Course unit details:
Applied Epidemiology
| Unit code | POPH60112 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Knowledge of epidemiology to this level is essential for those embarking on a career in public health and for those intending to pursue research. Clinicians and managers of clinical services should find a deeper appreciation of epidemiology, particularly as it relates to health services evaluation, useful.
This is an interactive online course. Students must work through the online course material. Students are encouraged to use the Blackboard discussion boards to ask questions and check their understanding of the course material.
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Epidemiology | POPH60991 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
You must have passed Fundamentals of Epidemiology (POPH60991).
Aims
This unit is intended to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to enable them to undertake epidemiological research, albeit under supervision.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit, successful students will be able to:
- Design and interpret epidemiological studies.
- Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of the commonly used epidemiological approaches; the selection of a study design suitable for an issue at hand; the handling of error, bias and confounding; the imputation of causality; and appropriate approaches to data handling.
Syllabus
- Understanding causation and defining a research question
- Measuring and comparing disease occurrence
- Choosing a study design
- Populations and samples
- Populations and diseases
- Measurement error and validity
- Longitudinal studies, bias, and confounding
- Epidemiology in the context of health services research, policy and planning
- Designing your own study
Teaching and learning methods
This course involves working through the course notes provided online, reading all references marked "required", looking at additional readings suggested where appropriate, using self-reflection to help you think about the ideas discussed, and participating in weekly discussion boards with fellow students and tutors. Participation in the discussion boards is not formally assessed; however, it is greatly encouraged, and generally those students who do participate get better marks.
Employability skills
- Research
- This unit is intended to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to enable them to undertake epidemiological research including study design and populations, data collection and analysis and causal inference.
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 100% |
Feedback methods
Recommended reading
Modern epidemiology, 4th ed. Lash TL, VanderWeele TJ, Haneause S, Rothman K
Basic epidemiology, 2nd ed. World Health Organization. Bonita R, Beaglehole R, Kjellström T & World Health Organization. Open Access http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43541
Study hours
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 150 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Veronique Griffith | Unit coordinator |
| Jennifer Day | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
For further information please watch this video from our former Course Unit Leader.
If you have any questions about the content of this unit, please contact the Course Unit Leaders Veronique Griffith via email on veronique.griffith@manchester.ac.uk or Jennifer Day via email on jennifer.day@manchester.ac.uk. If you have any other queries, please contact the PGT programme administrators via email on shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk.