February 24, 2006
TO:Robert Mrtek, Chair
Senate Committee on Educational Policy
FROM:Margaret Grosch
Director, Programs and Academic Assessment
I am submitting for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached proposals from the School of Public Health as follows
a) Revision of the Master of Science (MS) in Public Health Core
b)Revision to the Master of Science in Public Health, Epidemiology Concentration
c) Revision of the Master of Science in Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration
The proposals were approved by the School of Public Healthon November 18, 2005 and by the Graduate College Executive Committee on February 24, 2006.
Attachment
Cc:S. Furner
B. Neuberger
T. Silva
L. Stayner
R. Sokas
L. Aceves
I. Rios
Title:a) Revision of the Master of Science (MS) in Public Health Core
b)Revision to the Master of Science in Public Health, Epidemiology Concentration
c) Revision of the Master of Science in Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration
Sponsor: School of Public Health
a) Revision of the Master of Science (MS) in Public Health Core
Description: The School proposes to require a new Epidemiology course: EPID 403 (Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods, 3sh) to replace the current required course, EPID 400 (Principles of Epidemiology, 3sh). This change would affect all students in the MS in Public Health Sciences program (biostatistics, community health sciences, environmental and occupational health sciences, industrial hygiene, and health policy and administration; note that students in the Epidemiology Concentration are already required to take EPID 403 instead of EPID 400.)
Justification: The existing Epidemiology course, EPID 400, is a conceptual course presenting theories and concepts of epidemiology. The new Epidemiology course, EPID 403 is analytically more rigorous, introducing students to both principles and methodologies used in the discipline. The School has determined that MS in Public Health Sciences students ought, at a minimum, to be exposed to not just the conceptual foundation of epidemiology but also to basic methodologies.
b)Revision to the Master of Science in Public Health, Epidemiology Concentration
Description:Two courses were removed from the Division requirements, (EPID 410 & EPID 411). In addition, students will be given the choice to take an additional biostatistics course from a list of 3 options: BSTT 402 (Logistic Regression and Survival Analysis 2 hours), BSTT 430 (Design of Clinical Trials, 3 hours) or BSTT 440 (Sampling and Estimation Methods Applied to Public Health, 3 hours). The required course EPID 406 (Epidemiologic Computing) is increased from 2 to 3 hours. The number of elective hours was increased from 10 to 20 allowing students to take additional courses in a specific epidemiological track of their choosing. The MS thesis requirement has been altered from the prior thesis requirement to the written and oral presentation of a paper of publishable quality in a peer review journal, and the hours required for the thesis is reduced from 16 to 8. Overall the total number of credit hours is not affected; the minimum hours students are required to take will remain 50.
Justification:This degree introduces students to research methods in Epidemiology and prepares them to participate in epidemiologic research, in public or private research settings. This is also a gateway to doctoral level study in Epidemiologic research.
The new program is designed to offer a stronger methodological background to better prepare students to conduct research in their field of study. The new program would allow students to focus more time in a specific area of epidemiology or track. This is an important change since Epidemiological research is becoming increasingly specialized, and our students will be more competitive in the job market if they have mastered a specialized area. The change of the thesis requirement to be a paper of publishable quality was made in recognition of the fact that manuscripts are the academic currency of which students will ultimately be judged. In addition, some students in the past have written excessively long theses which we believe is not a useful learning experience and has made completion of the MS program far too difficult and time consuming.
Comparison of Present and Proposed Requirements, Master of Science in Public Health,
Concentration in Epidemiology
PRESENT / PROPOSEDSPH Core Courses (6 sh)
EPID 403 Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles/Methods (3 sh)
BSTT 400 Biostatistics I (3 sh) / SPH Core Courses (6 sh)
Same.
Same.
Division Requirements (18-19 sh)
EPID 406 Epidemiologic Computing (2-3 sh*)
EPID 404 Intermediate Epidemiologic Methods ( 4 sh)
EPID 410 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases ( 2 sh)
EPID 411 Epidemiology of Chronic Disease (3 sh)
EPID 591 Current Epidemiologic Literature (2 sh)(2 sh)
EPID 595 Research Seminar (1 sh)
BSTT 401 Biostatistics II (4 sh)
*For Fall 05, students will need to register for 1 sh of IPHS 596 to receive 3 sh of credit for the course, for future semesters the course will be listed as 3 sh. / Division Requirements: 16-17hrs
EPID 406 Epidemiologic Computing 3 sh
Same.
No Longer required
No Longer Required
Same.
Same.
Same.
