USC
University of Southern California
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Master's Degrees

Master of Science in Applied Biostatistics/Epidemiology

Course Requirements
General requirements include at least 37 units of required courses as follows: 24 units of core courses and at least 9 units of elective courses. In addition, each student must register for four units of 594ab Thesis and write a master's thesis.

Core courses (24 units)Units
PM 510LPrinciples of Biostatistics4
PM 511aLData Analysis4
PM 512Principles of Epidemiology4
PM 517aResearch Methods in Epidemiology3
PM 518aStatistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies3
PM 523Design of Clinical Studies3
PM 527Epidemiology of Infectious Disease 3

Electives (at least 9 units)units
PM 511bLData Analysis4
PM 515 Behavioral Epidemiology3
PM 516abStatistical Problem Solving1-1
PM 517bResearch Methods in Epidemiology3
PM 529Environmental Health3
PM 530Biological Basis of Disease4
PM 533Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology3
PM 590Directed Research1-12
PM 611Advanced Topics in Epidemiology3

Thesis (4 units)
PM 594abThesis2-2

Electives will be determined by the student's needs and interests and will be approved by the student's advisor. When appropriate, courses not listed above may be chosen with approval of the student's advisor. Sufficient familiarity in computer languages to operate major software packages for data management and analysis is required.

Thesis Requirement
A master's thesis is required of all students. This thesis consists of a research project approved by the faculty and chosen from problems encountered within the department, in other departments of the Keck School of Medicine or university or elsewhere in the community.

Master of Science in Biostatistics

Course Requirements
General requirements include at least 37 units of required courses as follows: 26 units of core courses and at least 7 units of elective courses. Each student must also register for four units of 594ab Thesis and write a master's thesis.

Core Courses (26 units)Units
PM 510LPrinciples of Biostatistics4
PM 511abLData Analysis4-4
PM 512Principles of Epidemiology4
PM 513Experimental Designs3
PM 518aStatistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies 3
PM 522aIntroduction to the Theory of Biostatistics4

Electives (at least 7 units)units
PM 516abStatistical Problem Solving1-1
PM 518bStatistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies3
PM 520Advanced Statistical Computing3
PM 522bIntroduction to the Theory of Biostatistics4
PM 523Design of Clinical Studies3
PM 534Statistical Genetics3
PM 544LMultivariate Analysis3
PM 552Survival Methods in Clinical Trials3
PM 590Directed Research1-12
PM 603Structural Equation Modeling4
PM 604Health Behavior Research Methods4
(or MATH 506, MATH 542, MATH 543, MATH 545L, MATH 547, MATH 548, MATH 549, MATH 550, MATH 551L

Thesis (4 units)
PM 594abThesis2-2

The student's choice of elective courses will be directed by needs and interests and must be approved by the student's graduate advisor. When appropriate, elective courses not listed above may be substituted with approval of the advisor. Sufficient familiarity in computer languages to operate major software packages for data management and analysis is required.

Thesis Requirement
A master's thesis is required of all students. This thesis consists of a research project approved by the faculty and chosen from problems encountered within the department, in other departments of the Keck School of Medicine or university or elsewhere in the community.

Master of Science in Molecular Epidemiology

Course Requirements
The M.S. program requires 37 graduate-level units with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 including epidemiology core courses, 14 units; molecular biology core courses, 12 units; at least 3 elective units; laboratory research plus thesis, 8 units. Students must also complete a master's thesis.

Prerequisite: PM 510 Principles of Biostatistics

Epidemiology Core courses (14 units)Units
PM 511aLData Analysis4
PM 512Principles of Epidemiology4
PM 518aStatistical Methods for Epidemiological Studies3
PM 533Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology3

Molecular Biology Core Courses (12 units)Units
BIOC 543Human Molecular Genetics4
INTD 504Molecular Biology of Cancer, or
INTD 555Biochemical and Molecular Basis of Disease4
INTD 571Biochemistry4

Electives (at least 3 units)Units
INTD 561Molecular Genetics/Biology4
PM 517aResearch Methods in Epidemiology3
PM 523Design of Clinical Studies3

Laboratory research + thesis (8 units)units
DPT 590abcdDirected Research1-1-1-1
DPT 594abThesis2-2

(1) DPT refers to the department offering the laboratory/directed research experience and thesis supervision. DPT is one of the following departments (but not restricted to): PM, BIOC, PATH.

(2) Laboratories should expose students to: statistical and epidemiological methods, molecular techniques, human genetics, population-based studies.

