MPH – Epidemiology

Admissions

• See the Admission Requirements and Application Instructions for All MPH and MS Applicants.

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Overview

The Division of Epidemiology is one of the graduate divisions within the SDSU School of Public Health.  It offers the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Epidemiology.

Epidemiology has often been termed “the basic science of public health.” The Epidemiology concentration provides training in the following areas:

• Identification of biological, environmental, social, and behavioral risk factors for human disease.
• Determination of the distribution and etiology of health and disease in human populations.

The program in Epidemiology is designed to prepare students to be public health practitioners as well as for careers in teaching and research.  Epidemiologists may continue on to become leaders in public or private health agencies and organizations.

Curriculum

See also…

• Course Roadmap – MPH in Epidemiology, Full-time (pdf, updated August 2026)
• Educational Objectives – MPH in Epidemiology (pdf)

Required Courses

The SDSU MPH in Epidemiology is a 51 unit program. The degree requirements are listed below and are typically completed in two years by full-time students.

Degree Requirements

• Public Health Core (18 Units)
  • PH 601 Epidemiology
  • PH 602 Biostatistics
  • PH 603 Behavioral and Social Science in Public Health
  • PH 604 Environmental Determinants of Human Health
  • PH 605 Health Services Administration
  • PH 606 Applied Research Methods in Public Health
• Epidemiology Concentration Courses (15 units)
  • PH 621 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
    OR
  • PH 622 Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases
  • PH 623 Epidemiological Methods
  • PH 627 Advanced Statistical Methods in Public Health
  • PH 700A Seminar in Epidemiology
  • PH 720B Capstone II
  • PH 829 - SAS for Biostatistics II
• Supervised Field Placement (6 units)
  • PH 650R Field Practice
• Electives (6 Units)
  • A minimum of 6 additional units selected with the approval of advisor
• Integrated Learning Experience* (6 units)
  • PH 797 Special Study
  • PH 798 Special Study

*Students can choose to complete either a Capstone report based on the analysis of a public use dataset, a scientific manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, or a thesis.

See the SDSU Graduate Bulletin for descriptions and prerequisites for these courses.

*Additional Electives

To fulfill the additional elective requirement students are strongly encouraged to take PH 797 (Research). It allows them to earn units for the effort they put into researching their thesis or manuscript. Their committee chair will very likely require them to enroll in PH 797.

**Thesis or Manuscript

Students can complete their degree in the Epidemiology concentration by choosing either Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Manuscript).  If students select Plan A, PH 799A is required for completion of their degree, accompanied by a final defense of their thesis. If students select Plan B, PH 798 (Special Study) is required, and a scientific manuscript based on their research must be prepared for completion of the degree.

Time Limitation

The school expects a student to complete the degree within seven years. Failure to complete the degree requirements within seven years will result in dismissal from the program.

Questions? 

Associate Professor and Division Head
Email: [email protected]