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DEPT. OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
& BIOSTATISTICS
 

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations. In a more practical sense, epidemiologic studies are concerned with the determination of risk factors for a particular disease: such as cigarette smoking and bladder cancer. After risks are determined, epidemiologists concern themselves with methods to change the behavior of persons to reduce the probability of disease among persons with high risk behaviors. For example, it has been shown that persons who are sedentary are more prone to heart disease. As a result behavioral epidemiologists develop programs to increase exercise. The discipline of epidemiology uses methods and concepts from other disciplines such as demography, statistics, biology, medicine and sociology.

Clinical epidemiology is the application of epidemiologic method and reasoning to the study of hospital inpatient populations. Studies usually involve patients where a particular therapy or diagnostic procedure is being evaluated. Other studies evaluate the natural history of the progression of disease in order to assess prognostic factors for predicting outcome. Knowledge gained from clinical epidemiologic studies is usually applied to persons with illnesses. An example of a clinical study may be the comparison of medical vs. surgical treatment for a condition in which optimal treatment is not known. This is called a clinical trial and there are many basic principles in clinical epidemiology that are incorporated in these human experiments.

The epidemiology division in the Department provides the student with the basic understanding of methods and principles for study of diseased and healthy populations. Focus is on quantitative skills in deriving new knowledge from populations of people.

For more information, please click here to download the official handbook for the Division of Epidemiology.

Degree Programs
Master of Science
Doctor of Philosophy
M.D./Ph.D.

Master of Science

 

Information & Application Materials

Requests for information and application materials for our Master of Science and Ph.D. Graduate Programs should be sent to:
             Alicia Boscarello
             Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
             Case Western Reserve University
             10900 Euclid Ave.
             Cleveland, OH 44106-4945
             Phone: (216) 368-5957; E-mail: alicia.boscarello@case.edu

Graduate Studies Committee

The Department's Graduate Studies Committee consists of one faculty member from each division, as well as a faculty member chosen to act as Chair. The committee oversees the department's curricula, academic and degree requirements, and acts as a liaison between the department and the Office of Graduate Studies.

Academic Advisor

The student will be assigned an academic advisor to help the student throughout his/her program with course selections and general advice.

Research Advisor

Also called a mentor, leads the student through his/her thesis requirements. A faculty member may be both an academic advisor and a mentor. The student may change academic advisors and mentor at any time by notifying in writing the present advisor and obtaining a letter of approval from the new advisor.

General Requirements

Students must satisfy the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies as stated in the University's General Bulletin as well as those outlined by the specific division. To complete the M.S. degree program under Plan A, students must conduct a research project and write and defend a thesis. Under Plan B, students must pass a written comprehensive examination.

Credit Hour Requirement

The Master's degree requires 36 hours of credit.

Core Courses

Nine hours of basic core courses are required of all students. All courses are 3 credit hours unless noted otherwise.

In addition, students under Plan A are required to take a minimum of 6 credit hours of EPBI 651 (M.S. Thesis), and students under Plan B are required to take 3 credit hours of EPBI 602 (Practicum).

Courses within the Divisions

Each student selects one of the following divisions: Epidemiology, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology, or Health Services Research (all Plan A only) or Biostatistics (Plan B or optional Plan A).

General Electives for All Divisions

Electives should be chosen in consultation with the student's academic advisor to arrive at the required number of semester hours when combined with core requirements.

Waiver Procedure

To waive a prerequisite the student will need to submit a written request to their advisor. Upon approval of the advisor, a memo should be sent to the director of the division outlining the reason(s) for the request. If approved by the division director, the memo should be forwarded to the secretary of the Graduate Studies Committee for the committee's review and formal approval. On approval by the full committee, the committee chair will write a formal letter of approval to the student and their advisor. A copy of this letter will be placed in the student's file, and the waiver will be noted in the student's progress report.

To waive a core course, the student must provide material (i.e., a syllabus) to show that the course requirements have been met by the completion of either another course or through relevant work experience. This material should be submitted with a memo to the academic advisor who will then forward it to the division director. If approved by the division director the request must be approved by the instructor of the course to be waived. A waived course will need to be replaced by another approved course to fulfill the credit hour requirement.

Transfer of Credit

A student may petition to transfer credit from another university to reduce the credit hours of course work necessary to receive his/her degree. Transfer of credit from another university toward a master's degree is limited to six semester hours of graduate-level course work taken in excess of degree requirements at that university. No thesis credit may be transferred.

