Course CodeCredit

EPI 536 / 636

4

Course Information

Students will apply epidemiologic and biostatistical principles to the analysis of National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Hypotheses are formulated based on the NHANES variables and a brief literature review of the public health need for the research. Students work in pairs to plan, organize, and conduct analyses leading to final oral and written presentations of their findings. Class time allows for hands-on experience with data quality assessment, preparation of datasets and variables for analysis, and multivariable modeling. Emphasis is on planning and communicating analytic plans that reflect the causal models generated by students and allow for assessment of confounding and interaction (effect measure modification).

Prerequisites

:

  • EPI 512 Epidemiology I
  • EPI 513/613 Epidemiology II
  • EPI 514/614 Epidemiology III
  • BSTA 512 Linear Models
  • BSTA 513 Categorical Data Analysis
  • BSTA 525 Intro to Biostatistics

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered as Epi 636 – Epidemiological Data Analysis & Interpretation

EPI 540 / 640 – Introduction to Research Proposal and Design

Course CodeCredit

EPI 540 / 640

3

Course Information

This course provides an introduction to research design and proposal writing. It builds upon concepts of epidemiology and biostatistics to enable students to develop a study plan to conduct public health research that is efficient, effective, and ethical. Writing a research proposal is a skill necessary in the professional practice of public health. During this course, students will prepare a written proposal that includes a concise statement of the epidemiologic research question, testable hypotheses, appropriate specific aims, and a plan of work. Students will learn how to formulate a logical argument to establish the significance of their question and to defend their approach. All of the elements of the study plan will be developed, including choice of design, sample size and power, sampling design and recruitment of subjects, measurement of predictor and outcome variables, control of bias and confounding, and statistical analysis. Limited time will be spent on an introduction to budget development and project management. The major product of the course is the completion of a research proposal, which will be prepared according to the submission requirements of a federal funding agency. The instructors will review written work with each student during the term to ensure that all required elements are included in the application.

Prerequisite

EPI 512 – Epidemiology I

Slash Listed Courses

Doctoral students register in the EPI 640 section.

EPI 566 – Current Issues in Public Health

Course CodeCredit

EPI 566

2

Course Information

This is a core course for students in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics track of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health MPH program. It is designed to introduce students to public health in a seminar-style (presentation and discussion) exploration of the basic principles, structures, and functions of public health, and selected important issues of public health relevance. The course also addresses competencies in public health communication for diverse audiences through a variety of exercises using different communication strategies. Public health and preventive medicine professionals from OHSU, PSU, the School of Public Health, and the community will present and facilitate discussions of their work and perspectives related to these public health topics and issues.

EPI 568 / 668 – Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Course CodeCredit

EPI 568 / 668

2

Course Information

This course provides an introduction to infectious epidemiology, and includes fundamental topics such as outbreak investigation, public health communicable disease surveillance and reporting, biological concepts of disease introduction, evolution and spread, and design of population-based studies to valuate features of infectious diseases (e.g., risk factors, method of spread, clinical features, disease prevalence). This course will also introduce some of the categories of communicable diseases and highlight some features of the major diseases within each category. It builds upon concepts of epidemiology (e.g., risk/odds ratio, case-control and cohort studies, statistical significance) to provide students with a strong understanding of infectious disease concepts and methods such as conducting an outbreak investigation.

Prerequisite

  • EPI 512 – Epidemiology I
  • BSTA 512 – Linear Models

Slash Listed Courses

Doctoral students register for the EPI 668 section.

EPI 576 / 676 – Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Course CodeCredit

EPI 576 / 676

4

Course Information

This course is designed for MPH Epidemiology and MPH and MS Biostatistics program majors, as well as PhD candidates in Epidemiology. The course is intended to give students an understanding of the epidemiology of major chronic diseases in developed countries. It covers three aspects of chronic disease: 1) epidemiology methods used in their study, 2) epidemiologic findings and current status of epidemiologic research into various chronic diseases, and 3) the epidemiology of the major risk factors for chronic diseases. The course is based on presentations by researchers and public health practitioner experts on specific chronic disease topics. Students will gain familiarity with some of the important epidemiologic studies and study innovations that have contributed to our knowledge of chronic diseases and their control.

Slash Listed Courses

Doctoral students register for the EPI 676 section.

Prerequisite

EPI 512 – Epidemiology I

EPI 603 – Epidemiology Doctoral Dissertation

Course CodeCredit

EPI 603

1-12

Course Information

This course is intended to provide the capstone project and prepare doctoral students to achieve mastery in health & scientific content in an area of public health epidemiology.

Permission is not required.

(Credit to be arranged.)

Grade mode: Pass / No Pass.

EPI 611 – Epidemiology Doctoral Seminar II

Course CodeCredit

EPI 611

2

Course Information

This advanced doctoral-level course synthesizes across students’ prior training in epidemiology, biostatistics, applied research, and the disciplines/content areas that are required for students’ doctoral research. Building on this foundation, and drawing from doctoral students’ and the instructor’s expertise, this course aims to facilitate the intellectual development required to conduct and present original epidemiologic research.

