Epidemiology (PhD)

The department offers a degree leading to the PhD in epidemiology. This program may be an extension of the applied biostatistics and epidemiology MS program and is especially aimed at persons with a strong background in medicine: in particular, students enrolled in the MD program of the Keck School of Medicine who wish to interrupt their MD studies after two years to complete a PhD degree. This program is designed to produce an epidemiologist with in-depth statistical skills. The program requires a solid core of courses in methodological aspects of statistics and in statistical thinking as applied to medicine, as well as a solid grounding in epidemiological methods and in certain medical disciplines.

Summary of course requirements: 

Fourteen units of core course work are required in year 1 as preparation for the screening exam (assuming students have completed PM 510L  and PM 512  or comparable classes from MS training). Additional units of track-specific course work are required in year 2 or after. A total of 60 units are required for completion, which may be fulfilled by any approved electives, plus dissertation research units. After passing the screening exam, all students must enroll in at least two semesters of PM 610 : Graduate Seminar in Biostatistics. The first semester of PM 610 is typically taken before the Qualifying Examination and the second semester of PM 610 before the final dissertation defense.

Special Requirements: By the end of the first semester, the student should have selected a faculty mentor who will verify the student’s readiness for the screening exam (e.g., have passed the first semester’s core courses and be registered for the second semester’s courses or have equivalent prior training) and must sign the application for the screening exam. The mentor will also work with the student to identify a suitable dissertation chair and explore possible topics. Identification of the dissertation chair and formation of the student’s Qualifying Exam Committee is expected to be done by the end of the second year.  

Executive Committee: The Epidemiology Executive Education Committee will review mentors, as well as approve changes in the curriculum and qualifying exam. They will also ensure that required courses are taught, will make decisions on which electives are continued, added, or removed, and will work with the course organizers to collect and summarize course evaluations. Members of the Epidemiology Executive Education Committee are represented on the Preventive Medicine Education Committee, chaired by the Vice Chair for Education (currently Dr. Richard Watanabe), which is charged with establishing general department-wide policies.

Admissions Committee: The majority of applications first come directly to the department and are reviewed by the Epidemiology Admissions Committee. Candidates recommended for admissions and funding are then presented to the KSOM PhD Programs Committee for approval. Direct admissions to the individual faculty member’s research team are handled in the same way, must meet the same standards and be approved by the Epidemiology Admissions Committee. PIBBS students may elect to join the Epidemiology PhD program, provided they have done at least one rotation with an epidemiology faculty member who agrees to support that student and the students acceptance is approved by the Chair of the Epidemiology Admissions Committee.

Course Guidance or Advising Committee: The student will decide along with the student’s mentor and dissertation committee chair which, if any, additional course work will be undertaken.

Qualifying Examination Committee: The student, in consultation with the student’s mentor, will nominate five faculty members to serve on the Qualifying Examination Committee. Three of the faculty must be from the Epidemiology Program and one from another department (the “External Member”). The Committee should reflect a diversity of expertise and typically will include one member from a different division of the Department of Preventive Medicine (e.g., one with subject-matter expertise in the proposed application portion of the dissertation). The role of the Qualifying Examination Committee is to guide the student on development of an appropriate dissertation project, both in content and time commitment, and to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the topic, epidemiological and biostatistical methodology, and readiness for completing the dissertation research.

Dissertation Committee: The Dissertation Committee is typically drawn from the membership of the Qualifying Examination Committee and includes the student’s primary mentor as chair, an external member, and at least one other member of the Epidemiology Division. All Qualifying Examination Committee members may be retained if preferred by the student. The role of the Dissertation Committee is to advise the doctoral student on the research topic and methods, and then to review the final completed dissertation for acceptance. Students are expected to meet with the dissertation committee at least once per year to discuss progress; more frequent meetings will typically be needed as the student approaches the final defense of the dissertation. Dissertation committee members are expected to read and comment on a dissertation within two weeks from its submission. The student and faculty will coordinate a time line for the student to present the dissertation to the committee. This time line must allow all dissertation committee members enough time to fulfill their responsibilities within the two-week deadline. 

Review of Membership in Faculty Mentorship: 

Membership should be reviewed on a three-year cycle, with one-third of the members reviewed each year. The main criteria for membership are the existence of an active research program related to epidemiologic research; evidence of outstanding past mentoring; and participation in programmatic and/or teaching activities. Members are expected to actively participate in teaching, screening exams, qualifying exams, dissertation committees and recruitment. Review of members will be conducted by the Executive Committee. Mentors whose record reflects poor academic performance, poor mentoring or poor participation will be subject to non-renewal or to a probationary period in which improvements in noted deficiencies must be demonstrated as a condition of continuing membership.