Transfer of credit requires approval from the student's academic advisor, the chairperson, and the dean of graduate studies. The course work must have been taken within five years of matriculation at Case Western Reserve University and passed with a grade of B or better.

Masters Thesis (Plan A)

Students in Plan A (Epidemiology, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology, and Health Services Research) are required to register for at least six hours of EPBI 651 (M.S. Thesis Research). A thesis committee, consisting of three faculty members, customarily chaired by the student's research advisor with the other members appointed upon his/her recommendation by the Graduate Studies Committee. To complete this requirement, the student must submit and successfully defend a thesis.

M.S. Degree with Thesis

M.S. students pursuing the thesis option (Plan A) must:

1) Present a thesis proposal to their thesis committee, consisting of the mentor and two other department faculty members who have agreed and been approved to serve on the thesis committee. The proposal must be approved unanimously.


2) Register for thesis credit (EPBI 651 - M.S. Thesis Research). A student must continue such registration each succeeding semester until the thesis is accepted. The minimum acceptable registration for thesis credit is three credit hours per semester until the thesis is complete. However, a master's candidate who has already completed six credit hours of EPBI 651 may, with the approval of his/her research advisor, enroll in EPBI 651 for one credit hour, for a maximum of two semesters. Thereafter, the student must resume registration for a minimum of three credit hours each semester until the thesis is accepted.


3) Defend the thesis in an oral examination which is open to the public. The student is responsible for distributing the announcement of the oral exam to the department faculty at least two weeks prior to the exam. All faculty members and students are invited to attend the oral examination. The oral examination will be conducted within the context of the University regulations and scheduled at the completion of the M.S. thesis. The examining committee is to consist of the mentor and the faculty members on the thesis committee. A final bound copy of the thesis should be placed in the department's library. Plan A graduation materials, including thesis signature sheets may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies.


4) Be registered during the semester in which any part of the oral examination (master's defense) is taken. If not registered for other courses, the student will be required to register for one credit hour of EXAM 600 - Master's Comprehensive Exam - prior to taking the examination.


Degree Requirements

Refer to each Division’s Student Handbook for courses that meet the MS degree requirements.

 

Doctor of Philosophy
Information and Application Materials

Requests for information and application materials for our Master of Science and Ph.D. Graduate Programs should be sent to:
             Alicia Boscarello
             Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
             Case Western Reserve University
             10900 Euclid Ave.
             Cleveland, OH 44106-4945
             Phone: (216) 368-5957; E-mail: alicia.boscarello@case.edu

Graduate Studies Committee

The Department's Graduate Studies Committee consists of one faculty member from each division, as well as a faculty member chosen to act as Chair. The committee oversees the department's curricula, academic and degree requirements, and acts as a liaison between the department and the Office of Graduate Studies.

Academic Advisor

The student will be assigned an academic advisor to help the student throughout his/her program with course selections and general advice.

Research Advisor

Also called a mentor, leads the student through his/her thesis requirements. A faculty member may be both an academic advisor and a mentor. The student may change academic advisors and mentor at any time by notifying in writing the present advisor and obtaining a letter of approval from the new advisor.

General Requirements

Students must satisfy the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies as stated in the University's General Bulletin. See also Courses within the Division for further details. Additional requirements for the department include:

1) Students entering without a departmentally approved master's degree must complete all requirements for a master's degree other than the thesis or comprehensive examination.

2) Students entering with a departmentally approved master's degree may begin taking advanced courses in their division. Such students are considered responsible for knowledge of Common Core Courses for the Master's, and will be examined on these materials prior to advancement to candidacy.

Credit Hour Requirement

A minimum of 18 credit hours of course work beyond a departmentally approved master's degree is required. Additionally, a minimum of 18 credit hours of dissertation research (EPBI 701) is required. Advanced course work for the Ph.D. is determined on an individual basis in conjunction with a student's research advisor or mentor.

Courses within the Divisions

Each student selects one of the following divisions: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology, or Health Services Research.

General Examination

See also General Examination under the specific division for further details. The student must complete 18 credit hours of Ph.D. course work, and no later than the completion of 6 credit hours of EPBI 701 - Dissertation Research, Ph.D.

A student must be registered during the semester in which the general examination is to be taken. If not registered for other courses, the student must register for one credit hour of EXAM 700 - General/Qualifier Exam, prior to taking the examination.

Each student will have at most two chances to pass the Ph.D. general examination.
 

Refer to each Division’s Student Handbook for descriptions of their General Examination.
EPBI 701 - Dissertation Research, Ph.D.

