DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PhD) IN GLOBAL DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL

Required and Elective Courses, 2023-2024

Required Courses

All students in the PhD in the Global Disease Epidemiology and Control Program must take the required courses listed below. All required courses must be taken for a letter grade except for courses only offered for pass/fail grading. 

The courses represent the minimum common core courses for GDEC students. Depending on a student's interest and background, it may be advisable to attain further expertise in an area. 

Required Courses 2023-24
Course No. Course Title Term Credits

General Degree Requirements

550.860

Academic and Research Ethics at BSPH 

1

0

220.605 

Doctoral Seminar in International Health I

1

3

220.842

Doctoral Independent Goals Analysis (IGA)

1

1

552.609

Psychological and Behavioral Factors that Affect a Population’s Health

1, 2, 3

0.5

220.600

International Travel Preparation, Safety, and Wellness (only take once) 

2, 3, 4

1

550.604

Qualitative Reasoning in Public Health

2

2

220.606

Doctoral Seminar in International Health II

2

3

223.861

GDEC Program Seminar (Year 1, Term 4)

4

2

223.861

GDEC Program Seminar (Year 2, Term 1)

1

 

223.861

GDEC Program Seminar (Year 2, Term 2)

2

2

Epidemiology Requirement

340.751

Epidemiologic Methods I

1

5

340.752

Epidemiologic Methods II

2

5

340.753

Epidemiologic Methods III

3

5

In addition, students must choose one of the following:

223.664

Design and Conduct of Community Trials

3

4

223.705 

Clinical Vaccine Trials and Good Clinical Practice

4

4

Biostatistics Requirement (choose one option)

Option 1

140.621

Statistical Methods in Public Health I

1

4

140.622

Statistical Methods in Public Health II

2

4

140.623

Statistical Methods in Public Health III

3

4

140.624

Statistical Methods in Public Health IV

4

4

Option 2

140.651

Methods in Biostatistics I

1

4

140.652

Methods in Biostatistics II

2

4

140.653

Methods in Biostatistics III

3

4

140.654

Methods in Biostatistics IV

4

4

International Health Requirement

223.663 

Infectious Disease and Child Survival

3

3

223.680

Global Disease Control Programs and Policies

4

4

Ethics Requirement (choose one of the following)

550.600

Living Science Ethics Responsible Conduct of Research

1, 4

1

306.665

Research Ethics and Integrity: US and International Issues

3

3

Additionally, students are required to complete the Human Subjects CITI Training Module

Environmental Health Requirement (choose one of the following)

180.611

The Global Environment, Climate Change, and Public Health

1

4

182.626

Issues for Water and Sanitation in Tropical Environmental Health

2

2

180.602

Environment and Health in LMICs (recommended)

3

2

Social and Behavioral Sciences (choose one of the following)

410.620

Program Planning for Health Behavior Change

1, 4

3

410.651

Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication

2

3

224.689

Health Behavior Change at the Individual, Household, and Community Levels

2

4

410.650

Introduction to Persuasive Communications: Theories and Practice

2

4

410.630

Implementation and Sustainability of Community-Based Health Programs

4

3

Nutrition (choose one of the following)

222.642

Assessment of Nutritional Status

2

3

222.647

Nutritional Epidemiology

3

3

222.655

Nutrition and Life Stages

3

3

222.649

International Nutrition

4

3

Vaccines (choose one of the following)

223.662

Vaccine Development and Application 

2

4

223.687

Vaccine Policy Issues

3

3

223.689

Biological Basis of Vaccine Development

4

3

Population and Family Planning (choose one of the following)

380.600

Principles of Population Change

2

4

380.603

Demographic Methods for Public Health

3

4