Epidemiology and biostatistics I
About the course
The course can be taken as a singular course by applicants who meet the academic admission criteria for the Master of Public Health programme.
HEL-3049 provides students with comprehensive knowledge on the fundamental principles of epidemiology and biostatistics, and how this relates to the field of public health. Students will develop scientific competence necessary to conduct a research project in epidemiology. They will learn to design studies to address specific research questions, perform statistical analyses, critically interpret results, and present their findings clearly and rigorously in a scientific context. Focus will also be on interpreting and translating findings from epidemiological studies and statistical tests into public health relevant contexts.
HEL-3049 is a mandatory course for all students being enrolled on the MPH program.
Admission requirements
Objectives of the course
After completing the course, the student should be able to:
Knowledge
- explain and discuss data sources and data collection procedures commonly used in epidemiology
- evaluate the principles, applications, and challenges of various types of observational and interventional studies
- discuss and evaluate random and systematic errors that can impact measures of disease frequency, association, and causal inference, and outline strategies to minimize these errors
- describe the key factors influencing infectious disease dynamics and explain the role of population-level interventions in managing outbreaks
- describe the principles and applications of regression analyses, including linear and logistic regression, and survival analysis
- justify the selection of statistical methods for analyzing datasets
- explain and discuss the relationship between effect size, significance level, sample size, and statistical power
Skills
- select and justify the most appropriate research methods to address specific research questions in epidemiology
- compute and interpret descriptive and analytical measures in epidemiology
- apply basic mathematical models to analyze the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks
- use the statistical software Jamovi with R efficiently to conduct statistical analyses
- apply appropriate statistical analyses to different study designs and evaluate the results in the context of causality
- design a basic epidemiological study, including selecting and performing appropriate statistical analyses
- critically evaluate and interpret epidemiological data to inform public health decision-making
- perform literature search in a scientific database to identify relevant epidemiological articles
General competence
- develop and deliver effective presentations to communicate public health information and present research findings in a clear and scientifically rigorous manner
- critically appraise scientific work published in journals, reports, and media to assess its validity and relevance
- reflect critically on how artificial intelligence can enhance or hinder learning in epidemiology and biostatistics
Prerequisites
Recommended prerequisites
HEL-3047 Introduction to Research Methods in Public Health
Teaching methods
Language of instruction and examination
EnglishSchedule
The schedules are normally finalized and published well in advance of the start of the semester, often a few weeks beforehand. This gives students the opportunity to organize their studies and prepare for upcoming activities.
It is recommended to check the schedule regularly, as changes may occur.
Information to incoming exchange students
Master's students studying public health from EUGLOH partner institutions, as well as those from institutions with an Erasmus or North2North agreement, are encouraged to attend this course.
Please see "Admission requirements" section.
Do you have questions about this exchange? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412
Examination
| Home exam | Duration: 1 Weeks Weighting: 1/2 |
Grade: A–E, fail F |
| Oral exam | Duration: 30 Minutes Weighting: 1/2 |
Grade: A–E, fail F |
To take an examination, the student must have passed the following coursework requirements
| Oral presentation(s) | Grade: Approved – not approved |
| Written assignment(s) | Grade: Approved – not approved |
| Attendance to mandatory sessions | Grade: Approved – not approved |
Everything you need to know about before, during, and after the exam; registration, absence, appeals, and diplomas: UiT Exams homepage