Prerequisite

EPI 610 – Epidemiology Doctoral Seminar

EPI 630 – Epidemiology Journal Club

Course CodeCredit

EPI 630

1

Course Information

This is an elective course for epidemiology track masters students. Doctoral students are required to register for at least two terms (one credit each) during the first two years of their program. This course is intended to extend students’ understanding of the fields of epidemiology and public health research, and their ability to explore and critique research methods. In weekly sessions, the instructor, guest faculty, and students will prepare a peer-reviewed article for class discussion that demonstrates or involves innovative public health content or methods. A secondary goal of this class is to prepare students to perform peer-review themselves (e.g., for journals, study sections) by examples of this work from faculty.

Grade mode: Pass / No Pass.

EPI 650 – Mentored Epidemiology Research

Course CodeCredit

EPI 650

1 - 6

Course Information

This course is based on moving the skill set of prior epidemiologic methods, research, and biostatistical courses into a deeper contemplation and synthesis across methods and theories in epidemiology.

Grade mode: Pass / No Pass.

EPI 660 – Mentored Epidemiology Teaching

Course CodeCredit

EPI 660

1

Course Information

This course is intended to provide a guided, mentored teaching experience for doctoral students in Epidemiology. In addition to typical and course-specific teaching assistant (TA) duties that support the teaching faculty member/course instructor, PhD epidemiology graduates will be provided basic-level preparation for independent teaching. Each TA is expected to perform some or all of the following duties: 1. Prepare for and hold office hours for student enrolled in the course they have been assigned to, 2. Support on-line (Sakai) teaching website for the course, if needed for the course (students must complete a TA confidentiality form for these Sakai activities and submit to the OHSU Teaching and Learning Center). 3. Support the development and distribution of course materials for students and the instructor. 4. Support the evaluation of students’ assigned work, including homework, quizzes and tests, term papers, small group activities, computer-lab assignments, etc. 5. Prepare and deliver one or more course sessions under the supervisor of the faculty/course instructor mentor.

Grade mode: Pass / No Pass.

ESHH 502IP – Integrative Project

Course CodeCredit

ESHH 502IP

Course Information

The key culminating step for each MPH student is the Integrative Project (IP). Through the IP, a high-quality written product is produced, which we call the “IP paper.” Through the IP paper, students demonstrate their academic learning and public health practice skills through the synthesis of foundational and program competencies and application of those competencies to complex public health issues. The paper will take the form of a substantial written product such as a program evaluation, policy or economic analysis, grant proposal, health promotion or community engagement program plan, publishable manuscript, or other written product that demonstrates integration of three foundational (one must include Foundational Competency #6) and three program competencies. Appropriate types of written products vary by program, type of practice experience (if the two are integrated), and the student’s career goals. We recommend (but do not require) that the IP paper build upon work conducted in the Practice Experience. For example, students may write a high-quality written paper using the findings from a statistical analysis performed in support of a research project that is separate from their Practice Experience.

More Information About The Integrative Project

ESHH 509PE – Practice Experience

Course CodeCredit

ESHH 509PE

4

Course Information

Students must attend a PE orientation (via canvas.pdx.edu) prior to registering and are encouraged to attend a PE info session. Detailed information about the PE can be found on the Practice Experience SPH webpage.

PEs are a total of 4 credits and 160 “contact hours.” Students demonstrate 5 competencies via at least two deliverables, as well as submit a learning agreement (the term before PE registration), a midway progress report, a portfolio, and perform an oral presentation.

Biostats students register for BSTA 509PE. PHP students register for CPH 509PE. Epi students for EPI 504PE. ESHH students register for ESHH 509PE. HSMP students register for HSMP 509PE. HP students register for PHE 504PE.

Prerequisite

Consent of PE Coordinator required.

ESHH 510 – Public Health & Portland Harbor Cleanup

Course CodeCredit

ESHH 510

ESHH 511 / 611 – Concepts of Environmental Health

Course CodeCredit

ESHH 511 / 611

3

Course Information

An intensive course designed to familiarize students with fundamentals of environmental health from a scientific and conceptual perspective. Topics are considered within multi-causal, ecological, adaptive systems, and risk-assessment frameworks. Includes consideration of biological, chemical, and physical agents in the environment, which influence public health and well-being. Recommended prerequisite: graduate standing.

Slash Listed Courses

Doctoral students register for the ESHH 611 section.

ESHH 511 / 611 – Concepts of Environmental Health Online

Course CodeCredit

ESHH 511 / 611

Course Information

An intensive course designed to familiarize students with fundamentals of environmental health from a scientific and conceptual perspective. Topics are considered within multi-causal, ecological, adaptive systems, and risk-assessment frameworks. Includes consideration of biological, chemical, and physical agents in the environment, which influence public health and well-being. Recommended prerequisite: graduate standing.

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered as ESHH 611.

Interprofessional Education Course Schedule

Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enhance collaboration and improve health outcomes. At least 1 credit of Interprofessional Education is required by all MPH degree programs.

Most courses with OHSU subject code IPE (Inter-Professional Education) or UNI (University Curriculum) satisfy the Interprofessional Education requirement. Other courses may also serve; consult your advisor.

For a list of IPE and UNI courses, descriptions, and their intended schedule download the spreadsheet. This list is subject to change, contact the course instructor if you would like to enroll.

Interprofessional Education