Upon written notification to the Dean of Graduate Studies, via the Ph.D. "checklist," identifying the university faculty member selected as a doctoral student's principal research advisor, and with the endorsement of the department chair, the student in pre-candidacy status will be eligible to register for one, but not more than six, credit hours of EPBI 701 (Dissertation Research, Ph.D.), and must continuously maintain the limited registration for EPBI 701 until advancement to candidacy occurs.

Advancement to Candidacy

A literature review in the proposed area of research and a written dissertation proposal must be defended before a Dissertation Examination's Committee consisting of the student's dissertation advisor, two additional members of the department, and one member from outside the department. Once the proposal is approved, the student advances to candidacy (with the exception of Epidemiology) and may commence independent research on his/her topic, leading to a written dissertation which must represent a significant independent contribution to existing knowledge.

In the semester following advancement to candidacy, the student is permitted to register for up to nine credit hours of 701. A student must register for at least 18 credit hours of EPBI 701. When a cumulative total of 18 credit hours of 701 is earned, the student may subsequently register for a minimum of one credit hour of EPBI 701 each semester until the dissertation is complete and defended. Once registered for EBPI 701 hours a student must continue such registration each succeeding regular semester until the dissertation is complete unless granted a leave of absence.

Leave of Absence

The student must request in writing a leave of absence for a period not to exceed one calendar year. This request must be submitted to the dean of graduate studies with the written endorsement of the student's academic department. During the leave of absence the student must avail himself/herself of neither aid from faculty members nor use the facilities of the university. A leave of absence does not extend the maximum time permitted for the completion of the degree requirements. At the expiration of the leave the student must resume registration unless formally granted an extension.

A doctoral student who is granted a maternity or paternity leave of absence related to infant care will receive an extension of the five-year limit associated with completion of the doctorate. The length of the extension will correspond to the length of the leave.

Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense)

The final oral examination, chaired by the Ph.D. mentor, consists of a defense of the dissertation in the presence of the members of the Dissertation Examination Committee. The defense must be scheduled with the Office of Graduate Studies no later than three weeks before the date of the examination. The candidate must provide a copy of the completed dissertation to each member of the committee at least 10 days before the examination. The student is also required to submit at least one article to a peer-reviewed journal from their dissertation research prior to the chairperson's authorization for awarding of degree. All faculty and students are encouraged to attend and participate in a student's Ph.D. examination.

The candidate will be certified as passing the final oral examination if no more than one member of the Committee dissents. Additional work or corrections may be required based on the results of the examination.

Residency Requirement

The doctoral residency requirement is intended in insure a period of intensive academic interaction with faculty and peers, and of sustained independent research.

Graduate students are considered to be in residence when they are fully engaged in academic work. The student's regular presence at the university is required during fulfillment of the residency requirement.
The formal fulfillment of residency requires continuous registration in at least six consecutive academic terms (fall, spring and/or summer) from the beginning of matriculation to a period not exceeding five years after the first credited hour(s) of dissertation research (701).

Time Limitation

Doctoral students have five consecutive calendar years from the semester of the first credited 701 registration to complete all requirements for the doctorate. Those who fail to complete the requirements within five years may petition for an extension of a maximum of one academic year upon recommendation of the research advisor and the approval of the department chairperson and the Dean of Graduate Studies. The minimum acceptable registration during this extended period is three credit hours of 701 in each of the two semesters.

Graduation

A candidate for a degree awarded by the School of Graduate Studies must make application for the degree to the Office of Graduate Studies by the deadline established for that semester, which is approximately two months before the commencement date at which the degree is expected to be awarded. The candidate must meet all the deadlines for completion of degree requirements set forth in the calendar. All candidates must be registered for credit and in good standing during the semester in which the degree is awarded.

Degree Requirements

Refer to each Division’s Student Handbook for courses that meet the PhD degree requirements.

Dissertation Research and Defense:
EPBI 701 Dissertation Ph.D.
(18 credit hours in total)
A student can take a maximum of six credit hours prior to advancement to candidacy with the approval of their research advisor (mentor)

Science Requirement:
The research advisor (mentor) may require up to six credits of biomedical science courses that are related to the student's research. The credit can be applied toward the degree requirements (i.e., a student researching epidemiology of cancer may be required to take a course in cancer).

 

M.D./Ph.D.

Students in the M.D./Ph.D. track will pursue their Ph.D. and M.D. degrees concurrently during their first two years. Years 3-5 will be spent exclusively on Ph.D. course work and dissertation preparation and defense. Typically, students will complete their Ph.D. five years after matriculation and their M.D. seven years after matriculation.