Master of Public Health

Course Requirements
The master's degree program in public health (M.P.H.) requires a minimum of 43-47 semester units of required and elective graduate study.

Core Requirements Units
PM 501Foundations in Health Education and Promotion4
PM 508Health Service Delivery in the U.S., or
PM 509Comparative Health Care Systems4
PM 510LPrinciples of Biostatistics4
PM 512Principles of Epidemiology4
PM 529Environmental Health: An Epidemiological Approach4

In addition, at least another 24 to 28 units including the practicum must be completed in a selected track of either health education and health promotion, biostatistics/epidemiology, nutrition, health communication, child and family health, or global health leadership.

Track 1: Health Education and Health Promotion
Required Courses (12 units)Units
PM 526*Communication in Public Health, or
PM 562*Intervention Approaches for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention4
PM 528Program Design and Evaluation4
PM 563Organizing and Mobilizing Communities for Global Health4

At least 4 units from: PM 505, PM 514, PM 525, PM 526*, PM 530, PM 536, PM 562*, PM 564 (4 unit courses)

At least 3 units from any 500- or 600-level course

And, 8 units of a practicum (PM 593) ending in a final report.

*May not receive credit for both track core and track elective category.

Track 2: Biostatistics/Epidemiology
Required Courses (at least 10 units)Units
PM 511aLData Analysis4

Select two courses from the following:
PM 527*Epidemiology of Infectious Disease3
PM 536*Program Evaluation and Research4
PM 537*Chronic Disease Epidemiology3

At least 6 units from: PM 511bL, PM 514, PM 532, PM 536, PM 542, PM 546* (4 unit courses); PM 515, PM 523*, PM 527*, PM 537*, PM 538 (3 unit courses)

At least 3 units from any 500- or 600-level course

And, 8 units of a practicum (PM 593) ending in a final report.

* May not receive credit for both track core and track elective category.

Track 3: Nutrition
Required Courses (12 units)Units
PM 531Research Methods in Nutrition4
PM 535Nutrition in Public Health4
PM 540Maternal and Child Nutrition4

At least 4 units from: PM 541 (4 unit course); PM 561 (3 unit course); PM 521ab, PM 539 (2 unit courses)

At least 3 units from any 500- or 600-level course

And, 8 units of a practicum (PM 593) ending in a final report.

Track 4: Health Communication
Required Courses (8 units)Units
PM 526Communications in Public Health4
PM 536Program Evaluation and Research4

At least 8 units from: COMM 510, CMGT 511, CMGT 528, CMGT 583, CMGT 587 (4 unit courses); PM 542, PM 562 (4 unit courses); JOUR 508, JOUR 536 (3 unit courses)

At least 3 units from any 500- or 600-level course

And, 8 units of a practicum (PM 593) ending in a final report.

Track 5: Child and Family Health
Required Courses (12 units)Units
PM 528Program Design and Evaluation4
PM 580Foundations of Child Health4
PM 581Quality and Inequality in Health Care: Examination of Health Services4

At least 4 units from: PM 540, PM 582, PM 583, PM 584, PM 585 (4 unit courses)

At least 3 units from any 500- or 600-level course

And, 8 units of a practicum (PM 593) ending in a final report.

Track 6: Global Health Leadership
REQUIRED COURSES (12 UNITS)UNITS
PM 525Culture and Health: An International Perspective4
PM 564Public Health Leadership and Management4
PM 565Emerging Trends in Global Health4

At least 4 units from: CMGT 583, PM 563, PM 566, PM 567, PM 568

At least 3 units from any 500- or 600-level course

And 8 units of a practicum (PM 593) ending in a final report.

The elective courses will be directed by the student's needs and interests and must be approved by the student's graduate advisor. Sufficient familiarity in computer languages to operate major software packages for data management and analysis is required.

Practicum Requirement
A practicum, PM 593, is required of all students as part of the culminating experience to the master's program. It is provided by an internship rotation through an area of public health practice in a county, state, federal or community-based agency. The practicum offers students the opportunity to observe as well as participate in applying their newly acquired skills and tools. All students are expected to participate in at least one internship and attend a corresponding seminar. An electronic portfolio describing the project and evaluating the outcomes completes the course requirement.

Criteria
Students enrolled in one of the M.P.H. professional dual degree programs (e.g., M.D./M.P.H., Pharm.D./M.P.H., D.P.T./ M.P.H., and Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology)/ M.P.H.) may waive 4 units of the practicum requirement.