Molecular Epidemiology (MS)

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Students with a bachelor’s degree in quantitative biological sciences will be eligible for admission. In addition, the BA students must have completed at least one year of general biology, one semester of biochemistry and one semester of statistics to be admitted into the Graduate School. Under unusual circumstances, conditional acceptance will be offered to students who do not meet these requirements — allowing them to complete the missing undergraduate courses prior to their full admission into the Graduate School. An introductory biochemistry class is also available in the School of Pharmacy, which may satisfy the biochemistry prerequisite.

Course Requirements

The MS program requires 38 graduate-level units with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 including Epidemiology core courses, 15 units; Biological Sciences core courses, 12 units; at least 3 elective units; Research plus Thesis, 8 units. Students must also complete a Master’s thesis.

Epidemiology Core Courses (15 Units)

PM 511aL Data Analysis Units: 4
PM 511bL Data Analysis Units: 4
PM 512 Principles of Epidemiology Units: 4
PM 533 Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Units: 3

Biological Sciences Core Courses (12 Units)

BIOC 575 Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers in Cancer Treatment Units: 2
INTD 504 Molecular Biology of Cancer Units: 4
INTD 522 Infection and Host Responses Units: 4
INTD 531 Cell Biology Units: 4
INTD 549 Protein Chemistry – Structure and Function Units: 4
INTD 550 Introduction to Pathology Units: 4
INTD 551 Pathobiology of Disease Units: 4
INTD 561 Molecular Biology Units: 4
PM 530 Biological Basis of Disease Units: 4, 2 years
PM 532 Genetics in Public Health and Preventive Medicine Units: 4
PM 554 Health Effects of Environmental Contaminants Units: 4
PM 572 Medical Physiology I Units: 4
PM 573 Medical Physiology II Units: 4

Electives (At Least 3 Units)

PM 517a Research Methods in Epidemiology Units: 4
PM 517b Research Methods in Epidemiology Units: 3
PM 518a Statistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies I, II Units: 3
PM 523 Design of Clinical Studies Units: 3
PM 527 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease Units: 4
PM 529 Environmental Health: An Epidemiological Approach Units: 4
PM 534 Statistical Genetics Units: 3
PM 537 Chronic Disease Epidemiology Units: 4
PM 549 Human Molecular Genetics and Genomics Units: 4
PM 551 Statistical Methods in Genome-Wide Association Studies Units: 3
PM 553 Human Exposure Assessment for Public Health Units: 4
PM 558 Environmental Epidemiology: Concepts, Methods, and Practice Units: 4
PM 560 Statistical Programming With R Units: 2
PM 570 Statistical Methods in Human Genetics Units: 4
PM 574 Programming In Modern Statistical Software Units: 2
PM 575 Statistical Methods in Environmental Epidemiology Units: 3
PM 579 Statistical Analysis of High-Dimensional Data Units: 4
PM 586 Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology Units: 4
PM 588 The Practice of Epidemiology Units: 4

Research + Thesis (8 Units)

Research toward the MS thesis can be conducted in combinations of wet and dry labs or dry labs only, and should consist of original work worth of submitting for publication in a peer-review journal. Research can be conducted at a wet or dry lab in Preventive Medicine, Biochemistry or Pathology. However, a Preventive Medicine faculty needs to be included as co-chair if a thesis supervisor is selected from another department.

PM 590 Directed Research Units: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
PM 594a Master’s Thesis Units: 2
PM 594b Master’s Thesis Units: 2