Competencies

The Master of Science in Epidemiology is offered through the Program in Public Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). In order to prepare students to pursue epidemiologic research, the degree requirements for the MS in Epidemiology were developed to teach students the necessary skills for work in clinical epidemiologic research and/or public health. Upon completion of the required coursework, all students earning the degree should be able to:

1. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of study designs by selecting appropriate measures of association and identifying potential sources of error in epidemiologic research. 
2. Implement principles of epidemiology, particularly social epidemiology, to understand the underlying structural causes of health disparities. 
3. Discuss the role and impact of bias, confounding, and effect modification in data interpretation. 
4. Conduct epidemiologic analyses, including logistic, Poisson, and linear regression, multilevel modeling, and survival analysis
5. Critically review the scientific literature, synthesize findings across studies, and make appropriate recommendations based on current knowledge. 
6. Apply ethical and regulatory requirements for epidemiologic research. 
7. Communicate epidemiologic findings clearly and effectively to community members and academic audiences, using culturally appropriate and scientifically rigorous methods.