Added:
BSTT 402 Survival analysis and logistic regression 2 sh
or BSTT 430 Design of Clinical Trials 3 sh
or BSTT 440 Sampling and Estimation Methods (3 sh) 3 sh
Electives (10 sh)
Epidemiology Substantive Area 500-level Courses (6 sh)
Other 500-Level Electives (4 sh)
-at least 1sh must be outside Epi/Bio Division / Electives (20 sh)
Epidemiology Substantive Area Courses (13 sh)
-at least 7 sh of these must be at the 500-level
Other Electives (7sh)
-at least 3 sh should be in one of the following: EOHS 400, CHSC 400, CHSC 401 or HPA 400
Thesis Research (16 sh)
IPHS 598 Research in Public Health (16sh) / Thesis Research (8 sh)
IPHS 598 Research in Public Health (8 sh)
Total Required for Graduation 50-51 sh / Same.
c) Revision of the Master of Science in Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration
Description: The School proposes to amend the MS in Public Health with a Concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health to require one additional course: BSTT 401 – Biostatistics II (4sh). This change will not affect the total required semester hours for that concentration / degree.
Justification: The Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division of the SPH has deemed it important for all MS students concentrating in the field of environmental and occupational health - a scientifically rigorous discipline grounded in quantitative analysis - to take a second level biostatistics course. The added course covers simple and multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, multifactor analysis of variance and covariance, non-parametric methods, logistic regression, analysis of categorical data; and offers extensive use of computer software.
1
Revised - 2/16/06
Comparison of Present and Proposed Requirements, Master of Science in Public Health,
Concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
PRESENT / PROPOSEDSPH Core Courses (6 sh)
EPID 400 Principles of Epidemiology: (3 sh)
BSTT 400* Biostatistics I (3 sh) / SPH Core Courses (6 sh)
EPID 403 Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods (3 sh)
Same.
Division Core
All students are required to take a minimumof 12 sh in EOHS courses, choosing at least
one course in each of the following three areas:
Exposure Assessment and Measurement
EOHS 405 Environmental Calculations
EOHS 440 Chemistry for Environmental Professionals
EOHS 421 Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene
EOHS 418 Analysis of Water and Wastewater Quality)
EOHS 428 Industrial Hygiene Laboratory I
EOHS 438 Air Quality Laboratory
EOHS 542 Water Chemistry
EOHS 543 Environmental Organic Chemistry
EOHS 557 Design and Analysis of Experiments )
EOHS 564 Geographic Information System Applications in PH
EOHS 565 - Datamining Applications in Public Health
Health Assessment
EOHS 450 Principles of Occupational/Environmental Medicine
EOHS 455 Environmental and Occupational Toxicology
EOHS 495 Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar
EOHS 551 Occupational Diseases
EOHS 554 Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
EOHS 555 Advanced Toxicology /
Division Core
BSTT 401 – Biostatistics II (4 sh)
Same.Intervention Strategies
EOHS 408 Biological, Chemical, Explosives, Nuclear Weapons as PH Threats
EOHS 411 Water Quality Management I
EOHS 431 Air Quality Management I
EOHS 461 Community Health and Consumer Protection
EOHS 482 Occupational Safety Science
EOHS 556 Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health
EOHS 572 Environmental Risk Management /
Same.
Electives
Students should select courses with their advisor in a discipline of interest. At least 9 sh of coursework in the student’s discipline must be at the 500 level.Thesis
Students must earn at least 16 hours in IPHS 598. /
Electives
Students should select courses with their advisor in a discipline of interestso that the hours for the degree total 48. At least 9 sh of coursework in the student’s discipline must be at the 500 level.Same.
Minority Impact Statement:No impact.
Budgetary and Staff Implications:The substitution of EPID 403 for EPID 400 as a required course is not expected to result in any budgetary or staff implications. The enrollment in EPID 410, EPID 411, BSTT 402, BSTT 430, and BSTT 440 is not expected to increase or decrease considerably. The addition of BSTT 401as a requirement for MS students in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division is not expected to increase student enrollment in that course considerably; hence no budgetary or staff implications are expected.
Library Resource Implications: None
Space Implications:None
Unit (e.g. department) approval date:
(For Revision of the Concentration in Epidemiology):
Approved by Epidemiology Section, 10/31/05
Approved by the Division of Epidemiology 11/8/05
(For all revisions):
Approved by Committee on Educational Policy on11/18/05
Proposed Effective Date:Fall, 2006
Catalog Statement
Degree Requirements
In addition to the GraduateCollege minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
Present: / Proposed:Master of Science / Same.
Minimum Semester Hours Required48; 56 for Industrial Hygiene / Minimum Semester Hours Required48; 50-51 for the Epidemiology Concentration; 56 for Industrial Hygiene
Course WorkAt least 32 semester hours must be in courses other than IPHS 598, and at least 9 semester hours must be at the 500-level. No more than 4 hours of IPHS 596 may be applied to the degree. / Same.
Required Courses: EPID 400 and BSTT 400. Remaining courses and their distribution depend on the student’s area of concentration. M.S. students select from the following areas of concentration: Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Administration, and Industrial Hygiene. / Required Courses: EPID 403 and BSTT 400. Remaining…(continue with same)
Epidemiology Concentration Requirements: M.S. students concentrating in Epidemiology must complete all of the SPH requirements for the M.S. degree. However, rather than EPID 400, students must take EPID 403. In addition, students must take: EPID 404, 406, 410, 411, 591, 595; BSTT 401. / Epidemiology Concentration Requirements: M.S. students concentrating in Epidemiology must complete all of the SPH requirements for the M.S. degree.In addition, students must take: EPID 404, 406, 591, 595; BSTT 401; and one course from BSTT 402, BSTT 430, or BSTT 440.
