EPI 504 course schedule spring 2017

1. Course Schedule
Dates Unit Topics Readings Deliverables Due
Opening On-Campus
Classes
Jan 6 & 7
Introduction to Epidemiology
and Selected Topics
Review of Course Logistics
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Dynamics of Disease
Transmission
Module 1: Jan 9 – 15
Measuring the occurrence of
disease – morbidity and
mortality
Chapter 3: Measuring the occurrence of
disease: I. Morbidity
Chapter 4: Measuring the occurrence of
disease: II. Mortality
Homework 1
Module 2: Jan 16 – 22
Jan 16 – MLK Holiday Randomized trials
Chapter 7: Assessing the efficacy of
preventive and therapeutic measures:
randomized trials
Chapter 8: Randomized trials: some further
issues
Homework 2
Module 3: Jan 23 – 29 Observational designs
Chapter 9: Cohort studies
Chapter 10: Case-control studies and other
study designs
Homework 3
Module 4: Jan 30 – Feb 5 Measures of association
Chapter 11: Estimating risk: is there an
association?
Chapter 12: More on risk: estimating the
potential for prevention
Chapter 13: Comparing cohort and case-
control studies
Homework 4
Project Part 1
Module 5: Feb 6 – 12
MIDTERM
Module 6: Feb 13 – 19 Causal inference - confounding,
bias, interaction
Chapter 14: From association to causation:
deriving inferences from epidemiologic
studies
Homework 5

2. Chapter 15: More on causal inferences: bias,
confounding, and interaction
Module 7: Feb 20 – 26 Natural history of disease
Chapter 6: The natural history of disease:
ways of expressing prognosis
Homework 6
Module 8: Feb 27 – Mar 5 Screening
Chapter 5: Assessing the validity and
reliability of diagnostic and screening tests
Chapter 18: The Epidemiologic Approach to
Evaluating Screening Programs
Homework 7
Project Part 2
Module 9: Mar 6 – 12 Spring Break
Module 10: Mar 13 – 19 Evaluation
Chapter 17: Using Epidemiology to Evaluate
Health Services
Module 11: Mar 20 – 26 Current topics in epidemiology Chapter 19: Epidemiology and Public Policy
Module 12: Mar 27 – Apr 2 Prepare for the final exam and project presentations
Closing On-Campus
Classes
Apr 7 & 8
FINAL
Group Project
**Discussion Board questions will be posted throughout the semester in Blackboard.
All deliverables are due on Sundays by 11:59 p.m. except the group project and the final exam that will take place during the closing
on-campus classes.
You may be responsible to read only some parts of the textbook chapters. Please see Blackboard course site for details.