https://publichealth.ouhsc.edu/Prospective-Students Parent Page: Prospective Students id: 29332 Active Page: MS Epidemiologyid:29361

MS in Epidemiology

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Master of Science in Epidemiology is a 39-credit hour program that prepares graduates to study the distribution and dynamics of disease and health in populations, investigate causative factors and determinants of disease in populations, and advance the body of knowledge that will make it possible to control and/or prevent disease and to optimize health. Graduates of the MS Epidemiology program work in a variety of settings including local, state, and federal agencies such as health departments and academic health sciences centers. The Master of Science in Epidemiology is considered a research degree. Those who intend to use the degree in a research setting such as a university are generally advised to pursue the MS degree. The thesis requirement gives the MS student valuable research and writing experience critical for research.

The Hudson College of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH). The MS program may be completed by full or part-time students and is offered in Oklahoma City.

Click here to view the types of jobs our alumni have.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following are required:
  • The applicant must be in good standing with the college or university where currently enrolled or last attended.
  • Bachelor’s or entry-level first professional degree from an accredited institution.
  • Grade point average of 3.0 or above using the upper-division coursework of the bachelor's degree.
  • College algebra or higher-level math.
  • Submission of the SOPHAS application and the supplemental OUHSC Hudson College of Public Health application.
  • Career goal statement uploaded through SOPHAS.
  • Current CV/Resume uploaded through SOPHAS.
  • Three letters of academic or professional recommendation uploaded through SOPHAS by the recommender. Applicants must list recommenders’ contact information on the application and then upon submission, SOPHAS will send instructions to each recommender on how to submit their letter electronically through the online portal.
  • Transcripts:
    • U.S. Applicants: SOPHAS requires a separate official transcript from every U.S. and Canadian institution attended. Applicants must arrange for official transcripts from all prior undergraduate, graduate, and professional study institutions to be sent to SOPHAS. Instructions for sending your transcripts to SOPHAS can be found here. You will need to have a copy of your transcripts in hand so that you will be able to complete the coursework section of the application. Do not enter foreign courses taken at Universities outside the U.S. or Canada into the coursework section of the application.  
    • International Applicants: There are two options for transcript and degree certificate evaluation:     
      1. Submit transcripts and degree certificates to the World Education Services (www.wes.org) for a course-by-course evaluation, and designate SOPHAS to receive the evaluation; or 
      2. Submit transcripts and degree certificates to the Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org) for a course-by-course evaluation, and designate results to be sent from ECE to admissions@ouhsc.edu or to the following address:
             OUHSC Office of Admissions and Records
             1105 N. Stonewall Avenue, LIB 121
             Oklahoma City, OK  73117
  • International applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency by submitting TOEFL (score of 88 or above) or IELTS (score of 6.5 or above) that meet the minimum required score. TOEFL scores must be submitted to SOPHAS using the designation code #5688.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

MS in Epidemiology

  • Spring: October 15
  • Fall: June 15

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

CURRENT OU STUDENTS OR ALUMNI APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Instructions for Current OU Students and OU Alumni can be found here.

NON-OU STUDENTS OR ALUMNI APPLICATION PROCESS

STEP 1:  SOPHAS APPLICATION 

Submit a SOPHAS application and required fee (click here to review information regarding SOPHAS fees and fee waivers). The documentation identified in the ‘Admission Requirements’ section must be submitted in SOPHAS.

STEP 2: SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION

Applicants to the OU Hudson College of Public Health are required to submit a FREE supplemental application. The supplemental application is available via the OU Health Sciences Center website at: https://apps.ouhsc.edu/admissions/. Applicants must select the same program(s) in the supplemental application as they did in the SOPHAS application. Please note that the MS Epidemiology program will be listed under "Graduate College" in the online application (MS & PhD programs are listed under "Graduate College' but are taught by the Hudson College of Public Health).

COST & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Student support opportunities to offset costs include graduate research assistantships and public health scholarships. Students may expect additional costs that include, but are not limited to, a personal computer, textbooks, insurance, and supplies. For financial aid information, contact the Financial Aid Office at (405) 271-2118.

Financial support opportunities for students:

Estimated Costs

Bursar’s Office – Tuition and Fees

Financial Assistance

Scholarship Opportunities

 

 

CURRICULUM

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Foundations and Overview of Public Health course 3 credit hours
Required BSE courses 21 credit hours
Elective BSE courses 15 credit hours
TOTAL HOURS 39 CREDIT HOURS
Any MS or PhD student who has not previously completed the core MPH courses or earned a MPH degree will be required to complete an overview course in public health. At the first opportunity students should enroll in BSE 5033 Foundations and Overview of Public Health (3 hours).
 
REQUIRED BSE COURSES
BSE 5001 Problems in Biostatistcs and Epidemiology
BSE 5013 Applications of Microcomputers to Data Analysis
BSE 5113 Principles of Epidemiology
BSE 5163 Biostatistics Methods I
BSE 5193 Intermediate Epidemiologic Methods
BSE 5980 Research for Master's Thesis - 4 credit hours
BSE 5303 or BSE 5363 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease or Epidemiology and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
BSE 5111 Scientific Integrity in Research
 
ELECTIVE BSE COURSES
(At least nine additional hours in epidemiology courses, including at least one of the following epidemiologic methods courses:)
BSE 5343 Methods in Infectious Disease Epidemiology
BSE 6323 Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology
BSE 6193 Methods in Clinical Epidemiology
BSE 6194 Advanced Epidemiologic Methods

Applied Biostatistics courses numbered above 5163 (6 credit hours)


A minimum of 39 credit hours is required for an MS in Epidemiology degree. 

Additional Degree Requirements:

  • Computer proficiency (met with BSE 5013)
  • Basic knowledge of the biomedical sciences
  • Comprehensive Examination
  • Master's Thesis

CLICK HERE FOR A PDF PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE CURRICULUM.

This degree program is subject to the policies and procedures printed in Hudson College of Public Health Bulletin.

 

STEM DESIGNATION

The MS in Epidemiology program is considered a STEM-designated degree program.

A STEM-designated program is an academic program that falls under at least one of the approved categories from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These categories are recognized by the government for their focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics. DHS's updated STEM-designated degree list can be found here: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stemList2022.pdf

PROGRAM BROCHURE

CONTACT INFORMATION

Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Hudson College of Public Health
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
801 NE 13th Street, Suite 165
Oklahoma City, OK  73104

Office of Student Services
Phone:  (405) 271-2308
Email:  hcoph@ouhsc.edu

OUHSC Office of Admissions and Records: (405) 271-2359
OUHSC Office of Financial Aid: (405) 271-2118

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Click here to schedule a virtual, phone, or in-person prospective student appointment with one of our Advisors.

Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   wikipedia LinkedIn