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration Requirements: M.S. students concentrating in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences must complete all of the SPH requirements for the M.S. degree. In addition, students must complete the division core of 12 semester hours in EOHS courses, choosing at least one course in each of the following three areas: Exposure Assessment and Measurement, Health Assessment, and Intervention Strategies. Students should see their advisor for a list of courses in each area. / Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration Requirements: M.S. students concentrating in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences must complete all of the SPH requirements for the M.S. degree in addition to BSTT 401. In addition, students must… (continue with same)
Comprehensive Exam: Required only for biostatistics students. / Same.
Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only OptionsThesis or course work only. No other options available.
Thesis: Thesis required for all areas except biostatistics. Thesis students must earn at least 16 hours in IPHS 598.
Course work only: Only for biostatistics students. Comprehensive examination required. / Same.
Thesis: Thesis required for all areas except biostatistics. Thesis students must earn at least 16 hours in IPHS 598; students in the Epidemiology concentration must earn at least 8 hours in IPHS 598.
Same.
Added as requirements:
BSTT 401Biostatistics II
4 hours. Simple and multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, multifactor analysis of variance and covariance, non-parametric methods, logistic regression, analysis of categorical data; extensive use of computer software. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 400. [now required for the EOHS Concentration]
EPID 403Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods
3 hours. Introduction to descriptive and analytic epidemiology, and determinants of health and disease in populations. Measures of occurrence, association and statistical testing will be addressed, along with study designs, bias and confounding. May be repeated. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in BSTT 400 and graduate or professional standing; or consent of the instructor. [now a core course for the MS degree, replacing EPID 400.]
No longer required:
EPID 400Principles of Epidemiology
3 hours. Introduction to descriptive and analytic epidemiology, determinants of health and disease in populations, and application of epidemiologic methods to disease control; includes use of basic epidemiologic software. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in BSTT 400 or consent of the instructor. Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate, professional, and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar. [replaced by EPID 403 in the core]
EPID 410Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
2 hours. Epidemiology of selected infectious diseases, including incidence, prevalence and control of disease. Epidemic investigation is emphasized. Prerequisite(s): EPID 400 or consent of the instructor. [no longer required in the Epidemiology concentration.]
EPID 411Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases
3 hours. Selected topics in chronic diseases with critical analysis of current epidemiologic literature. Prerequisite(s): EPID 400 or consent of the instructor. [no longer required in the Epidemiology concentration.]
Revised:
EPID 406Epidemiologic Computing
3 hours. Hands-on course for students using SAS and other computer tools for epidemiologic analysis. Addresses theoretical and practical issues in statistical programming for epidemiology students. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 400 and EPID 400; or BSTT 400 and EPID 403; or consent of the instructor. [changed from 2 to 3 hours]
Added as Selectives:
BSTT 402Logistic Regression and Survival Analysis
2 hours. Interpretation of logistic regression and survival analysis models. Running logistic and proportional hazards regression models and constructing life-tables using SAS. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 401. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
BSTT 430Design of Clinical Trials
3 hours. Rationale for clinical trials, blinding, ethical issues, methods of randomization, crossover trials, power and sample size calculations, data management, protocol deviation, data analysis, interim analysis. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 401 or the equivalent and EPID 401 and consent of the instructor. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
BSTT 440Sampling and Estimation Methods Applied to Public Health
3 hours. Major sampling designs and estimation procedures used in the conduct of sample surveys with emphasis on topics relevant to the health sciences. Credit is not given for BSTT 440 if the student has credit in STAT 431. Restriction applies only to certification for students pursuing the Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Survey Methodology. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 401 or BSTT 502 or consent of the instructor. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
CHSC 400Public Health Concepts and Practice
3 hours. Concepts, principles, discussions, exercises, and case studies that provide an overview of the philosophy, purpose, history, organization, functions, tools, activities, and results of public health practice. Prerequisite(s): Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate, professional and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
CHSC 401Behavioral Sciences in Public Health
3 hours. Provides grounding in the social and behavorial sciences to analyze public health issues. Includes analysis of individual, community, institutional, and societal factors influencing health and illness. Prerequisite(s): Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate, professional and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
EOHS 400Principles of Environmental Health Sciences
3 hours. Environmental influences on health: population, food, energy; community hygiene and injury control; solid/hazardous wastes, air and water pollution, radiation; industrial hygiene and occupational health. Prerequisite(s): Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate, professional and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
HPA 400Principles of Management in Public Health
3 hours. A detailed discussion of the conceptual and theoretical foundations to the principles of management with an emphasis on public health and health care settings. Prerequisite(s): Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate, professional and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar. [added as a selective in the Epidemiology Concentration.]
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Revised - 02/16/06