Guide for new Master of Public Health students
with a specialization in
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Students admitted to the Master of Public Health (MPH) program are assigned faculty advisers who will provide guidance throughout the program. This document serves as a resource to be used by the student and the adviser in developing a program with a specialization in Epidemiology. For additional information about requirements, students are directed to the College of Public Health (CPH) Student Handbook (available on line at http://cph.osu.edu/studentaffairs/) and to the Graduate School Handbook (available online at http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/).
Program of Study
The curriculum consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours organized into five curricular domains:
1. Core courses in areas of knowledge basic to public health (20 credit hours)
2. Courses required for a specialization in epidemiology (22-26 credit hours)
3. Elective courses approved for the specialization (7-11 credit hours)
4. Practice placement (4 credit hours minimum)
5. Culminating project (3 credit hours minimum)
Public Health Core Courses
Every student in the MPH program must complete the following courses in the areas of knowledge basic to public health:
PUBH-BIO 701 Design & Analysis of Studies in Health Science I, 4 hrs
PUBH-EHS 731 Principles of Environmental Hlth, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 710 Principles of Epidemiology, 4 hrs
PUBH-HBP 720 Preventing Disease & Promoting Health through Behavior Science, 4 hrs
HSMP 800 Health Care Organization I, 4 hrs
Required Courses and Electives in the Specialization
PUBH-EPI 711 Epidemiology I, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 712 Epidemiology II, 4 hrs
PUBH-BIO 702 Studies in Health Science II, 4 hrs
PUBH-BIO 703 Probl-Oriented Apprch to Biostats, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 705 Health Surveys, 4 hrs
PUBH-BIO 793 Stats Programming, 2 hrs
PUBH-EPI 794* Biological Basis of Disease, 4 hrs
*Required for students who do not have an MD, DVM, or equivalent clinical degree (temporary number).
Choose two of the following (others may be used as electives if approved by the faculty adviser):
PUBH-EPI 713 Environmental Epidemiology, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 814 Chronic Disease Epidemiology, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 815 Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 816 Cancer Epidemiology, 4 hrs
PUBH-EPI 817 Cardiovasc Disease Epidemiology, 4 hrs
Practice Placement
PUB-HLTH 685 Field Experience in Public Health, 4 hrs
The College requires a minimum of 4 credit hours of formal practice placement experience for all students in the MPH program. Students must spend at least 120 hours on site in the experience to meet the minimum requirement (30 hours on site equals one credit hour). Each student chooses a practice placement that fits with her/his career goals and is consistent with the area of specialization. An on-site preceptor supervises the student’s experience, and the faculty adviser collaborates in designing and approving the learning content. The majority of students complete this requirement during the summer following the first academic year, though some may choose to delay it until later in their second year.
Students should be participants in the arrangements for the practice placement. The Practice Education and Career Services office in M006 Starling-Loving Hall assists students in locating appropriate field sites and provides support throughout the experience. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisers and other CPH faculty. The practicum is graded S/U and the evaluation is based on the preceptor’s and adviser’s assessment of the experience and the final report. Complete details on the process for seeking and confirming the placement, as well as the expectations for the practice placement, are found in the Field Practice Placement Student Handbook (available in the Office of Academic Programs).
Culminating Project/Master's Examination
PUB-HLTH 793 Individual Studies, 3 hrs
The Graduate School requires that each master’s student complete a Master’s Examination. The culminating project for the MPH satisfies this requirement either with a traditional examination or an alternative written product.
MPH students specializing in Epidemiology have the option of completing a traditional research-based master’s thesis as the culminating project or an applied research project. The thesis option is less frequently chosen because the majority of students intend to go directly into professional practice. However, those students who expect to pursue an academic degree program such as the PhD are encouraged to consider a thesis and there are, of course, students who are interested in a topic that is best approached in the thesis format.
MPH students who prefer an alternative to the thesis complete an applied research project (which might also take the form of a grant proposal). More detailed descriptions of the culminating project requirements are available from the division or the Office of Academic Programs.
Academic Standards
To remain in good academic standing, graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA. In addition, a B- or higher must be earned in the specialization courses and core courses (with the exception of a C or C+ in one core course). No course in which a grade of C- or below is earned may count towards the degree. For more details, see Section 11.2 of the CPH Student Handbook.
Time Limit
The MPH degree must be completed within 5 years from the date of matriculation. The responsibility for academic progress and fulfillment of the time limit rule rests with the student. Students who fail to complete the program in five years must re-apply to the program by written petition to the Graduate Studies Committee. Approval may be contingent upon completion of additional course work. No further registration will be permitted in the absence of an approved petition. For additional information, see Section 5.4 of the CPH Student Handbook.
Graduate non-degree and transfer credit
The transfer of credit depends on where it was earned. For OSU graduate non-degree credits, a maximum of 10 credit hours may be transferred into the degree-granting program with approval of the faculty adviser. For transfer credit from another institution, a maximum of 12 quarter hours (20% of the total credit hours required for the degree) may be transferred into the program with approval of the faculty adviser. In most circumstances, transfer credit must meet the five-year rule. For additional information, see Section 10.3 of the CPH Student Handbook.
Graduation
Students must be enrolled for a minimum of three graduate credit hours during the quarter in which they wish to graduate. An "Application to Graduate" form (available on the Graduate School’s Web site) must be completed by the student, signed by the adviser, and returned to the Office of Academic Programs (OAP) for processing. The deadline for submitting the signed form to the OAP each quarter is the first Friday of the quarter of graduation. Students also are expected to complete an Exit Questionnaire, as explained in Section 13.14 of the CPH Student Handbook.
Office of Academic Programs
Counselors are available in the Office of Academic Programs, M006 Starling-Loving Hall (614-293-3907) to provide assistance with College or University policies and procedures. Questions regarding the student’s program should be directed to the faculty adviser.
